Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what capital budget allocations are available to Worcestershire County Council to accommodate future (a) primary and (b) secondary school places in the current financial year.

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

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities. The department provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local authorities to provide school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and school capacity data.

Worcestershire County Council was allocated a total of just over £16.5 million across the 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years to support it to provide new mainstream primary and secondary school places. It was not allocated funding in 2026/27 and 2027/28 because its pupil forecasts and school capacity data, gathered in Summer 2024, indicated there was no need to fund further places by September 2028.

This is in addition to housing developer contributions that Worcestershire can, and does, secure to create new places where demand is driven by new housing.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to improve levels of consistency in how swimming attainment is assessed and reported by schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The current PE national curriculum requires all primary pupils to be taught to swim competently and confidently over 25 metres, use a range of strokes effectively, and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

The government accepted the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, which recognised the benefits of PE while identifying a need for greater clarity, consistency and progression across the curriculum, including in swimming and water safety. In response, the department is developing a revised PE programme of study, which will be subject to consultation.

The reforms will strengthen the emphasis on swimming and water safety and will be supported through the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, drawing on expertise from organisations including Swim England.

The department has not made a specific assessment of recruitment and retention among those delivering curriculum swimming. However, the School and College Voice survey published in May 2025 found that 94% of primary schools surveyed relied solely on external teachers to teach swimming and water safety, compared with 6% using internal swimming staff and 20% supporting delivery. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-voice-omnibus-surveys-for-2024-to-2025/school-and-college-voice-may-2025#sec-Swimming-and-water-safety.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of recruitment and retention trends among teachers involved in delivering curriculum swimming and water safety lessons in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The current PE national curriculum requires all primary pupils to be taught to swim competently and confidently over 25 metres, use a range of strokes effectively, and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

The government accepted the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, which recognised the benefits of PE while identifying a need for greater clarity, consistency and progression across the curriculum, including in swimming and water safety. In response, the department is developing a revised PE programme of study, which will be subject to consultation.

The reforms will strengthen the emphasis on swimming and water safety and will be supported through the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, drawing on expertise from organisations including Swim England.

The department has not made a specific assessment of recruitment and retention among those delivering curriculum swimming. However, the School and College Voice survey published in May 2025 found that 94% of primary schools surveyed relied solely on external teachers to teach swimming and water safety, compared with 6% using internal swimming staff and 20% supporting delivery. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-voice-omnibus-surveys-for-2024-to-2025/school-and-college-voice-may-2025#sec-Swimming-and-water-safety.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to review the statutory swimming and water safety requirements in the National Curriculum.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The current PE national curriculum requires all primary pupils to be taught to swim competently and confidently over 25 metres, use a range of strokes effectively, and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

The government accepted the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, which recognised the benefits of PE while identifying a need for greater clarity, consistency and progression across the curriculum, including in swimming and water safety. In response, the department is developing a revised PE programme of study, which will be subject to consultation.

The reforms will strengthen the emphasis on swimming and water safety and will be supported through the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, drawing on expertise from organisations including Swim England.

The department has not made a specific assessment of recruitment and retention among those delivering curriculum swimming. However, the School and College Voice survey published in May 2025 found that 94% of primary schools surveyed relied solely on external teachers to teach swimming and water safety, compared with 6% using internal swimming staff and 20% supporting delivery. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-voice-omnibus-surveys-for-2024-to-2025/school-and-college-voice-may-2025#sec-Swimming-and-water-safety.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the potential financial impact of staggering school summer holidays across regions in England on families.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has not made a formal assessment of the merits of introducing regional variations in summer holiday dates.

School holidays are not determined at national level and are decided locally by trusts, schools and local authorities, depending on the school type.

The department encourages collaboration between schools, trusts and local authorities in the setting of term dates to minimise any disruption or inconvenience to families. In doing so, they should consider the importance of regular school attendance to children’s attainment, wellbeing and wider development.

The department will keep this policy area under review, including considerations of the impacts of different approaches to school holiday arrangements.

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 introducing regional variations in summer holiday dates to reduce peak demand for domestic and international travel.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has not made a formal assessment of the merits of introducing regional variations in summer holiday dates.

School holidays are not determined at national level and are decided locally by trusts, schools and local authorities, depending on the school type.

The department encourages collaboration between schools, trusts and local authorities in the setting of term dates to minimise any disruption or inconvenience to families. In doing so, they should consider the importance of regular school attendance to children’s attainment, wellbeing and wider development.

The department will keep this policy area under review, including considerations of the impacts of different approaches to school holiday arrangements.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with representatives of the travel industry regarding the relationship between school holiday dates and peak-season pricing.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has not made a formal assessment of the merits of introducing regional variations in summer holiday dates.

School holidays are not determined at national level and are decided locally by trusts, schools and local authorities, depending on the school type.

The department encourages collaboration between schools, trusts and local authorities in the setting of term dates to minimise any disruption or inconvenience to families. In doing so, they should consider the importance of regular school attendance to children’s attainment, wellbeing and wider development.

The department will keep this policy area under review, including considerations of the impacts of different approaches to school holiday arrangements.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what demographic projections her Department holds to model future (a) primary and (b) secondary school places in the Worcestershire County Council area over the next five years.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As part of the school capacity survey 2025, Worcestershire Local Authority submitted information on school capacity and forecasts of the number of pupils that the local authority expects to provide a mainstream school place for. This data is published at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2024-25.

As part of this release, modelled estimates of future school place demand at planning area and Local Authority level are also published. This data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2024-25.

The department estimates that in the 2029/30 academic year, there will be 8,364 spare primary places and 5,665 spare secondary places in Worcestershire. Please note that viewing surpluses at local authority level data may mask shortfalls in planning areas within the local authority.

It is for local authorities, in collaboration with academy trusts and other local partners, to balance the supply and demand of school places in line with changing demographics.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of piloting council-funded, low-arousal community hubs for children receiving Education Otherwise Than at School, including the provision of sensory facilities and access to specialist education and therapeutic professionals; and whether her Department has considered using existing Family Hubs as a basis for such a pilot.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is consulting on proposals to improve support for children and young people who receive education outside a school or further education setting, known as Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS). The consultation, which closes on 18 September 2026, seeks views from children, young people, parents, carers and professionals.

The consultation includes proposals to strengthen decision making, oversight and accountability arrangements for EOTAS, helping to ensure that children and young people receive suitable education and support that meets their needs. The department recognises the importance of ensuring that children receiving EOTAS can access appropriate educational and therapeutic support.

As part of the consultation, we welcome a wide range of views on how support for children and young people receiving EOTAS can best be delivered, including access to educational and therapeutic services. We will carefully consider all responses, including any responses about how low-arousal community hubs and Family Hubs can support children receiving EOTAS, before deciding on the next steps.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many full-time equivalent schoolteachers there were in (a) 2025 and (b) 2024.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Recruiting and retaining expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child, as high-quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest positive impact on a child’s outcomes.

In November 2025, there were 466,400 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, compared with 468,300 in 2024. The change in teacher FTE is in line with changes to pupil numbers, with falling rolls in primary schools. Pupil to teacher ratios have remained broadly stable at 17.9 in 2025 compared to 18.0 in 2024.

In February, we published our delivery plan, which sets how we will recruit 6,500 secondary, special school and FE teachers over the course of this parliament. Our delivery approach is focused on three key themes – attracting, retaining and developing teachers – to ensure we have enough highly-skilled teachers in our schools and colleges to allow every child to achieve and thrive. We are recruiting these additional teachers where need is greatest. Changing demographics means our greatest needs are in mainstream secondary schools, special schools and further education colleges. We have achieved 71.6% of the 6,500 target: there are 4,654 more teachers; 3,008 more teachers in Secondary and Special Schools in 2025/26 and 1,646 more teachers in Further Education, than in 2024/25.

