Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the removal of the Religious Education Initial Teacher Training bursary on the quality of RE provision in secondary schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Initial teacher training (ITT) bursaries are offered to incentivise more applications to ITT courses. As such, we review bursaries annually to take account of several factors, including recruitment to date, forecast economic conditions, and teacher supply need in each subject. Between the 2023/24 and 2025/26 academic years, postgraduate ITT recruitment for religious education increased by 68%, one of the largest increases across all subjects.

New teachers benefit from three years of professional development through the initial teacher training and early career framework, which sets out the core knowledge, skills, and behaviours for great teaching, alongside expert mentoring and support. All trainee teachers must meet the Teachers’ Standards for qualified teacher status in full before they qualify, which requires that they ‘Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge’.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the proportion of secondary school pupils in England completing CPR training as required under the Health Education curriculum; and what steps the Department for Education is taking to support schools in ensuring consistent delivery of CPR training and to promote participation in national initiatives such as Restart a Heart month.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

All state funded schools are required to teach first aid as part of the statutory health education set out in the Relationships, Sex and Health education (RSHE) statutory guidance. Independent schools are required to cover health education as part of their responsibility to provide personal, social, health and economic education.

The RSHE guidance requires primary schools to teach basic first aid, such as dealing with common injuries. In secondary schools, pupils learn additional skills, including cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how and when to use a defibrillator.

Schools have flexibility in how they deliver this content, including which resources they choose to use and whether to participate in initiatives such as Restart a Heart month.

The department does not collect data on how many pupils have completed CPR training; schools are responsible for determining how best to meet curriculum requirements and ensure appropriate first aid education.

The government has commissioned Oak Academy to make lesson materials freely available.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what preparations her Department has made for a School Sports Strategy; and what recent steps she as taken towards the new approach announced in June 2025.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced on 19 June 2025 that the government will establish a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network to ensure all children and young people have access to high-quality PE and extracurricular sport, helping young people develop an interest in sport that continues beyond the school environment.

To deliver this, the department is preparing to procure a national partner to lead the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network. This partner will work with government, Sport England and national governing bodies to make links across provision for children and young people to strengthen support to schools and increase access to opportunities. We expect to have the national partner in place by autumn 2026.

In parallel, we are modernising the PE curriculum. The Association for Physical Education is leading a group of expert drafters to develop a new curriculum that develops children’s physical capability and supports lifelong participation in sport and physical activity.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2026 to Question 108602 on School Milk, what steps her Department is taking to ensure schools and Local Authorities are aware of the expectation that they make reasonable adjustments for children who do not drink dairy milk.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at both lunchtime and at other times of the school day. They allow schools the freedom to provide plant-based drinks as needed, including plain soya, rice or oat drinks enriched with calcium, and combination and flavoured variations of these drinks.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies.

We are currently consulting on revised statutory guidance on ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’. The consultation can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposal-on-support-for-pupils-with-medical-conditions-at-school’. This seeks views on proposals to strengthen how schools meet their duties, including improvements to allergy safety and broader medical condition management. Our aim is to ensure that every child can access education safely and confidently, regardless of their health needs or allergy.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether any civil servants hired by her Department were recruited over another person on the basis of a protected characteristic in each of the last three years.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010, which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition.

Compliance with CRaGA is overseen by the independent Civil Service Commission, which publishes recruitment principles setting out the detailed rules departments must follow.

For departments who use Civil Service Jobs to manage their recruitment, applicants are asked to provide diversity data on a voluntary basis only and no details are shared with hiring managers.

The positive action measures in the Equality Act 2010 allows employers to take proportionate action that aims to reduce disadvantage, meet different needs and increase participation.

Employers who choose to use positive action can help people who share a particular protected characteristic to overcome certain barriers under the measures. However, employers need to ensure they do this in a way which does not unfairly disadvantage other groups as this could amount to ‘positive discrimination’, which is unlawful.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support schools in improving pupil attendance in areas with high absence rates.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Absence is a key barrier to opportunity. For children to achieve and thrive, they need to be in school. In the Schools White Paper, the department set a national commitment to improve the attendance rate to over 94% by 2028/29, equivalent to 100,000 pupils attending school full time and represent the fastest rate of improvement in over a decade.

Our statutory ‘Working Together to Improve School Attendance’ guidance requires schools to appoint an attendance champion, have a published attendance policy, and work with local authorities.

The department provides real-time data tools and attendance toolkits, which help schools, trusts and local authorities identify the drivers of absence and adopt effective practice to improve attendance to pre‑pandemic attendance levels.

In January, we launched our new regional improvement for standards and excellence attendance and behaviour hubs, which can support over 3000 schools, including enhanced support for up to 500 schools, helping schools build strong relationships with parents and helping teachers form strong relationships of trust with students.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools have access to mental health support for pupils.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Warrington South to the answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 115995.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many independent schools closed in 2024 compared with 2025.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

There were 129 private school closures between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2025. In 2024, there were 58 closures and in 2025 there were 71 closures.

The government does not collect pupil-level data from private schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils left independent schools in 2024 compared with 2025, and how this compares with the estimated figure of 3,000 pupils.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

There were 129 private school closures between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2025. In 2024, there were 58 closures and in 2025 there were 71 closures.

The government does not collect pupil-level data from private schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken to publish the Schools White Paper on (a) schools and (b) pupils in South Suffolk constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ Schools White Paper and the SEND Consultation Document set out our plans to build an education system that ensures children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) get the right support at every stage of their education.

We are consulting on the reforms in the publication. You can access the consultation here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-strategy-division/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-firs/.

Mainstream school funding allocations through the national funding formula for 2026/27 were published in November 2025, and incorporated in the 2026/27 dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations to local authorities, published to the normal timescale in December 2025. This school funding is increasing by 2.6% per pupil in 2026/27 compared to 2025/26. High needs funding also allocated within local authorities’ DSG, which includes funding for special schools, was increased by over £1 billion, or 11%, in 2025/26. Funding will continue at this increased level in 2026/27.

On top of these allocations announced in 2025, we are investing £4 billion over three years to build an inclusive mainstream system. This includes £1.6 billion for a new Inclusive Mainstream Fund from 2026/27 for mainstream schools and other educational settings, with over £500 million per year over the next three years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken to publish the Schools White Paper on the implementation of planned SEND reforms.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ Schools White Paper and the SEND Consultation Document set out our plans to build an education system that ensures children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) get the right support at every stage of their education.

We are consulting on the reforms in the publication. You can access the consultation here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-strategy-division/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-firs/.

Mainstream school funding allocations through the national funding formula for 2026/27 were published in November 2025, and incorporated in the 2026/27 dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations to local authorities, published to the normal timescale in December 2025. This school funding is increasing by 2.6% per pupil in 2026/27 compared to 2025/26. High needs funding also allocated within local authorities’ DSG, which includes funding for special schools, was increased by over £1 billion, or 11%, in 2025/26. Funding will continue at this increased level in 2026/27.

On top of these allocations announced in 2025, we are investing £4 billion over three years to build an inclusive mainstream system. This includes £1.6 billion for a new Inclusive Mainstream Fund from 2026/27 for mainstream schools and other educational settings, with over £500 million per year over the next three years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken to publish the Schools White Paper on SEND reform on school funding allocations for the 2026-27 academic year.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ Schools White Paper and the SEND Consultation Document set out our plans to build an education system that ensures children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) get the right support at every stage of their education.

We are consulting on the reforms in the publication. You can access the consultation here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-strategy-division/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-firs/.

Mainstream school funding allocations through the national funding formula for 2026/27 were published in November 2025, and incorporated in the 2026/27 dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations to local authorities, published to the normal timescale in December 2025. This school funding is increasing by 2.6% per pupil in 2026/27 compared to 2025/26. High needs funding also allocated within local authorities’ DSG, which includes funding for special schools, was increased by over £1 billion, or 11%, in 2025/26. Funding will continue at this increased level in 2026/27.

On top of these allocations announced in 2025, we are investing £4 billion over three years to build an inclusive mainstream system. This includes £1.6 billion for a new Inclusive Mainstream Fund from 2026/27 for mainstream schools and other educational settings, with over £500 million per year over the next three years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the availability of Communication Support Workers for deaf (a) school, (b) college and (c) university students.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department does not hold information or data on the availability of Communication Support Workers, or their qualification levels in British Sign Language.

However, all education and training providers, as well as other related service providers, have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. They must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the qualification levels in British Sign Language of Communication Support Workers working with deaf (a) school, (b) college and (c) university students.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department does not hold information or data on the availability of Communication Support Workers, or their qualification levels in British Sign Language.

However, all education and training providers, as well as other related service providers, have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. They must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to review how teacher suspensions are used in disciplinary investigations.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

By law, all maintained schools are required to have a capabilities policy, which sets out disciplinary and grievance procedures in the workplace. As employers, all schools and trusts must follow all aspects of employment law and equalities legislation in employment decisions. They should ensure that members of their workforce are fully aware of the process by which they can seek redress as a result of any grievance relating to their work at the school.

