Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 113311 Private Education: Single Sex Education, how the Department records and retains information on applications by independent schools for approval of material changes.

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

Information regarding applications for approval to make a material change is recorded and retained on the Independent Education and School Safeguarding Division's customer relationship management system, against the school’s individual record. Once a material change application is approved, the department's publicly available register of schools in England, the ‘Get Information About Schools’ service, is amended to reflect the change to the school's registered details.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the prevalence of child morning hunger across early years, primary and secondary school settings in England and its impact on school readiness and attendance.

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

The department appreciates the publication of the report and look forward to giving it our full consideration. We agree that a healthy breakfast at the start of the school day sets children up ready to learn. This is why the department is committed to delivering on the pledge to provide free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children. Since April 2025, we have delivered over seven million breakfasts and offered places to almost 180,000 pupils across the country. We are investing a further £80 million to fund approximately 2,000 additional schools between April 2026 and March 2027.

Alongside the rollout of free breakfast clubs, we are going further in our mission to lift 100,000 children out of poverty by expanding free school meals to children in all households receiving Universal Credit from the 2026/27 school year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the findings of Magic Breakfast’s recent report entitled Root Causes of Child Morning Hunger.

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

The department appreciates the publication of the report and look forward to giving it our full consideration. We agree that a healthy breakfast at the start of the school day sets children up ready to learn. This is why the department is committed to delivering on the pledge to provide free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children. Since April 2025, we have delivered over seven million breakfasts and offered places to almost 180,000 pupils across the country. We are investing a further £80 million to fund approximately 2,000 additional schools between April 2026 and March 2027.

Alongside the rollout of free breakfast clubs, we are going further in our mission to lift 100,000 children out of poverty by expanding free school meals to children in all households receiving Universal Credit from the 2026/27 school year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on ensuring children have access to practical road safety and cycle training.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Officials in the department engaged with the Department for Transport when developing the updated Relationships Sex and Health Education guidance.

The updated guidance, published in July 2025 has a new section on personal safety which includes how to recognise risk and keep safe around roads. The Department for Transport has dedicated interactive websites for schools with materials that focus on their THINK! campaign.

Officials also engage on active travel for schools. Bikeability, the government owned cycle training programme, is funded by Active Travel England in schools across England. Up to £30 million was allocated to the programme for 2025/26 and funding for the forthcoming 3-year period is due to be announced shortly. Almost 6 million children have received Bikeability cycle training since 2007, with 500,000 children booking onto training in 2024/25.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to improve a) universal, b) targeted and c) specialist speech, language and communication support.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

On 23 February, we published the ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper, alongside a ‘SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First’ consultation. We announced an investment of over £40 million to increase support available from speech and language therapists and educational psychologists, including for those with speech, language and communication needs.

We are providing around £1.8 billion over the next three years for local area partnerships, including local authorities and integrated care boards, to develop a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer, designed to strengthen the capability of mainstream education settings by providing access to universal and targeted support from key services, including speech and language therapists.

The government is investing £200 million to give all staff in schools, colleges and nurseries the training needed to better support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream settings.

We are extending the Early Language and Support for Every Child programme, trialling new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech, language and communication needs in early years settings and primary schools.

We are continuing to invest in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, which significantly impacts oral language and early literacy, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.

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Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of proposed local government reorganisation in Cambridgeshire on her proposed plans to reform SEND provision in that area.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department is reviewing all local government reorganisation (LGR) proposals to consider the potential impact on education and children’s services, including plans to reform special educational needs and disabilities provision. Huntingdonshire is in tranche three of the LGR process and the statutory consultation on proposals will close on 26 March. I encourage all local areas to respond to the consultation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will set out how much of the teacher training proposed in the Schools White Paper will be delivered in person.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Great teaching is the most important lever schools have for improving children’s attainment.

The department provides a range of funded offers to schools to help them access high-quality professional development, which includes the new courses on Reception and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as part of the teacher training entitlement referenced in the Schools White Paper.

When designing new training, the department is careful to consider how it will work with the schedules of teachers and schools, with many of them including a flexible, self-study element.

For example, we have confirmed that the SEND and inclusion courses for teachers and leaders in schools and colleges will include a mixture of online self-study sessions and live facilitated sessions.

