The Committee is exploring how the education system should adapt to prepare young people to be active and informed citizens in preparation for the introduction of votes at 16. This includes the role of schools and colleges in supporting pupils to engage with challenging political issues, and in tackling misinformation and disinformation, whilst ensuring impartiality and avoiding bias.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2026 to Question 24473, whether the National Inclusion Standards will (a) explicitly identify selective mutism, (b) specify evidence-based interventions appropriate to selective mutism at the universal, targeted and targeted plus levels of support and (c) distinguish those interventions from general approaches to social, emotional and communication needs; and what her planned timetable is for publishing the relevant standards.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

An independent expert panel, selected for their skills, knowledge and professional standing and led by education and health co-chairs, has been appointed to oversee the development of the National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages and keep them under regular review. The panel will draw on evidence from academics, education leaders and specialist practitioners, including educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. This process is ongoing. The panel has not specifically invited the Selective Mutism Information and Research Association to contribute to the standards to date, but the panel is continuing to test and engage widely with stakeholders from across the sector to ensure their recommendations are informed by professionals, and those with lived experiences of selective mutism and associated needs. By 2028, we will have invested up to £15 million to build the evidence base and provide the standards.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the joint letter on children’s media literacy from experts and organisations published on 7th October, if her Department will provide schools and teachers with the guidance, training and resources required to deliver a high-quality media and digital literacy education to all children.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for North Durham to the answer of 30 October to Question 36476.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the joint letter from Internet Matters and the Molly Rose Foundation, published on 7 October 2026, what support her Department plans to make available to schools to teach media and digital literacy during 2026/27 and 2027/28.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Media and digital literacy are vital to helping children and young people navigate the online world safely and critically. The department is grateful to the Molly Rose Foundation for its work to promote online safety and highlight the importance of these skills.

Schools already teach media and digital literacy through citizenship, relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), English and computing curricula. Updated RSHE statutory guidance, mandatory from 1 September 2026, strengthens content on artificial intelligence (AI) and online safety.

The department expects to hold a public consultation on proposals for the curriculum and assessment system, including media and digital literacy, later this year, following publication of the government’s response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review final report. We will consider any training requirements for teachers as part of the review process.

Support currently available includes adaptable, high-quality curriculum resources from Oak National Academy and media literacy materials on the Educate Against Hate website. The department-funded National Centre for Computing Education also provides free professional development on a range of topics, including digital literacy and AI.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring exam boards to develop a Romanian GCSE.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

​​I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark to the answer of 8 June 2026 to Question 4731.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2026 to Question 24473, which (a) organisations and (b) professional bodies with specific expertise in selective mutism have been consulted by her Department or its independent expert panel on the development of the National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages, and on what dates; whether the Selective Mutism Information and Research Association has been invited to contribute; and how the panel will determine the inclusion of selective mutism-specific provision within the proposed packages.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

An independent expert panel, selected for their skills, knowledge and professional standing and led by education and health co-chairs, has been appointed to oversee the development of the National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Provision Packages and keep them under regular review. The panel will draw on evidence from academics, education leaders and specialist practitioners, including educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and occupational therapists. This process is ongoing. The panel has not specifically invited the Selective Mutism Information and Research Association to contribute to the standards to date, but the panel is continuing to test and engage widely with stakeholders from across the sector to ensure their recommendations are informed by professionals, and those with lived experiences of selective mutism and associated needs. By 2028, we will have invested up to £15 million to build the evidence base and provide the standards.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to establish a media and digital literacy framework setting out (a) what pupils should know and be able to do at each key stage and (b) how Citizenship, English, Computing, relationships, sex and health education and the wider curriculum should contribute.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for North Durham to the answer of 30 October to Question 36476.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will meet representatives of organisations that signed the joint letter on children’s media literacy, coordinated by Internet Matters and Molly Rose Foundation and published on 7 October 2026.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for North Durham to the answer of 30 October to Question 36476.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many referrals were made to the Teaching Regulation Agency relating to safeguarding concerns involving teachers in each year since 2017; and how many of those referrals followed the use of a settlement agreement.

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

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) considers allegations of serious misconduct by individuals undertaking teaching work, in accordance with The Teachers’ Disciplinary (England) Regulations 2012. Upholding teaching standards and safeguarding children and young people within regulated establishments are core principles of TRA’s work and referrals made to TRA may have safeguarding implications.

TRA does not record the behaviour type of referrals received, unless it progresses to a formal investigation. The number of referrals received by TRA in each financial year since 2017/18 is set out in the table below:

TRA does not collect data on settlement agreements that may have been reached between teachers and their employing establishments. The department is therefore unable to determine how many referrals to the TRA followed the use of a settlement agreement.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential safeguarding implications of settlement agreements which conclude disciplinary proceedings involving school staff before those proceedings are completed; and whether her Department plans to issue updated guidance on references in such cases.

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

All schools and colleges must have regard to the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) statutory safeguarding guidance. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.

Part four provides clear guidance on how safeguarding concerns and allegations against staff should be managed, including reporting, investigations, referrals and record keeping.

KCSIE is clear that safeguarding responsibilities apply regardless of any settlement or compromise agreement. Paragraphs 492 to 497 state that such agreements should not be used where disciplinary proceedings relate to safeguarding concerns or allegations that may meet the harm threshold. They must not prevent employers from carrying out appropriate investigations, maintaining accurate records, providing factual references or fulfilling statutory duties, including referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service and, where appropriate, the Teaching Regulation Agency.

The department keeps KCSIE under review to see where clarification or strengthening is needed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support, guidance and training her Department provides to school leaders and governing bodies on managing disciplinary proceedings involving school staff where there are safeguarding concerns.

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

All schools and colleges must have regard to the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) statutory safeguarding guidance. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.

Part four provides clear guidance on how safeguarding concerns and allegations against staff should be managed, including reporting, investigations, referrals and record keeping.

KCSIE is clear that safeguarding responsibilities apply regardless of any settlement or compromise agreement. Paragraphs 492 to 497 state that such agreements should not be used where disciplinary proceedings relate to safeguarding concerns or allegations that may meet the harm threshold. They must not prevent employers from carrying out appropriate investigations, maintaining accurate records, providing factual references or fulfilling statutory duties, including referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service and, where appropriate, the Teaching Regulation Agency.

The department keeps KCSIE under review to see where clarification or strengthening is needed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to review the use of compromise and settlement agreements in schools where disciplinary proceedings relate to safeguarding concerns, misconduct or professional standards.

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

All schools and colleges must have regard to the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) statutory safeguarding guidance. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.

Part four provides clear guidance on how safeguarding concerns and allegations against staff should be managed, including reporting, investigations, referrals and record keeping.

KCSIE is clear that safeguarding responsibilities apply regardless of any settlement or compromise agreement. Paragraphs 492 to 497 state that such agreements should not be used where disciplinary proceedings relate to safeguarding concerns or allegations that may meet the harm threshold. They must not prevent employers from carrying out appropriate investigations, maintaining accurate records, providing factual references or fulfilling statutory duties, including referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service and, where appropriate, the Teaching Regulation Agency.

The department keeps KCSIE under review to see where clarification or strengthening is needed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of mechanisms provided by local authorities for families to submit evidence of financial hardship when (a) applying for and (b) appealing decisions relating to post-16 home-to-school transport for young people with Education, Health and Care Plans.

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

It is for local authorities to determine the transport and travel support necessary to enable young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to participate in education or training. Local authorities must publish an annual post-16 policy statement setting out these arrangements.

The department recognises that transport costs can be a significant concern for families and local authorities should clearly explain the support they provide, how decisions are made and the routes for applications, complaints and appeals.

Through the government’s SEND reforms, the department’s target is for more children and young people to have their needs met through high-quality, inclusive provision closer to home. Improving the availability and consistency of local provision should enable more young people with SEND to access suitable education locally, thereby reducing the need for some to travel longer distances and incurring additional costs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with teaching unions and relevant education bodies on expanding and standardising CPR and automated external defibrillator training in schools.

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

All state-funded schools in England are required to teach first aid as part of the mandatory relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum. This includes basic first aid for primary school children, for example dealing with common injuries, such as head injuries. Pupils in secondary schools are taught further first aid, including how to administer CPR, the purpose of defibrillators and when defibrillators might be needed.