Guidance for schools on disciplinary and grievance matters is provided by ACAS in its Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance, which makes clear that an employer has a legal 'duty of care' to support an employee during suspension and to look out for their wellbeing.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what oversight exists to ensure schools comply with national procedures when suspending teachers.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

By law, all maintained schools are required to have a capabilities policy, which sets out disciplinary and grievance procedures in the workplace. As employers, all schools and trusts must follow all aspects of employment law and equalities legislation in employment decisions. They should ensure that members of their workforce are fully aware of the process by which they can seek redress as a result of any grievance relating to their work at the school.

Guidance for schools on disciplinary and grievance matters is provided by ACAS in its Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance, which makes clear that an employer has a legal 'duty of care' to support an employee during suspension and to look out for their wellbeing.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what mechanisms are in place to monitor the welfare of teachers while they are suspended.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

By law, all maintained schools are required to have a capabilities policy, which sets out disciplinary and grievance procedures in the workplace. As employers, all schools and trusts must follow all aspects of employment law and equalities legislation in employment decisions. They should ensure that members of their workforce are fully aware of the process by which they can seek redress as a result of any grievance relating to their work at the school.

Guidance for schools on disciplinary and grievance matters is provided by ACAS in its Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance, which makes clear that an employer has a legal 'duty of care' to support an employee during suspension and to look out for their wellbeing.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the experiences of children and young people with dyslexia are captured when measuring attainment at the end of secondary school.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is committed to ensuring the exam system is equitable for all students and that students with disabilities, including dyslexia, can access exams and assessments without disadvantage.

Ofqual, the independent regulator of exams and assessments in England, has a statutory duty to ensure that assessments are a fair representation of a student’s knowledge and requires awarding organisations to put processes in place to ensure that all students can access assessments appropriately.

The Equality Act 2010 also requires awarding organisations to make reasonable adjustments where assessment arrangements could place a student who is disabled within the meaning of the Act at a substantial disadvantage in comparison to someone who is not disabled.

These adjustments can include, but are not limited to, extra time to complete assessments or assistance via a reader or a scribe, depending on the individual needs of the student.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme who retired since 2020 have not yet received the full rectified pension payment owed to them following the McCloud remedy.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Recalculating retired members’ benefits is a complex process. For members retiring, these cases are relatively straightforward as no benefits are already in payment. For retired members, additional complications around tax, interest rules and system functionality required extensive consultation.

Capita, the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme administrator, are processing Remediable Service Statement (RSS) choices, aiming to complete payments as quickly as possible.

Of the members who have retired since 2020 who have received and returned their RSS, 4,176 are awaiting payment as of 17 March 2026.

The issuing and payment of members’ RSS choices is a high priority. The department is continually exploring ways to improve payment times with Capita, which includes recruiting additional staff and automating functions wherever possible. Members’ original pension benefits will continue to be paid until their choice has been implemented.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to regulate how multi-academy trusts address concerns raised by parents of children whose school is joining a multi-academy trust.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Section 5 of the Academies Act 2010 requires maintained schools to consult appropriate persons on whether the school should convert to academy status before the conversion goes ahead. This does not apply to schools that are eligible for intervention.

In the ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper, the department committed to consult on requiring school trusts to have local governance structures that together include all their schools, hold annual parental forums, and ensure boards hear directly from parents and school communities. The consultation will draw on the strongest sector practice in engaging parents and communities, to ensure that trust boards benefit from clear, consistent insight into the needs and priorities of the families they serve.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to support schools in introducing digital literacy programmes for pupils aged 11 to 16.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and this response relates to state-funded schools in England only.

On 5 November 2025, the government issued the response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, setting out the changes that will be made to the national curriculum, as well as reforms to qualifications. To ensure students develop the essential digital literacy skills needed for future life and work, the refreshed curriculum, due for first teaching in September 2028, will provide greater clarity on what should be taught at each key stage.

The department continues to invest in the National Centre for Computing Education, supporting teachers to confidently teach topics such as digital literacy through the provision of free online courses and resources. This includes a free online course supporting secondary subject leaders to understand what digital literacy is and to integrate it across subjects.

The core schools budget is also increasing by £1.7 billion in 2026/27, which includes funding for special educational needs and disabilities reforms announced within the Schools White Paper.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of teacher recruitment in STEM subjects in the last academic year.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department is seeing real progress. On top of an increase of 2,346 teachers (full-time equivalent) in secondary and special schools between 2023/24 and 2024/25, the future pipeline is also looking positive. New entrants to training in physics are up 37% this year, computing up 46%, and maths up by 18%. In total, the data shows an increase of 22% in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, exceeding the STEM target for the first time since it was introduced in 2019.

The department set out plans for an additional 6,500 teachers in our delivery plan, published last month alongside the Schools White Paper, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6995de6aa58a315dbe72bf7c/6500_additional_teachers_delivery_plan_print_ready_version.pdf.

We are continuing to offer bursaries worth £29,000 tax-free and scholarships worth up to £31,000 tax-free to encourage more talented people to train to teach key STEM subjects. We are also offering a targeted retention incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for teachers of the same STEM subjects in the first five years of their careers who work in disadvantaged schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to question 98962, what discussions he has had with Derbyshire County Council in the time taken to issue education, health and care plans, since an improvement notice for its SEND services was issued in January 2025.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Since issuing the improvement notice to Derbyshire County Council in January 2025, the department is regularly and closely monitoring and tracking outcomes against Derbyshire’s local area partnership’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) improvement plan, including the time taken to issue high quality education, health and care plans in line with statutory expectations, so that children and young people can access the support they need in a timely manner.

The department has commissioned a SEND adviser to identify barriers, challenge, support and monitor progress against the partnership’s plan. Departmental officials scrutinise reports through a series of formal stocktakes and meetings with local leaders and attend the partnership’s SEND Improvement and Advisory Board which meets monthly and is overseen by an independently appointed chair.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to shorten the time taken to issue Remediable Service Statements to members of the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is working closely with the scheme administrator to process Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) as quickly and efficiently as possible. Several factors have affected the original delivery timeline, including technical dependencies, regulatory requirements, coordination with external partners and preparation for a transition of contractor.

The department continues to monitor progress and is working closely with the scheme administrator to streamline processes and introduce automation where possible. Any pension adjustments arising from members’ choices will be backdated with interest to ensure members are not financially disadvantaged.

The administrator will keep affected members informed of revised timelines through established channels, including My Pension Online and its website. The latest update is available at: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/news/public-news/2025/11/timeline-for-sending-out-remediable-service-statements-rss.aspx.

As responsibility for this work transitions to the new administrator of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in summer 2026, the department is working with the new administrator to finalise the timeline for issuing all RSSs. Once the timeline is confirmed, it will be communicated to relevant members.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department are taking to improve teacher retention; and whether her Department plans to publish a teacher retention strategy.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Better retention of teachers and leaders keeps the skills and expertise they have developed in classrooms, underpinning high quality education for every child.

In our ’6,500 additional teachers’ delivery plan, the department set out it’s focus for delivery across three key themes: attracting, retaining and developing teachers.

The department is increasing access and awareness of flexible working, promoting best practice in workload and wellbeing management, and supporting teachers and leaders to harness the benefits of technology.

We are offering targeted retention incentives worth up to £6,000 after tax for teachers in the first five years of their career, who teach key science, technology, engineering and maths subjects in the most disadvantaged schools. We have also made above inflation pay increases of almost 10% for teachers and leaders over the last two pay rounds, accepting the School Teachers' Review Body recommendations in full.

Our interventions are starting to deliver. The last school workforce census reported 1,700 fewer leavers than the previous year and a leaver rate of 9%, one of the lowest since 2010.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department monitors the impact of budget pressures on SEND outcomes.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department’s assessment of the impact of pressures on the outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is available in our consultation document ‘SEND Reform: putting children and young people first’, published 23 February.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for School Standards during the oral question on EHCP Backlog: Cambridgeshire of 2 March 2026, Official Report, column 565, how much Cambridgeshire County Council has been allocated of the £200 million funding directly provided to support councils' capacity to deliver EHCPs.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

To ensure all local authorities have the capacity to undertake meaningful transformation planning and delivery over this spending review period while maintaining current special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services, we will provide £200 million in support for the transformation of local authority SEND services. This funding will be provided to local authorities in a single payment alongside funding for Experts at Hand, with a proportion allocated to transformation which includes a focus on strategic planning in local SEND reform plans, commissioning, leadership capacity and engaging with the education sector. We will publish methodology documents to explain how the funding will be distributed, and indicative allocations for local authorities, including those for Cambridgeshire County Council, for 2026/27 in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department will publish the guidance issued to local authorities in the 1990s on the inclusion of part‑time teachers in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme following maternity leave.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for North East Hampshire to the answer of 21 January 2026 to Question 103065.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria will be used to evaluate the success of the Government’s SEND reforms.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Every child deserves an education that meets their needs, one that is academically stretching, where every child feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work.

