Bobby Dean

The department is receiving compensation in recognition of the increase in National Insurance contributions (NICs) paid by institutions it funds, including colleges, schools and other state-funded special education needs and disabilities provision. Work is in progress to determine how that funding will be distributed, and more information will be provided as soon as is practicable. This NICs funding will be in addition to the £300 million and £1 billion funding increases announced at the Autumn Budget 2024 for further education and young people with high needs respectively, in 2025/26.

High-quality teaching is the in-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s outcomes and is therefore essential to delivering the government’s mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child.

We are committed to ensuring that all learners, including learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), have access to a world-class education that sets them up for life and supports them to achieve positive outcomes. We recognise the critical work SEND teachers do in achieving this.

A successful teacher recruitment strategy starts with a strong retention strategy. The targeted retention incentive is worth up to £6,000 after tax per year for early career teachers in key science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and technical subjects in disadvantaged schools and all further education (FE) colleges. It is targeted at key STEM and technical subject teachers because specialists in these subjects have high earning potential outside teaching and are often the most difficult to recruit and retain.

The targeted retention incentive is available to school teachers in both mainstream and special schools if they teach mathematics, physics, chemistry or computing and have completed either a degree or Initial Teacher Training (ITT) course in one of these subjects. The incentive is also available to eligible FE college teachers of those same subjects and also construction, digital, early years and engineering and manufacturing. This includes any eligible specialist SEND teachers in FE colleges teaching those subjects.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) is currently reviewing the existing national curriculum and statutory assessment system in England, to ensure they are fit for purpose and that the curriculum is rich and broad, inclusive and innovative. The review group will publish an interim report early in 2025, setting out their interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work. The final report, with recommendations, will be published in autumn 2025.

Topics relating to climate change and the environment are currently included within geography, science and citizenship in the current national curriculum, with an environmental science A level also available. At a primary level, pupils are given a foundation of climate science which can be built on in secondary school. Teachers also have the flexibility to plan their own lessons, which enables them to adapt and consider new developments, societal changes, or topical issues. As a result, the department is seeing excellent work in climate education at all levels in many schools and multi-academy trusts.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) takes the issue of domestic and economic abuse extremely seriously and is committed to ensuring that victims of abuse get the help and support they need.

CMS Staff receive training to ensure they are able to respond appropriately to parents experiencing domestic abuse. The current Domestic Abuse training package was updated with input from external stakeholders. It includes an understanding of different types of abuse, including economic, and covers post separation abuse. It has been reviewed to ensure it reflects the Home Office’s updated statutory guidance on coercive and controlling behaviour, published in April 2023, to ensure CMS staff are equipped to recognise this form of domestic abuse and signpost parents appropriately.

The recent consultation on proposed reforms to CMS included managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster and explore how victims and survivors of domestic abuse can be better supported. This proposal would also reduce the ability for perpetrators of domestic abuse to inflict economic control and coercion through withholding child maintenance payments.  The consultation closed on 30 September 2024, and the Government will publish a response in due course.

Where a parent fails to pay on time or in full, the CMS will consider enforcement action as quickly as possible to get money flowing and collect any unpaid amounts that have accrued.

The CMS has a range of strong enforcement powers to ensure children get the financial support they deserve.  These powers include the ability to deduct directly from the paying parent’s earnings or bank accounts and disqualifications from holding or obtaining driving licenses and passports.

A consultation on proposed reforms to the Child Maintenance System (CMS) was published by the previous Government on 8 May 2024. These proposed reforms included removing Direct Pay and managing all CMS cases in one service to allow the CMS to tackle non-compliance faster, as well as exploring how victims and survivors of domestic abuse can be better supported. This consultation followed the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act which received royal assent in July 2023.

The consultation was extended by this Government at the end of July and ran until 30 September 2024. We are currently analysing the responses we have received, and the Government will publish a response in due course.

The Government has amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone. This means that more professionals and services than ever before can give out take-home supplies of naloxone to those at-risk of overdose. This follows the Department’s public consultation, published on 24 January 2024, in which the responses were overwhelmingly supportive of our proposals. The legislation came into force on 2 December 2024.

The legislation also enables the development of a new registration service, which will further expand the number of professionals and services able to give out naloxone. This will take longer to implement, and work is ongoing across the devolved administrations to ensure alignment where appropriate.

This legislation is United Kingdom wide, and we will continue to work closely with colleagues in the devolved administrations to share learning and align our approaches where appropriate.

Health is a devolved issue, and as a result there are currently different existing arrangements for naloxone supply across the UK and each administration takes its own decisions on the provision and funding of naloxone. I have therefore not had discussions on UK wide Government-funded naloxone programmes.