We have also announced a package of materials for schools and colleges to support the development and delivery of in-house, in person training.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to embed CPR training in schools in a) Epping Forest constituency and b) England.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Epping Forest to the answer of 28 November 2025 to Question 92868.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate numbers of qualified physics teachers in secondary schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government’s Plan for Change is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across secondary and special schools and our colleges over the course of this Parliament.

In 2023/24, just 17% of the postgraduate initial teacher training target for physics trainees was met. In 2025/26, this increased to 78%, with 1,095 new entrants, reaching the highest number for physics since comparable statistics began in 2014/15.

We are continuing to support physics teacher recruitment with bursaries worth £29,000 and scholarships worth £31,000 tax free. We are also supporting retention alongside increased recruitment, with an offer of a targeted retention incentive, which has a value of up to £6,000 after tax for physics teachers in years 1-5 of their career who choose to work in the most disadvantaged schools. This comes on top of near 10% pay rises for all teachers and leaders in the last two years, and we continue to work with sector leaders to reduce workloads, improve wellbeing and increase flexible working.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to Answer of 5th March 2026 to Question 115670, what proportion of the £28.3 million for reading and writing initiatives has been allocated to schools in Essex.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department’s £28.3 million funding will deliver a range of support for schools, including new training for primary schools, delivered through the English Hubs programme, to help children progress from the early stages of phonics through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school.

Since the launch of a new continuous professional development (CPD) programme ‘Unlocking Reading’ in January 2026, 59% of secondary schools in England have signed up to the in-person training. We do not currently have a breakdown of how many of these are in Essex, but would encourage all secondary schools to express their interest via the website:https://fft.org.uk/literacy/unlocking-reading/

The local English Hubs for schools in Essex are New Vision and Myland English Hubs. 29 schools in Essex are currently English Hub partner schools, receiving intensive support from literacy specialists with the teaching of early reading.

Over 300 schools in Essex have received some form of support from the English Hubs programme since its launch, and 100 schools in Essex are signed up to access CPD provided by the Hubs this academic year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of delaying decisions on school closures until after the 2026 local elections in relevant local authorities.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has not made such an assessment.

However, in line with the Cabinet Office May 2026 elections guidance, during the three weeks preceding local authority elections the department takes special care in relation to announcements, including academy closures, and other public actions which could have a bearing on the elections.

Local authorities are the decision makers for proposals to close maintained schools. Local authorities are subject to their own restrictions when elections are taking place.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on Oak National Academy’s plans for spending unspent money from the £53 million grant it received from the Government in the last three years.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

For financial years 2022/23 to 2024/25, Oak National Academy (Oak) was allocated funding of £47 million. Any in-year underspend by Oak is returned to the department and reallocated to other education priorities, as with all other programmes.

The government has publicly announced Oak’s future scope, including its updating of materials to align with the refreshed national curriculum, its technical support for the department’s development of the digital curriculum, and Oak’s redevelopment of reception year resources. The precise level of funding for this work is being agreed through the department’s business planning process. Oak’s remit and funding for the coming year will be set out in a published letter to the Chair of the Oak Board.

In September 2025, we published the findings of an independent review and a market impact assessment of Oak which examined the effectiveness of the organisation and the extent to which it is meeting its strategic aims and delivering value for money. The reports have informed the government’s decisions about the future remit and funding of Oak and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oak-national-academy-independent-review-and-market-impact-assessment. Oak has also published an independent evaluation at: https://www.thenational.academy/about-us/meet-the-team#documents.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government will maintain or reform the “safety valve” and “deliverability” programmes for local authorities following the centralisation of SEND funding; and how councils such as Walsall will be supported in the interim years until 2028-29.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government has announced plans to address deficits through making available the High Needs Stability Grant, which will cover 90% of all local authorities‘ high needs dedicated schools grant (DSG) deficits accumulated to the end of the 2025/26 financial year, subject to the authority submitting and securing the department approval for a local special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform plan.

Safety Valve agreements will come to an end and will be replaced by the new, wider approach to managing DSG deficits and delivering reform across all local areas.