Driving inclusion in schools will improve outcomes for all children. Our reforms will restore parents’ trust in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. We will be investing £4 billion more over three years to support implementation, including £1.8 billion so every community has experts on hand, with £1.6 billion going directly to schools for early intervention and over £200 million to train every teacher.

The department regularly publishes statistics on pupils with special educational needs, including information on educational attainment, destinations, absence, exclusions and characteristics.

We are consulting on proposals to reform the SEND system, and will set out in more detail how we will evaluate policy after the consultation closes. We will set clear expectations of our public services and hold them to account for delivering.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to consult on the revised citizenship programmes of study.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

We are revising the national curriculum following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review. We will make citizenship compulsory in key stages 1 and 2 so that primary aged children are introduced to key content on media literacy, financial literacy, law and rights, democracy and government, and climate education. We will publicly consult on all national curriculum programmes of study from summer 2026 and fully implement the new full national curriculum for first teaching from September 2028.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit all forms of physical punishment of children in England.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department continues to look closely at the legislative changes made in Wales and Scotland but has no plans to legislate to remove the reasonable punishment defence in England at this time. It is right that we protect all children at risk of harm, but it is also right that we do not intervene in family life when children are safe, loved and well supported.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will provide greater protection for children who are at risk of abuse and neglect. We have also launched plans for a new Child Protection Authority and are providing £2.4 billion funding for the Families First Partnership programme to support families who need targeted support. In addition, we are rolling out Best Start Family Hubs, backed by over £500 million, to ensure families in every part of the country have access to a range of universal services, including evidence-based interventions for parenting.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will introduce supplementary grants for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who seek to participate in Erasmus + projects in line with the provision in other associated countries.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide, additional funding is available for participants with fewer opportunities, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to support them to travel abroad on an Erasmus+ placement.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the retention of Special educational needs co-ordinator's (SENCO) in schools in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department knows the important role that special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) play in driving inclusive practice across settings and building a culture where every child can achieve and the thrive. However, we recognise the challenges that the SENCO role currently involves, including excessive bureaucracy and administrative burdens.

Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) should be the responsibility of all staff. That is why in the ‘SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First’ document, we have committed to working with the sector to redefine roles and responsibilities across the system. This will drive inclusive practice and enable SENCOs to have a greater focus on strategic leadership and supporting the development of high quality practice. The government has announced a new training package, backed by £200 million of new funding, to ensure that every teacher, educator, teaching assistant and leader across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with SEND.

Alongside this, the mandatory SENCO national professional qualification continues to ensure that SENCOs receive high quality, evidence-based training and equips them with the knowledge and skills to work with other leaders to create an inclusive environment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she intends to publish an answer to Question 105314, tabled on 13 January 2026.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The response to Written Parliamentary Question 105314 was published on 20 March 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of nursery places in Essex.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department continually monitors the sufficiency of childcare in Essex.

Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the ‘Early education and childcare’ statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents.

This government is boosting availability and access through the School-based Nursery programme, supporting school-led provision and private, voluntary and independent providers and childminders operating from school sites. Phase 1 is already delivering results, with £37 million awarded to 300 primary-phase schools, including 13 in Essex, creating up to 6,000 new childcare places in total.

The department is due to announce successful Phase 2 projects in spring 2026.

Where Essex reports any sufficiency challenges, the department discusses what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, support them with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support schools to recruit qualified modern languages teachers in the West Midlands.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

High quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest positive impact on a child’s outcomes. This is why the government’s Plan for Change is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across secondary and special schools, and our colleges, over the course of this Parliament.

The department is offering £20,000 tax-free bursaries for modern foreign language (MFL) trainees, including international as well as domestic trainees. In addition, we are continuing to offer a prestigious scholarship worth £22,000 tax-free for French, German and Spanish trainees.

Our future school teacher pipeline is growing. Although this government inherited a system with critical shortages of MFL teachers, with the department achieving only 32% of its postgraduate initial teacher training target in 2023/24, this year we have achieved 94% of the target with 1,378 new trainees beginning their postgraduate training in MFL.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is she taking to address waiting lists and delayed start dates for nursery placements.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department continually monitors the sufficiency of childcare in Essex. The number of places on Ofsted’s Early Years Register in Essex rose by 4% (or 1,500) from 37,400 as at 31 December 2024 to 38,900 as at 31 December 2025.

The department has regular contact with all local authorities in England about childcare sufficiency and any issues they are facing, including disclosing any waiting lists or delayed start times.

The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is adequate to meet the requirements of parents and children.

Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the ‘Early education and childcare’ statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents.

Where the local authority reports any sufficiency challenges, we discuss what action they are taking to address those issues and, where needed, support them with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of replacing a proposed cap on the number of branded school uniform items with a monetary cap set by regulations.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

I refer the hon. Member for Newbury to the answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 114997.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of trends in the prevalence of child morning hunger in (a) early years, (b) primary and (c) secondary school settings in England on school (i) readiness and (ii) attendance.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department appreciates the publication of the report and look forward to giving it our full consideration. This government is committed to tackling child poverty and delivering meaningful action to support children and families. The removal of the two child limit on Universal Credit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures set out in our Child Poverty Strategy, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.

We recognise the importance of a healthy breakfast at the start of the day for pupils and the impact this can have on attendance and readiness to learn. This is why we are rolling out free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England, so that all children can have the best start in life. Since April 2025, the programme has delivered seven million meals to almost 180,000 pupils across the country. We are investing a further £80 million to fund approximately 2,000 additional schools between April 2026 and March 2027.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of staffing capacity in early years settings.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The early years workforce is at the heart of our mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver the Plan for Change. The department has seen strong growth in the workforce so far, with early years provision delivered by an estimated 353,700 paid staff in 2025, compared to 353,100 in 2024. We know more growth will be needed as children age into the 30 hours offer from September 2025 onwards, so we continue working closely with providers and local authorities.

The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. No local authority is reporting sufficiency issues.

We continue to support the sector to attract talented staff and childminders by creating conditions for improved recruitment alongside programmes to better utilise the existing workforce. Recruitment and retention are being boosted through national recruitment campaigns, financial incentives, new teacher training and apprenticeships routes.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of local government reorganisation on educational services for children with SEND.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department fully recognises the importance of ensuring that any structural changes to local government protect the safety, wellbeing, and life chances of children and young people. The department is already working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to put in place resource, structures and processes that support effective reorganisation, including in relation to provision of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services, to ensure that we improve outcomes for children as these changes take place.

The department is reviewing all local government reorganisation (LGR) proposals and will provide feedback to MHCLG, with a particular emphasis on how proposals will ensure the effective delivery of SEND, children’s social care and education services and reforms. The department will also work with individual local authorities throughout the LGR process to ensure local, contextual knowledge is embedded into feedback provided.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of (a) current funding models in the context of high mobility and separation on Service pupils and (b) targeted support for those with special and additional education needs, and disabilities.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Over £26 million of targeted funding was allocated in 2025/26 to help schools in England support their Service pupils, through the Service Pupil Premium. The rate increased to £350 per eligible pupil in 2025, reflecting the department’s commitment to recognising the unique challenges faced by Armed Forces families. This funding enables schools to provide targeted pastoral and academic support to mitigate the effects of mobility and parental separation on pupil progress and wellbeing. The department reviews the Service Pupil Premium annually.

Service children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) might experience delays in identifying needs and inconsistent services and support between local authorities when their parents are redeployed and they move to a new area. The SEND reforms we are proposing respond directly to long-standing concerns about the outcomes for children with SEND and the inconsistency and inefficiencies in support. For example, National Inclusion Standards will set out support that should be available in every mainstream setting so that children can receive more consistent support. Education, health and care plans and new Individual Support Plans will be digital, to support smoother transitions when children move between schools or local authorities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, what metrics her Department will use to assess whether the new measures improve safety and reduce extremism on campus.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has assessed that Prevent related concerns, harassment and intimidation on university campuses in England have increased in recent years, reflecting wider societal and geopolitical tensions.

Prevent related concerns in higher education reached a record high in the 2023/24 reporting year of 65 Prevent referrals according to the Office for Students annual reporting data here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/prevent-monitoring-summary-of-2023-24-accountability-and-data-returns/. Reports also highlight a significant rise in harassment and intimidation, particularly following the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023.

There is no place for unlawful extremist behaviour on university campuses, including harassment or intimidation, and we expect Vice Chancellors to tackle it decisively. The department will continue to work closely with key sector organisations to understand how their data and reported campus experiences evolve over time.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of extremism, harassment and intimidation on university campuses in England.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has assessed that Prevent related concerns, harassment and intimidation on university campuses in England have increased in recent years, reflecting wider societal and geopolitical tensions.

Prevent related concerns in higher education reached a record high in the 2023/24 reporting year of 65 Prevent referrals according to the Office for Students annual reporting data here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/prevent-monitoring-summary-of-2023-24-accountability-and-data-returns/. Reports also highlight a significant rise in harassment and intimidation, particularly following the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023.