The latest School Workforce Census reported the lowest leaver rate (8.5%) in any year outside the pandemic and teacher vacancies decreased to 1,600 in November 2025, down from 2,200 in November 2024.

The number of teachers returning to classrooms is continuing to rise. Latest figures reported 17,700 returners, continuing the increasing trend seen in the past four years.

Our school teacher pipeline is also growing. There were 32,576 new entrants to Initial Teacher Training (ITT) in Autumn 2025, up 13% from the previous year.

Primary and nursery schools saw a 2,900 decrease in teachers from 2024/25 to 2025/26. However, primary pupil numbers have fallen by 172,000 since 2019 and are expected to continue falling until at least 2030 which is why we did not include primary schools in the 6,500 teacher pledge. We are targeting workforce growth in mainstream secondary schools, special schools and FE colleges where they are most needed.

We are also seeing strong growth where there have been shortages. Last year we saw a 13% increase in new entrants to teacher training, including a 37% increase in Physics entrants, recruiting 78% of the target. This is the highest number of Physics entrants since comparable statistics began in 2014/15.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the findings of the investigation by the Guardian and Bureau of Investigative Journalism, published on 8 September 2026, that local authorities spent more than £250 million on approximately 1,800 placements in unregistered children's homes over the previous two years; and whether her Department plans to collect and publish data on (a) the number, (b) duration and (c) cost of placements in unregistered children's homes by each local authority.

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

Unregistered settings are illegal and may pose a significant risk to children, with no assurance about children’s safety, the staff or the environment. This is why the department is taking a number of measures to eliminate the use of such placements by local authorities.

To increase the availability of safe, registered provision, we are investing £560 million between 2026/27 and 2029/30, alongside £90 million in 2025/26, to expand local authority-owned children's homes in areas where they are needed most. We are also rolling-out Regional Care Cooperatives across the country to strengthen local commissioning, improve planning and increase purchasing power.

Through the Children Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, we have strengthened Ofsted’s powers to crack down on unregistered providers by introducing uncapped financial penalties alongside exiting prosecution powers.

We are also improving transparency and oversight by introducing a dedicated category for unregistered placements within the 2026 children looked after annual return (SSDA903) completed by local authorities. This will provide the first national dataset on the use of unregistered placements, helping the department identify where and how often they are being used.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the supply of registered children's home placements for children with complex needs; and whether she has made an assessment of whether the £53 million allocated to create up to 200 additional placements by 2029 will be sufficient to end local authorities' use of unregistered children's homes.

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

The department is taking steps to improve the availability of suitable provision for children with the most complex needs. Evidence shows that a significant proportion of these children are currently placed in unsuitable or unregistered settings because the right provision is not available. To address this, we have invested £53 million capital funding to create up to 200 places in suitable residential homes for children with multiple and overlapping needs. This investment is targeted at relieving the most critical pressures within the system. The new places will be delivered through local authority-owned children's homes, designed to enable placement stability as needs change and develop by implementing robust design and flexible technology.

Alongside this, the department has launched Home Again, a programme that will establish multi-disciplinary teams operating across regional care cooperatives. The programme aims to improve placement stability, reduce the use of unnecessary restrictive practices and lessen reliance on unregistered provision.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) introducing a "special circumstances" policy permitting 16- and 17-year-olds with specific care needs to be placed in CQC registered provision.

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

Young people aged under 18 may, in certain circumstances, be accommodated in services registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Whether registration with CQC is appropriate depends on the facts of the individual case, the nature of the service being provided and the relevant statutory and regulatory frameworks. Guidance is available to providers and local authorities on the respective regulatory responsibilities of Ofsted and CQC, including the joint Ofsted and CQC guidance ‘Children's homes and health care: registration with Ofsted or CQC’, which sets out the circumstances in which services should be registered with Ofsted, CQC, or both regulators.

The CQC does not have a published provision directly equivalent to Ofsted's special circumstances policy. The department is working with the Department for Health and Social Care, Ofsted, and the CQC to explore how regulation can support and improve transitions into adult services. As part of this work, the department keeps policy and regulatory arrangements in this area under review, including issues relating to young people transitioning into adult services.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on bringing new carers into the sector and stopping carers exiting the sector.

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

The government is committed to improving standards across the foster care sector and is taking steps to improve the recruitment and retention of foster carers, which is critical to improving outcomes for children.

The department’s action plan to renew fostering, backed by £88 million over the next two years, sets out the urgent steps we are taking to reverse the decline in foster carers and reform the system. 14 regional hubs are moving towards end-to-end recruitment from September, backed by £12 million in transformation funding. Our Room Makers programme will provide up to £25 million to add additional capacity to existing loving foster homes. We have launched a £12.4 million innovation programme, and enhanced digital tools and a communications campaign will launch in the autumn.

The government is currently consulting on revised national fostering standards to ensure children and foster families receive consistently high-quality support. Alongside this, the department continues to support and invest in the rollout of the Mockingbird model, while drawing on programme data and feedback from fostering services and carers to assess its impact on children, placement stability and carer support.

We recognise the benefits Mockingbird can offer in building peer support, stability and resilience for fostering families and will continue to promote effective practice across the sector.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what further steps her Department has taken to evaluate the Mockingbird fostering model since the 2020 evaluation by her Department.

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

The government is committed to improving standards across the foster care sector and is taking steps to improve the recruitment and retention of foster carers, which is critical to improving outcomes for children.

The department’s action plan to renew fostering, backed by £88 million over the next two years, sets out the urgent steps we are taking to reverse the decline in foster carers and reform the system. 14 regional hubs are moving towards end-to-end recruitment from September, backed by £12 million in transformation funding. Our Room Makers programme will provide up to £25 million to add additional capacity to existing loving foster homes. We have launched a £12.4 million innovation programme, and enhanced digital tools and a communications campaign will launch in the autumn.

The government is currently consulting on revised national fostering standards to ensure children and foster families receive consistently high-quality support. Alongside this, the department continues to support and invest in the rollout of the Mockingbird model, while drawing on programme data and feedback from fostering services and carers to assess its impact on children, placement stability and carer support.

We recognise the benefits Mockingbird can offer in building peer support, stability and resilience for fostering families and will continue to promote effective practice across the sector.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of expanding the Mockingbird Programme.

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

The government is committed to improving standards across the foster care sector and is taking steps to improve the recruitment and retention of foster carers, which is critical to improving outcomes for children.

The department’s action plan to renew fostering, backed by £88 million over the next two years, sets out the urgent steps we are taking to reverse the decline in foster carers and reform the system. 14 regional hubs are moving towards end-to-end recruitment from September, backed by £12 million in transformation funding. Our Room Makers programme will provide up to £25 million to add additional capacity to existing loving foster homes. We have launched a £12.4 million innovation programme, and enhanced digital tools and a communications campaign will launch in the autumn.

The government is currently consulting on revised national fostering standards to ensure children and foster families receive consistently high-quality support. Alongside this, the department continues to support and invest in the rollout of the Mockingbird model, while drawing on programme data and feedback from fostering services and carers to assess its impact on children, placement stability and carer support.

We recognise the benefits Mockingbird can offer in building peer support, stability and resilience for fostering families and will continue to promote effective practice across the sector.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve standards across the foster care sector.

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

The government is committed to improving standards across the foster care sector and is taking steps to improve the recruitment and retention of foster carers, which is critical to improving outcomes for children.

