Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution by the hon. Member for Yeovil during the Ministerial Statement on Sustainable Farming Incentive on 12 March 2025, if he will visit farmers in Yeovil constituency to discuss this matter.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State believes in the importance of continued engagement with the sector and has spoken with several farmers since his appointment. He will be happy to speak to those in the Yeovil Constituency.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to help dyslexic inmates improve their (a) reading and writing skills and (b) employment prospects.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) offers screening to prisoners upon entry to prison for neurodiversity needs including needs associated with dyslexia. This helps us identify any additional needs they may have that might impact their ability to engage with the regime or learning opportunities in the prison. We would not attribute any additional needs that are identified during the screening process to a specific condition but do encourage individuals to self-declare any conditions or needs they consider themselves to have.

The Prisoner Education Service is in the process of procuring a new Additional Needs Indicator screening tool that will identify many of the traits and needs associated with dyslexia. This screening will be offered to all prisoners without a previous record of completing the new tool as part of introduction to education following reception into prison. Where needs are identified, appropriate support and reasonable adjustments can be put in place.

HMPPS takes a needs-led approach to supporting individuals with additional learning needs, such as dyslexia. To improve support for prisoners the Neurodiversity Support Manager (NSM) role has been rolled out across the prison service. NSMs implement a whole prisons approach to neurodivergence. They are responsible for improving processes to identify and support prisoner' needs and ensuring neurodivergent prisoners can access education, skills, and work opportunities within the prison.

Formal literacy teaching follows national accredited qualifications which must follow quality standards laid down by awarding organisations. All prisons have reading strategies, and we have established a national reading panel, including experts from the British Dyslexia Association. Reader pens, which help those with low literacy levels including those with dyslexia, are available across the estate for Governors to purchase, and use is widespread.

The NSM role provides additional support for learners with neurodivergent needs such as dyslexia to access both education and work. After screening, a Personal Learning Plan is created. These provide people who work with a prisoner information about the prisoner’s needs, goals and achievements. We are broadening prisoner employment pathways through an apprenticeship programme that can be used in open prisons. The Department for Education has recently announced that the requirements for English and maths qualifications for learners over 19 to access apprenticeships will be optional. This will support more prisoners with additional learning needs such as dyslexia to access apprenticeships.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to provide screening for dyslexia in prisons.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) offers screening to prisoners upon entry to prison for neurodiversity needs including needs associated with dyslexia. This helps us identify any additional needs they may have that might impact their ability to engage with the regime or learning opportunities in the prison. We would not attribute any additional needs that are identified during the screening process to a specific condition but do encourage individuals to self-declare any conditions or needs they consider themselves to have.

The Prisoner Education Service is in the process of procuring a new Additional Needs Indicator screening tool that will identify many of the traits and needs associated with dyslexia. This screening will be offered to all prisoners without a previous record of completing the new tool as part of introduction to education following reception into prison. Where needs are identified, appropriate support and reasonable adjustments can be put in place.

HMPPS takes a needs-led approach to supporting individuals with additional learning needs, such as dyslexia. To improve support for prisoners the Neurodiversity Support Manager (NSM) role has been rolled out across the prison service. NSMs implement a whole prisons approach to neurodivergence. They are responsible for improving processes to identify and support prisoner' needs and ensuring neurodivergent prisoners can access education, skills, and work opportunities within the prison.

Formal literacy teaching follows national accredited qualifications which must follow quality standards laid down by awarding organisations. All prisons have reading strategies, and we have established a national reading panel, including experts from the British Dyslexia Association. Reader pens, which help those with low literacy levels including those with dyslexia, are available across the estate for Governors to purchase, and use is widespread.

The NSM role provides additional support for learners with neurodivergent needs such as dyslexia to access both education and work. After screening, a Personal Learning Plan is created. These provide people who work with a prisoner information about the prisoner’s needs, goals and achievements. We are broadening prisoner employment pathways through an apprenticeship programme that can be used in open prisons. The Department for Education has recently announced that the requirements for English and maths qualifications for learners over 19 to access apprenticeships will be optional. This will support more prisoners with additional learning needs such as dyslexia to access apprenticeships.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help improve the (a) coordination and (b) efficiency between (i) Government and (ii) local authority agencies in responding to flash flooding and storms in Somerset.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

As discussed when we met earlier this year, protecting communities from flooding is a key priority for this Government. We recognise the devastation the storms this winter have caused to those affected.

