Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support students with dyscalculia in further education settings.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is to deliver an excellent, inclusive education for every child with a world class curriculum and highly trained, expert teachers. In November 2024, the department established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, who will make recommendations on the best ways to support and meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people in mainstream education settings. We have also commissioned evidence reviews from University College London, which will highlight the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.
The Maths Hubs programme, which is funded by the department, is a school-led network aimed at improving the teaching of mathematics for all pupils in publicly-funded schools. It covers primary, secondary and special schools and uses a mastery-based teaching approach, which aims to secure understanding of key concepts. This includes training for teachers on techniques such as avoiding cognitive overload by breaking the learning down into small manageable steps, using representations to expose mathematical structure and ensuring that learning is sequenced in a coherent manner so it makes sense to pupils. Boolean Maths Hub works with schools, academies and colleges to support the continuous improvement of mathematics education across the west of England, including Somerset.
The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics offers a Further Education Mastery Specialist Programme for post-16 GCSE mathematics resit and Functional Skills Maths teachers. This programme, delivered through Maths Hubs, aims to develop teachers' expertise in teaching for mastery approaches and enable them to support others in their institutions.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support secondary school children with dyscalculia in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is to deliver an excellent, inclusive education for every child with a world class curriculum and highly trained, expert teachers. In November 2024, the department established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, who will make recommendations on the best ways to support and meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people in mainstream education settings. We have also commissioned evidence reviews from University College London, which will highlight the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.
The Maths Hubs programme, which is funded by the department, is a school-led network aimed at improving the teaching of mathematics for all pupils in publicly-funded schools. It covers primary, secondary and special schools and uses a mastery-based teaching approach, which aims to secure understanding of key concepts. This includes training for teachers on techniques such as avoiding cognitive overload by breaking the learning down into small manageable steps, using representations to expose mathematical structure and ensuring that learning is sequenced in a coherent manner so it makes sense to pupils. Boolean Maths Hub works with schools, academies and colleges to support the continuous improvement of mathematics education across the west of England, including Somerset.
The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics offers a Further Education Mastery Specialist Programme for post-16 GCSE mathematics resit and Functional Skills Maths teachers. This programme, delivered through Maths Hubs, aims to develop teachers' expertise in teaching for mastery approaches and enable them to support others in their institutions.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support primary school children with dyscalculia in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is to deliver an excellent, inclusive education for every child with a world class curriculum and highly trained, expert teachers. In November 2024, the department established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, who will make recommendations on the best ways to support and meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people in mainstream education settings. We have also commissioned evidence reviews from University College London, which will highlight the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.
The Maths Hubs programme, which is funded by the department, is a school-led network aimed at improving the teaching of mathematics for all pupils in publicly-funded schools. It covers primary, secondary and special schools and uses a mastery-based teaching approach, which aims to secure understanding of key concepts. This includes training for teachers on techniques such as avoiding cognitive overload by breaking the learning down into small manageable steps, using representations to expose mathematical structure and ensuring that learning is sequenced in a coherent manner so it makes sense to pupils. Boolean Maths Hub works with schools, academies and colleges to support the continuous improvement of mathematics education across the west of England, including Somerset.
The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics offers a Further Education Mastery Specialist Programme for post-16 GCSE mathematics resit and Functional Skills Maths teachers. This programme, delivered through Maths Hubs, aims to develop teachers' expertise in teaching for mastery approaches and enable them to support others in their institutions.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce the rate of child poverty in Yeovil constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is a priority for this Government. The Child Poverty Taskforce is progressing work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in autumn that will deliver fully funded measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.
The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments.
As a significant downpayment ahead of Strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament, establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact), investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. We also announced the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation and £13.2 billion including Barnett impact across the Parliament for the Warm Homes Plan.