The department’s action plan to renew fostering, backed by £88 million over the next two years, sets out the urgent steps we are taking to reverse the decline in foster carers and reform the system. 14 regional hubs are moving towards end-to-end recruitment from September, backed by £12 million in transformation funding. Our Room Makers programme will provide up to £25 million to add additional capacity to existing loving foster homes. We have launched a £12.4 million innovation programme, and enhanced digital tools and a communications campaign will launch in the autumn.

The government is currently consulting on revised national fostering standards to ensure children and foster families receive consistently high-quality support. Alongside this, the department continues to support and invest in the rollout of the Mockingbird model, while drawing on programme data and feedback from fostering services and carers to assess its impact on children, placement stability and carer support.

We recognise the benefits Mockingbird can offer in building peer support, stability and resilience for fostering families and will continue to promote effective practice across the sector.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the exemption in regulation 3(1)(c) of the Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 for accommodation provided for holidays and other specified activities for fewer than 28 days; and whether she plans to amend this exemption.

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

Registered providers of children’s homes must meet the Care Standards Act 2000 and associated regulations, available at:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/14/contents.

This legislation requires providers to have an up-to-date statement of purpose, setting out how a children’s home operates. It is illegal to run or manage a children’s home or service that has not been registered with Ofsted. Mandatory registration with Ofsted ensures that appropriate oversight and checks are in place. Unregistered settings may pose a significant risk to vulnerable children as there is no assurance about the safety of children, staff or the environment.

On 1 April 2026, Ofsted updated the Social Care Common Inspection Framework to promote high-quality inspections that focus on the impact of services on the lives and relationships of children and families. Ofsted is currently consulting on further reforms, with implementation from 2027. The department is working closely with Ofsted as it updates inspection frameworks, grounded in our shared ambition to support the sector to improve services and outcomes for children and families.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in light of the extreme hot weather this summer, whether her Department is planning to review the B101 regulations for school buildings.

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

The department takes periods of hot weather and heatwaves seriously and has published a climate risk assessment on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-of-uk-climate-change-risk-on-the-delivery-of-education/summary-of-findings-in-relation-to-3-climate-risks-overheating-flooding-and-water-scarcity.

The department publishes non-statutory guidance on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools in Building Bulletin 101, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings. There are no plans to update this guidance.

The department has recently launched a new construction framework and updated design standards, setting out requirements for all new and refurbished school buildings delivered by the department in England, which are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/design-standards-employers-requirements. These standards are separate to Building Bulletin 101. They cover overheating risk assessments which account for rising temperatures associated with climate change, as well as external shading, cross ventilation and the use of cooling through ground source heat pumps.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release entitled 'Thousands of children with SEND to benefit from assistive tech', published 27 June 2025, if she will confirm the change in EHCPs for children under the age of 8 in the same period as the data referred to in the press release.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The June 2025 press release announced the department’s investment of over £1.6 million in an assistive technology lending library pilot through the ‘SEND and alternative provision change programme’. The press release referenced that the number of children with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) had increased by 11% to 638,700, referring to the data from the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

For the same period, the number of EHCPs specifically for children under the age of 8 at the start of the academic year increased by 14%, rising to 124,148.

The government is committed to ensuring that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities receive appropriate support at the earliest opportunity, and that local authorities and education settings have the expertise and resources needed to meet their needs effectively. As part of this work, the pilot enabled up to 3,800 mainstream settings across 30 local authorities to borrow and trial assistive technology before making purchasing decisions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Department's Answer to WQ17788 on 16 July 2026, what portion of the £710 million renewal and retrofit programme has been spent on air conditioning systems for schools to date.

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

The new Renewal and Retrofit Programme was launched to improve the condition of school and college buildings and increase resilience to climate change so buildings can last for decades to come and are net zero ready. The programme will initially focus in 2026/27 on replacing the worst-condition, life-expired temporary buildings alongside installation of energy generation and efficiency measures. There was no application process, and projects are currently being selected.

As the programme expands from 2027, it will support a broader range of renewal projects, such as those addressing significant issues with roofs, heating and electrical systems, while also considering measures to improve resilience to flooding and overheating. The programme will take a whole-site approach, assessing individual school needs and delivering a range of interventions that improve building condition and increase resilience to climate change.

The department will set out further details on how schools and colleges join the programme when it is expanded from 2027 in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer to WQ17788 on 16 July 2026, what portion of the £710 million renewal and retrofit programme is expected to be spent on air conditioning systems for schools.

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

The new Renewal and Retrofit Programme was launched to improve the condition of school and college buildings and increase resilience to climate change so buildings can last for decades to come and are net zero ready. The programme will initially focus in 2026/27 on replacing the worst-condition, life-expired temporary buildings alongside installation of energy generation and efficiency measures. There was no application process, and projects are currently being selected.

As the programme expands from 2027, it will support a broader range of renewal projects, such as those addressing significant issues with roofs, heating and electrical systems, while also considering measures to improve resilience to flooding and overheating. The programme will take a whole-site approach, assessing individual school needs and delivering a range of interventions that improve building condition and increase resilience to climate change.

The department will set out further details on how schools and colleges join the programme when it is expanded from 2027 in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what impact assessment her Department has carried out in relation to the standard of fire safety in schools following the publication of ‘Technical requirements for the design and construction of school and college buildings and outdoor environments’, dated January 2026, and associated change in requirement to follow BB 100 (2007 version).

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

The department's fire safety guidance is set out in Building Bulletin 100, which is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-100-design-for-fire-safety-in-schools.

All new school buildings must comply with building regulations and be signed off by a registered building inspector. Where automatic fire suppression systems (sprinklers) are considered necessary to protect pupils and staff, they must be installed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of BB 100 (2007 version) with regards to fire safety in schools.

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

The department's fire safety guidance is set out in Building Bulletin 100, which is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-100-design-for-fire-safety-in-schools.

All new school buildings must comply with building regulations and be signed off by a registered building inspector. Where automatic fire suppression systems (sprinklers) are considered necessary to protect pupils and staff, they must be installed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of sprinkler systems with regards to fire safety in schools.

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

The department's fire safety guidance is set out in Building Bulletin 100, which is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-100-design-for-fire-safety-in-schools.

All new school buildings must comply with building regulations and be signed off by a registered building inspector. Where automatic fire suppression systems (sprinklers) are considered necessary to protect pupils and staff, they must be installed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the standard of fire safety in schools.

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

The department's fire safety guidance is set out in Building Bulletin 100, which is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-100-design-for-fire-safety-in-schools.

All new school buildings must comply with building regulations and be signed off by a registered building inspector. Where automatic fire suppression systems (sprinklers) are considered necessary to protect pupils and staff, they must be installed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the number of early deaths of care leavers.

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

I commissioned the Review of Early Care Leaver Deaths because I wanted the whole country to see the tragedies that I read every fortnight. I want to thank Ashley John-Baptiste and Clare Chamberlain for their important work on this review.

Their central finding is the same as my core focus for care reform – too many care experienced people entering adulthood lonely, without a tribe.

That's why I have set out a comprehensive programme to make enduring relationships the obsession of the care system.

As part of this, we have confirmed over £25 million of funding this financial year alone, to continue the rollout of Staying Close.

For a young person that means keeping somewhere settled to live rather than being moved along at 18, and having a network of people around them as they move into adulthood.

Staying Close runs in 47 local areas now and will become a national duty for local areas and run everywhere.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for further education.

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

Further Education plays a critical role in delivering the Government’s Missions and ensuring that everyone has access to the opportunities they need, breaking down the barriers to their success and boosting economic growth.

On 1st July we announced an extra £120 million for further education in financial year 2026 to 27 rising to £365 million in 2027 to 28.

