Chris Coghlan

We know that many children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) struggle to find a suitable school placement that is close to their home and meets their needs. This government is committed to addressing this by improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs.

The department wants more children and young people to receive the support they need to thrive in their local mainstream school, reducing the need for pupils to travel a long way to access a specialist placement. Many mainstream settings are already going above and beyond to deliver specialist provision locally, including through resourced provision and special educational needs (SEN) units.

However, the department remains committed to ensuring special schools play a vital role in supporting those pupils with the most complex needs. The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to ensure there are sufficient school places for all pupils, including those with SEN. If a local authority identifies a shortage of special school places, resulting in a significant number of pupils needing to travel a long way to access a placement, they could consider creating or expanding provision.

The department supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with SEND through annual high needs capital funding. In December, we announced £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision. This can be used to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings. It can also be used to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings. It will start to pave the way for the government’s wide-ranging long-term plans for reform to help more pupils with SEND to have their needs met in mainstream schools.

In Surrey, work is continuing on two previously announced special schools: Betchwood Vale, which is in the Dorking and Horley constituency, and Frimley Oak. As with all government investment, special and alternative provision free school projects will be subject to value for money consideration through their development, in line with the government’s vision for the SEN system.

A new special school, Hopescourt School, opened in Walton-on-Thames in September 2024, delivered by Surrey County Council, with support from the department. It created 77 school places in its first year of opening, increasing to 200 at full capacity, as an ‘all-through school’.

The department knows that children’s early years are crucial to their development, health and life chances, and we recognise the importance of the early identification of needs to ensure the right support is put in place as early as possible to ensure children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and emerging special educational needs can get the best start in life.

The department is working as quickly as possible to ensure every child has the best chance in life, by prioritising early intervention and inclusive provision in mainstream settings.

The department knows that early intervention prevents unmet needs from escalating, and that it supports children and young people to achieve their goals alongside their peers. That is why we are currently funding three specific early intervention programmes:

• The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme.
• The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme.
• The Early Language and Support for Every Child (ELSEC) pathfinders.

The PINS programme deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to strengthen training and resources for school staff to identify and meet the needs of neurodiverse children. It will upskill around 1,600 (10%) mainstream primary schools by March 2025.

11,100 schools are registered for the NELI programme, which has improved the speech and language skills of an estimated 211,700 children aged 4 to 5 between September 2020 and July 2024.

Over 640,000 primary school children have been screened to identify those with language development difficulties.

Evaluation of NELI shows the programme improved the development of oral language skills by 4 months’ progress for pupils receiving the intervention. Children eligible for free school meals (FSM) made 7 months additional progress compared to children eligible for FSM that did not receive the intervention.

In partnership with NHS England, we are funding the ELSEC pathfinders within our SEND and alternative provision Change Programme.

When a child is aged between two and three, educators must review their progress and provide parents and / or carers with a short, written summary of their child’s development in the prime areas, known as the EYFS progress check at age 2. It highlights areas in which a child is progressing well, where additional support might be needed and describes the strategies the educator intends to adopt to address any concerns.

The progress check at age two and the Healthy Child Programme review both offer opportunities to identify additional needs for children aged two to three and to work in partnership with parents or carers and relevant professionals.

This is funding nine joint Integrated Care Boards and local area partnerships within each of our Change Programme Partnerships to trial new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech, language and communication needs in early years and primary schools, utilising pre-qualification Therapy Support Assistants. The interim report is due in February 2025, but areas like Barnet have already supported over 1000 children through their ELSEC universal and targeted offer.

The department does not hold information on how many children are waiting for a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school placement. Surrey County Council will be best placed to provide this information.

Local authorities must ensure there are sufficient school places for all pupils, including children and young people with SEND. The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to keep the provision for children and young people with SEND under review (including its sufficiency), working with parents, young people, and providers.

The within school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcome is high-quality teaching. Supporting expert teachers is therefore critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child.

All teachers are teachers of special education needs and disabilities (SEND), and the department is committed to ensuring that all pupils receive excellent support from their teachers.

The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.