There is no place for unlawful extremist behaviour on university campuses, including harassment or intimidation, and we expect Vice Chancellors to tackle it decisively. The department will continue to work closely with key sector organisations to understand how their data and reported campus experiences evolve over time.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Students given stronger protections against extremism on campus, published on 8 March 2026, when she plans to review the effectiveness of the increased campus extremism protections.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has assessed that Prevent related concerns, harassment and intimidation on university campuses in England have increased in recent years, reflecting wider societal and geopolitical tensions.

Prevent related concerns in higher education reached a record high in the 2023/24 reporting year of 65 Prevent referrals according to the Office for Students annual reporting data here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/prevent-monitoring-summary-of-2023-24-accountability-and-data-returns/. Reports also highlight a significant rise in harassment and intimidation, particularly following the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023.

There is no place for unlawful extremist behaviour on university campuses, including harassment or intimidation, and we expect Vice Chancellors to tackle it decisively. The department will continue to work closely with key sector organisations to understand how their data and reported campus experiences evolve over time.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what checks have been carried out in the last twelve months on student loans awarded to people enrolling at UK Universities whose country of origin was Romania.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

To qualify for support, applicants must provide the Student Loans Company (SLC) with evidence of their eligibility. This includes evidence of their identity, immigration status and ordinary residence.

SLC have robust procedures in place to check student finance eligibility, including data-sharing with the Home Office and HM Passport Office. When required, the SLC will contact the Home Office to confirm an applicant’s immigration status and ordinary residence.

SLC makes payments of loans to students on courses at higher education providers (HEPs) and HEPs in England must be registered with the Office for Students (OfS) before students are eligible to access funding. SLC monitors applications for student finance and works with the department and the OfS to protect public money.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence supports the proposal to restrict all V Level qualifications to 360 guided learning hours: and what assessment has been made of the potential impact of this restriction on progression to higher education and skilled employment in sectors where greater breadth or depth of study is required.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

V Levels are designed to be 360 guided learning hours to enable them to be taken alongside A Levels or other V Levels to form broad study programmes, enabling breadth of study for young people who want to keep their options open. For young people who know what broad career path they want to follow, and want to study a single large qualification focused on that area, T Levels provide a great option for progression. In specific and limited cases, we will allow a partnered set of V Levels, which will enable overall depth of study in a linked area.

The department will support providers to transition to V Levels and new Level 2 pathways through comprehensive guidance, exemplar materials, working with awarding organisations on providing teaching resources, and the establishment of a sector-led qualification pioneers group to test, refine, and inform effective implementation.

The department has undertaken an equality impact assessment for the government consultation response and does not anticipate any negative impacts of introducing the new pathways on any groups with protected characteristics. We will carefully consider the impacts on different groups of young people as we design new qualifications.

We are working closely with higher education institutions and UCAS to ensure wide recognition of V Levels, tariff points parity with other qualifications and to clearly communicate progression pathways ahead of first teaching.

Further information on the rollout of 16 to 19 qualifications reform is set out in the government response and the equalities impact assessment, published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the capacity of further education providers to deliver the proposed Level 2 and Level 3 reforms within the planned timetable, including workforce, facilities and employer-placement capacity.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

V Levels are designed to be 360 guided learning hours to enable them to be taken alongside A Levels or other V Levels to form broad study programmes, enabling breadth of study for young people who want to keep their options open. For young people who know what broad career path they want to follow, and want to study a single large qualification focused on that area, T Levels provide a great option for progression. In specific and limited cases, we will allow a partnered set of V Levels, which will enable overall depth of study in a linked area.

The department will support providers to transition to V Levels and new Level 2 pathways through comprehensive guidance, exemplar materials, working with awarding organisations on providing teaching resources, and the establishment of a sector-led qualification pioneers group to test, refine, and inform effective implementation.

The department has undertaken an equality impact assessment for the government consultation response and does not anticipate any negative impacts of introducing the new pathways on any groups with protected characteristics. We will carefully consider the impacts on different groups of young people as we design new qualifications.

We are working closely with higher education institutions and UCAS to ensure wide recognition of V Levels, tariff points parity with other qualifications and to clearly communicate progression pathways ahead of first teaching.

Further information on the rollout of 16 to 19 qualifications reform is set out in the government response and the equalities impact assessment, published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has the Department made of the potential impact of the proposed Level 3 and below reforms on participation by students with protected characteristics; and whether an equality impact assessment will be published before any funding decisions are implemented.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

V Levels are designed to be 360 guided learning hours to enable them to be taken alongside A Levels or other V Levels to form broad study programmes, enabling breadth of study for young people who want to keep their options open. For young people who know what broad career path they want to follow, and want to study a single large qualification focused on that area, T Levels provide a great option for progression. In specific and limited cases, we will allow a partnered set of V Levels, which will enable overall depth of study in a linked area.

The department will support providers to transition to V Levels and new Level 2 pathways through comprehensive guidance, exemplar materials, working with awarding organisations on providing teaching resources, and the establishment of a sector-led qualification pioneers group to test, refine, and inform effective implementation.

The department has undertaken an equality impact assessment for the government consultation response and does not anticipate any negative impacts of introducing the new pathways on any groups with protected characteristics. We will carefully consider the impacts on different groups of young people as we design new qualifications.

We are working closely with higher education institutions and UCAS to ensure wide recognition of V Levels, tariff points parity with other qualifications and to clearly communicate progression pathways ahead of first teaching.

Further information on the rollout of 16 to 19 qualifications reform is set out in the government response and the equalities impact assessment, published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has her Department made of potential the impact of the proposed Level 3 and below reforms on progression to higher education.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

V Levels are designed to be 360 guided learning hours to enable them to be taken alongside A Levels or other V Levels to form broad study programmes, enabling breadth of study for young people who want to keep their options open. For young people who know what broad career path they want to follow, and want to study a single large qualification focused on that area, T Levels provide a great option for progression. In specific and limited cases, we will allow a partnered set of V Levels, which will enable overall depth of study in a linked area.

The department will support providers to transition to V Levels and new Level 2 pathways through comprehensive guidance, exemplar materials, working with awarding organisations on providing teaching resources, and the establishment of a sector-led qualification pioneers group to test, refine, and inform effective implementation.

The department has undertaken an equality impact assessment for the government consultation response and does not anticipate any negative impacts of introducing the new pathways on any groups with protected characteristics. We will carefully consider the impacts on different groups of young people as we design new qualifications.

We are working closely with higher education institutions and UCAS to ensure wide recognition of V Levels, tariff points parity with other qualifications and to clearly communicate progression pathways ahead of first teaching.

Further information on the rollout of 16 to 19 qualifications reform is set out in the government response and the equalities impact assessment, published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what number of international students by university and by nationality who dropped out of university in the academic year 2024/2025.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Office for Students (OfS) publishes statistics across different aspects of the student lifecycle by higher education providers to help inform regulatory processes. The Student Outcomes Data Dashboard is accessible here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/student-outcomes-data-dashboard/data-dashboard/. The dashboard holds the following indicators:

• Continuation: the percentage of first degree entrants who continue their studies after 12 months for full-time students, or 24 months for part-time students.
• Completion: the percentage of first degree entrants who completed their course within 4 years 15 days for full-time students, and within 6 years 15 days for part-time students.

The OfS publish breakdowns for non-UK domiciled students for English OfS registered providers. The latest data available are for 2022/23 entrants for continuation rates and 2019/20 entrants for completion rates. The student outcomes dashboard is updated annually and was last released in August 2025. The data can be accessed here:

https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/student-outcomes-data-dashboard/get-the-data/.

Data on student nationality as opposed to domicile, which is the permanent address of the student immediately prior to study, is not published by the OfS and is not readily available.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the portability of (a) special and (b) additional needs, and (c) disability provision for children in Armed Forces families.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As part of the consultation on the government’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms, I recently attended a roundtable hosted by the Armed Forces Community All-Party Parliamentary Group. I met representatives from armed forces families and the charities that support them to hear first-hand about the problems they face. Children and young people from armed forces families might have to change nursery, school or college when their parents are redeployed. They can experience delays in identifying their needs, and inconsistent services and support between local authorities.

To address the problems caused by delays, the department’s special educational needs and disabilities reforms will improve early identification of children’s needs so that provision can be put in place more quickly. We will invest in new training for all staff and increase the number of specialists. Education health and care plans and new Individual Support Plans will be digital, which will support services children by facilitating smoother transitions when they move between schools or local authorities.

In future, services children should receive more consistent services when they move. National Inclusion Standards will set out, for the first time, support that should be available in every mainstream setting. A nationally consistent set of Specialist Provision Packages will provide comprehensive, evidence-based packages of support for children and young people with the most complex needs.

Education is a devolved matter and the reforms will apply to England only.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the maths-teacher recruitment target for postgraduate initial teacher training course entries in 2025-26.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The target was calculated using the Teacher Workforce Model and accounts for the following, among other factors: projected pupil numbers, teachers that are expected to leave service and require replacement, and teachers we expect to join from routes other than postgraduate initial teacher training.