Together with increases for post-16 schools this means funding per 16-19 student will have increased by over 12% in two years – comparing academic year 2026 to 27 with 2024 to 25. And this is at a time of significant growth in student numbers. As a result, total 16 - 19 funding will increase from £7.6 billion in academic year 2024 to 25 to over £9 billion in 2026 to 27.

For academic year 2026 to 2027, we are committing to fund, in-year, all exceptional growth in 16 - 19 funded students, this means that institutions can have confidence to offer suitable places in post-16 education for every young person that wants one.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children were ineligible for government-funded childcare in 2023/4, 2024/5 and 2025/6 as a result of the £100,000 earnings limit; and what her Department's estimate is of the value of funded childcare unavailable to those families.

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

The £100,000 adjusted net income per year threshold applies to the working-parent entitlement and Tax-Free Childcare, rather than to all forms of government childcare support. Children aged three-and-four years old who were ineligible for the working parent entitlement due to the £100,000 threshold would have still been able to access 15 hours of childcare support through the 15-hour universal childcare entitlement.

We are able to release estimates of the number of children ineligible for working parent funded childcare entitlements, because of a parent exceeding the £100,000

threshold.

The following caveats should be noted for this analysis:

• Ranges are presented to account for uncertainty around whether or not both parents are working, making the child ineligible for reasons other than just the £100,000 threshold.
• The value of hours are calculated assuming 100% take-up of the eligible population (a phenomenon we do not observe with the working parent entitlement currently), and maximum use of hours available i.e. all 30 hours of the 30 hours offer (a phenomenon we also do not observe currently).
• The Working Parent Entitlement was expanded in September 2024 to cover children aged 9 months to 2 years, hence the sudden increase in ineligible children over that period.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve SEND transport provision.

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

The government knows that for too long, too many families have been let down by a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system that is not working. The government is determined to restore parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need to flourish, no matter their needs.

The reforms set out in our consultation, ‘SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First’, aim to create a more inclusive school system, enabling more children to succeed in local mainstream settings. We expect fewer children will need to travel long distances to access appropriate education. This will improve outcomes for children and reduce the financial and logistical burden on local authorities.

Ahead of these reforms we are already taking action to support local authorities with home to school transport. We have introduced a new national home to school travel data collection so councils can benchmark spending and created a bespoke home to school funding formula to direct money where it is needed most.

We will be publishing non-statutory guidance on partnership working to support joined-up decision-making to ensure travel arrangements are cost effective and meet children’s needs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools offer healthy meals.

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

The School Food Standards set the mandatory nutritional framework for food and drink provided in state‑funded schools in England. They are designed to ensure children receive the energy and nutrients they need during the school day, while giving schools flexibility to design menus that work for their pupils and local circumstances.

The Government has published its response to the consultation on updating the School Food Standards in England, setting out changes to ensure that food served at school reflects current nutritional guidance while remaining practical for schools to deliver. The government response is viewable here: School Food Standards: updating the legislative framework - GOV.UK.

Strong standards must be backed by strong compliance. Schools must comply with the School Food Standards, and governors and trustees play a key role in holding school leaders to account. This could include a lead governor for school food and requiring schools to publish food policies alongside wider guidance and resources to support school to comply.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support universities.

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

The Government recognises the vital role that universities play in delivering opportunity, supporting skills, driving innovation and contributing to economic growth across the country.

While higher education providers are responsible for managing their own finances, the Government remains committed to creating a secure future for the sector so it can continue to deliver for students, taxpayers, workers and the economy.

We increased tuition fee caps in line with inflation in academic year 2025/26. We are also increasing tuition fee caps in line with forecast inflation in 2026/27 and 2027/28 and will legislate, when parliamentary time allows, to increase tuition fee caps for future academic years. Over the next five years, these uplifts could generate around £6 billion of additional income for the sector.

The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper also sets out the Government’s commitment to placing higher education on a more sustainable footing, supporting providers to drive efficiency, strengthen financial resilience and adopt more effective operating models.

We continue to work closely with the Office for Students, the independent regulator of higher education providers in England, to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape and ensure that the interests of students and taxpayers are protected.

More broadly, the White Paper sets out how we will support the sector to become more specialised and efficient, and better aligned with the needs of the economy.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure equal access to education for children with additional learning needs.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

An inclusive education system for all children and young people requires a strong universal offer, built on high-quality adaptive teaching and early, effective support.

To support the development of a more inclusive mainstream system, we are investing £500 million per financial year over the next three years through an Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) to support schools, colleges and early years settings with upfront funding to help them move towards becoming more inclusive by design.

We have published guidance for school leaders on how to develop an Inclusion Strategy and use their IMF allocations alongside core budgets to more effectively invest in inclusive approaches and activities that address barriers to learning and participation.

Beyond this investment, we have published guidance on Inclusion Bases, assistive technology, and other resources designed to help education and early years settings deliver high-quality inclusive learning environments and practice. Additionally, following changes to Ofsted inspections, settings are now held to account for their support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), through a new focus on inclusion. The renewed inspection framework sets out expectations for how leaders should ensure needs are identified and met, and how barriers to learning and engagement are removed.

The government is committed to supporting local areas to create high-quality places that are suitable to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, to enable more children and young people to access the right support in their local area. This will enable them to learn alongside their peers and siblings, instead of travelling a long way to a specialist school.

The department is investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/26 and 2029/30, to support local authorities to provide places for children and young people with SEND, or who require alternative provision, across early years settings, schools, and colleges.

This funding is expected to fund a transformative expansion of inclusion bases, as well as adaptations to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of mainstream settings. It can also be used to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.

Additionally, the department is investing around £1.8 billion over three years to develop a new Experts at Hand offer, giving mainstream settings access to specialist support from key health and education professionals.

Our overall package of reforms will ensure every child gets the right support at the right time.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve support for SEND students and families transitioning to secondary and post-16 education.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

New digital Individual Support Plans will set out the educational needs of children and young people with SEN and the support required to help them thrive, bringing information together in one place to support students and their families to experience smoother, better-informed transitions. We are also introducing new expectations for planning for post-16 destinations to begin at least 12 months before students leave school.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what work she is doing on exam conditions for students with dyslexia and neurodivergence.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It is vital that students with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions, can access exams and assessments without disadvantage. The Equality Act 2010 requires awarding organisations to make reasonable adjustments where a disabled student would otherwise be placed at a substantial disadvantage when undertaking an assessment.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review took an evidence-led approach, drawing on data and engagement with experts, stakeholders and the public, including consideration of the experiences of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

We have carefully considered this evidence and will make improvements where the Review recommends change is needed. As qualifications are reformed, we will work closely with Ofqual and awarding organisations to ensure accessibility is fully considered throughout the qualification development process, including for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve (a) numeracy skills and (b) AI skills.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

School-aged pupils should learn foundational knowledge that underpins artificial intelligence (AI) literacy and numeracy through computing and mathematics curricula. Work is underway on a new curriculum and assessment system that is ambitious for every child, rich in knowledge and strong on skills. The new curriculum will be subject to consultation.

The department also funds direct support to teachers. Our 40 Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence maths hubs deliver free, local support to teachers from over half of primary and secondary schools in England every year, covering from reception up to GCSE in post-16 institutions. To support the teaching of AI, the National Centre for Computing Education, funded by the department, delivers a range of free and flexible online courses to equip teachers with the knowledge to embed age-appropriate teaching of AI into computing lessons.

