Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) EU and (b) UK students participated in the Erasmus programme in each of the last ten years that the UK participated.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) raise awareness of and (b) promote the opportunities offered by Erasmus+ among eligiblestudenrts and institutions.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We will work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups.
A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well ahead of the 2027 funding call which opens in November 2026.
On 17 December 2025, the department published on GOV.UK a page providing information about the Erasmus+ programme and the available opportunities.
There will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.
Asked by: Ben Coleman (Labour - Chelsea and Fulham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage and support applications from apprentices to Erasmus+.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We will work closely with institutions and our young people to maximise take-up, particularly among disadvantaged groups.
A UK National Agency will be appointed to administer the programme, with a dedicated website and guidance issued well ahead of the 2027 funding call which opens in November 2026.
On 17 December 2025, the department published on GOV.UK a page providing information about the Erasmus+ programme and the available opportunities.
There will also be a broad range of sector outreach activities to increase awareness and engagement, such as webinars and targeted communications to eligible organisations.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much their Department has spent on (a) advertising and (b) marketing in each of the last three years.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The department's combined expenditure on advertising and marketing for the last three financial years is shown below:
• 2022/23: £34,652,453.53
• 2023/24: £45,761,086.36
• 2024/25: £ 49,833,936.25
This paid marketing activity directly supports operational delivery by helping to recruit more school and college teachers and early years staff, and by ensuring parents are aware of the support available to them and their families, including childcare entitlements and Best Start Family Hubs. It also raises awareness and understanding, and encourages take-up, of government-funded technical qualifications, skills and training offers amongst young people and adults, which is vital to economic growth and opportunity across the country.
The rising spend reflects the changing media landscape and high levels of media inflation, and where paid-for advertising and marketing is used, it is subject to Cabinet Office spending controls, which ensure taxpayer money is spent cost-effectively and reflects professional best practice.
Where possible, activity is delivered in-house as part of cross-government campaigns or at low cost through partner coordination.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding arrangements for local authority high needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits ahead of the end of the statutory override in 2027-28.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government has set out plans to address deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper.
For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that the government will continue to take an appropriate and proportionate approach, though it will not be unlimited. Future support will take into account local authorities' successful delivery of their approved local special educational needs and disabilities reform plan.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to cover the remaining local authority share of high needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits beyond 2025-26.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government has set out plans to address deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper.
For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that the government will continue to take an appropriate and proportionate approach, though it will not be unlimited. Future support will take into account local authorities' successful delivery of their approved local special educational needs and disabilities reform plan.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2025 to Question 98528 on Schools: Speech and Language Therapy, what progress her Department has made in extending the Early Language Support for Every Child programme; and how her Department is assessing the programme's impact on early identification and support for children with speech, language and communication needs.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
In partnership with NHS England, the department has extended the Early Language and Support for Every Child (ELSEC) programme for the 2025/26 academic year, trialling new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech, language and communication needs in early years settings and primary schools.
The interim independent programme evaluation, due to be published this month, will assess the programme’s impact and allow the department to explore insights into the effectiveness of ELSEC delivery at a local level.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans the Government has to help address local authority high needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits ahead of the end of the statutory override in 2027-28.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government has set out plans to address deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper.
For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that the government will continue to take an appropriate and proportionate approach, though it will not be unlimited. Future support will take into account local authorities' successful delivery of their approved local special educational needs and disabilities reform plan.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she to help support the Music and Dance Scheme Schools that face financial challenges.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Birmingham Edgbaston to the answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111332.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to promote the National Year of Reading in (a) early years settings, (b) primary schools, (c) secondary schools, (d) further education and (e) higher education in Southwest England.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address long term declines in reading enjoyment through engaging new audiences, reshaping public attitudes and building the systems needed to embed lasting, meaningful change, during 2026 and beyond. It includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings throughout the year.
We are raising awareness of the National Year of Reading through a range of methods, such as via departmental communication channels, the National Year of Reading mailing list and social media, communications from the National Literacy Trust and promotion via the English Hubs network.
The Reading Agency are also providing public libraries with resources, toolkits and print and digital materials to activate the National Year of Reading. You can find out more about events in your local area here: https://goallin.org.uk/whats-on/. Schools and early years settings in South West England and across the UK can also access a range of engaging online webinars, resources and activities throughout the year. They can find more information here: https://goallin.org.uk/get-involved/schools/.
This government is also providing £5 million of funding for secondary schools to purchase books to encourage reading for pleasure, as well as committing over £10 million in funding to guarantee a library for every primary school by the end of this parliament.