Our recruitment and retention reforms will support all teachers. Consideration of SEND underpins both the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and early career framework (ECF), and they have been designed around how to support all pupils to succeed.

We recently reviewed the mandatory ITT core content framework alongside the ECF and the new framework includes significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting all pupils with SEND.

Headteachers use their professional judgement to identify any further training, including specific specialisms, for individual staff that is relevant to them, the school, and its pupils.

All mainstream schools must have a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) who must be a qualified teacher, or the head teacher, working at the school. On 1 September 2024, the department introduced a new mandatory leadership level National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for SENCOs. The NPQ will play a key role in improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training.

To further support the needs of pupils and students with SEND, the department has funded the Universal Services programme, backed by almost £12 million. It brings together SEND-specific continuing professional development and support for schools and the further education workforce so that the needs of children and young people with SEND are met earlier and more effectively.

The construction contractor, appointed by the department to progress the detailed designs, is currently producing the necessary reports and surveys required to submit the planning application for Betchwood Academy.

Since 01 January 2025, water companies are required to publish data related to discharges from all storm overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning (under section 141DA of the Water Industry Act 1991 as inserted by section 81 of the Environment Act 2021).

Data must be published in a way that is accessible to the public and in a form that allows the public readily to understand it. This includes providing information on the location and operating water company of each storm overflow. To support this, Water UK have launched a central hub that provides discharge data of every storm overflow in England on a single website.

This has created an unprecedented level of transparency, enabling the public and regulators to see where, and how often, overflows are discharging, and to hold water companies to account.

In addition to this, the Water (Special Measures) Bill will introduce a duty for water companies to publish data related to discharges from all emergency overflows within one hour of the discharge beginning. This will ensure that every sewage discharge outlet is monitored.

PAYG contactless pilots have been announced in both Manchester and the West Midlands, expanding PAYG to more than 90 additional rail stations, which are due to be launched in 2026. Further details on any wider expansion of PAYG with contactless in the South East will be announced in due course.

We have committed to expanding Pay As You Go (PAYG) contactless ticketing to further stations in the South East and recently announced that PAYG with contactless would be extended to a further 49 stations in 2025, including stations that are within the Dorking area; Dorking (Main), Box Hill and Westhumble, Reigate, and Leatherhead. Further details on any wider expansion of PAYG will be announced in due course.

Airlines are required by law to have fair and transparent terms and conditions. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for ensuring airlines are meeting this legal obligation and will take enforcement action where necessary.

The UK already has a Regulatory framework to protect air passenger rights, including during disruptions such as cancellations and delays, and for disabled and less mobile passenger. The Department for Transport will continue to consider options for strengthening air passenger rights; working with industry, stakeholders and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to ensure consumers continue to have a high level of protection whilst travelling by air.

The Department for Transport launched the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group in November. It brings together industry experts and consumer representatives to identify practical and achievable actions to improve aviation accessibility.

Furthermore, the Department for Transport is continuing work with the CAA exploring how the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) scheme should operate in the future to continue to provide valued protection for consumers.

The TRANSFORM study, funded in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK, will look at new ways of screening for prostate cancer, and will include a national randomised control trial that will provide the definitive data for policymakers to decide on whether screening for prostate cancer should be recommended. The study is broken down into three phases: Phase 1, between 2025 and 2027; Phase 2, between 2028 and 2033; and Phase 3, between 2034 and 2043.

Phase 1 is focusing on making the trial run smoothly, testing a number of different possible screening approaches, and also determining the best way to engage men in the community to take part in the study. Critically, it is also determining the best form of randomisation to carry out. Recruitment for phase one is currently open.

Phase 2 will take forward the most robust randomisation strategy and the most promising screening approach or approaches with tens of thousands of consenting participants, in order to prove that these new screening strategies are beneficial.

Phase 3 will involve monitoring the trial participants over the following 10 years to determine the long-term impact of screening on rates of disease progression and survival.

The Government takes the management of the risk of prostate cancer seriously. Too many men are waiting too long for diagnosis and treatment, and this must change. We have asked the UK National Screening Committee to look at the evidence for screening for prostate cancer and we will await their findings before making an evidence-based decision.