In addition, post-16 institutions are required to support students aged 16 to 19 who have not yet achieved a GCSE mathematics grade 4 to make progress towards Level 2.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment they have made of the adequacy of government funding for Private Finance Initiative schools in the constituency of Slough.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department supports Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts through the funding arrangements agreed when contracts were signed. This includes revenue support grant funding (RSG) paid to local authorities over the contract term. RSG funding forms part of the overall affordability package for these projects, alongside contributions from local authorities and schools.

Further support is provided through the schools national funding formula PFI factor, and Slough will receive £1.1 million in the 2026/27 financial year through the PFI factor.

The department works with local authorities to assess affordability, determine appropriate levels of support and review PFI factor funding.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on social media influencers since July 2024.

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

Today’s media landscape is unrecognisable compared to even a decade ago, and the way the public receives information and communicates has changed drastically in this time.

The government has a duty to engage with the public where they are, using channels and voices they trust to ensure all citizens can access government services, information and support, meeting audiences where they are.

The department’s campaigns support the delivery of our priorities by recruiting people into vital education workforces and helping the public make informed choices and access relevant services and opportunities. This includes supporting teacher, further education and early years recruitment, promoting skills and training routes, and helping families access early years and childcare support.

Content creators form one part of integrated campaigns that use a range of communications channels, including paid media, partnerships, public relations activity, GOV.UK content and departmental channels.

The total spend is £794,341 since July 2024. Note that this cost includes agency and wider fees.

Content creators are paid fairly for their services, time and expertise in content creation. There work reaches people directly on the channels they use daily. Without targeted campaigns, millions of citizens would miss out on services, rights, and support to which they are entitled

The guidelines for influencer and content creator marketing were created by the Government Communication Service and first published internally in November 2023.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many more teachers are there in England now than on 1 January 2025.

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

The government has pledged to recruit 6,500 additional teachers across state-funded secondary and special schools, further education (FE) colleges and school-based FE providers during this Parliament. Progress against this pledge is measured using published workforce statistics and uses the 2023/24 academic year as the baseline. The pledge does not include primary schools, where the pupil population has been declining.

The latest published data, show that there were 3,008 more full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded secondary and special schools in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, and 1,646 more FTE teachers in FE colleges and school-based FE providers in 2024/25 than in 2023/24.

Taken together, this represents an increase of 4,654 FTE teachers compared with the 2023/24 baseline, equivalent to 71.6% of the government's 6,500 additional teachers pledge.

The 2025/26 FE workforce figures are due to be published in December. Progress figures are published annually through the School Workforce in England and further education workforce official statistics, which is available on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating provisions or early-adopter frameworks for schools wishing to implement the new technical education pathways for 14 year olds for the 2027 GCSE cohort.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is at an early stage of developing the new technical education pathways. Our ambition is to give every young person access to high-quality technical education pathways from age 14 and support progression into further study, training and skilled employment. The department will work with the Mayoral Strategic Authorities, local leaders, and schools and education leaders to design locally tailored, vocationally focussed pathways for each region and to begin rolling them out from September 2028. As policy develops, we will continue working with key partners to consider the evidence needed to support the implementation of the pathways.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what interventions under the East Midlands RISE programme will be directed at improving educational attainment for pupils in Mansfield.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) is the department’s school improvement programme. It provides universal support for all schools and targeted support for those facing the greatest challenges.

All Mansfield schools can access universal support, which connects leaders with effective practice, expert advice and opportunities to learn from other schools. This includes English and maths hubs, attendance and behaviour hubs, Reception-year networks, professional development and regional conferences. Further programmes will help schools strengthen literacy, key stage 2 and key stage 3 education, and support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with details announced shortly.

In Mansfield, three schools are receiving targeted RISE support through RISE advisers, improvement partners and funding to secure sustainable improvement and pupils outcomes. Further details of RISE support in the East Midlands can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rise-east-midlands/rise-east-midlands.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to Answer of 21 August 2026 to Question 11572 on PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, how many primary schools will receive less funding for PE and sport in 2026/27 than they received through the primary PE and Sport Premium in 2025/26.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is maintaining funding for PE and school sport at £1 billion over three years as we move to providing support through a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network (SSPN).

In the context of moving to the new approach, we have listened to schools and confirmed £150 million PE and Sport Premium for the 2026/27 academic year to support this transition. Transition funding allocations will be published in autumn 2026, in line with standard practice.

The procurement process is ongoing and expected to conclude by the end of 2026, in order for the Partnership Network to start delivering support from April 2027. Funding allocations within the new PE and SSPN will be informed by baseline and ongoing needs assessments undertaken by the National Delivery Partner (NDP), but the approach will focus on ensuring support reaches those most in need.

All state-funded schools will be able to access support through the Network’s universal offer, including professional development and training opportunities. Schools will also be able to request additional support through the School-Requested Intervention pathway and apply for additional funding through School Led Intervention grant opportunities delivered through the Network, subject to the relevant eligibility criteria and application processes.

Following completion of the procurement, the successful NDP will be responsible for developing and proposing the criteria for support delivered through the network. The department will review and approve the proposed criteria before implementation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to Answer of 21 August 2026 to Question 11572 on PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, what criteria will be used to determine which schools are considered most in need of support under the PE and School Sport Partnerships Network.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is maintaining funding for PE and school sport at £1 billion over three years as we move to providing support through a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network (SSPN).

In the context of moving to the new approach, we have listened to schools and confirmed £150 million PE and Sport Premium for the 2026/27 academic year to support this transition. Transition funding allocations will be published in autumn 2026, in line with standard practice.

The procurement process is ongoing and expected to conclude by the end of 2026, in order for the Partnership Network to start delivering support from April 2027. Funding allocations within the new PE and SSPN will be informed by baseline and ongoing needs assessments undertaken by the National Delivery Partner (NDP), but the approach will focus on ensuring support reaches those most in need.

All state-funded schools will be able to access support through the Network’s universal offer, including professional development and training opportunities. Schools will also be able to request additional support through the School-Requested Intervention pathway and apply for additional funding through School Led Intervention grant opportunities delivered through the Network, subject to the relevant eligibility criteria and application processes.

Following completion of the procurement, the successful NDP will be responsible for developing and proposing the criteria for support delivered through the network. The department will review and approve the proposed criteria before implementation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with the Minister for Women and Equalities to ensure children are taught that religious hatred is wrong from a young age.

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

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

Every school should actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. Promotion of these values plays an important role in preparing children and young people for life in a modern and diverse Britain.

Citizenship education equips young people to understand their place in the wider world and provides an important platform for discussions about global events and how they affect them and their communities. Religious education can also help pupils develop an understanding of different faiths and beliefs. Schools should promote critical thinking, logical reasoning and empathy, building children’s resilience to all forms of hatred, including antisemitism and anti-Muslim hostility.

The department has funded £7 million to tackle antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities, including £1 million for an innovation fund supporting projects that improve media literacy, tackle misinformation and promote tolerant debate. We also provide guidance and resources through the department’s Educate Against Hate website.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department (a) uses or (b) is taking steps to install rooftop solar panels on its premises.

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

The Department for Education occupies premises owned, leased, and managed by the Government Property Agency (GPA) who are responsible for building assets, including the installation and use of rooftop solar panels.

The department is engaging with GPA through its Net Zero Programme to track progress in this area and understands GPA intends to undertake feasibility studies and energy audits at a number of sites during this financial year to assess opportunities for rooftop solar panel installation.

Funding support for public bodies to install solar panels has been available through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme with a total of over £3 billion made available up 2028. Great British Energy (GBE) also supports public sector decarbonisation and the GBE Solar programme is investing £255 million to fund around 250 schools, around 260 NHS sites, and around 15 military sites to install solar panels across the country.

