Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) reduce workload and (b) enhance professional development support for teachers in schools serving low income communities.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department knows that the quality of teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving pupil outcomes, and that it is particularly important for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Our scholarship funding for national professional qualifications, high-quality professional development for teachers and leaders, is targeted towards supporting participation from those working in schools with the highest levels of disadvantage.
The department is committed to tackling the major drivers of high workload and poor wellbeing for teachers in all schools, including those serving low-income communities, through wide-ranging reforms to the education system and supporting schools to harness technology to enhance time efficiency and reduce workload.
Our ‘Improve workload and wellbeing for school staff’ service shares resources that have worked in schools to reduce workload and improve staff wellbeing, developed by school leaders for school leaders. Further details on the service are available here: https://improve-workload-and-wellbeing-for-school-staff.education.gov.uk/workload-reduction-toolkit/address-workload-issues/governance/prepare-a-governing-board-report/.
The department is also working closely with unions, employer representative organisations, school leaders and other key partners to identify where we can go further to address unnecessary workload, including through the Improving Education Together agreement.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has considered implementing a methane tax on vented emissions from North Sea oil and gas operators to help incentivise improved (a) capture and (b) use of wasted gas.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The UK has committed to end routine flaring and venting by 2030. The North Sea Transition Authority issues consents for flaring and venting activity with strict limits and uses enforcement action as part of its regulatory toolkit. The UK’s oil and gas sector has one of the lowest upstream methane emission intensities globally and achieved the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative’s 0.2 per cent methane intensity target by 2025, achieving 0.17 per cent in 2020 with a further decrease to 0.13 per cent in 2022.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to include methane in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme scope to include methane emissions in the upstream oil and gas sector is being considered by the UK ETS Authority. The Authority will set out more detail in due course.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to support local authorities in tackling methane emissions from landfill sites through improved (a) waste separation, (b) capture technologies and (c) food waste reduction.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Reducing emissions further requires ‘turning off the tap’ for landfill gas production by diverting biodegradable waste from landfill, as well as maximising capture and destruction of landfill gas created by previously deposited waste.
Defra is exploring options for the near elimination of municipal biodegradable waste to landfill from 2028 and landfill gas capture and is engaging with the landfill and landfill gas operators on these issues.
Simpler Recycling will deliver changes in waste management including separate food waste collection which explicitly aims to divert this material from landfill.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to support local authorities in tackling methane emissions.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Reducing emissions further requires ‘turning off the tap’ for landfill gas production by diverting biodegradable waste from landfill, as well as maximising capture and destruction of landfill gas created by previously deposited waste.
Defra is exploring options for the near elimination of municipal biodegradable waste to landfill from 2028 and landfill gas capture and is engaging with the landfill and landfill gas operators on these issues.
Simpler Recycling will deliver changes in waste management including separate food waste collection which explicitly aims to divert this material from landfill.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to promote UK leadership on methane reduction (a) technologies and (b) services in international markets ahead of COP30.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We promote the use of technology in reducing emissions across agriculture, waste and oil and gas sectors. Examples include offshore and onshore oil and gas operators using cameras, drones and sensors to detect leaks, capturing methane from landfill and using it for electricity, carrying out world-leading research to reduce landfill methane emissions and we are reviewing the use of methane suppressing feed products in suitable cattle systems. Ahead of COP30 will use our international leadership role as a Global Methane Pledge Champion to continue to encourage and support others to reduce methane emissions across all sectors.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) schools and (b) colleges are equipped to (i) identify and (ii) support (A) autistic girls and (B) autistic girls who mask symptoms.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.
Under the Children and Families Act 2014, mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person who has SEND gets the special educational provision they need. The SEND code of practice is clear that support should be put in place to meet the needs of the child or young person when these are identified. There is no need to wait for a formal diagnosis.
The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg, brings together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings, including those who are autistic.
Additionally, the department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings and have commissioned evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London. The ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children.
The department provides continuing professional development to the school and further education workforce through the Universal SEND Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN). From April 2025, NASEN are developing a new autism-specific online training offer to support the workforce’s understanding of autism, which will include ‘train the trainer' packages and webinars to support teachers and leaders to deliver autism training in their settings.
The department has also invested in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children including pupils with autism.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to update SEND guidance to reflect current understanding of autism presentation in women and girls.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.
Under the Children and Families Act 2014, mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person who has SEND gets the special educational provision they need. The SEND code of practice is clear that support should be put in place to meet the needs of the child or young person when these are identified. There is no need to wait for a formal diagnosis.
The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg, brings together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings, including those who are autistic.
Additionally, the department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings and have commissioned evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London. The ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children.
The department provides continuing professional development to the school and further education workforce through the Universal SEND Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN). From April 2025, NASEN are developing a new autism-specific online training offer to support the workforce’s understanding of autism, which will include ‘train the trainer' packages and webinars to support teachers and leaders to deliver autism training in their settings.
The department has also invested in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children including pupils with autism.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that autistic girls with (a) avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, (b) sensory sensitivities and (c) other additional needs are able to access inclusive learning environments.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.
Under the Children and Families Act 2014, mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person who has SEND gets the special educational provision they need. The SEND code of practice is clear that support should be put in place to meet the needs of the child or young person when these are identified. There is no need to wait for a formal diagnosis.
The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg, brings together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings, including those who are autistic.
Additionally, the department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings and have commissioned evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London. The ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children.
The department provides continuing professional development to the school and further education workforce through the Universal SEND Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN). From April 2025, NASEN are developing a new autism-specific online training offer to support the workforce’s understanding of autism, which will include ‘train the trainer' packages and webinars to support teachers and leaders to deliver autism training in their settings.
The department has also invested in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children including pupils with autism.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to review (a) current school-based assessment and (b) referral systems for autism to reduce (i) misdiagnosis and (ii) late diagnosis in girls.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.
Under the Children and Families Act 2014, mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person who has SEND gets the special educational provision they need. The SEND code of practice is clear that support should be put in place to meet the needs of the child or young person when these are identified. There is no need to wait for a formal diagnosis.
The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg, brings together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings, including those who are autistic.
Additionally, the department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings and have commissioned evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London. The ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children.
The department provides continuing professional development to the school and further education workforce through the Universal SEND Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN). From April 2025, NASEN are developing a new autism-specific online training offer to support the workforce’s understanding of autism, which will include ‘train the trainer' packages and webinars to support teachers and leaders to deliver autism training in their settings.
The department has also invested in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children including pupils with autism.