Extracts from Parliamentary Proceedings - Oct 20

Secondly, even when schools are open, a lot of pupils are being sent home because of Covid infections, but there is no uniformity in the definition of the rules by which they should be sent home, how bubbles are defined and how many students are sent home, depending on how many have been infected. The latest figures show that only 68% of schools do not have substantial closures and one in 10 students is not in school, with whole year groups often being sent home because of one or two infections. I am told by head teachers that there is no adequate guidance on this from the Department for Education. They would like pupils to be sent home only when infections are traced to groups that sit together. This would dramatically reduce the incidence of pupils being sent home and schools being closed and would bring the state system in line with the private sector, where very few pupils are being sent home.

Thirdly, this time, unlike the last closure, the temporary continuity direction provides that there should be online learning but there are no standards of provision for what it should constitute. Ofsted is inspecting online learning which is a big step forward from last time. Will the Minister undertake to provide the lessons of that to all schools?

I will ask the last two questions quickly. Where online learning is required, because pupils have been sent home, the provision for laptops to be given to poor students is not uniform. Many schools are finding that they can apply for free laptops only after the pupils have been sent home.

Baroness Penn (Con): My Lords, could the noble Lord respect the time limit for his speech?

Lord Adonis (Lab): Will the Minister undertake that all schools are able to apply for laptops upfront, without having to wait until pupils are sent home?

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Extract from end of day adjournment debate (Commons) on Remote Education: Self-isolating Pupils

Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham and Morden) (Lab):...I will reveal the horrifying extent of the digital divide across our country, consider the practical constraints that need to be urgently overcome for teachers to provide online learning and offer a solution to the Minister following the Government’s woefully inadequate approach in advance of the new requirements. I will begin with lockdown, however...

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Extract from Treasury Questions

Andrew Lewer (Northampton South) (Con): I recently had a Zoom call with Deborah Annetts, the CEO of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, and Jordan and Steve from a local Northampton band called The Keepers, and they highlighted the problems that self-employed musicians currently face. Will my right hon. Friend support struggling musicians such as The Keepers by considering either a freelance support scheme or a box office top-up to help to make socially distanced gigs feasible?

Extracts from Covid-19 statement (Commons)

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (Matt Hancock) We are working very closely with the local leadership in the north-east and with colleagues. It was very good to see the hon. Lady (Liz Twist) on a Zoom call recently to discuss this...

Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield South East) (Lab): As the Secretary of State will know from the Zoom call we had on Sunday morning, for which I thank him, the Mayor and leaders of the Sheffield city region are engaged with Ministers and officials on a number of asks in order that a move to tier 3 could be considered