In the 2025/26 academic year, there were 2,628 new entrants to maths postgraduate Initial Teacher Training courses. This represents 114% of the target, which was 2,300.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 13th February 2026 to question 105615 on play based pedagogy, if she will update initial teacher training and CPD frameworks to include evidence‑based training on play‑based pedagogy.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential to transform the training and support for all new teachers. That is why we are committing to a full review of the delivery of the Early Career Teacher Entitlement, including the framework content of the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework, in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for trainees and early career teachers based on the most up to date evidence.

As part of the review, we will be seeking evidence and views from stakeholders from across the education sector.

We also want to ensure that National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) continue to offer the best possible support to teachers and leaders. In 2025, we announced a review of the NPQ courses.

To aid the review, the department published two calls for evidence to seek recent, relevant and high-quality research. We are considering a wide range of responses to ensure that review succeeds in improving pupil outcomes through updated NPQ courses that better meet the needs of education leaders based on the latest robust evidence.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Vice Chancellors on the impact of Government policy on university finances.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Higher education (HE) providers are independent from government and as such are responsible for managing their finances and ensuring their business models provide long-term sustainability.

However, this government is committed to helping put the HE sector on a secure financial footing so that it can face the challenges of the next decade. Our decision to raise tuition fees annually in line with inflation, alongside refocusing the Office for Students (OfS) on monitoring the sector’s financial health, demonstrates this commitment.

Although the OfS is responsible for monitoring the sector’s financial sustainability, the government has a strong interest in understanding the sector’s level of risk. My department continues to engage closely with the OfS, other government departments and sector representative groups, as well as individual providers, to better understand the changing financial landscape.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that home-visit requirements under the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill are applied proportionately, particularly in cases where families have no prior history of safeguarding concerns.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The power for local authorities to request to visit a child in their home is intended to help the authority decide whether education is suitable for the child or, in the case of children subject to child protection processes, that it is in the best interests of the child to receive their education in or outside of school. The findings of a home visit, or the refusal to allow one, must be considered in deciding whether to commence the school attendance order process, but will not be the only factor determining that decision.

The requirement in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill for local authorities to consider a child’s home and other learning environments, and the power to request a home visit, addresses recommendations in the Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review into the death of Sara Sharif.

Local authorities must always act reasonably when carrying out their duties. We will consult on statutory guidance, which helps local authorities conduct visits sensitively, and will develop training to help local authorities implement their new duties. A full new burdens assessment will be undertaken to determine the costs and resources required for local authorities to undertake these new duties, and additional funding will be provided.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional funding, guidance, and training her Department plans to provide to local authorities to support the consistent and fair implementation of home-visit duties from the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The power for local authorities to request to visit a child in their home is intended to help the authority decide whether education is suitable for the child or, in the case of children subject to child protection processes, that it is in the best interests of the child to receive their education in or outside of school. The findings of a home visit, or the refusal to allow one, must be considered in deciding whether to commence the school attendance order process, but will not be the only factor determining that decision.

The requirement in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill for local authorities to consider a child’s home and other learning environments, and the power to request a home visit, addresses recommendations in the Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review into the death of Sara Sharif.

Local authorities must always act reasonably when carrying out their duties. We will consult on statutory guidance, which helps local authorities conduct visits sensitively, and will develop training to help local authorities implement their new duties. A full new burdens assessment will be undertaken to determine the costs and resources required for local authorities to undertake these new duties, and additional funding will be provided.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence base underpins the proposal that a family's refusal of a home visit may lead a local authority to consider issuing a School Attendance Order under the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The power for local authorities to request to visit a child in their home is intended to help the authority decide whether education is suitable for the child or, in the case of children subject to child protection processes, that it is in the best interests of the child to receive their education in or outside of school. The findings of a home visit, or the refusal to allow one, must be considered in deciding whether to commence the school attendance order process, but will not be the only factor determining that decision.

The requirement in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill for local authorities to consider a child’s home and other learning environments, and the power to request a home visit, addresses recommendations in the Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review into the death of Sara Sharif.

Local authorities must always act reasonably when carrying out their duties. We will consult on statutory guidance, which helps local authorities conduct visits sensitively, and will develop training to help local authorities implement their new duties. A full new burdens assessment will be undertaken to determine the costs and resources required for local authorities to undertake these new duties, and additional funding will be provided.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the effect of the changes outlined in the February 2026 white paper to the school funding formula on average per-pupil funding in (a) Hampshire (b) the East Hampshire parliamentary constituency, assuming current pupil characteristics.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The distribution of additional funding for schools in the Inclusive Mainstream Fund for the 2026/27 financial year will be confirmed shortly.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether guidance on screen use will include recommendations on preventing eye conditions such as myopia and dry eye associated with excessive screen use.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department and the Department of Health and Social Care are jointly working to produce and publish new practical, evidence-informed guidance on screen time for early years. An early years screen time advisory group of child health and development specialists has been convened to shape the guidance, which will also be informed by the perspectives of parents and carers. And as I committed to in the House, I will consider how we will support children with eye conditions.

In addition, amid concerns that young people’s lives are dominated by time in front of devices, the government will support families by producing evidence-based screen time guidance for parents of children aged five to 16. Experts are considering a wide range of evidence, and the guidance will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether guidance on screen time and social media use will include the potential impact of excessive use of screens on sight loss.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department and the Department of Health and Social Care are jointly working to produce and publish new practical, evidence-informed guidance on screen time for early years. An early years screen time advisory group of child health and development specialists has been convened to shape the guidance, which will also be informed by the perspectives of parents and carers. And as I committed to in the House, I will consider how we will support children with eye conditions.

In addition, amid concerns that young people’s lives are dominated by time in front of devices, the government will support families by producing evidence-based screen time guidance for parents of children aged five to 16. Experts are considering a wide range of evidence, and the guidance will be published in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Schools White Paper 2026, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Mission Coastal on young people in Poole.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Schools White Paper launched Mission North East and Mission Coastal. The aim of the missions is to transform outcomes for children and young people and provide a blueprint for national change. The scope of Mission Coastal is still being developed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) safeguards and (b) limitations will apply to home visits conducted by local authorities under the proposed registration provisions in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The power for local authorities to request to visit a child in their home is intended to help the authority decide whether education is suitable for the child or, in the case of children subject to child protection processes, that it is in the best interests of the child to receive their education in or outside of school. The findings of a home visit, or the refusal to allow one, must be considered in deciding whether to commence the school attendance order process, but will not be the only factor determining that decision.

The requirement in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill for local authorities to consider a child’s home and other learning environments, and the power to request a home visit, addresses recommendations in the Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review into the death of Sara Sharif.

Local authorities must always act reasonably when carrying out their duties. We will consult on statutory guidance, which helps local authorities conduct visits sensitively, and will develop training to help local authorities implement their new duties. A full new burdens assessment will be undertaken to determine the costs and resources required for local authorities to undertake these new duties, and additional funding will be provided.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 13th February 2026 to question 105615 on play based pedagogy, if her Department will consider the potential benefits of continuing play‑based pedagogy beyond the Early Years Foundation Stage into Key Stage 1.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Curriculum and Assessment Review considered the extent to which the curriculum and the assessment system in England is fit for purpose and meeting the needs of children and young people. The government’s response set out key reforms to the national curriculum that we will be taking forward. The purpose of the national curriculum is to outline what must be taught in schools rather than how.

We will continue to back educators to apply their professional judgment and creativity to meet the needs of their pupils, meaning children will be able to benefit from play-based learning throughout their primary education.

The department is working to make sure that all children and young people have access to a variety of enrichment opportunities, including opportunities for play, at school as an important part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 13th February 2026 to question 105615 on play based pedagogy, whether her Department plans to commission research into the potential impact of play‑based pedagogy on attainment and wellbeing in Key Stage 1.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Curriculum and Assessment Review considered the extent to which the curriculum and the assessment system in England is fit for purpose and meeting the needs of children and young people. The government’s response set out key reforms to the national curriculum that we will be taking forward. The purpose of the national curriculum is to outline what must be taught in schools rather than how.

We will continue to back educators to apply their professional judgment and creativity to meet the needs of their pupils, meaning children will be able to benefit from play-based learning throughout their primary education.

The department is working to make sure that all children and young people have access to a variety of enrichment opportunities, including opportunities for play, at school as an important part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 13th February 2026 to question 105615 on play based pedagogy, whether the forthcoming Enrichment Framework will include guidance on embedding play‑based pedagogy within core curriculum delivery.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Curriculum and Assessment Review considered the extent to which the curriculum and the assessment system in England is fit for purpose and meeting the needs of children and young people. The government’s response set out key reforms to the national curriculum that we will be taking forward. The purpose of the national curriculum is to outline what must be taught in schools rather than how.

We will continue to back educators to apply their professional judgment and creativity to meet the needs of their pupils, meaning children will be able to benefit from play-based learning throughout their primary education.

The department is working to make sure that all children and young people have access to a variety of enrichment opportunities, including opportunities for play, at school as an important part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what was the number of redundancies announced in higher education over the past year.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for York Central to the answer of 11 March 2026 to Question 117322.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of interest rates applied to income-contingent student loans on the total level of graduate debt.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department does not hold analysis on the impact of interest rates on total level of graduate debt.