Schools retain flexibility over how to deliver first-aid teaching, including whether to use external organisations or practical demonstrations, provided teaching is age-appropriate and suitable for pupils. The department continues to work with stakeholders, where appropriate, to strengthen the relevance and effectiveness of RSHE provision.

The department’s defibrillator programme provided over 20,000 devices to eligible schools and was the largest distribution of defibrillators to date. Defibrillators are designed to be simple and safe to use without prior training. The devices provide clear audio and visual instructions to guide users through each step at the point of use. As part of the rollout, the department provided awareness videos showing how simple defibrillators are to use and encouraged schools to share these videos in staff meetings and assemblies, where appropriate.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration she has given to introducing consistent and monitored training standards for school staff alongside the nationwide provision of defibrillators to schools.

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

The department’s defibrillator programme provided over 20,000 devices to eligible schools and was the largest distribution of defibrillators to date. Defibrillators are designed to be simple and safe to use without prior training and to talk the user through step-by-step instructions at the point of use.

As part of the rollout, the department provided awareness videos showing how simple defibrillators are to use and encouraged schools to share these videos in staff meetings and school assemblies, where appropriate.

The department's approach focused on building awareness and confidence in the use of defibrillators rather than introducing mandatory training or accreditation requirements. The devices will provide school staff with the confidence and reassurance that they have the tools to help save a life in an emergency.

All state-funded schools are required to teach first aid as part of the relationships, sex and health education curriculum, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of a defibrillator for pupils aged over 12.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many state primary school teachers in each region of England had a degree-level qualification in music, drama, dance or art between 2012 and 2026, broken down by degree subject and by academic year.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Information on the state-funded school workforce in England is published annually in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical release, available on GOV.UK. The release includes published statistics on teachers’ qualifications.

The tables below provide the additional breakdowns requested in these questions for the 2012/13 to 2025/26 academic years, covering the number of teachers, the regional breakdown and the proportion of state-funded primary schools with at least one such teacher. Figures are provided separately for music, drama and art. Qualifications in dance cannot be separately identified in the School Workforce Census qualifications data. Data for the 2026/27 academic year will be collected later this term and published next summer.

Headcount number of state primary school teachers with a degree-level (or higher) qualification in music, drama or art between 2012/13 and 2025/26

Proportion of state primary schools with at least one teacher with a degree-level (or higher) qualification in music, drama or art between 2012/13 and 2025/26

Headcount number of state primary school teachers with a degree-level (or higher) qualification in music, drama or art by region between 2012/13 and 2025/26

Source: School Workforce Census

Note: state primary schools includes states nursery schools

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the concentrations of children's homes in certain parts of the country.

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

Ofsted annually publishes information on the location of children's homes as part of its role in the registration and inspection of children's homes. The latest information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childrens-social-care-in-england-2026/main-findings-childrens-social-care-in-england-2026.

The department takes an active role as steward of the children's social care placements system to ensure children can access the right homes, in the right places, to meet their needs.

Regional Care Cooperatives (RCCs) are being established to shape the market by pooling demand and acting to bring together local authorities, health partners and youth justice services to plan future need, commission placements and create new care provision where needed.

This shifts the system away from reactive purchasing and towards long-term planning, larger scale commercial agreements and increasing RCC led provision, achieving better value for money and outcomes for children in care.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that sports predominantly chosen by male pupils are not given greater (a) priority and (b) resources within the PE curriculum than sports predominantly chosen by female pupils, such as artistic swimming.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Schools have the flexibility to organise and deliver a broad, balanced and challenging PE curriculum. The department expects schools to use their autonomy and local community knowledge when considering their pupils’ needs and interests to determine an inclusive PE and sporting offer.

This government is committed to ensuring equal access to sport for all children and young people and recognises the importance of identifying and tackling the numerous barriers to participation. Data shows that, on average, girls are less active than boys and that boys are more likely to say they enjoy taking part in exercise and sports. Further details can be found at: https://sportengland-production-files.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2025-12/Active%20Lives%20Children%20and%20Young%20People%20Survey%20-%20academic%20year%202024-25%20report--.pdf?VersionId=IVi8OQWOGdjAiHq7IIuzIQv1JPiojXdz.

The new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network will build strong partnerships between schools, local clubs and national governing bodies, identifying and breaking down barriers to PE, sport and physical activity for children who are less active, with a specific focus on girls to improve activity levels for all pupils.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many state primary school teachers had a degree-level qualification in music, drama, dance or art between 2012 and 2026, broken down by degree subject and by academic year.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Information on the state-funded school workforce in England is published annually in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical release, available on GOV.UK. The release includes published statistics on teachers’ qualifications.

The tables below provide the additional breakdowns requested in these questions for the 2012/13 to 2025/26 academic years, covering the number of teachers, the regional breakdown and the proportion of state-funded primary schools with at least one such teacher. Figures are provided separately for music, drama and art. Qualifications in dance cannot be separately identified in the School Workforce Census qualifications data. Data for the 2026/27 academic year will be collected later this term and published next summer.

Headcount number of state primary school teachers with a degree-level (or higher) qualification in music, drama or art between 2012/13 and 2025/26

Proportion of state primary schools with at least one teacher with a degree-level (or higher) qualification in music, drama or art between 2012/13 and 2025/26

Headcount number of state primary school teachers with a degree-level (or higher) qualification in music, drama or art by region between 2012/13 and 2025/26

Source: School Workforce Census

Note: state primary schools includes states nursery schools

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of state primary schools had or have at least one teacher on their staff with a degree-level qualification in music, drama, dance or art between 2012 and 2026, broken down by degree subject and by academic year.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Information on the state-funded school workforce in England is published annually in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical release, available on GOV.UK. The release includes published statistics on teachers’ qualifications.

The tables below provide the additional breakdowns requested in these questions for the 2012/13 to 2025/26 academic years, covering the number of teachers, the regional breakdown and the proportion of state-funded primary schools with at least one such teacher. Figures are provided separately for music, drama and art. Qualifications in dance cannot be separately identified in the School Workforce Census qualifications data. Data for the 2026/27 academic year will be collected later this term and published next summer.

Headcount number of state primary school teachers with a degree-level (or higher) qualification in music, drama or art between 2012/13 and 2025/26

Proportion of state primary schools with at least one teacher with a degree-level (or higher) qualification in music, drama or art between 2012/13 and 2025/26

Headcount number of state primary school teachers with a degree-level (or higher) qualification in music, drama or art by region between 2012/13 and 2025/26

Source: School Workforce Census

Note: state primary schools includes states nursery schools

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with universities on reports of discussions on handling students' Gaza protests with BAE Systems.

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

The department and the Office for Students (OfS) are aware of reports relating to discussions between universities and BAE Systems on student protests.

Universities are responsible for ensuring that their disciplinary, security and governance arrangements are lawful, and that their duties to secure freedom of speech within the law, including lawful protest, are met. Decisions affecting lawful speech or protest should be reached independently, proportionately and in accordance with the law.

The government believes that both BAE Systems and other defence companies should be welcomed onto campuses on occasions such as careers fairs and that students and staff have the right to protest lawfully about their activity.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has received Suffolk County Council's Best Start Family Hubs plan; and what steps her Department takes when a local authority's plan proposes fewer family hubs than it currently operates.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has received Suffolk County Council’s Best Start Family Hubs (BSFH) delivery plan and officials are reviewing the authority’s proposals to ensure they align with the expectations of the programme and support improved outcomes for children and families.

Decisions about the number, location and configuration of family hubs and related services are matters for local authorities, subject to their statutory duties assessment of local need. BSFH funding does not require authorities to maintain a particular number of Family Hubs. Where a local authority proposes changes to existing provision, the department will work with them to ensure that BSFH funding is used to enhance, expand and reshape existing services so that families experience an improved and strengthened offer, rather than maintain existing provision.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she made an assessment of the potential merits of in-house alternatives prior to the decision to transfer some Student Loans Company functions and staff to Capgemini on 8 October 2026.

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

The Student Loans Company (SLC) is operationally independent, so it is their responsibility to assess the merits of different options when making decisions on the delivery of functions.