For the 2025/26 financial year, total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND is over £12 billion. Of that total, the West Midlands is being allocated over £1.2 billion through the high needs funding block of the DSG. Of that amount, Walsall Council is being allocated over £67 million.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional support, will be provided to West Midlands councils in 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 to manage growing SEND costs.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government has announced plans to address deficits through making available the High Needs Stability Grant, which will cover 90% of all local authorities‘ high needs dedicated schools grant (DSG) deficits accumulated to the end of the 2025/26 financial year, subject to the authority submitting and securing the department approval for a local special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform plan.

Safety Valve agreements will come to an end and will be replaced by the new, wider approach to managing DSG deficits and delivering reform across all local areas.

For the 2025/26 financial year, total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND is over £12 billion. Of that total, the West Midlands is being allocated over £1.2 billion through the high needs funding block of the DSG. Of that amount, Walsall Council is being allocated over £67 million.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness and value for money of the £53 million spent on the Oak National Academy in the last three years, in the context of levels of financial pressures on schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

For financial years 2022/23 to 2024/25, Oak National Academy (Oak) was allocated funding of £47 million. Any in-year underspend by Oak is returned to the department and reallocated to other education priorities, as with all other programmes.

The government has publicly announced Oak’s future scope, including its updating of materials to align with the refreshed national curriculum, its technical support for the department’s development of the digital curriculum, and Oak’s redevelopment of reception year resources. The precise level of funding for this work is being agreed through the department’s business planning process. Oak’s remit and funding for the coming year will be set out in a published letter to the Chair of the Oak Board.

In September 2025, we published the findings of an independent review and a market impact assessment of Oak which examined the effectiveness of the organisation and the extent to which it is meeting its strategic aims and delivering value for money. The reports have informed the government’s decisions about the future remit and funding of Oak and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oak-national-academy-independent-review-and-market-impact-assessment. Oak has also published an independent evaluation at: https://www.thenational.academy/about-us/meet-the-team#documents.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to increase levels of transparency on the Oak National Academy's future funding and scope, in the context of the absence of a public consultation.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

For financial years 2022/23 to 2024/25, Oak National Academy (Oak) was allocated funding of £47 million. Any in-year underspend by Oak is returned to the department and reallocated to other education priorities, as with all other programmes.

The government has publicly announced Oak’s future scope, including its updating of materials to align with the refreshed national curriculum, its technical support for the department’s development of the digital curriculum, and Oak’s redevelopment of reception year resources. The precise level of funding for this work is being agreed through the department’s business planning process. Oak’s remit and funding for the coming year will be set out in a published letter to the Chair of the Oak Board.

In September 2025, we published the findings of an independent review and a market impact assessment of Oak which examined the effectiveness of the organisation and the extent to which it is meeting its strategic aims and delivering value for money. The reports have informed the government’s decisions about the future remit and funding of Oak and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oak-national-academy-independent-review-and-market-impact-assessment. Oak has also published an independent evaluation at: https://www.thenational.academy/about-us/meet-the-team#documents.

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 77413 on Teachers: Workplace Pensions, how many unresolved cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) cases are outstanding as of 10 March 2026; and of those resolved since 17 October 2025 what is the (a) shortest, (b) mean average and (c) longest time taken to process requests.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As of 11 March 2026, 501 cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) cases were outstanding. There will always be a number of CETV cases in progress at any given time, as new CETV applications continue to be made.

Capita, the scheme administrator, is continuing to work through the most complex cases for members who have retired. 350 of the outstanding cases can only be processed clerically and the estimated average calculation times are between 20 and 30 hours per processed case.

Between 17 October 2025 and 11 March 2026, 1449 CETV cases were completed. Of these cases, in calendar days, the shortest processing length was zero days, applying to automated CETV cases completed on the day they were received. The longest processing length was 960 days, and the average time taken was 44 days.

The case that took 960 days to complete was subject to the government embargo on public pension schemes, as well as the Transitional Protection regulations coming into force on 1 October 2023, and the need to develop new guidance.

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

The department continually monitors the sufficiency of childcare in Essex.