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 of the finding from the Adzuna UK Job Market Report, published on 31 July 2026, that there has been a 45.6% year-on-year reduction in graduate vacancies.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Adzuna report provides one indicator of conditions in the market for advertised graduate roles. The department considers that evidence from a range of sources should be used to establish the full picture of graduate outcomes and the wider labour market.

Updated research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies and the 2026 Longitudinal Education Outcomes data shows that higher education continues to offer good value for money for most students, with graduates expected to be on average around £100,000 better off over their lifetime than someone who does not go to university. It also shows that rates of individuals in sustained employment, further study, or both remain consistently higher amongst graduates than amongst those with no higher level qualification, across all combinations of subject area, gender and prior GCSE attainment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what safeguards her department will put in place to ensure specialist SEND capacity is not reduced before mainstream inclusion capacity has been established.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government wants to make sure that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can receive the support they need to achieve and thrive in their local school, but we know that there will always be a vital role for special schools and specialist post-16 provision for children with the most complex needs.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with SEND.

The department is supporting local authorities by investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/26 and 2029/30, to support local authorities to provide places for children and young people with SEND or those requiring alternative provision.  We expect that local authorities will prioritise investing this funding in specialist bases in mainstream schools to achieve a more inclusive system overall, but there will still be some areas where new special school places are needed.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what categories of information are collected or processed by the Department for Education’s Risk of NEET Indicator tool to identify young people at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training.

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

The government is taking forward a range of measures to prevent young people from becoming not in education employment or training (NEET), including improving identification, tracking and data sharing.

The department’s Risk of NEET Indicator tool brings together a range of indicators associated with an increased risk of becoming NEET. These include special educational needs and disabilities, attendance in alternative provision, mental health needs, care experience, Children in Need status, youth offending, caring responsibilities, parenthood or pregnancy, refugee / asylum-seeker status, substance misuse, exclusion from school or poor attendance, and eligibility for free school meals.

The tool is intended to support local authorities and their partners in the early identification of young people who may require additional support to participate and remain engaged in education, employment or training.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 23 September 2025 (HL10215), what further progress they have made in developing new registration fee arrangements for early years providers.

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

The government has consulted on new Early Years Register fee arrangements through the early years funding consultation, published on 6 July 2026 and which closed on 14 September 2026. The consultation sets out proposed reforms to the early years entitlements funding system, including proposals intended to simplify funding arrangements, improve access for families on low incomes, improve support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and make funding more efficient and transparent.

As part of the consultation, we are proposing to reduce or remove individual annual Ofsted fees, which could simplify the system and reduce direct cost pressures on providers, supporting provider sustainability.

All interested parties, including local authorities, early years providers, parents and carers, were encouraged to take part and share their views before the 14 September closing date.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they anticipate the Higher Education Statistics Agency data on student accommodation for 2025—26 will be published.

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

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), part of Jisc, is responsible for collecting and publishing data on the UK higher education sector. The information is shared with the department and includes data on student accommodation through the HESA student record.

The publication date for the 2025/26 HESA student record has not yet been confirmed. However, based on previous publication cycles, it is expected to be published around January 2027.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the net loss of mainstream independent schools since July 2024.

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

The department monitors the private school sector and publishes data on schools opening and closing through the ‘Get Information about Schools’ service. Between 1 July 2024 and 31 August 2026, 146 private schools closed, of which 114 were mainstream independent schools. This remains within historic norms, as on average, around 75 private schools, including independent special schools, have closed each year over the past 20 years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) civil monetary penalties, (b) warning notices and (c) prosecutions have been issued or commenced in relation to the operation of unregistered children's homes since the commencement of the relevant provisions of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026; and what steps she is taking with Ofsted to prevent companies receiving financial benefit from operating such provision.

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

This is a matter for His Majesty's Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. Ofsted holds the information requested. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Birmingham Perry Barr and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Department has made of whether Walsall Council’s Holiday Activities and Food programme allocation for 2026–27 will be sufficient to meet local demand; and whether additional support will be available if the number of eligible children or the cost of delivering holiday provision exceeds the assumptions used to determine that allocation.

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

Over £600 million has been confirmed for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme over the three financial years from 2026/27. HAF funding is now provided through the Children, Families and Youth Grant, ringfenced to protect programme spend. Local authority allocations, which continue to be calculated using free school meal (FSM) data, have been confirmed for the 3-year settlement, providing local authorities with greater certainty and supporting planning and investment.

HAF remains a targeted programme to support children facing the greatest disadvantage. Local authorities have flexibility to use a proportion of their allocation to support other children who may benefit from the programme in line with local needs and priorities.

From September 2026, FSM eligibility expanded to include all households in receipt of Universal Credit, creating two categories of FSM: targeted and expanded. HAF eligibility remains aligned with the targeted FSM threshold. The department is monitoring implementation of these changes and will continue to gather relevant data. No definitive constituency level estimates currently exist due to unavailability of the necessary data. We will continue to work with local authorities to monitor HAF participation, engage eligible families and support delivery. The government has also committed to a full evaluation of FSM expansion, which will consider its impact and uptake.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children in Walsall Borough are expected to (a) become eligible and (b) cease to be eligible for the Holiday Activities and Food programme as a result of the changes to eligibility taking effect from September 2026; and whether the Department will publish the methodology used to calculate those estimates.

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

Over £600 million has been confirmed for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme over the three financial years from 2026/27. HAF funding is now provided through the Children, Families and Youth Grant, ringfenced to protect programme spend. Local authority allocations, which continue to be calculated using free school meal (FSM) data, have been confirmed for the 3-year settlement, providing local authorities with greater certainty and supporting planning and investment.

HAF remains a targeted programme to support children facing the greatest disadvantage. Local authorities have flexibility to use a proportion of their allocation to support other children who may benefit from the programme in line with local needs and priorities.

From September 2026, FSM eligibility expanded to include all households in receipt of Universal Credit, creating two categories of FSM: targeted and expanded. HAF eligibility remains aligned with the targeted FSM threshold. The department is monitoring implementation of these changes and will continue to gather relevant data. No definitive constituency level estimates currently exist due to unavailability of the necessary data. We will continue to work with local authorities to monitor HAF participation, engage eligible families and support delivery. The government has also committed to a full evaluation of FSM expansion, which will consider its impact and uptake.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration the Department has given to the role of AI-enabled tools in supporting provision for pupils with SEND, including through adaptive teaching advice.

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

When used effectively, technology can play a key role in helping children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve and thrive in mainstream education. Many teachers and educators already use digital tools to remove barriers to learning, build confidence and independence, and support inclusion.

The department is helping schools and colleges make informed decisions about adopting technology, including AI-enabled tools. For example, we have published guidance on ‘Generative AI: product safety standards’ for edtech developers and suppliers, setting out the standards these products should meet for use in education. Schools and colleges may also use this guidance to assess whether AI-enabled technologies are appropriate and safe for use in their settings. The guidance is accessible at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-ai-product-safety-standards/generative-ai-product-safety-standards.

In addition, the department is investing £24 million over four years in the Education Endowment Foundation EdTech Testbed Programme to build a robust evidence base on the impact of innovative technology in schools and colleges, including their potential to improve inclusion and outcomes for learners with SEND.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Department is taking to support Walsall Council and local voluntary, community and private-sector providers during the transition to funding the Holiday Activities and Food programme through the Children, Families and Youth Grant; and what assessment has been made of the potential impact of that transition on providers’ ability to plan provision, retain staff and offer places across successive school holidays.

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

Over £600 million has been confirmed for the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme over the three financial years from 2026/27. HAF funding is now provided through the Children, Families and Youth Grant, ringfenced to protect programme spend. Local authority allocations, which continue to be calculated using free school meal (FSM) data, have been confirmed for the 3-year settlement, providing local authorities with greater certainty and supporting planning and investment.