The department understands the SLC did assess the potential merits of continuing in-house delivery of its infrastructure and operations function prior to the decision to contract out the service and found that this did not provide the best value for money.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the guidance entitled Experts at Hand: developing and delivering the offer in year 1, published on 5 June 2026, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children with selective mutism requiring (a) individualised speech and language therapy and (b) specialist mental health support can access appropriate services beyond those directly funded through Experts at Hand; how local areas will be expected to specify those referral arrangements within their published offers; and what data will be collected nationally to assess variation in access between local areas.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Where a child with selective mutism requires individualised speech and language therapy or specialist mental health support beyond the Experts at Hand offer, local authorities and Integrated Care Boards will remain responsible for jointly commissioning appropriate provision and ensuring that established clinical and statutory referral routes remain available. Experts at Hand should complement rather than replace existing statutory and specialist services.

Local partnerships will be expected to align Experts at Hand with services such as Mental Health Support Teams through a joined-up ‘team around the setting’ approach, to ensure children and young people are referred promptly to the right level of expertise.

Local areas will be responsible for planning and monitoring delivery in line with local need and workforce capacity. Nationally, the department will continue to monitor growth in relevant health and education specialist workforces.

Additionally, support will be delivered through the National Inclusion Standards. These will include universal whole-school approaches to support inclusion alongside targeted support for children and young people, including those with selective mutism and associated conditions. This will be supported by up to £15 million by 2028 to strengthen the evidence base and develop the standards.

Specialist provision packages will also provide comprehensive, evidence-based support for children and young people with the most complex needs.

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 student finance means-testing system on families with multiple children attending higher education at the same time; and whether she plans to review how maintenance support is calculated in such circumstances.

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

The government considers the current household income assessment the fairest and most consistent way to target living cost support at undergraduate students whose families are least able to support them.

For the 2026/27 academic year, when two or more students in the same family are in higher education (HE), the student finance system takes this into account when calculating maintenance support.

Under the current split contributions policy, where household income exceeds £42,875, the same household contribution is shared across those students, rather than being applied separately. Some households supporting more than one student in HE can therefore receive more maintenance support than a household on the same income supporting only one student.

Under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, split contributions will not apply to eligible new students starting courses or modules on or after 1 January 2027. Removing split contributions will therefore create a more consistent and streamlined approach to maintenance support across all students, regardless of household income, study intensity or mode of study.

Maintenance support will continue to be based on household income, with the highest levels of support targeted at students from the lowest-income households. Eligible students will also continue to be able to access other forms of student support, subject to meeting the relevant eligibility criteria.

The government will continue to keep the student finance system under review to ensure it remains fair, sustainable and focused on those with the greatest financial need.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Every child achieving and thriving White Paper, published 23 February 2026, what plans she has for the future funding of local authority sensory support teams.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department will introduce a nationally consistent set of Specialist Provision Packages for children and young people with the most complex needs, including those children with sensory support needs. The packages will outline the specialist provision and workforce required to meet those needs consistently across the country.

A national cost framework for these packages will also be developed. Local authorities will be expected to commission placements in line with this framework, whether in specialist provision within mainstream settings, special or alternative provision schools, or other settings, including the independent sector.

As set out in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) consultation, the earliest potential implementation of Specialist Provision Packages is from September 2029. Proposals may continue to evolve following analysis of consultation responses and the legislative process. Any new funding arrangements will be subject to future legislation and policy decisions, and we would expect to engage stakeholders and consult on any new funding arrangements in due course.

Alongside this, the department is investing around £1.8 billion over three years for local area partnerships to develop an Experts at Hand offer, designed to help mainstream education settings meet the needs of children and young people with SEND more effectively and inclusively. This includes access to specialist teachers, both local authority-based and those based in specialist or alternative provision settings.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has considered exempting Non-Maintained Specialist Schools from proposed changes to charging and inclusion on approved school list, as set out in the Every child achieving and thriving White Paper, published 23 February 2026.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Non-maintained special schools are approved by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, under section 342 of the Education Act 1996 and provide specialist education for children and young people with special educational needs.

Non-maintained special schools are distinct from independent special schools.

The government intends for the proposed specialist provision packages national cost framework to apply to new state-funded education health and care placements in special schools. The government has separately set out proposals to ensure local authorities can pay a reasonable price for placements in independent special schools. Non-maintained special schools will not be in the scope of this measure.

The government’s consultation ‘Special educational needs and disabilities reform: putting children and young people first’ has now closed. The department is carefully reviewing all responses alongside feedback received through over 200 engagement events held during the 12-week consultation period.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the SEND and inclusion training materials published on 24 September 2026, whether (a) the speech, language and communication module and (b) the social and emotional module scheduled for January 2027 contain or will contain specific guidance on identifying and supporting children with selective mutism; which specialists in selective mutism have contributed to those materials; and what equivalent training is planned for early years practitioners.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and inclusion in-house training materials, published in September, are the first part of a wider programme of SEND professional development being rolled out over the next two years. Along with the introduction of the National Inclusion Standards and the Experts at Hand programme, the SEND professional development programme will support staff to deliver a more inclusive mainstream environment.

The materials support staff to understand how high-quality, inclusive teaching approaches and classroom techniques can support a range of needs, including those with selective mutism. The materials have been developed with sector experts, practitioners and professional development leads. The department will continue to gather feedback to inform and improve future materials.

A new SEND training offer for early years is also live, providing new online training to help all early years practitioners strengthen inclusive practice and better support children with SEND.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has considered introducing a certification award for students who withdraw from a V Level after completing one year of study.

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

V levels are designed to require the same length of commitment as an A level: 360 guided learning hours, taken over two years. V levels are designed to enable assessments to be taken across both years one and two of the qualification. If students complete assessments in the first year, they will receive a results transcript from the relevant awarding organisation showing details of their attainment. This is in line with practice for current vocational qualifications. There are no plans to issue a separate one-year award. We aim to encourage as many students as possible to complete the full two-year course, in order to support progression to higher-level study and skilled employment

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 reductions in (a) family hubs and (b) health visiting on progress towards the target of children reaching a good level of development by 2028.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is investing over £900 million in Best Start Family Hubs (BSFH) and Healthy Babies between 2026 and 2029 to deliver a more connected, prevention-led system that improves outcomes for babies, children and their families. Local authorities are expected to use BSFH funding to enhance, expand and reshape existing services to provide families with an improved and strengthened offer, rather than maintaining existing provision.

This investment supports the government's ambition for 75% of children to reach a good level of development by 2028. Recent Early Years Foundation Stage Profile data shows continued progress towards this ambition.

The department will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the BSFH programme to assess whether it is achieving its intended objectives and improving outcomes for children and families. The evaluation will help strengthen the evidence base on the programme's impact and inform future delivery and policy decisions.

Health visiting provides unique access to families, with the early mandated reviews often delivered in the family home. It enables trained professionals to identify emerging health, developmental and safeguarding needs in children that may otherwise go unnoticed.

In September 2026, the department published the first ever dataset for the children’s public health nursing workforce. This data will be published annually to allow local authorities to monitor delivery and support the government’s commitment to strengthen health visiting.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure that academic qualifications are an option for all pupils in East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As part of schools’ duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, all pupils will continue to study core subjects such as English, mathematics and science, while allowing choices around these core subjects, so that young people can follow broader interests.

We want every young person to benefit from high-quality academic and technical routes that support progression into further study, training and skilled employment. Our reforms to the curriculum and to technical education will help young people develop the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to succeed in work, life and lifelong learning.

We are in the early stages of developing technical education routes from age 14, with rollout intended to begin in some areas from September 2028.

The new routes will include the introduction of new Vocational GCSEs, which will sit alongside existing GCSEs, combining academic excellence in the core subjects of English, maths, and science, with rigorous, vocationally focused qualifications of equal parity and esteem. The intention is to widen young people’s choices, supporting more coherent progression to a range of academic and technical post-16 options.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure that academic qualifications are an option for all pupils in West Sussex.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As part of schools’ duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, all pupils will continue to study core subjects such as English, mathematics and science, while allowing choices around these core subjects, so that young people can follow broader interests.

We want every young person to benefit from high-quality academic and technical routes that support progression into further study, training and skilled employment. Our reforms to the curriculum and to technical education will help young people develop the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to succeed in work, life and lifelong learning.

We are in the early stages of developing technical education routes from age 14, with rollout intended to begin in some areas from September 2028.

The new routes will include the introduction of new Vocational GCSEs, which will sit alongside existing GCSEs, combining academic excellence in the core subjects of English, maths, and science, with rigorous, vocationally focused qualifications of equal parity and esteem. The intention is to widen young people’s choices, supporting more coherent progression to a range of academic and technical post-16 options.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure that academic qualifications are an option for all pupils in East Sussex.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As part of schools’ duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, all pupils will continue to study core subjects such as English, mathematics and science, while allowing choices around these core subjects, so that young people can follow broader interests.

