Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure value for money for funding from her Department to support multi-academy trusts with financial issues.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is delivering on its manifesto commitment by legislating to introduce Ofsted inspection of academy trusts to help drive better outcomes for children and provide greater confidence for parents. Robust financial oversight is crucial to achieving a strong school system and trust inspections will look at whether trusts are using their resources efficiently and strategically to support high quality education. This will provide families clear and independent assurance about the strength of the trust responsible for their child’s academy.

We know there is excellent practice across the sector, with schools and trusts proactively finding ways to secure better value from their resources. The department’s Maximising Value for Pupils programme helps schools seize opportunities to maximise value in four key areas: commercial spend, assets, including reserves, workforce deployment, and developing capabilities, including digital and technology.

Where an academy trust is facing financial difficulties, the department offers practical advice and guidance covering financial management, educational performance, and governance. Where failings in financial management or governance are identified, the department can take robust action to drive the required improvement, for example through issuing a Financial Notice to Improve. We may also commission a School Resource Management Adviser to provide additional specialist advice where required.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the total value of fuel stolen from HGVs in 2026.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not hold information on the value of fuel stolen from HGVs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to footnote 7 to Table 5.2 of the 2025 Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, if she will set out a timeline and completion date for improving the recording of central government academy expenditure between primary and secondary phases of education.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Spend data for academies is reported at academy trust level. Allocating trust expenditure by phase remains challenging due to both the continuing increase in the number of academies combined with a decreasing number of academy trusts and the ability of academy trusts to incur spend on their schools’ behalf. Many academy trusts with multiple academies amalgamate funding for its academies to form one central fund. This practice can enhance a trust’s ability to allocate resources in line with improvement priorities and running costs across the trust’s constituent academies but makes apportionment of that spending by phase more challenging.

The department is exploring whether a spending apportionment using pupil numbers would provide more reliable and relevant information. If this methodology meets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value required of accredited official statistics, we will seek to implement this for the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2027.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of linking employer incentive payments to apprenticeship completion and post-qualification retention in shortage occupations within the building services engineering sector.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government provides a range of financial support to help employers take on apprentices, these payments are made in instalments at set apprenticeship milestones to support retention.

Foundation apprenticeships were introduced in August 2025, to give young people a route into critical sectors. Employers that take on foundation apprentices, including in building service engineering, will receive additional payments of up to £2,000. This is designed to offset the additional costs employers face whilst supporting the recruitment, retention and progression of young people, e.g. increased mentoring and pastoral care.

The payment is made in three instalments, with the first two spread across the foundation apprenticeship, and the final payment made when an apprentice progresses onto their next apprenticeship, supporting sustained employment for young people at the start of their career.

We also know that SMEs employ large numbers of young apprentices and will be critical in reversing the 40% decline in apprenticeship starts by young people that has occurred over the last decade. That is why we are introducing a new incentive of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers (essentially SMEs) that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees, to contribute to the additional costs associated with employing young people.

On top of this the government already pays £1,000 to both employers and providers for apprentices aged 16-18, and for apprentices aged 19-24 who have an Education Health Care Plan or have been, or are, in local authority care.

Both payments will be made in two equal instalments, the first at day 90 and the second at day 365 after apprenticeship started (or day 242 if apprenticeship under 12 months).

100th anniversary of the birth of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Liam Byrne (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; Chris Bloore; John

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Liam Byrne (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; Chris Bloore; John

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Liam Byrne (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; Chris Bloore; John

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Liam Byrne (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; Chris Bloore; John

Found: Labour; Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North) (Chair) Dan Aldridge (Labour; Weston-super-Mare) Antonia Bance

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Edwards (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; Chris Bloore;

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Edwards (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; Chris Bloore;

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Edwards (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; Chris Bloore;

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Sarah Edwards (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Antonia Bance; Chris Bloore;