No Plan 5 borrower should see their loan balance grow in real terms without additional outlay, as the rate of interest for Plan 5 loans is applied at Retail Price Index (RPI) only.

Plan 2 loan interest rates are applied at RPI only, then variable up to RPI+3% depending on earnings. Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by student loan borrowers, which stay at a constant rate of 9% above an earnings threshold to protect lower earners.

Outstanding debt, including interest accrued, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants. There are no commercial loans that offer this level of borrower protection. This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of local government reorganisation on the Dedicated Schools Grant allocation for Cambridgeshire with regards to SEND reform.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is exploring the implications of all local government reorganisation proposals, including those for Cambridgeshire. When decisions have been made, we will assess the impact of those plans on future dedicated schools grant allocations, and on the allocations of other grants designed to deliver the reforms outlined in our current special educational and disability (SEND) reform consultation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the availability of post-16 provision in Liverpool Walton.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is working closely with Liverpool City Council and local general further education (FE) colleges to ensure there is sufficient post-16 provision in Liverpool Walton and the wider city region.

In October 2025, we published the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, setting out our reforms to the skills system in England, which will develop the skilled workforce our economy needs.

Reforms include the introduction of V Levels to sit alongside A and T Levels, the Further Study pathway, designed to support students to progress onto V, T or A levels and also the Occupational pathway which will support students to develop the skills needed to progress into employment or an apprenticeship.

Liverpool Walton students will continue to access high quality post-16 education through school sixth forms, specialised alternative providers and outstanding FE colleges and universities within the city region.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what new oversight measures she plans to introduce in relation to home schooling as referenced in the Statement of 9 March 2026; whether local authorities will be granted additional statutory powers to register or inspect home-educated children; what safeguards she will put in place to ensure that families who home educate are not subject to disproportionate regulation; and what assessment she has made of the potential resource implications for local authorities.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will require local authorities to maintain registers of children who are not in school, including home-educated children, and require parents of eligible children to give information for these registers. This will support authorities to identify children who are not receiving a safe, suitable education so they can take action.

The Bill also requires some parents to seek permission from the local authority before children can be withdrawn for home education, such as children who are subject to section 47 enquiries, are on a child protection plan (or were previously in the last five years), or who attend a special school. This additional check will ensure these children receive a suitable education that is in their best interests.

When carrying out their duties, local authorities must act reasonably and we will provide additional training and statutory guidance to support with this. We will also conduct a New Burdens Assessment to establish the amount of additional funding required by local authorities to fulfil their duties. Evidence for this assessment will be gathered through a public consultation ahead of implementation of the measures.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Adoption Support Fund; and what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the fund on (a) adoption breakdown rates and (b) mental health outcomes of children placed in permanent care.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department keeps the effectiveness of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) under continual review. The latest evaluation found strong evidence of positive impact: 83% of parents and guardians reported that ASGSF‑funded support was helpful or very helpful, and there were statistically significant improvements by the end of the intervention. Families also reported an average score of seven out of ten six months after support ended. Outcome measurement tools are now strengthening our ability to assess therapeutic progress and longer-term impacts.

Recognising both the positive benefits of the ASGSF and the need to ensure that support for adopted and permanently placed children is as effective as possible, the department launched a public consultation in February 2026, ‘Adoption support that works for all’. This seeks views on how to deliver a more responsive, evidence‑based system of adoption support, including future arrangements for the ASGSF.

Found: The Department for Education is also taking action to improve air quality for children and young people

Found: Finally, in April 2025, the MOD and Department for Education published non-statutory guidance to help

Found: three-month delay, controlled internally, in effect reverses that presumption. 51 Ibid. 52 Department for Education

Found: DfE – make schools streets essential.

Found: Perhaps in response to the Committee’s inquiry, the Department for Education published new guidance

Found: It is relevant for DHSC, DESNZ, MHCLG, DfE, Defra and DfT.

Found: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Transport, the Department for Education

Found: We believe that the Department for Education should support school leaders and other school staff to

Found: for clean air and carbon reduction.Written submission from City of Bradford MDC (AIR0016) Department for Education

Found: Universities told to report foreign interference on campus to MI5”, 9 February 2026 161 Department for Education

Found: from England and Wales, including that published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Department for Education

Found: From the conversations we had yesterday—we have also been talking to the Department for Education separately—it

Found: Have you thought about this, and is there any scope to work with the DfE to try to restart some of that

Found: modular housing and for modular schools, and there is quite a good relationship between the Department for Education

Found: We hope that the Home Office takes this forward along with groups like the DFE and DWP as well.

Found: CPS0100 - Realising potential: Delivering the Child Poverty Strategy Department for Education Written

Found: communication and collaboration to implement the Child Poverty Strategy effectively, with the Department for Education

Found: communication and collaboration to implement the Child Poverty Strategy effectively, with the Department for Education

Found: approach of the strategy to break down the barriers to data sharing between Government departments (DfE

Found: approach of the strategy to break down the barriers to data sharing between Government departments (DfE

Found: Department for Education. June 4, 2025.

Found: Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, and the Department for Education

Found: Effective implementation will require improved data sharing between DfE, DWP and local authorities to

Found: DfE estimates suggest that the early years workforce would need to increase by 35,000 staff to enable

Found: Implementation Board for the Children’s Social Care Review and the Market Intervention Advisory Group in DfE

Found: to Free School Meals (under the current criteria) do not benefit from their entitlement (Department for Education

Found: Although a CRIA template exists within government (developed in 2018 by the Department for Education

Found: According to DfE research, an average school uniform already has three or fewer branded items.

Found: It asked specifically about copyright and AI in education, to help the Department of Education (DfE)

Found: It includes a joint Ministerial Foreword, co-signed by Minister Bailey on behalf of the Department for Education

Found: We hope that the Home Office takes this forward along with groups like the DFE and DWP as well.

Found: as the Mcivor Review, was conducted by a Senior Civil Service (SCS) 2* official from the Department for Education

Found: What worked was that this fund, and the way it was managed through the DfE, gave practitioners and teachers

Found: Department for Education data shows that in the 2023/24 academic year, 31% of autistic pupils were persistently

Found: Dudley Council are also currently developing a scalable pro-active enrolment model with DWP and DfE

Found: Where there are insufficient numbers of places, councils work with FE partners to apply to DfE to create

Found: childhood.23 Our Conditions of Childhood Index, which aggregates parental income, education, and 13 DfE

Found: the system fails at transition points, what support is most effective, and what DWP (working with DfE

Found: life chances, prevent long-term economic inactivity, and reduce health inequalities. i Department for Education

Found: school meals in Year 11 are twice as likely as their peers to become NEET in later.2 We very much 1 DfE

Found: Strong, joint accountability between DWP and DfE is essential to prevent fragmentation and ensure young

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Found: Student Choice, 2023) 43 Review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 in England: impact assessment (DfE

Found:  A cross-departmental Young Futures Plan bringing together DWP, DfE, DHSC and DCMS to align policy

Found: Hubs o a new joint ministerial brief between the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education

Found: Figure 4 in the Report deals with DWP, the Department for Education and HMRC.

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Found: Gap: Establishing the Employment Gap. https://www.impetus.org.uk/policy/youth-jobs-gap 3 Department for Education

Found: A cross-departmental Young Futures Plan bringing together DWP, DfE, DHSC and DCMS to align policy and

Found: Hubs a new joint ministerial brief between the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education

Found: Department for Education data shows that in the 2023/24 academic year, 31% of autistic pupils were persistently

Found: However, the Department for Education has produced annual breakdowns for some NEET categories – this

Found: Strong, joint accountability between DWP and DfE is essential to prevent fragmentation and ensure young

Found: Most notably, DfE should continue its work in reducing costs associated with education, as this remains

Found: There are specific data sets held for example by DWP, DfE and Treasury but often this is not shared,

Found: there was a lack of accountability in this area and a lack of inter- departmental co-ordination between DFE

Found: you happen to know, was that investment from the Ministry of Defence or was it from the Department for Education

Found: example of where defence is leaning out and seeking best practice, whether it is from the Department for Education

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Barnett consequentials will be generated for the Scottish government by (a) grants awarded to local authorities in England to address SEND deficits announced in the written statement entitled Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 to 2028-29, published on 9 February 2026, HCWS1315, and (b) additional funding for SEND announced in the Spring Statement.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

At Spring Forecast 2026 it was confirmed that the Scottish Government will receive £533 million Barnett consequentials in 2026-27, through the application of the Barnett formula to the grants for Local Authorities to address SEND deficits in England.

The Barnett formula applies mechanically to new funding for the Department for Education in 2028-29, to support reforms of the SEND system. This results in an additional £362 million for the Scottish Government in 2028-29.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Barnett consequentials will be generated for Scotland by (a) the awarding of grants to local authorities in England to address SEND deficits, as set out in UIN HCWS1315 and (a) the funding for SEND announced in the Spring Statement 2026.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

At Spring Forecast 2026 it was confirmed that the Scottish Government will receive £533 million Barnett consequentials in 2026-27, through the application of the Barnett formula to the grants for Local Authorities to address SEND deficits in England.