We want every young person to benefit from high-quality academic and technical routes that support progression into further study, training and skilled employment. Our reforms to the curriculum and to technical education will help young people develop the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to succeed in work, life and lifelong learning.

We are in the early stages of developing technical education routes from age 14, with rollout intended to begin in some areas from September 2028.

The new routes will include the introduction of new Vocational GCSEs, which will sit alongside existing GCSEs, combining academic excellence in the core subjects of English, maths, and science, with rigorous, vocationally focused qualifications of equal parity and esteem. The intention is to widen young people’s choices, supporting more coherent progression to a range of academic and technical post-16 options.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of adding recognised martial arts disciplines to the list of sports and activities eligible for practical assessment in GCSE Physical Education.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Crawley to the answer of 26 June 2026 to Question 33578.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2026, to Question 31617, on Erasmus+ programme, for what reason the UK is required to pay the EU to participate in the scheme if more EU students will attend UK institutions than UK students will attend EU institutions.

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

The UK’s financial contribution to Erasmus+ is calculated under the formula in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, with GDP as the primary determinant. Through negotiations, the government secured a 30% discount on the UK’s contribution for 2027. EU students undertaking mobilities to the UK are funded through their own National Agency and contribution to the Erasmus+ budget.

Erasmus+ is much broader than student exchanges. It also provides mobility opportunities across schools, vocational education and training, adult education, youth and sport, as well as funding a range of partnership and policy development projects. The government considers the agreed financial terms to represent a fair balance between the UK’s contribution and the benefits of participation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how local authorities' unfunded activity to deliver Family Hubs will be measured against the minimum expectations laid out in guidance.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is committed to ensuring that families can access joined-up support through Best Start Family Hubs (BSFH). The department’s guidance sets minimum expectations for services that are not receiving additional investment through the programme.

Local authorities are responsible for shaping delivery to reflect local needs. How they deliver these wider-service expectations is for them to determine. All local authorities have published Best Start in Life local plans and developed BSFH delivery plans explaining how programme funding and activity will deliver against programme expectations.

The department supports and monitors BSFH delivery against the guidance through these plans, local authority data returns and regular engagement with local authorities. A national evaluation will also assess whether the programme is achieving its intended outcomes and help inform future delivery.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the contract for the National Centre for Family Hubs has been retendered; and if not, when her Department expects a tender to be announced.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The contract for the National Centre for Family Hubs ended on 30 September 2026.

Over the summer, the department undertook an open and competitive procurement exercise to secure a Best Start in Life Implementation Partner. This exercise has now been completed.

The Implementation Partner will provide support to local authorities at individual local authority, regional and national level to improve outcomes for children and families. Further details of the support offer will be communicated to local authorities shortly.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the new specification for the contract for the National Centre for Family Hubs will include regional coordinators.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The contract for the National Centre for Family Hubs ended on 30 September 2026.

Over the summer, the department undertook an open and competitive procurement exercise to secure a Best Start in Life Implementation Partner. This exercise has now been completed.

The Implementation Partner will provide support to local authorities at individual local authority, regional and national level to improve outcomes for children and families. Further details of the support offer will be communicated to local authorities shortly.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has assessed the quality of provision of music lessons by private companies in state-funded schools, including whether they enhance or detract from the likelihood of students pursuing classical music tuition or academic study in later years.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Schools can work with a range of partners, including private providers, to offer instrumental and vocal tuition as part of their enrichment offer, including provision for which parents may be charged.

The department provides £76 million annually to support 43 Music Hub partnerships across England. These Hubs support schools in providing high-quality music education across a range of genres and bring together a range of partners. Schools may also choose to work with providers outside the Music Hub network.

The Enrichment Framework for schools and colleges, published in June 2026, supports schools with planning, strengthening and reviewing their enrichment offer and provides benchmarks, tools and resources. The department’s ‘Charging for School Activities Guidance’ also sets out the framework for schools’ charging policies, including voluntary contributions and reduced charges.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has assessed the role of private companies in providing music classes in state schools through charging parents.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Schools can work with a range of partners, including private providers, to offer instrumental and vocal tuition as part of their enrichment offer, including provision for which parents may be charged.

The department provides £76 million annually to support 43 Music Hub partnerships across England. These Hubs support schools in providing high-quality music education across a range of genres and bring together a range of partners. Schools may also choose to work with providers outside the Music Hub network.

The Enrichment Framework for schools and colleges, published in June 2026, supports schools with planning, strengthening and reviewing their enrichment offer and provides benchmarks, tools and resources. The department’s ‘Charging for School Activities Guidance’ also sets out the framework for schools’ charging policies, including voluntary contributions and reduced charges.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether local authorities that provide upfront additional special educational needs and disabilities funding to mainstream schools will continue to be required to provide funding for specialist support services as set out in Chapter 8.1 of the High Needs Funding Operational Guidance.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department will soon publish our response to the consultation on upfront special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) funding for mainstream schools, taking into full consideration the responses we have received.

The consultation has helped to inform the design of a test and learn approach to local authorities providing whole-school, upfront funding for mainstream schools. Upfront funding means mainstream schools receive a share of funding that would otherwise be distributed through top-up funding. From the outset of the consultation, we have been clear that participating local authorities would remain responsible for ensuring children with SEND can access specialist support, in line with section 8.1 of the High Needs Funding Operational Guidance.

The exercise aims to strengthen mainstream schools’ capacity to meet a wider range of needs. With consistent upfront funding, schools can plan early, flexible and responsive support for children with common barriers to learning. Children with more complex needs will continue to receive the specialist support and funding they need.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in international student enrolment at UK higher education institutions since 2021; and what assessment she has made of the impact of Student visa refusal rates on the finances of those institutions.

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

The table below shows non-UK student enrolments between 2020/21 and 2024/25:

Source: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/where-from.

The government has been clear that while we welcome international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK, higher education providers sponsoring international students play an important role in ensuring our immigration system is not exploited or abused.

Moreover, providers should not be overly reliant on international student recruitment as an income source. The Office for Students (OfS) has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to financial sustainability. It has made clear that providers will need to change their business models to protect their financial health.

The OfS is responsible for managing the sector's finances and the department continues to work closely with the OfS to better understand the sector’s financial landscape.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the conditions of Best Start Family Hubs funding permit a local authority to reduce the number of family hubs in its area while receiving that funding.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Decisions about how family services are configured are for local authorities, which must act in line with their statutory duties and respond to local needs.

Best Start Family Hubs funding does not require authorities to maintain a particular number of Family Hubs. Instead, funding is intended to support the enhancement, expansion and transformation of services, ensuring that families benefit from a stronger, more accessible and better integrated offer. This includes delivery through both Best Start Family Hubs and Best Start Network Sites, which extend the reach of support by providing services through trusted community locations.

The aim is to improve access to services, strengthen integration across the wider system and ensure support is available in ways that best reflect local circumstances. Where authorities propose changes to existing provision, the department will work closely with them to ensure funding is used in line with programme expectations and delivers a demonstrably improved service.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of childcare grants for postgraduate students.

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

The department does not routinely collect or hold information on the number of postgraduate students who have childcare responsibilities.

The government introduced new support packages for students starting postgraduate master’s degree courses from the 2016/17 academic year onwards and postgraduate doctoral degree courses from 2018/19 onwards.

These loans are not based on income and are intended to be a contribution to the cost of study. They can be used by students according to their personal circumstances to cover the costs of fees and living costs, including childcare. The new support packages have provided a significant uplift in support for postgraduate students while ensuring the student support system remains financially sustainable.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of postgraduate students with childcare responsibilities.

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

The department does not routinely collect or hold information on the number of postgraduate students who have childcare responsibilities.

The government introduced new support packages for students starting postgraduate master’s degree courses from the 2016/17 academic year onwards and postgraduate doctoral degree courses from 2018/19 onwards.

These loans are not based on income and are intended to be a contribution to the cost of study. They can be used by students according to their personal circumstances to cover the costs of fees and living costs, including childcare. The new support packages have provided a significant uplift in support for postgraduate students while ensuring the student support system remains financially sustainable.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on private companies providing music lessons in state-funded schools during school time and making profits as a result.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Schools can work with a range of partners, including private providers, to offer instrumental and vocal tuition as part of their enrichment offer, including provision for which parents may be charged.