HAF remains a targeted programme to support children facing the greatest disadvantage. Local authorities have flexibility to use a proportion of their allocation to support other children who may benefit from the programme in line with local needs and priorities.

From September 2026, FSM eligibility expanded to include all households in receipt of Universal Credit, creating two categories of FSM: targeted and expanded. HAF eligibility remains aligned with the targeted FSM threshold. The department is monitoring implementation of these changes and will continue to gather relevant data. No definitive constituency level estimates currently exist due to unavailability of the necessary data. We will continue to work with local authorities to monitor HAF participation, engage eligible families and support delivery. The government has also committed to a full evaluation of FSM expansion, which will consider its impact and uptake.

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Found: That money previously would have been going through the Department for Education directly to colleges

Found: I had some terrible conversations with DFE, because we want to do so much more.

Found: inconsistent, and transition planning too often remains service-led rather than person-centred. 10 Department for Education

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what proportion of individuals working as barbers in the UK hold recognised vocational qualifications, including NVQ Level 2 and 3.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade does not hold data on the total number of barbers or the qualifications they hold and therefore cannot determine the proportion holding recognised vocational qualifications, including NVQ Levels 2 and 3. However, published data by the Department for Education for England shows that there were 406 starts on the Barbering Professional apprenticeship in academic year 2023/24, 326 in 2024/25 and 196 so far in 2025/26 (from August 2025 to April 2026).

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of unregulated entry into the barbering industry on apprenticeship uptake and professional training.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)

The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade has not made a specific assessment of the impact of entry requirements in the barbering industry on apprenticeship uptake or professional training. The Department for Work and Pensions is responsible for adult skills and apprenticeship policy, while the Department for Education retains responsibility for under-19 skills and further education provider accountability. The Government continues to support professional training through the Level 2 Barbering Professional apprenticeship.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government which Arms Length Bodies have been shut down as a result of the ALB Review launched in April 2025.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Arm’s Length Bodies (ALB) review, launched in April 2025, is an ongoing, multi-phase programme designed to ensure public bodies provide value for money, eliminate duplication, and remain directly accountable to Ministers and Parliament.

Since the announcement of the review on 7 April 2025, the following bodies have been abolished or merged, with their essential functions either absorbed into other ALBs, repatriated to parent departments, or ceased where no longer required:

• Valuation Office Agency (HM Revenue and Customs) – Dissolved as a standalone executive agency in April 2025 (functions integrated into HMRC)

• Infrastructure and Projects Authority (Cabinet Office/HM Treasury) – Closed and replaced by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, also incorporating the functions of the National Infrastructure Commission, in April 2025

• Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Department for Education) – Closed June 2025

• Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Cabinet Office) – Closed October 2025

• Committee on Standards in Public Life (Cabinet Office) – Merged into the Ethics and Integrity Commission in October 2025

• Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons (Ministry of Defence) – Closed November 2025

• Building Digital UK (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) – Repatriated into the former DSIT in November 2025

• Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) – Reclassified as an expert committee in November 2025

• Committee on Fuel Poverty (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero) – Reclassified as an expert committee in November 2025.

• Independent Medical Expert Group (Ministry of Defence) – Reclassified as Expert Committee in December 2025

• LocatED (Department for Education) – Repatriated into DfE in April 2026

• UK Space Agency (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) – Repatriated to the former DSIT in April 2026

• Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (Home Office) – Abolished, functions transferred to the Fair Work Agency in April 2026

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) introducing a "special circumstances" policy permitting 16- and 17-year-olds with specific care needs to be placed in CQC registered provision.

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

16- and 17-year-olds with specific care needs can be accommodated in services registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), provided the service is delivering a CQC-regulated activity and does not meet the statutory definition of a children's home.

We keep policy and regulatory arrangements in this area under review as part of our work with the Department for Education on transitions.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the £100,000 adjusted net income threshold for childcare support on Effective Marginal Tax Rates.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

The Government recognises that childcare is a significant expense for many families, and we remain committed to ensuring that parents can access affordable, high‑quality provision that supports them to work and provide for their children.

At Autumn Budget 2025, the Government announced that the Department for Education will lead a review of childcare provision. The aim of this review is to simplify the system for both providers and families, making it easier to access support and enhancing the overall impact of the Government’s childcare offer.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will cut the VAT on swimming lessons for children.

Answered by James Murray - Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General

The Department for Education is working with third sector organisations, including Swim England, the Royal Life Saving Society UK, and National Water Safety Education, to support schools in delivering swimming lessons as part of the national curriculum.

Certain sporting and physical education services supplied by ‘eligible bodies’ are already exempt from VAT, including some swimming lessons. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sport-supplies-that-are-vat-exempt-notice-70145#an-overview-of-the-exemption-for-sporting-and-physical-education-services

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether a person aged 17 with an assessed need for personal care may be accommodated by a provider registered with the Care Quality Commission where the placing local authority agrees; and what guidance is available to local authorities and providers on that matter.

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

Young people aged under 18 years old may, in certain circumstances, be accommodated in services registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Whether registration with the CQC is appropriate depends on the facts of the individual case, the nature of the service being provided, and the relevant statutory and regulatory framework. Guidance is available to providers and local authorities on the respective regulatory responsibilities of Ofsted and the CQC, including the joint Ofsted and CQC guidance, Children's homes and health care: registration with Ofsted or the CQC, which sets out the circumstances in which services should be registered with Ofsted, the CQC, or both regulators.

The CQC does not have a published provision directly equivalent to Ofsted's special circumstances policy. The CQC regulates services under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations, within the wider framework for adult care and support established by the Care Act 2014. Registration requirements are determined by the nature of the service and whether regulated activities are being provided.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education, Ofsted, and the CQC to explore how regulation can support and improve transitions into adult services, including a project with the Social Care Institute for Excellence that will develop national best practice guidance and training.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking with the Department for Education on the regulatory arrangements for young people with assessed personal care needs who transition to adult services at the age of 18.

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

Young people aged under 18 years old may, in certain circumstances, be accommodated in services registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Whether registration with the CQC is appropriate depends on the facts of the individual case, the nature of the service being provided, and the relevant statutory and regulatory framework. Guidance is available to providers and local authorities on the respective regulatory responsibilities of Ofsted and the CQC, including the joint Ofsted and CQC guidance, Children's homes and health care: registration with Ofsted or the CQC, which sets out the circumstances in which services should be registered with Ofsted, the CQC, or both regulators.

The CQC does not have a published provision directly equivalent to Ofsted's special circumstances policy. The CQC regulates services under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations, within the wider framework for adult care and support established by the Care Act 2014. Registration requirements are determined by the nature of the service and whether regulated activities are being provided.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education, Ofsted, and the CQC to explore how regulation can support and improve transitions into adult services, including a project with the Social Care Institute for Excellence that will develop national best practice guidance and training.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Care Quality Commission has any provision equivalent to Ofsted's special circumstances provision to enable continuity of placement for a young person transitioning to adulthood.

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

Young people aged under 18 years old may, in certain circumstances, be accommodated in services registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Whether registration with the CQC is appropriate depends on the facts of the individual case, the nature of the service being provided, and the relevant statutory and regulatory framework. Guidance is available to providers and local authorities on the respective regulatory responsibilities of Ofsted and the CQC, including the joint Ofsted and CQC guidance, Children's homes and health care: registration with Ofsted or the CQC, which sets out the circumstances in which services should be registered with Ofsted, the CQC, or both regulators.