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

Question to the Department for Education:

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

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

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

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

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

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

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

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

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

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

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

Question to the HM Treasury:

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

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

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

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

Question to the HM Treasury:

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

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

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

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

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of improvements in physics education on the development of new technologies and economic growth.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Physics education is the responsibility of the Department for Education.

The government recognises the importance of research, including physics, to economic growth and its contribution to the UK’s innovation capacity and industrial strategy.

This academic year, two thirds of the £1.3bn Strategic Priorities Grant to HE is to support the provision of high-cost subjects, including physics. From this, the Office for Students allocates £1,737 per student FTE to providers for physics students.

42% of UK Research and Innovation funded PhDs in 2024/25 were through the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. UKRI will invest over £2bn in doctoral training this spending review period.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he intends to announce the five technical excellence colleges linked to defence skills competition being run by his Department and the Department for Education.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy skills package, we announced the establishment of five Defence Technical Excellence Colleges in England. The competition to select these has now closed, and applications will now be assessed, with successful colleges announced thereafter.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure a) parents and b) carers are aware that they can request to view DBS certificates when recruiting individuals to work with i) children and ii) vulnerable adults.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

In January the following news story Self-employed workers and personal employees can now apply for Enhanced DBS checks - GOV.UK announced the legislative changes which now allow self‑employed individuals, as well as personal employees who are hired directly by an individual or family, to obtain enhanced criminal record checks with barred list information issued by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), when they work closely with children or vulnerable adults. The article explained that parents and carers who employ a self‑employed worker or personal employee in an eligible role can ask to see that individual’s enhanced DBS certificate, including barred list information; it also included links to further guidance.

Alongside this, DBS has updated its published guidance on GOV.UK to reflect the change:

• DBS checks for self-employed people and personal employees - GOV.UK
• Private individuals employing self-employed workers or personal employees - GOV.UK
• DBS application form: guide for counter signatories - GOV.UK

The Department for Education (DfE) has published guidance for parents and carers to help them make informed decisions on Out-of-School settings for their children. This highlights information on the safeguarding measures providers should have in place and questions to ask, including on staff/volunteer DBS checks.

Similarly, the DfE has provided explanatory posters for providers to put up in their setting. These include a safeguarding checklist and prompts parents to ask about appropriate staff/volunteer checks, including DBS checks.

The DfE also held a Call for Evidence in 2025, considering how to further improve safeguarding standards in Out-of-School settings, including questions on the issue of how providers communicate their safeguarding practices with parents. DfE will respond in due course.

The Department of Health and Social Care is working with Skills for Care to update guidance for people who employ personal assistants in line with the recent changes in access to enhanced DBS checks. The current guidance is published in the Employing PAs Toolkit in Skills for Care’s website, and further updates are due imminently.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress has been made to update the National Information Centre on Children of Offenders online information resource.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The National Information Centre on Children of Offenders (NICCO) website was created in 2016 as a partnership between Barnardo’s and HMPPS. It was constructed to replace an earlier site called iHOP which Barnardo’s had developed jointly with the Department for Education as an information centre for professionals working with the children of prisoners.

As well as being an updated information hub, NICCO also became the repository of the family strategy documents created by all prisons.

Discussions are currently underway to review how best to retain and update the information held on the NICCO site.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has reviewed the effects of device use, including tablets, amongst young children on speech and language development.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Education are working jointly to produce and publish new advice for parents and carers on the impacts of screen use on the health and development of children aged zero to five years old, including speech and language development. An expert group of child health and development specialists has been convened to review the evidence and produce a report for the Government. The Government’s advice for parents and carers will be informed by this report, our Call for Evidence, and direct engagement with parents and carers. The advice will be published by 1 April 2026.

There is an emerging evidence base focusing on device use amongst children. However, many factors influence children’s development and there is limited evidence on the causal relationship between screen use and children’s health and development. We continue to learn from ongoing studies collecting data about young children, including the Department for Education’s Children of the 2020s longitudinal study, with further information available at the following link:

https://children2020s.ipsos.com/

This study found that higher screentime at two years old was independently associated with lower vocabulary development, and higher emotional and behaviour problems. However, other important factors such as economic circumstances and the child’s wider home learning environment also impact these outcomes and may influence why a family uses devices more.

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