The department provides £76 million annually to support 43 Music Hub partnerships across England. These Hubs support schools in providing high-quality music education across a range of genres and bring together a range of partners. Schools may also choose to work with providers outside the Music Hub network.

The Enrichment Framework for schools and colleges, published in June 2026, supports schools with planning, strengthening and reviewing their enrichment offer and provides benchmarks, tools and resources. The department’s ‘Charging for School Activities Guidance’ also sets out the framework for schools’ charging policies, including voluntary contributions and reduced charges.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department are taking to embed basic emergency preparedness and resilience education within secondary school curricula.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department expects to hold a public consultation on proposals for the curriculum and assessment system later this year, following publication of the government response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review final report in November 2025.

As part of the review process, the department will consider what content may be relevant on resilience, including citizenship, democracy, media and digital literacy.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to increase transition support between school, college and further education for young adults up to 25-years-old.

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

The government recognises the importance of ensuring that young people are well supported as they transition between school, further education, training and employment. All schools and colleges are required to provide independent careers guidance and support informed choices about post-16 and post-18 pathways to help young people make decisions about their next steps in education, training and work. For young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), support through the SEND system can continue up to age 25 where appropriate, helping them prepare for further learning, employment and adulthood.

The government is already taking further action on transition through its Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, which sets out reforms to improve the join up of skills and employment support, strengthen pathways into further education, training and work, and reduce the numbers of young people who are not in education, employment or training. As part of our commitments, we are enhancing the role of schools in supporting successful transitions so that every pupil leaves school with a planned destination. Furthermore, we will consider Alan Milburn’s full recommendations in the autumn as we shape the next phase of reform. The department will continue to work across government and with local partners to support successful transitions for young people and improve their opportunities and outcomes as they move into further learning and employment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the level of barriers faced by estranged students when accessing student finance; and whether she will take steps to simplify the application process and evidential requirements for those students.

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

The government recognises that estranged students suffer from financial barriers to study, are more likely to suffer negative effects from high cost of living, work more paid hours whilst studying compared with other student groups and have higher rates of course withdrawal.

Students who are estranged from their parents are treated as independent students, which means their entitlement to loans for living costs is based on their own household income rather than that of their parents.

This means that most estranged students will qualify for the maximum loans for living costs, which are increasing in line with forecast inflation every academic year from 2026/27 onwards.

From the 2028/29 service year, we are reintroducing maintenance grants of up to £1,000 per year for full-time students from low-income households, such as estranged students who are studying courses aligned with the government's missions and Industrial Strategy.

Evidence of estrangement is needed to ensure that students receive their correct entitlement to student support. Students can either submit a Confirmation of Estrangement Form or a supporting statement to Student Finance England, both of which must be completed by an independent third party with good standing in the community.

The step-by-step application process for estranged students, together with a link to the Confirmation of Estrangement Form, is set out in detail on GOV.UK and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/applying-for-student-finance-as-an-estranged-student/applying-for-student-finance-as-an-estranged-student. The government reviews guidance and the application processes on an ongoing basis.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help mainstream schools with the funding, staffing and specialist support needed to meet the needs of SEND pupils.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Mainstream school funding is increasing by 2.6% per pupil between the 2025/26 and 2026/27 academic years, and high needs funding for children and young people with complex needs is continuing at an increased level of over £12 billion in 2026/27, following an increase of 11% in 2025/26.

The Schools White Paper sets out additional funding for both schools and local authorities to drive forward reform of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. The department is committed to prioritising early intervention and is increasing financial support, with £4 billion being invested over the three years of the 2025 spending review period.

Within the £4 billion investment to reform the SEND system, the department will provide additional funding through an Inclusive Mainstream Fund to boost inclusive practice in schools, colleges and early years settings, investing over £500 million per financial year over the next three years, and a a new training package, backed by £200 million of new funding, to ensure that all teachers, educators, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with SEND.

The department is also providing £1.8 billion for local partnerships over the next three years, including local authorities and Integrated Care Boards, to work together to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer. This new offer is designed to strengthen the capability of mainstream education settings by providing access to universal and targeted support from key services and health and to specialist education practitioners.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much the music grant provided to County Council-run Music Services and Music Hubs will be in the 2027-2028 financial year.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is responsible for Music Hubs policy, while Arts Council England administers grants, monitors performance and reports on programme activity, effectiveness and impact. Their published Music Hubs dashboard provides data from 2012/13 to 2024/25.

The department commissioned an independent evaluation of Music Hubs. Findings from the interim report, published on 6 February 2026, included that:

• Parents reported improvements in children’s confidence and social development with approximately half saying their child could not have accessed opportunities without school or hub support.
• Schools and parents praised the quality of hub music services.
• Most hubs provide tailored support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with more schools using this support since 2024.

A final evaluation report is due towards the end of next year and future grant funding for Music Hubs from September 2027 will be confirmed in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of grants to county council music services and hubs.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is responsible for Music Hubs policy, while Arts Council England administers grants, monitors performance and reports on programme activity, effectiveness and impact. Their published Music Hubs dashboard provides data from 2012/13 to 2024/25.

The department commissioned an independent evaluation of Music Hubs. Findings from the interim report, published on 6 February 2026, included that:

• Parents reported improvements in children’s confidence and social development with approximately half saying their child could not have accessed opportunities without school or hub support.
• Schools and parents praised the quality of hub music services.
• Most hubs provide tailored support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with more schools using this support since 2024.

A final evaluation report is due towards the end of next year and future grant funding for Music Hubs from September 2027 will be confirmed in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to undertake a review of post-16 transport policies for young people with Education, Health and Care Plans to determine the impact of transport costs on eligible learners' ability to access education under current arrangements.

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

It is for local authorities to determine the transport and travel support necessary to enable young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to participate in education or training. Local authorities must publish an annual post-16 policy statement setting out these arrangements.

The department recognises that transport costs can be a significant concern for families and local authorities should clearly explain the support they provide, how decisions are made and the routes for applications, complaints and appeals.

Through the government’s SEND reforms, the department’s target is for more children and young people to have their needs met through high-quality, inclusive provision closer to home. Improving the availability and consistency of local provision should enable more young people with SEND to access suitable education locally, thereby reducing the need for some to travel longer distances and incurring additional costs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local authorities comply with (a) requirements that transport arrangements for post-16 learners with special educational needs and disabilities do not place unreasonable financial barriers on access to education and (b) other statutory guidance under section 508F of the Education Act 1996.

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

The department recognises the importance of ensuring that transport arrangements enable young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to access education and training.

Local authorities are responsible for determining what post-16 transport and financial support is necessary and must have regard to the department’s statutory guidance. In doing so, councils must act reasonably, consider all relevant matters and specifically consider the needs of young people with SEND.

Local authority transport policy statements must clearly explain how a young person or parent can appeal if they disagree with a transport decision, as well as the further avenues of complaint available if they remain dissatisfied after the local process has been completed.

The department undertakes annual compliance checks of local authority transport policy statements and keeps the statutory guidance under review. The department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the consistency or adequacy of arrangements made by local authorities for collecting and considering evidence of financial hardship.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies on university safeguarding of findings from the Office for Students Sexual Misconduct Survey 2025, which reported that 14.1% of students experienced at least one form of sexual assault or violence during their time in higher education.

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

The government is clear that sexual harassment and sexual violence have no place in higher education. The findings of the Office for Students’ (OfS) sexual misconduct survey are deeply troubling and underline the importance of effective prevention, reporting and support.

Universities are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own student behaviour codes of conduct, and for taking action through their disciplinary procedures. However, there is regulatory oversight from the OfS’ Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Registration Condition, which requires registered providers to publish accessible, comprehensive policies and properly resourced arrangements to prevent and respond to harassment and sexual misconduct. Providers must also train their students and staff in consent and bystander intervention and have effective procedures for reporting and investigating incidents.

This regulatory action is designed to reduce the incidence of harassment and assault. The department is arranging to monitor the impact of the OfS' requirements and identify examples of effective practice.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to address sexual misconduct on university campuses, in the context of data from the Office for Students Sexual Misconduct Survey 2025 showing that 24.5% of students experienced sexual harassment since becoming a student.