These legislative changes are enabling only, meaning it will be a choice for individuals or organisations to decide whether they want to use this power and give out naloxone, which will be based on local need and capacity. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug treatment services as part of their public health responsibilities, and they provide funding for naloxone supplied through drug treatment services based on their assessment of local need.

The Government has amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone. This means that more professionals and services than ever before can give out take-home supplies of naloxone to those at-risk of overdose. This follows the Department’s public consultation, published on 24 January 2024, in which the responses were overwhelmingly supportive of our proposals. The legislation came into force on 2 December 2024.

The legislation also enables the development of a new registration service, which will further expand the number of professionals and services able to give out naloxone. This will take longer to implement, and work is ongoing across the devolved administrations to ensure alignment where appropriate.

This legislation is United Kingdom wide, and we will continue to work closely with colleagues in the devolved administrations to share learning and align our approaches where appropriate.

Health is a devolved issue, and as a result there are currently different existing arrangements for naloxone supply across the UK and each administration takes its own decisions on the provision and funding of naloxone. I have therefore not had discussions on UK wide Government-funded naloxone programmes.

These legislative changes are enabling only, meaning it will be a choice for individuals or organisations to decide whether they want to use this power and give out naloxone, which will be based on local need and capacity. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug treatment services as part of their public health responsibilities, and they provide funding for naloxone supplied through drug treatment services based on their assessment of local need.

The Government has amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone. This means that more professionals and services than ever before can give out take-home supplies of naloxone to those at-risk of overdose. This follows the Department’s public consultation, published on 24 January 2024, in which the responses were overwhelmingly supportive of our proposals. The legislation came into force on 2 December 2024.

The legislation also enables the development of a new registration service, which will further expand the number of professionals and services able to give out naloxone. This will take longer to implement, and work is ongoing across the devolved administrations to ensure alignment where appropriate.

This legislation is United Kingdom wide, and we will continue to work closely with colleagues in the devolved administrations to share learning and align our approaches where appropriate.

Health is a devolved issue, and as a result there are currently different existing arrangements for naloxone supply across the UK and each administration takes its own decisions on the provision and funding of naloxone. I have therefore not had discussions on UK wide Government-funded naloxone programmes.

These legislative changes are enabling only, meaning it will be a choice for individuals or organisations to decide whether they want to use this power and give out naloxone, which will be based on local need and capacity. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug treatment services as part of their public health responsibilities, and they provide funding for naloxone supplied through drug treatment services based on their assessment of local need.

The Government has amended the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 to expand access to naloxone. This means that more professionals and services than ever before can give out take-home supplies of naloxone to those at-risk of overdose. This follows the Department’s public consultation, published on 24 January 2024, in which the responses were overwhelmingly supportive of our proposals. The legislation came into force on 2 December 2024.

The legislation also enables the development of a new registration service, which will further expand the number of professionals and services able to give out naloxone. This will take longer to implement, and work is ongoing across the devolved administrations to ensure alignment where appropriate.

This legislation is United Kingdom wide, and we will continue to work closely with colleagues in the devolved administrations to share learning and align our approaches where appropriate.

Health is a devolved issue, and as a result there are currently different existing arrangements for naloxone supply across the UK and each administration takes its own decisions on the provision and funding of naloxone. I have therefore not had discussions on UK wide Government-funded naloxone programmes.

These legislative changes are enabling only, meaning it will be a choice for individuals or organisations to decide whether they want to use this power and give out naloxone, which will be based on local need and capacity. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning drug treatment services as part of their public health responsibilities, and they provide funding for naloxone supplied through drug treatment services based on their assessment of local need.

In 2025/26, £57 million will be made available to 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation to provide a range of Start for Life services.

Due to the challenging fiscal context, we have had to make difficult decisions for 2025/26, and only those areas currently in the scheme will receive Start for Life funding. We will continue to evaluate the programme and assess evidence to support wider rollout in future financial years.

Phase 2 of the Spending Review launched on the 10^th December 2024. At launch, I asked each department to carry out a line-by-line review of existing day-to-day budgets to identify where spending is no longer aligned with this government’s priorities or is poor value for money.

Departments are working with HM Treasury on an ongoing basis to define and agree their zero-based reviews. The findings of these reviews will inform Departments’ Spending Review submissions and the allocation of departmental budgets in Phase 2 of the Spending Review, which will conclude later this year.

We keep our military engagement in the Middle East under continuous review and any changes are discussed with relevant Departments as appropriate.