The Barnett formula applies mechanically to new funding for the Department for Education in 2028-29, to support reforms of the SEND system. This results in an additional £362 million for the Scottish Government in 2028-29.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Aviation Industry Skills Industry Board on the value of ongoing funding during the transition from Apprenticeship Level to the Growth and Skills Levy for Level 3+ Leadership and Management Apprenticeship Standard Apprenticeships.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Skills is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The Department for Transport regularly attends Aviation Industry Skills Board meetings, where they provide government updates alongside colleagues from the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Education and Skills England. Skills England recently discussed the Growth and Skills levy with this group and government will continue to engage as we deliver this reform.

From September 2026, we will withdraw funding from 16 existing apprenticeship standards. Three of these are generic leadership and management apprenticeships, which have grown significantly but are predominantly used as continuing professional development for established staff aged 25 and over.

The changes to streamline the apprenticeship offer will help to create headroom to invest in opportunities for young people. Over the past 10 years, apprenticeship starts among young people have fallen sharply. Starts for 16–24-year-olds have declined by 40%, and over half of all apprenticeship starts are now by learners aged over 25, many of which are at higher levels. To support our ambition of 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, introducing an incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees, and launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Local Government Finance Statement made on 23 February 2026, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of writing off 90% of Dedicated Schools Grant high needs deficits accrued to the end of 2025-26 on the economy; what the estimated value of write-off is by local authority; what steps he is taking to prevent deficits re-accumulating; and whether councils impacted by the write-off will face (a) borrowing restrictions and (b) additional oversight.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has set out details of a reformed SEND system which meets needs earlier, before challenges escalate. All local authorities with a SEND deficit are eligible for a grant to resolve 90% of their historic deficits up to 2025‑26— projected to be worth over £5 billion nationally—protecting their ability to support children and young people with SEND in local schools while sustaining wider services and tackling deprivation. Addressing deficits accrued to 2025‑26 could reduce financing costs by an estimated £300 million by 2027‑28.

Each local authority’s grant allocation will be determined by reviewing all available sources on local authority expenditure to establish the eligible SEND deficit. This will include comparing Section 251 data, draft and published Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) notes, DSG s151 assurance, Revenue Outturn data and published accounts.

Grant eligibility is conditional on securing Department for Education approval of a Local SEND Reform Plan, which will also be used to assess ongoing performance and delivery to target support and challenge throughout the reform period.

Local authorities will continue to operate under existing prudential financial management frameworks.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to include the needs of children in care in the development of his Department's policy.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG works closely with the Department for Education on policy development for children’s social care and is responsible for making funding available to local government for children’s social care service delivery through the Local Government Finance Settlement. As a government, we are driving the biggest transformation of children’s social care in a generation with the Families First Partnership programme – backed by a historic £2.4 billion through the multi-year Settlement’s Children, Families and Youth Grant. This historic investment demonstrates the government’s commitment to invest in prevention and will support councils working across the safeguarding partnership to deliver children’s social care reform, making a real, tangible difference to children and families.

Alongside this programme of reform, helping care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independence is a priority for this Government. Together with the Department for Education, MHCLG will develop a cross-government action plan to reduce the proportion of care leavers under 25 experiencing homelessness. And MHCLG has introduced regulations, which came into force on 10 July 2025, so that young care leavers under 25 will no longer need to meet a local connection or residency test in order to access social housing.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Child Poverty Strategy, published on 5 December 2025, what steps they will take to prevent (1) families from being placed in bed and breakfast accommodation for more than six weeks, and (2) new-born babies from being placed in bed and breakfast accommodation immediately after leaving hospital.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As set out in the National Plan to End Homelessness, this government is committed to tackling the detrimental impact of living in temporary accommodation on a child’s health, wellbeing and education outcomes. We will work with councils, supported by robust NHS pathways, to make sure safe and appropriate alternatives are available and used for newborn babies. We are also setting an ambition to cut school days lost for children in temporary accommodation, backed by data so that targeted support can be provided more effectively.

Legislation is clear B&B accommodation is never suitable for families with children. There may be instances when B&B accommodation may be the only immediate option, for example emergency placements made out of hours, however such placements should be rare and there is a six-week limit to family B&B placements.

To deliver upon our target to end the use of B&B accommodation for families over the legal six-week limit by the end of this Parliament, we will scale up our Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots into a programme with £30 million funding to tackle a wider range of poor practice. We also increasing the supply of good-quality temporary accommodation through the £950 million fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund.

The Government will be introducing a new duty on councils to notify schools, health visitors and GP practices where a child is in temporary accommodation. The intention of the temporary accommodation notification duty is to strengthen information sharing so that educational institutions and health providers are aware where children may require additional or different support and can seek to improve their outcomes. MHCLG, DfE and DHSC are working closely together to develop guidance to relevant bodies, to support effective implementation of this important measure. We are undertaking impact assessments for this measure, including a new burdens assessment for councils which is being informed through engagement with the sector, including councils who have piloted this approach.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Child Poverty Strategy, published on 5 December 2025, what assessment they have made of the suitability of bed and breakfast accommodation for (1) families, and (2) families with babies; and what are the legal limits on the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As set out in the National Plan to End Homelessness, this government is committed to tackling the detrimental impact of living in temporary accommodation on a child’s health, wellbeing and education outcomes. We will work with councils, supported by robust NHS pathways, to make sure safe and appropriate alternatives are available and used for newborn babies. We are also setting an ambition to cut school days lost for children in temporary accommodation, backed by data so that targeted support can be provided more effectively.

Legislation is clear B&B accommodation is never suitable for families with children. There may be instances when B&B accommodation may be the only immediate option, for example emergency placements made out of hours, however such placements should be rare and there is a six-week limit to family B&B placements.

To deliver upon our target to end the use of B&B accommodation for families over the legal six-week limit by the end of this Parliament, we will scale up our Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots into a programme with £30 million funding to tackle a wider range of poor practice. We also increasing the supply of good-quality temporary accommodation through the £950 million fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund.

The Government will be introducing a new duty on councils to notify schools, health visitors and GP practices where a child is in temporary accommodation. The intention of the temporary accommodation notification duty is to strengthen information sharing so that educational institutions and health providers are aware where children may require additional or different support and can seek to improve their outcomes. MHCLG, DfE and DHSC are working closely together to develop guidance to relevant bodies, to support effective implementation of this important measure. We are undertaking impact assessments for this measure, including a new burdens assessment for councils which is being informed through engagement with the sector, including councils who have piloted this approach.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Child Poverty Strategy, published on 5 December 2025, what assessment they have made of how better data sharing between housing, schools and healthcare will improve support available to homeless children.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As set out in the National Plan to End Homelessness, this government is committed to tackling the detrimental impact of living in temporary accommodation on a child’s health, wellbeing and education outcomes. We will work with councils, supported by robust NHS pathways, to make sure safe and appropriate alternatives are available and used for newborn babies. We are also setting an ambition to cut school days lost for children in temporary accommodation, backed by data so that targeted support can be provided more effectively.

Legislation is clear B&B accommodation is never suitable for families with children. There may be instances when B&B accommodation may be the only immediate option, for example emergency placements made out of hours, however such placements should be rare and there is a six-week limit to family B&B placements.

To deliver upon our target to end the use of B&B accommodation for families over the legal six-week limit by the end of this Parliament, we will scale up our Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots into a programme with £30 million funding to tackle a wider range of poor practice. We also increasing the supply of good-quality temporary accommodation through the £950 million fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund.

The Government will be introducing a new duty on councils to notify schools, health visitors and GP practices where a child is in temporary accommodation. The intention of the temporary accommodation notification duty is to strengthen information sharing so that educational institutions and health providers are aware where children may require additional or different support and can seek to improve their outcomes. MHCLG, DfE and DHSC are working closely together to develop guidance to relevant bodies, to support effective implementation of this important measure. We are undertaking impact assessments for this measure, including a new burdens assessment for councils which is being informed through engagement with the sector, including councils who have piloted this approach.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the Child Poverty Strategy, published on 5 December 2025, what assessment they have made of the impact of being placed in bed and breakfast accommodation beyond the six-week limit on children's health, education and life chances.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As set out in the National Plan to End Homelessness, this government is committed to tackling the detrimental impact of living in temporary accommodation on a child’s health, wellbeing and education outcomes. We will work with councils, supported by robust NHS pathways, to make sure safe and appropriate alternatives are available and used for newborn babies. We are also setting an ambition to cut school days lost for children in temporary accommodation, backed by data so that targeted support can be provided more effectively.

Legislation is clear B&B accommodation is never suitable for families with children. There may be instances when B&B accommodation may be the only immediate option, for example emergency placements made out of hours, however such placements should be rare and there is a six-week limit to family B&B placements.

To deliver upon our target to end the use of B&B accommodation for families over the legal six-week limit by the end of this Parliament, we will scale up our Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots into a programme with £30 million funding to tackle a wider range of poor practice. We also increasing the supply of good-quality temporary accommodation through the £950 million fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund.