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

The government is clear that sexual harassment and sexual violence have no place in higher education. The findings of the Office for Students’ (OfS) sexual misconduct survey are deeply troubling and underline the importance of effective prevention, reporting and support.

Universities are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own student behaviour codes of conduct, and for taking action through their disciplinary procedures. However, there is regulatory oversight from the OfS’ Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Registration Condition, which requires registered providers to publish accessible, comprehensive policies and properly resourced arrangements to prevent and respond to harassment and sexual misconduct. Providers must also train their students and staff in consent and bystander intervention and have effective procedures for reporting and investigating incidents.

This regulatory action is designed to reduce the incidence of harassment and assault. The department is arranging to monitor the impact of the OfS' requirements and identify examples of effective practice.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase reporting rates for sexual offenses within higher education institutions, in the context of findings from the Office for Students Sexual Misconduct Survey 2025 showing that only 12.7% of students under 21 who experienced sexual assault or violence made a formal report to their university.

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

The government is clear that sexual harassment and sexual violence have no place in higher education. The findings of the Office for Students’ (OfS) sexual misconduct survey are deeply troubling and underline the importance of effective prevention, reporting and support.

Universities are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own student behaviour codes of conduct, and for taking action through their disciplinary procedures. However, there is regulatory oversight from the OfS’ Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Registration Condition, which requires registered providers to publish accessible, comprehensive policies and properly resourced arrangements to prevent and respond to harassment and sexual misconduct. Providers must also train their students and staff in consent and bystander intervention and have effective procedures for reporting and investigating incidents.

This regulatory action is designed to reduce the incidence of harassment and assault. The department is arranging to monitor the impact of the OfS' requirements and identify examples of effective practice.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to higher education institutions on standardised recording of sexual offenses.

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

The government is clear that sexual harassment and sexual violence have no place in higher education. The findings of the Office for Students’ (OfS) sexual misconduct survey are deeply troubling and underline the importance of effective prevention, reporting and support.

Universities are autonomous bodies and are responsible for their own student behaviour codes of conduct, and for taking action through their disciplinary procedures. However, there is regulatory oversight from the OfS’ Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Registration Condition, which requires registered providers to publish accessible, comprehensive policies and properly resourced arrangements to prevent and respond to harassment and sexual misconduct. Providers must also train their students and staff in consent and bystander intervention and have effective procedures for reporting and investigating incidents.

This regulatory action is designed to reduce the incidence of harassment and assault. The department is arranging to monitor the impact of the OfS' requirements and identify examples of effective practice.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will conduct a review of the potential impact on families of local authority post-16 SEND transport policies that refuse transport if exceptional financial hardship is not demonstrated but provide no means-testing process, financial assessment form, or opportunity to submit such evidence.

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

The department recognises the importance of ensuring that transport arrangements enable young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to access education and training.

Local authorities are responsible for determining what post-16 transport and financial support is necessary and must have regard to the department’s statutory guidance. In doing so, councils must act reasonably, consider all relevant matters and specifically consider the needs of young people with SEND.

Local authority transport policy statements must clearly explain how a young person or parent can appeal if they disagree with a transport decision, as well as the further avenues of complaint available if they remain dissatisfied after the local process has been completed.

The department undertakes annual compliance checks of local authority transport policy statements and keeps the statutory guidance under review. The department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the consistency or adequacy of arrangements made by local authorities for collecting and considering evidence of financial hardship.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the consistency of post-16 SEND transport appeal procedures used by local authorities; and whether she plans to issue guidance to authorities on collecting and considering financial evidence before refusing transport applications on grounds of insufficient financial hardship.

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

The department recognises the importance of ensuring that transport arrangements enable young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to access education and training.

Local authorities are responsible for determining what post-16 transport and financial support is necessary and must have regard to the department’s statutory guidance. In doing so, councils must act reasonably, consider all relevant matters and specifically consider the needs of young people with SEND.

Local authority transport policy statements must clearly explain how a young person or parent can appeal if they disagree with a transport decision, as well as the further avenues of complaint available if they remain dissatisfied after the local process has been completed.

The department undertakes annual compliance checks of local authority transport policy statements and keeps the statutory guidance under review. The department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the consistency or adequacy of arrangements made by local authorities for collecting and considering evidence of financial hardship.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of opportunities for families to submit financial evidence prior to appeal decisions under local authority post-16 SEND transport policies.

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

The department recognises the importance of ensuring that transport arrangements enable young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to access education and training.

Local authorities are responsible for determining what post-16 transport and financial support is necessary and must have regard to the department’s statutory guidance. In doing so, councils must act reasonably, consider all relevant matters and specifically consider the needs of young people with SEND.

Local authority transport policy statements must clearly explain how a young person or parent can appeal if they disagree with a transport decision, as well as the further avenues of complaint available if they remain dissatisfied after the local process has been completed.

The department undertakes annual compliance checks of local authority transport policy statements and keeps the statutory guidance under review. The department has not undertaken a specific assessment of the consistency or adequacy of arrangements made by local authorities for collecting and considering evidence of financial hardship.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to children with a parent in prison.

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

We are working to improve our understanding of the impact that parental imprisonment can have on children’s wellbeing, outcomes and opportunities, where the gaps in support lie and what support is most effective in helping children thrive. We appreciate that support is currently inconsistent and that the needs of children and families are often hidden.

The government is delivering a joint programme between the Department for Education and the Ministry of Justice to improve how children with a parent in prison are recognised and supported. As part of its manifesto commitment, the government is testing new data-sharing and focused support pilots, through local authorities and effective multi-agency work, to help recognise children earlier, enable individualised and voluntary support for children and families, and build an evidence-based support model. This pilot programme is generating evidence to inform decisions about how this work should be developed to help achieve the best outcomes

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that Social Work England receives the necessary support to meet its target response times.

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

The government recognises the importance of Social Work England delivering timely and effective regulatory processes. An independent review of social work professional regulation, led by Dame Annie Hudson, identified the need for sustained improvement, particularly in fitness to practise. In response, the government is working with Social Work England to secure sustained improvement and has strengthened its oversight of the regulator.

Social Work England is expected to deliver a comprehensive, end-to-end fitness to practise strategic improvement plan, supported by clear milestones, delivery expectations and measures of timeliness. The department and Department for Health and Social Care are working together to jointly monitor progress through their existing sponsorship and governance arrangements and will consider whether further intervention is required if sufficient progress is not made.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring the Student Loans Company to waive retrospectively applied interest charges on Plan 2 student loans where incorrect interest rates were originally applied due to administrative errors by the Student Loans Company or HM Revenue and Customs; and what assessment she has made of the potential financial impact of those retrospective corrections on affected borrowers.

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

The two technical errors relating to plan 2 affected 71,000 customers as the interest was not calculated accurately based on their level of earnings. The errors meant 41,000 customers were not charged enough interest and 30,000 customers were charged too much interest. ​

​Accounts have now been corrected, meaning that 41,000 customers have an increased balance and 30,000 customers have seen their balance decrease. Customers who had their accounts adjusted will see no change to their monthly payments, as these are based on an individual’s salary rather than the amount owed. ​Of the 30,000 accounts who will see their balance decrease, over 3,000 customers (who have paid off their loans) will see a refund. Those who have already paid off their loan in full will not have to start repaying again.​

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2026. To question 33411 on Family Hubs: Huntingdon, whether she has plans to establish further Best Start Family Hubs in the Huntingdon constituency in a) 2026 or b) 2027.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

One Best Start Family Hub has been established in the Huntingdon constituency, at Sallowbush Road, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 7AF. Decisions on any further Best Start Family Hubs, including whether additional hubs will be established in (a) 2026 or (b) 2027, are for Cambridgeshire County Council to determine through its local delivery planning in response to local need.

Local authorities are responsible for determining the locations and timing of hubs and network sites in response to local need. Any further provision in the Huntingdon constituency during 2026 or 2027 will be determined by the council through its delivery planning.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the cost for families of mandatory 1:1 digital device programmes in schools.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is clear that schools cannot charge for learning resources, including laptops and other devices, where they are required for education during school hours or for national curriculum-related learning outside school hours. The department does not specify the number of IT devices for schools and it is up to the schools to determine the number of devices they need. A small proportion of schools have a parent contribution scheme or similar for digital devices, but such schemes should not be presented as mandatory. The department does not collect data on the specific costs of such schemes.