The CQC does not have a published provision directly equivalent to Ofsted's special circumstances policy. The CQC regulates services under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations, within the wider framework for adult care and support established by the Care Act 2014. Registration requirements are determined by the nature of the service and whether regulated activities are being provided.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Education, Ofsted, and the CQC to explore how regulation can support and improve transitions into adult services, including a project with the Social Care Institute for Excellence that will develop national best practice guidance and training.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made or commissioned a quantitative analysis of the potential behavioural and economic impact of the level of the personal allowance taper and access to Tax Free Childcare and free childcare for people earning above £100,000.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Within the personal tax system, withdrawal of the Personal Allowance affects those with income over £100,000 a year. This was introduced in 2010/11 and occurs gradually, with £1 of allowance lost for every £2 of income above the income limit of £100,000. This reduction continues until the Personal Allowance is completely withdrawn for those with incomes above £125,140.

The Government recognises that because of this, taxpayers with incomes within the taper band face a higher marginal tax rate, and that it introduces some complexity into the tax system. However, removing this would be expensive and regressive.

Further, the Government recognises that childcare is a significant expense for many families, and we remain committed to ensuring that parents can access affordable, high quality provision that supports them to work and provide for their children. The offer targets parents for whom childcare support makes the biggest difference to their ability to work, as childcare costs account for a bigger proportion of their earnings.

At Autumn Budget 2025, the Government announced that the Department for Education will lead a review of childcare provision. The aim of this review is to simplify the system for both providers and families, making it easier to access support and enhancing the overall impact of the Government’s childcare offer.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Erasmus+ participants she expects to enter the UK under the new immigration arrangements in each of the next five years.

Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Erasmus+ programme is a reciprocal study and work exchange programme allowing participants to undertake placements in associated countries for a temporary period of up to 12 months. Participants coming to the UK will use existing immigration routes, including the Visitor, Student and Government Authorised Exchange routes.

Based on historic patterns, the Department for Education expect there to be more inbound than outbound Erasmus+ mobilities, given the UK is a popular destination for work and study.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to encourage children and young people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire to learn an instrument.

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

Improving access to music education for children across England remains a priority, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire. The Government is actively breaking down barriers through several national initiatives.

The Music Hubs Programme, supported by £76 million for 2026/27, delivers expert tuition and instrument access across England. The £5.85 million Music Opportunities Pilot backed by DfE, Arts Council England and Youth Music offers free lessons to disadvantaged students and those with SEND.

Through the £12.5 million “Music in Libraries” initiative, as part of the Dormant Assets funded ‘Every Child Can’ programme, we will extend provision and increase participation by disadvantaged young people in music enrichment opportunities in public libraries.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what cross-government work is taking place to help reduce harms associated with controlled drugs.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Across Government we are taking a range of action to prevent drug use, improve treatment and recovery support, and support enforcement partners to tackle drug supply.

Each of the departments involved in this work is contributing to reducing harms. In the Home Office we have legislated to control harmful new synthetic opioids, with further controls due to be laid in Parliament soon, we have legislated to expand police powers in relation to drug testing on arrest to enable more people to be diverted into treatment where appropriate and we are making good progress in our work with partner countries to stem the source, target supply routes and secure the UK border.

We are investing £3.4bn in treatment and recovery over the next three years and in DHSC there is a strong focus on further improving the quality of treatment, reducing drug and alcohol related deaths and working closely with MoJ on treatment for those in the criminal justice system, including through improving continuity of care between prison and the community.

DWP and DHSC’s Individual Placement Support programme provides tailored help to those in treatment for drug or alcohol dependency to get into paid work. In DfE the new RSHE curriculum is in place from this term, supporting the mandatory requirement for education on the harms of drugs.

MHCLG are leading delivery of the Prime Minister’s commitment to end rough sleeping and working closely with DHSC to improve treatment access and recovery outcomes for people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping through the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment (RSDAT) and Housing Support programmes.

The cross-government Joint Combating Drugs Unit (JCDU) works closely with departments to ensure a coordinated, whole-system approach at a national level and with Combating Drugs Partnerships (CDPs) in every area of the country to support a joined-up approach at local level. A recent independent evaluation found that CDPs have strengthened multi-agency working with strong leadership and clear governance key to success (www.gov.uk/government/publications/process-evaluation-of-combating-drugs-partnerships/process-evaluation-of-combating-drugs-partnerships).

I have asked Dame Carol Black, our independent advisor on drugs, to undertake a programme of work to improve our understanding of the opportunities and challenges.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, further to the answer of 8 July 2026 to Question 14349 on Civil Service: Temporary Employment, if he will list each of the internship schemes that have been made available in the last 12 months through the department, other than the Fast Stream Summer Internship Programme.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The information provided reflects the current position for internship programmes within the scope of the Department's central oversight arrangements other than the Fast Stream Summer Internship Programme.

The DWP takes part in the Care Leavers Internship Scheme (CLIP) which is a Going Forward into Employment (GFIE) scheme led by the Department for Education. It offers care-experienced people aged 18-30 an 18-month placement in one of the participating government departments.

The DWP does not have confirmed numbers for the Care Leaver Internship Programme for 2026 and it is currently at the matching stage for potential interns with DfE.

This year the DWP took the lead in running the Autism Internship Programme (AIP) previously known as the Autism Exchange Internship Programme (AEIP) which was run by the Cabinet Office up to and including the year 2025.

The AIP is an 8-week internship programme and is open to Autistic young people providing them with opportunities to build employability skills inside the Civil Service.

This year DWP are supporting 20 interns through the AIP.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government which recommendations of the independent ADHD Taskforce requiring action by the Department for Education, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Justice they have accepted.

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

The ADHD Taskforce’s evidence and recommendations are informing the Independent Review into the Prevalence and Support for Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism, which will build on these. The final report is due to be published shortly.

The Department is working with NHS England to consider the independent ADHD Taskforce’s final report and deliver some of its recommendations, such as improving data, enhancing mental health support teams in schools, and improving commissioning.

To improve data, NHS England is implementing a national attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) data improvement plan. As part of this, NHS England first published management information on ADHD waits nationally in May 2025 and first published sub-national information in May 2026. Additionally, technical guidance has been released to integrated care boards to enhance the recording of ADHD data, aiming to improve the quality of ADHD waits data and enable more localised reporting.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether expenditure on the Service Pupil Premium in England generates Barnett consequentials for the Welsh Government; and if so, what the value of those consequentials is in the 2026-27 financial year.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Department for Education received funding for the Service Pupil Premium at Spending Review 2025, and the Barnett formula was applied in the usual way to changes in the Department for Education’s DEL budget.

At Spending Reviews, because the Barnett formula is not applied to the individual programmes driving the change in a UK department’s DEL budget, the Barnett consequentials associated with the Service Pupil Premium cannot be identified.

The Block Grant Transparency publication includes a breakdown of changes in the devolved governments’ block grant funding. The most recent report was published in October 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any internship schemes managed by (a) her Department and (b) each of its Arm’s Length Bodies are restricted to applicants on the basis of (i) ethnicity, (ii) social class and (iii) both.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

In response to part (a) the Home Office does not manage any internship schemes that restrict eligibility based on ethnicity, socioeconomic background, or both.

The Department participates in three cross-government internship programmes managed by other departments:

• The Cabinet Office Summer Internship Programme, which is restricted to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
• The Civil Service Care Leavers Internship Scheme, led by the Department for Education, which is restricted to care leavers.
• Stepping into Communications, a Going Forward in Employment Scheme delivered through Government Communication Service, which is aimed at individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds who may face barriers to entering the communications profession.

The Home Office's role is limited to providing placement opportunities through these programmes. None of the schemes are managed by the Department.

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