The Avon and Somerset Local Resilience Forum brings together organisations involved in preparing, responding and recovering from civil contingency risks, including flooding and storms. This includes the Local Authorities and the Environment Agency. After major events, Local Resilience Forums typically conduct a review to consider if there are changes required.

Somerset residents also benefit from the Somerset Rivers Authority. This brings together all the flood risk management authorities regularly so that the complex nature of flooding can be managed effectively and efficiently. The Regional Flood and Coastal Committee chair attends these meetings ensuring fully integrated public investment in flood risk management.

After any significant flood event in Somerset, flood risk management authorities work together to deliver flood drop-in engagement events for impacted communities and businesses. These events are an opportunity to better understand what happened, what can be done, and to provide support and advice for affected residents.

If there are nationally significant lessons identified from these discussions, they can be submitted to Defra for consideration, including by the Floods Resilience Taskforce.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to improve specialist teacher training on supporting dyslexic students in the post-16 education sector.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are the department for opportunity. As part of this we are committed to help every learner to achieve and thrive, through excellent teaching and high standards. This includes a focus on children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The department has put measures in place to support students with SEND. All publicly funded further education (FE) teacher training routes are required to support trainees to achieve the learning and skills teacher occupational standard. The standard requires trainee teachers to actively promote equality of opportunity and inclusion by responding to the needs of all students, including children and young people with SEND and/or dyslexia.

The department has also continued to offer financial incentives for those undertaking teacher training for the FE sector in priority subject areas. We confirmed that FE teacher training bursaries will be offered for a further year, the 2025/26 academic year. We have set the bursaries for SEND at £15,000.

All education and training providers, including technical colleges, and other related service providers, have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, so they are not disadvantaged compared to non-disabled students. This includes people with a learning difficulty. This duty is set out under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, which is available here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/20.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to improve (a) transparency and (b) professionalism in the leasehold sector in Somerset.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244).

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the number of inmates with dyslexia in prisons in (a) Somerset, (b) the South West and (C) the UK.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) offers screening to prisoners upon entry to prison to help identify any additional needs they may have, including those associated with dyslexia. We would not attribute any additional needs that are identified during the screening process to a specific clinical condition but do encourage individuals to self-declare any conditions or needs they consider themselves to have.

HMPPS held data does not distinguish the specific types of learning needs of prisoners, so cannot identify those with dyslexia from other learning needs. However, the data from initial screening offered upon entry to prison, which indicates the number of learners in prison with a learning difficulty or disability can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-education-and-accredited-programme-statistics.

International Day for Mine Awareness

Abduction of Ukrainian children

Work of the Royal British Legion in Stratford-on-Avon

Israeli Defence Force attacks on humanitarian workers

Protecting children from data exploitation

Disability hate crime

Strode College awarded the CyberFirst Silver Award

Festival Medical Services and Ukraine

Whitchurch banking hub

Humanitarian response to the Myanmar earthquake

Beer festivals 2025

Radiotherapy (No. 2)

Congratulating Barry Ahearn

Access to football pitches for women and girls

Ensuring stability for Ukrainian refugees in the UK

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance 25th anniversary

Support for young disabled people after education

International Space Station

Bank closures

Cash acceptance

Support for Saturday clubs

Chronic urinary tract infections and women's health

Banking hubs

Found: Agreed to_181 Kim Leadbeater Rachel Hopkins Adam Dance .

Found: Agreed to_181 Kim Leadbeater Rachel Hopkins Adam Dance .

Found: Agreed to_181 Kim Leadbeater Rachel Hopkins Adam Dance .

Found: Bell Ribeiro-Addy Natalie Fleet Mr Toby Perkins Cat Eccles Mrs Sharon Hodgson Richard Burgon Adam Dance

Found: Bell Ribeiro-Addy Natalie Fleet Mr Toby Perkins Cat Eccles Mrs Sharon Hodgson Richard Burgon Adam Dance