Found: Children [CPW0017] Bevan Foundation [CPW0018] Citizens Advice Cymru [CPW0019] UK Government (Department for Education

Found: Craft (Arrival and Report) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 Appendix 4: Memorandum from the Department for Education

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 17 July (HL2263), whether they now intend to issue guidance to safeguarding leads in local authorities on how to respond when a parent disagrees with a child or young adult's wish to undergo social or medical transition; and if not, why not.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

On 1 April, NHS England published an updated service specification for NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services, reflecting the findings and recommendations of the Cass Review. The specification makes clear that clinicians should consider safeguarding needs as part of the holistic assessment framework.

Additionally, on 1 September, the Department for Education published updated statutory Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance, which details how schools and colleges should support children and young people who are questioning their gender.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Merron on 17 July (HL2263), what guidance, if any, they plan to issue to safeguarding leads in local authorities about situations where a parent disagrees with a child or young person's desire to undergo social or medical transition.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

On 1 April, NHS England published an updated service specification for NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services, reflecting the findings and recommendations of the Cass Review. The specification makes clear that clinicians should consider safeguarding needs as part of the holistic assessment framework.

Additionally, on 1 September, the Department for Education published updated statutory Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance, which details how schools and colleges should support children and young people who are questioning their gender.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve access to enrichment activities outside of school for children in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

As set out in Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy, this Government is committed to providing young people with more meaningful and enriching activities outside of school, with the ambition to halve the gap in participation between disadvantaged young people and their peers by 2035.

Every Child Can, an investment of £132.5 million of Dormant Assets, will increase access to high-quality enrichment across the five categories of enrichment: civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoor and adventure; sport and physical activities; and developing wider life skills across some of the most disadvantaged areas in the country. As part of the package, £12.5 million will deliver opportunities for young people to make and enjoy music in their local area, and £10 million will enable thousands of care experienced young people to form trusted relationships with creative practitioners through bespoke 1:1 support. The funding criteria, eligibility requirements and application processes will be announced in the coming months, and we are working with TNLCF to design the remaining funding.

The Government's support for enriching activities is also funded through Arms Length Bodies. Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre (an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation) provides a wide range of creative opportunities for children and young people outside of school settings. In the last year, activities have included youth dance, choir and youth theatre delivering 29,865 hours of active participation. The Octagon Theatre also manages the Music Hub for Somerset and Dorset, funded by the Department for Education and Arts Council England. The Hub works with partners across the region to provide accessible arts and music opportunities outside school, including targeted provision for young people with SEND and subsidised or free places for those facing barriers to participation.

The constituency of Yeovil is covered by the active partnership Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership, which receives Sport England funding to increase activity levels across the whole population. In 2025/26, the constituency of Yeovil received £27,716 through Sport England's Movement Fund, which aims to reduce the number of inactive people and tackle long-standing inequalities in communities, including for young people.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of overseas deployment of staff in his department on the ability of their children to access higher education funding.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

We are aware that a small number of children of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) staff have been refused student finance or classified as international students because their parent's overseas service was not considered to meet the residency requirements in current student finance regulations. While the number of cases is low, we understand the significant financial strain on affected families and that uncertainty over access to higher education funding could deter staff from undertaking essential overseas service. It is our view that children of Crown Servants should not be disadvantaged by their parent's overseas service on behalf of the government. That is why the Department has been working closely with the Department for Education to find a long-term, legislative solution.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the level of (a) hygiene poverty in Yeovil constituency and (b) its impact on Yeovil residents' health.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

No such estimates are held centrally, but the Government continues to take action to try and relieve personal hygiene costs, particularly in relation to period products. The Department for Education provides free period products to secondary school and college learners in their place of study so that no one misses education because of their period, and the VAT on period products remains zero-rated, including reusable period underwear.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of youth services in supporting young people aged 16 to 24 to progress into education, training or employment.

Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Evidence has shown that investment in youth services, fun and enriching activities, and trusted adults such as youth workers, can help build young people’s skills for life and work. This is by supporting the development of soft skills, which are associated with positive longer term outcomes such as teamwork, resilience and self-confidence, in addition to improving mental wellbeing. It can also help young people access opportunities they may not get at school or college.

This is why we’ve launched Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy. It is an ambitious plan to support young people to learn and get into good jobs, and is backed by over £500 million of funding from DCMS for fun things to do outside of school, support when and where young people need it, more safe spaces and access to trusted adults.

To deliver on the commitments made in Youth Matters, we will provide over £400 million to enable youth organisations across the country to deliver high-quality youth work and activities as well as refurbish or build up to 250 youth facilities through the Youth Matters Fund. DCMS, in strategic partnership with DfE, has also launched a £22.5 million investment across 3 years to support up to 400 schools to provide a youth led, tailored enrichment offer through the Enrichment Expansion Programme. Alongside this, DCMS has announced a £132.5m investment of dormant assets into Every Child Can, which will fund opportunities exclusively across five key categories of enrichment: civic engagement; arts and culture; nature, outdoor and adventure; sport and physical activities; and developing wider life and future skills.

50 Young Futures Hubs will launch by the end of this Parliament to offer mental health support, careers guidance, and activities to support young people progress into education, employment and training and other positive pathways. Eight Young Futures Hubs became operational in the 25/26 financial year, and on 16th September we announced the local authorities who will develop the next 42 new hubs and be operational by March 2029. These have been developed in partnership with DWP, and will link with Youth Hubs and complement the Youth Guarantee to support youth employment and learning. We’ll also be funding 1,000 new specialised youth workers for community-based, early intervention support for young people at high risk of becoming NEET (not in education, employment or training). This is part of our work to rebuild the youth workforce, advancing our goal for 500,000 more young people to be able to access a trusted adult by 2035.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential financial and emotional impact on parents and children of delays within the HM Courts & Tribunals Service affecting Special Educational Need and Disability appeals.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

Reducing waiting times in the SEND tribunal is a priority.

His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is working with the judiciary to improve case progression and earlier resolution. The Government fully recognises that prolonged proceedings can place practical and emotional strain on children and parents by extending uncertainty about a child or young person’s assessment, provision or placement. The Department for Education has consulted on proposals to improve early identification of need to ensure that children and young people get the support they need when they need it, including strengthening local mediation services to resolve disputes earlier. It is currently considering responses before setting out its final proposals.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what engagement she has had with the Department for Education on mitigating the impact of Level 3 qualification reform on the creative industries.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

In the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the government committed to working with the creative industries to support sector training pathways and ensure the workforce is prepared for the future of work. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Department for Education (DfE) and Skills England work closely with industry on this agenda, including through our regular Creative Sector Skills Forum. In addition, DfE has also established a Creative Qualifications Policy Group to develop evidence-based advice on how reformed post-16 qualifications, including T Levels, V Levels and level 2 reformed qualifications, can best meet the skills and progression needs of the sector. The first meeting of this group, which includes DCMS and sector experts and representatives, took place on 20th October and was attended by the Minister for Skills.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with creative industry employers about changes to the vocational pipeline into the sector.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

In the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the government committed to working with the creative industries to support sector training pathways and ensure the workforce is prepared for the future of work. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Department for Education (DfE) and Skills England work closely with industry on this agenda, including through our regular Creative Sector Skills Forum. In addition, DfE has also established a Creative Qualifications Policy Group to develop evidence-based advice on how reformed post-16 qualifications, including T Levels, V Levels and level 2 reformed qualifications, can best meet the skills and progression needs of the sector. The first meeting of this group, which includes DCMS and sector experts and representatives, took place on 20th October and was attended by the Minister for Skills.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what engagement she has had with the Department for Education on designing new pathways into the creative industries.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

In the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the government committed to working with the creative industries to support sector training pathways and ensure the workforce is prepared for the future of work. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Department for Education (DfE) and Skills England work closely with industry on this agenda, including through our regular Creative Sector Skills Forum. In addition, DfE has also established a Creative Qualifications Policy Group to develop evidence-based advice on how reformed post-16 qualifications, including T Levels, V Levels and level 2 reformed qualifications, can best meet the skills and progression needs of the sector. The first meeting of this group, which includes DCMS and sector experts and representatives, took place on 20th October and was attended by the Minister for Skills.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the barriers faced by small and medium-sized employer-led training providers in accessing public funding for engineering skills provision.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

As the minimum contract values and financial eligibility requirements in Adult Skills Funding competitions were set by DfE colleagues prior to the Machinery of Government transfer in April 2026, this is a joint response from DfE and DWP.