Our commitments at the 2025 Spending Review come on top of the existing action we have taken which includes expanding free breakfast clubs, capping the number of branded school uniform items children are expected to wear, increasing the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of NICE guidelines on treatments for restless leg syndrome.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not developed any guidelines on the diagnosis and/or management of restless leg syndrome (RLS) and has not evaluated any treatments for this condition. NICE has, however, commissioned a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on the diagnosis and clinical management of RLS, which was updated in February 2025, and which can be used as a source of information for healthcare professionals. This CKS is available at the following link:
https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/restless-legs-syndrome/
There are currently no plans to develop a NICE guideline on RLS. NICE has an established prioritisation process overseen by a prioritisation board, for the identification of priorities for guidance development. Anyone is able to suggest a topic through the NICE website, at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/forms/topic-suggestion
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment NHS England has made of the potential risks of dopamine agonists as a treatment for restless leg syndrome.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has made no assessment. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) assesses all medicines before they are licensed in the United Kingdom, with regard to quality, safety, and efficacy. The licensed dopamine agonist medicines that are indicated for the treatment of restless leg syndrome (RLS) are ropinirole, pramipexole, and rotigotine.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recently revised its Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on the diagnosis and clinical management of RLS, which was updated in February 2025, and which can be used as a source of information for healthcare professionals. This CKS is available at the following link:
https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/restless-legs-syndrome/
Decisions about what medicines to prescribe are made by the doctor or healthcare professional responsible for that part of the patient’s care. Prescribers are accountable for their prescribing decisions. Prescribers must always satisfy themselves that the medicines they consider appropriate for their patients can be safely prescribed, and that they take account of appropriate national guidance on clinical effectiveness, as well as the local commissioning decisions of their respective integrated care boards.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration the Curriculum and Assessment Review will give to the (a) needs of and (b) challenges faced by students with dyslexia.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The Curriculum and Assessment Review, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, is actively considering the needs and challenges faced by all pupils in accessing the national curriculum and making sure that they are all able to achieve high and rising standards.
The review is thoroughly examining the key challenges to attainment faced by children and young people in mainstream education, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The Review is committed to ensuring all pupils have access to a broad curriculum and achieve positive outcomes.
This government remains committed to enhancing inclusivity within mainstream schools and the review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn, at which point the government will respond.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration the Curriculum and Assessment Review will give to the (a) needs of and (b) challenges faced by students with dyscalculia.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The Curriculum and Assessment Review, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, is actively considering the needs and challenges faced by all pupils in accessing the national curriculum and making sure that they are all able to achieve high and rising standards.
The review is thoroughly examining the key challenges to attainment faced by children and young people in mainstream education, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The Review is committed to ensuring all pupils have access to a broad curriculum and achieve positive outcomes.
This government remains committed to enhancing inclusivity within mainstream schools and the review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn, at which point the government will respond.
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with NICE on the adequacy of treatments available for restless leg syndrome through the NHS in (a) Yeovil constituency (b) Somerset and (c) England.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has not developed any guidelines on the diagnosis and/or management of restless leg syndrome (RLS) and has not evaluated any treatments for this condition. NICE has, however, commissioned a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on the diagnosis and clinical management of RLS, which was updated in February 2025, and which can be used as a source of information for healthcare professionals. This CKS is available at the following link:
https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/restless-legs-syndrome/
There are currently no plans to develop a NICE guideline on RLS. NICE has an established prioritisation process overseen by a prioritisation board, for the identification of priorities for guidance development. Anyone is able to suggest a topic through the NICE website, at the following link:
https://www.nice.org.uk/forms/topic-suggestion
Asked by: Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat - Yeovil)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration the Curriculum and Assessment Review will give to the (a) needs of and (b) challenges faced by students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The Curriculum and Assessment Review, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, is actively considering the needs and challenges faced by all pupils in accessing the national curriculum and making sure that they are all able to achieve high and rising standards.
The review is thoroughly examining the key challenges to attainment faced by children and young people in mainstream education, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The Review is committed to ensuring all pupils have access to a broad curriculum and achieve positive outcomes.
This government remains committed to enhancing inclusivity within mainstream schools and the review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn, at which point the government will respond.