The Government will be introducing a new duty on councils to notify schools, health visitors and GP practices where a child is in temporary accommodation. The intention of the temporary accommodation notification duty is to strengthen information sharing so that educational institutions and health providers are aware where children may require additional or different support and can seek to improve their outcomes. MHCLG, DfE and DHSC are working closely together to develop guidance to relevant bodies, to support effective implementation of this important measure. We are undertaking impact assessments for this measure, including a new burdens assessment for councils which is being informed through engagement with the sector, including councils who have piloted this approach.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the Child Poverty Strategy, published on 5 December 2025, what measures they will use to assess the impact of the notification system for councils to notify schools, health visitors and GPs when a child is placed in temporary accommodation.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

As set out in the National Plan to End Homelessness, this government is committed to tackling the detrimental impact of living in temporary accommodation on a child’s health, wellbeing and education outcomes. We will work with councils, supported by robust NHS pathways, to make sure safe and appropriate alternatives are available and used for newborn babies. We are also setting an ambition to cut school days lost for children in temporary accommodation, backed by data so that targeted support can be provided more effectively.

Legislation is clear B&B accommodation is never suitable for families with children. There may be instances when B&B accommodation may be the only immediate option, for example emergency placements made out of hours, however such placements should be rare and there is a six-week limit to family B&B placements.

To deliver upon our target to end the use of B&B accommodation for families over the legal six-week limit by the end of this Parliament, we will scale up our Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots into a programme with £30 million funding to tackle a wider range of poor practice. We also increasing the supply of good-quality temporary accommodation through the £950 million fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund.

The Government will be introducing a new duty on councils to notify schools, health visitors and GP practices where a child is in temporary accommodation. The intention of the temporary accommodation notification duty is to strengthen information sharing so that educational institutions and health providers are aware where children may require additional or different support and can seek to improve their outcomes. MHCLG, DfE and DHSC are working closely together to develop guidance to relevant bodies, to support effective implementation of this important measure. We are undertaking impact assessments for this measure, including a new burdens assessment for councils which is being informed through engagement with the sector, including councils who have piloted this approach.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether discussions have taken place between his Department and (a) NHS England, (b) the British Association of Prosthetics and Orthotics and (c) universities on the sustainability of prosthetics and orthotics training programmes.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Department for Education to support the availability of a diverse range of training routes into health and care careers including prosthetics and orthotics. While the Government is committed to ensuring sustainable training pathways for the future supply of prosthetics and orthotists, higher education institutions are independent providers and are responsible for making their own decisions about course delivery and viability.

The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England remain committed to working with stakeholders through NHS England’s small and vulnerable professions programme, to help maintain and strengthen training and education pathways for pre-registration learners. This work has been supported recently with a meeting between myself and the British Association of Prosthetics and Orthotics to discuss strengthening a sustainable training and workforce pipeline.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department or NHS England has undertaken a risk assessment on the potential closure of prosthetics and orthotics pre-registration programmes.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Department for Education to support the availability of a diverse range of training routes into health and care careers including prosthetics and orthotics. While the Government is committed to ensuring sustainable training pathways for the future supply of prosthetics and orthotists, higher education institutions are independent providers and are responsible for making their own decisions about course delivery and viability.

The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England remain committed to working with stakeholders through NHS England’s small and vulnerable professions programme, to help maintain and strengthen training and education pathways for pre-registration learners. This work has been supported recently with a meeting between myself and the British Association of Prosthetics and Orthotics to discuss strengthening a sustainable training and workforce pipeline.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the impact of business rates on early years education settings.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Business rates are a broad-based tax on the value of non-domestic properties, including early years education settings. At the Budget, the Government announced a £4.3 billion support package to support ratepayers across all sectors seeing bill increases. As a result of the Budget package, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases. This also means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

More broadly, in 2026-27, DfE expect to provide over £9.5 billion for childcare entitlements for children aged from 9 months to 4 years. This is over £1 billion more compared to 2025-26, as it delivers a full year of the expanded 30 hours entitlements for working parents and an above inflation increase to funding rates.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to take steps to lower business rates on early years education settings.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Business rates are a broad-based tax on the value of non-domestic properties, including early years education settings. At the Budget, the Government announced a £4.3 billion support package to support ratepayers across all sectors seeing bill increases. As a result of the Budget package, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases. This also means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

More broadly, in 2026-27, DfE expect to provide over £9.5 billion for childcare entitlements for children aged from 9 months to 4 years. This is over £1 billion more compared to 2025-26, as it delivers a full year of the expanded 30 hours entitlements for working parents and an above inflation increase to funding rates.

Found: (DfE), Review of Post-16 Qualifications at level 3: Second stage, October 2020 2 DfE, Reforms

Found: MHCLGF CDOD BT HMT DWPM oJ DefraC OM oD 19,348 15,355 6,917 3,266 UKEF 2,957 DSIT 845 DCMS 838 DfT 740 DfE

Found: term workless households in the UK - Office for National Statistics Educational attainment Department for Education

Found: workless households in the UK - Office for National Statistics Educational attainment Department for Education

Found: The Department for Education would publish data on the relevant background of university entrants,

Found: pay comparisons using the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset, published by the Department for Education

Found: /20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25 DfE

Found: countermeasures, in collaboration with other government departments Children and young people The Department for Education

Found: The Department for Education (DfE) will continue to build awareness and understanding

Found: Competency in NI for EU BPR lies with Department for the Economy (DfE).

Found: It asked specifically about copyright and AI in education, to help the Department of Education (DfE)

Found: ‘28 6.1 Number of MCA-funded achievements at a level 1 qualification 9,422 27,890 9,420 18,750 DfE

Found: enrolments on Level 1 and Entry level courses 65,940 210,000 70,000 140,000 Data available through the DfE

Found: learners achieving a Level 3+ qualification for the first time) (cumulative) 460 1,300 450 880 Internal DfE

Found: ESOL), achievements (ASF only) 166,260 428,020 150,050 292,600 DfE Further Education & Skills publication

Found: Number of L1 achievements 14,720 14,195 14,160 14,185 DfE ILR / LCRCA 4.2.

Found: 315 341 3.5 Number of MSA funded residents progressing to Level 2 860 993 N/A 903 Internal DfE

Found: Joint visit with DfE and Home Office.

Found: Joint visit with DfE and Home Office.

Found: The change to a 4-year inspection window is part of the Department for Education’s (DfE) and Ofsted’s

Found: DfE media enquiries Central newsdesk - for journalists 020 7783 8300

Found: statutory guidance on court orders and pre-proceedings for local authorities, issued by the Department for Education

Found: ‘Compare school and college performance in England’ (the DfE website). 8.

Found: individual support from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy or the Department for Education

Found: These have been taken from the DfE guidance for statutory returns whenever possible.

Found: (DfE) DfE Central Schools (Non-BSF) ENGLAND South East In Operation 2013-03-06 00:00:00 2014

Found: Some key achievements have been: ● Continued work with Department for Education NI, CCEA and YENI

Found: Some key achievements have been: • Continued work with Department for Education NI, CCEA and YENI

Found: The Department for Education would publish data on the relevant background of university entrants,

Found: pay comparisons using the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset, published by the Department for Education

Found: The Referral 1.1 On 5 February 2026, the Department for the Economy (DfE) requested a report from the

Found: The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has published its report providing advice to DfE concerning the proposed

Found: Privacy Notice SLC and the Department for Education are joint Data Controllers under the Data Protection

Found: It asked specifically about copyright and AI in education, to help the Department of Education (DfE)

Found: will be shared, on a non- identifiable basis, with the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education

Found: • DSIT will continue to work closely with the Department for Education and Department for Work and

Found: (DfE) (England)/Welsh Government Education and Children’s Services (Wales) MHCLG (England

Found: interventions to ease driver shortages across the bus, coach, and HGV sectors, such as the Department for Education

Found: cost of living grants must be increased to allow students to apply for these mobility programmes, as DfE

Found: Retrieved from https://www.gov.scot/policies/girfec/ 22 Department for Education. (2025).

Found: for the valuation of the Student Loans portfolio under a Service Level Agreement with the Department for Education

Found: the introduction of media literacy in the classroom curriculum, and will work with the Department for Education

Found: This might include schools or settings registered with the Department of Education (DfE) and inspected

Found: Work to address these longstanding concerns has been undertaken in collaboration with the Department for Education

Found: During the initial implementation phase (2007– 2010), funding from the Department for Education enabled

Found: London: Institute of Education, University of London / Department for Education and Skills Sylva, K.

Found: participation in UK taskforces and steering groups, formal four nations policy forums, joint working with DfE

Found: Learning Records Service (LRS) This is a service managed by the UK Department for Education which is

Found: The UK Department for Education has begun to share individual -level FSM data with universities via

Found: There is currently no formal arrangement between the Department for Education in England and the Welsh

Found: Play Workforce, Phase 2 Report’, Cardiff: Welsh Government (Accessed 23 February 2026) Department for Education

Found: Education Tribunal (Wales) Act (2018) DDRB Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration DfE