Access to Adult Skills Funding competitions for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) has been a key consideration in the commercial strategy for all current provider contracts in the Adult Skills area.

From 2022-25, DfE had an SME Action Plan in place to maximise opportunities for SMEs and all procurements had to give due consideration to the Action Plan prior to going out to market.

The following were put into place:

• Appointment of an SME champion.
• Continual review and improvement of commercial templates, processes and guidance in line with policy objectives to ensure consideration of SMEs and VCSEs throughout procurement activities and the contract lifecycle.
• Dissemination of PPNs across the department to raise awareness of the SME agenda.
• Use of market engagement to better understand and engage our supply chain, to learn from suppliers and inform our approach to procurements.
• Engagement with the SME Advisory Panel to get a clear understanding of what good practice should look like.
• Allocating sufficient time within project plans to allow for comprehensive pre-market engagement with suppliers, including SMEs and VCSEs, and encourage active participation from the sector.
• Sharing of lessons learned, to drive continuous improvement.
• Integration of SME focus into our Supplier Relationship Management programme and encouragement of our strategic suppliers to explore opportunities to sub-contract with SMEs.
• Continuing promotion of the SME agenda across the department at senior levels to increase its profile.
• Maximum use of the Social Value Model to increase supply chain diversity.
• Ongoing monitoring of SME spend across contracts and subcontracts.

Increasing access to DWP contracts for SMEs where appropriate remains a key part of the government and DWP’s commercial strategies and will be duly considered as part of the commercial strategy for any future centrally contracted competitions in the Adult Skills environment, to continue the good work above of DfE colleagues.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of minimum contract values and financial eligibility requirements in adult skills funding competitions on access to funding for small and medium-sized training providers.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

As the minimum contract values and financial eligibility requirements in Adult Skills Funding competitions were set by DfE colleagues prior to the Machinery of Government transfer in April 2026, this is a joint response from DfE and DWP.

Access to Adult Skills Funding competitions for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) has been a key consideration in the commercial strategy for all current provider contracts in the Adult Skills area.

From 2022-25, DfE had an SME Action Plan in place to maximise opportunities for SMEs and all procurements had to give due consideration to the Action Plan prior to going out to market.

The following were put into place:

• Appointment of an SME champion.
• Continual review and improvement of commercial templates, processes and guidance in line with policy objectives to ensure consideration of SMEs and VCSEs throughout procurement activities and the contract lifecycle.
• Dissemination of PPNs across the department to raise awareness of the SME agenda.
• Use of market engagement to better understand and engage our supply chain, to learn from suppliers and inform our approach to procurements.
• Engagement with the SME Advisory Panel to get a clear understanding of what good practice should look like.
• Allocating sufficient time within project plans to allow for comprehensive pre-market engagement with suppliers, including SMEs and VCSEs, and encourage active participation from the sector.
• Sharing of lessons learned, to drive continuous improvement.
• Integration of SME focus into our Supplier Relationship Management programme and encouragement of our strategic suppliers to explore opportunities to sub-contract with SMEs.
• Continuing promotion of the SME agenda across the department at senior levels to increase its profile.
• Maximum use of the Social Value Model to increase supply chain diversity.
• Ongoing monitoring of SME spend across contracts and subcontracts.

Increasing access to DWP contracts for SMEs where appropriate remains a key part of the government and DWP’s commercial strategies and will be duly considered as part of the commercial strategy for any future centrally contracted competitions in the Adult Skills environment, to continue the good work above of DfE colleagues.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues and officials in the Department for Transport regarding the future supply of seafarer Apprentices to the ferry industry from nautical colleges in coastal communities.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Government recognises the important role that maritime training and employment opportunities play in supporting growth, productivity and skills development in coastal communities. The Department for Transport, which leads government policy on the maritime sector, engages with other departments such as DfE and DWP, where workforce needs relate to the wider skills system. Through Skills England, Government are working with employers and sector bodies so that occupational standards underpinning apprenticeships and technical qualifications reflect current and future needs. Skills England’s Occupational Maps also help people understand routes into maritime careers.

As part of its routine review of apprenticeships, Skills England launched a recent call for feedback from employers regarding the future of five maritime apprenticeships. Responses from industry were strongly in support of retention, and my noble Friend the Minister for Skills took the decision to retain all five apprenticeships in light of industry feedback.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the NHS Learning Support Fund for parents undertaking postgraduate midwifery courses.

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

The Department for Education provides the primary financial support package for English domiciled students in higher education, through Student Finance England (SFE) loans, including those studying pre-registration undergraduate or postgraduate midwifery, as a first or second degree. SFE also provides a childcare allowance for eligible students with children.

To supplement this, the Department provides non-repayable funding to eligible healthcare students via the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF). Eligible students on a pre-registration undergraduate or postgraduate midwifery course receive a Training Grant of £5,000 per academic year and an additional Parental Support of £2,000 per academic year for those with children. Further support is available for placement travel and dual accommodation costs and for students experiencing exceptional financial hardship.

The Government keeps the funding arrangements, including the LSF, under review, balancing the support students need with the effective use of public funds.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Enrichment Expansion programme area list published on 25 September 2026, if her Department will publish the scores and rankings used to assess (a) Walsall, (b) Birmingham and (c) Sandwell for inclusion in the programme; and for what reasons Walsall was not selected.

Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

DCMS is committed to making a difference in the places that need it the most, through investing to build social and community cohesion and to enhance opportunity where outcomes are poorest.

Evidence points clearly to economic and social outcomes being systematically worse in places where both deprivation and community need is highest; places experiencing ‘double disadvantage’. For this reason, across our programmes that aim to improve social and community outcomes, we will look to implement a tailored focus on targeting these ‘double disadvantage’ places – to ensure that our funding is concentrated in the communities where we can make the biggest difference. DCMS’ approach to place targeting is publicly available.

The Enrichment Expansion Programme (EEP), a DCMS-funded programme delivered in strategic partnership with DfE, will invest £22.5 million across 3 years to support up to 400 secondary schools to provide a youth led, tailored enrichment offer and help them meet the Enrichment Framework benchmarks.

In order to select local authorities to participate in the programme, lower-layer super output areas (LSOAs) were identified as being in the most deprived 20% nationally on both the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) and the Community Needs Index (CNI). In this instance IDACI serves a similar purpose to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) used in the DCMS wide approach but focuses in particular on deprivation impacting young people. LSOAs meeting both criteria were classified as experiencing double disadvantage. The proportion of double-disadvantaged LSOAs within each lower-tier local authority was then calculated, and local authorities were ranked on this basis, with a minimum number of three areas represented across all nine regions.

Additionally, areas were included to align with DfE’s Mission North East and Mission Coastal. The Place Missions will bring expert support into classrooms and new opportunities beyond the school gates for children in the North East, Hastings and Scarborough.

To ensure each school within the programme receives tailored support from the programme, we intend to group schools into clusters of 5-8 according to geographic proximity. Resultantly, we selected 54 clusters across 59 areas to accommodate 400 schools. Walsall did not rank highly enough to be selected as eligible for the programme. It was also not in scope for clustering given the number of eligible schools within neighbouring eligible areas.

We call for the government to recognise and address the issues parents face when their child is absent due to mental health . The Dfe guidance states it should be authorised but it’s very apparent schools are not applying code I absences in these instances.

Found: The clear guidance from Dfe is being dismissed and it’s destroying trust and putting extra strain on

Found: We are also working with the colleagues in the Department for Education and with the Association of

Found: DHSC / DfE Support a £100 million Post Office transformation programme and the Post Office Plus pilot

Found: DHSC / DfE Support a £100 million Post Office transformation programme and the Post Office Plus pilot

Found: This covers services provided by the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Education

Found: The cost base is estimated using the last agreed undergraduate student finance forecast used for DfE

Found: official-level discussions • Engage with relevant government departments including HMT, BIST, MHCLG, DfE

Found: Adoption population estimates from ‘Children looked after in England including adoptions’, DfE, November

Found: Adoption population estimates from ‘Children looked after in England including adoptions’, DfE, November

Found: Adoption population estimates from ‘Children looked after in England including adoptions’, DfE, November

Found: Adoption population estimates from ‘Children looked after in England including adoptions’, DfE, November

Found: PE and School Sport Partnerships Network where funding has been pooled across DHSC, the Department for Education

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