Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of class size limits in primary schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Measures are in place to limit and reduce class sizes, particularly for younger children. Legislation caps the size of an infant class at 30 pupils per qualified teacher. Infant classes are those in which most pupils turn five, six, or seven during the school year. Current data shows the average infant class size is 25.9 pupils, a decrease of 0.3 compared with the previous year.
There is no statutory limit on class sizes for children aged eight and above. Schools have the flexibility to organise these classes according to local need and circumstance, ensuring pupils receive the support they need to achieve and thrive. The average primary class size, covering both infant and junior classes, is 26.1 pupils, down by 0.3 from last year.
These trends, alongside the statutory infant class limit, demonstrate that current measures are effective.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of allowing celebrant-led weddings to be legally recognised on the economy.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
On 16 July, the Government published the consultation âTying the Knot: Reforming weddings law in England and Walesâ, alongside an impact assessment which considers the potential economic impacts of the proposed reforms, including allowing independent officiants to conduct legally binding weddings.
The impact assessment does not provide a separate estimate of the economic impact of this measure alone. However, it estimates that the wider reforms could lead to a 3% increase in the overall number of weddings and sets out the associated costs and benefits. The link to the assessment can be found here: Tying the Knot: Reforming weddings law in England and Wales - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve primary education provision in rural areas.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to improving outcomes for children in all parts of the country, including those attending rural primary schools. Through our Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) programme, we are providing targeted support for schools that need to improve, alongside a universal offer that promotes collaboration, shares effective practice and drives high and rising standards. RISE is available to support all schools, regardless of location. An example of support is delivering the Fixed, Firm and Fluent Foundations programme online across the North East, helping remove barriers to participation for rural schools.
The Schools National Funding Formula also recognises the challenges faced by small rural schools through the lump sum and sparsity factors.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered commissioning an audit of late tribunal concessions and the length of time SEN children were left without appropriate educational provision.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
In our recent âSEND Reform: Putting children and young people firstâ consultation, we set out proposals to strengthen accountability and improve parental confidence that local authorities will act on tribunal judgments, and to ensure that improvements are made to future decision-making. This includes publishing an annual special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) tribunal outcomes dashboard, providing anonymised outcomes of SEND Tribunals by local authority. We are carefully considering feedback from the consultation and will be responding in due course.
All local areas are due to receive a full inspection under the current Ofsted/Care Quality Commission Area SEND inspection framework by the end of 2027. We will update the framework to align to the clarified statutory roles that local authorities and Integrated Care Boards will have in relation to children and young people with SEND.
The department also publishes annual data on education, health and care (EHC) plans and assessments, including timeliness. This informs performance monitoring and targeted support. Where serious concerns arise, the department may intervene directly, using statutory powers and improvement partners to support recovery and improve services for families.
In terms of maintaining records, keeping accurate and proportionate records of decisions and why decisions were taken is a principle of good administrative practice and something we expect of all local authorities.
Parents and carers also have the right to contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if they believe their childâs EHC Plan has been delayed, not been issued within the legal timeframe, or if the council fails to provide the specified provision.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered commissioning an independent investigation into how local authorities are handling SEND practices.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
In our recent âSEND Reform: Putting children and young people firstâ consultation, we set out proposals to strengthen accountability and improve parental confidence that local authorities will act on tribunal judgments, and to ensure that improvements are made to future decision-making. This includes publishing an annual special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) tribunal outcomes dashboard, providing anonymised outcomes of SEND Tribunals by local authority. We are carefully considering feedback from the consultation and will be responding in due course.
All local areas are due to receive a full inspection under the current Ofsted/Care Quality Commission Area SEND inspection framework by the end of 2027. We will update the framework to align to the clarified statutory roles that local authorities and Integrated Care Boards will have in relation to children and young people with SEND.
The department also publishes annual data on education, health and care (EHC) plans and assessments, including timeliness. This informs performance monitoring and targeted support. Where serious concerns arise, the department may intervene directly, using statutory powers and improvement partners to support recovery and improve services for families.
In terms of maintaining records, keeping accurate and proportionate records of decisions and why decisions were taken is a principle of good administrative practice and something we expect of all local authorities.
Parents and carers also have the right to contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if they believe their childâs EHC Plan has been delayed, not been issued within the legal timeframe, or if the council fails to provide the specified provision.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure local authorities maintain clear written records of meetings, telephone calls and key decisions with regards to SEND practices.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
In our recent âSEND Reform: Putting children and young people firstâ consultation, we set out proposals to strengthen accountability and improve parental confidence that local authorities will act on tribunal judgments, and to ensure that improvements are made to future decision-making. This includes publishing an annual special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) tribunal outcomes dashboard, providing anonymised outcomes of SEND Tribunals by local authority. We are carefully considering feedback from the consultation and will be responding in due course.
All local areas are due to receive a full inspection under the current Ofsted/Care Quality Commission Area SEND inspection framework by the end of 2027. We will update the framework to align to the clarified statutory roles that local authorities and Integrated Care Boards will have in relation to children and young people with SEND.
The department also publishes annual data on education, health and care (EHC) plans and assessments, including timeliness. This informs performance monitoring and targeted support. Where serious concerns arise, the department may intervene directly, using statutory powers and improvement partners to support recovery and improve services for families.
In terms of maintaining records, keeping accurate and proportionate records of decisions and why decisions were taken is a principle of good administrative practice and something we expect of all local authorities.
Parents and carers also have the right to contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if they believe their childâs EHC Plan has been delayed, not been issued within the legal timeframe, or if the council fails to provide the specified provision.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure whistleblowers, families, and other stakeholders are able to submit evidence in relation to SEND practices.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
In our recent âSEND Reform: Putting children and young people firstâ consultation, we set out proposals to strengthen accountability and improve parental confidence that local authorities will act on tribunal judgments, and to ensure that improvements are made to future decision-making. This includes publishing an annual special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) tribunal outcomes dashboard, providing anonymised outcomes of SEND Tribunals by local authority. We are carefully considering feedback from the consultation and will be responding in due course.
All local areas are due to receive a full inspection under the current Ofsted/Care Quality Commission Area SEND inspection framework by the end of 2027. We will update the framework to align to the clarified statutory roles that local authorities and Integrated Care Boards will have in relation to children and young people with SEND.
The department also publishes annual data on education, health and care (EHC) plans and assessments, including timeliness. This informs performance monitoring and targeted support. Where serious concerns arise, the department may intervene directly, using statutory powers and improvement partners to support recovery and improve services for families.
In terms of maintaining records, keeping accurate and proportionate records of decisions and why decisions were taken is a principle of good administrative practice and something we expect of all local authorities.
Parents and carers also have the right to contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if they believe their childâs EHC Plan has been delayed, not been issued within the legal timeframe, or if the council fails to provide the specified provision.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Independent - Tewkesbury)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe's decision to retire physical media on its gaming systems.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The decision to retire physical media is ultimately a commercial decision for Sony Interactive Entertainment, but we encourage all businesses to consider the impacts of such decisions on consumers, including young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.