A public awareness campaign at this stage would not be appropriate. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance relates to symptomatic patients, while the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme is guidance for general practitioners (GPs) on how to counsel non-symptomatic men about the risks associated with using the current best test for prostate cancer, because of its lack of accuracy. Before we direct asymptomatic individuals to GPs, we need a better test, and that is why the Government has invested £16 million into the TRANSFORM trial, which is looking for more effective ways of accurately detecting prostate cancer.

NHS England is currently refreshing guidance on children and young people's eating disorders. The refreshed guidance will highlight the importance of awareness and early recognition of eating disorders within schools, colleges, primary care, and broader children and young peoples’ mental health services.

The Government is currently developing the 10-Year Health Plan, which will consider the views of a wide range of stakeholders, including those with lived experience of eating disorders. The consultation process has provided invaluable feedback, and we are in the process of exploring how we best take this forward.

I would be happy to meet with the Hon. Member to discuss his proposed amendment to the Mental Health Bill. My Private Office will be in touch with him shortly to make the arrangements.

The Department has not made this specific assessment. National Health Service employment disputes arising at a local level are for employers to manage and resolve locally. At a national level, the Government has prioritised improving industrial relations following the General Election in July 2024. The deal we agreed with resident doctors in England, negotiated within four weeks of being in Government, brought an end to their prolonged strikes and we will continue to work with resident doctors to improve their working lives and keep them in the NHS.

Our ambition remains to reset the relationship between the Government and all NHS staff, and we want to work collaboratively with trade unions to address concerns and foster a productive and positive relationship with the NHS workforce.

The impact of any specific pharmacy closure will differ depending on the remaining access to health services in the area. We monitor access carefully and in general, access to pharmacies in England continues to be good, with 80% of people able to reach a pharmacy within a 20 minute-walk and twice as many pharmacies in the most deprived areas. We continue to support those in areas where there are fewer pharmacies through the Pharmacy Access Scheme. Additionally, in rural areas where there is no pharmacy, general practitioners are permitted to dispense medicines. Patients can also choose to access medicines and pharmacy services through any of the nearly 400 National Health Service online pharmacies that are contractually required to deliver prescription medicines free of charge to patients and deliver other services remotely.

Local authorities are required to undertake a pharmaceutical needs assessment (PNA) every three years to assess whether their population is adequately served, and must keep these assessments under review in the interim. Integrated care boards must give regard to the PNAs when reviewing applications to open new pharmacies in their areas.

The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024. Medical examiner offices are staffed at a trust level and arrangements at each office should reflect local health priorities and the needs of communities. NHS England has published guidance which outlines principles for medical examiner offices and advice on how to provide flexible and sustainable cover during busy periods

Early data since the introduction of the reforms indicated the median time taken to register a death appeared to have risen by one day, from seven days to eight days prior to Christmas. This figure is for all deaths, as it includes those certified by a doctor and those investigated by a coroner. The average time taken to register increased further over the Christmas weeks, but this was expected given increases are observed during this period every year; the average has subsequently decreased.

The median time taken to register a death varies depending on the type of certification. Deaths certified by a doctor, that comprise approximately 80% of deaths registered each week, have typically had a median time to registration of seven days, though there can be variation at a local level. It is important to note that the medical examiner system was active on a non-statutory basis before the introduction of the statutory system on 9 September 2024, and this makes direct ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparisons challenging to draw conclusions from.

Ensuring the system is appropriately resourced and works for all those who interact with it is crucial, and something the Department will continue to monitor with NHS England.

We hugely value the critical role that general practitioners (GPs) play and are determined to address the issues they face by shifting the focus of the National Health Service beyond hospitals and into the community.

The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 newly qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to address GP unemployment and secure the future pipeline of GPs. My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has confirmed that recently qualified GPs who are employed via the ARRS will continue to be supported through the scheme in 2025/26.

We have also announced an £889 million uplift to the GP contract in 2025/26, which will support practices to increase capacity. Changes to the GP contract in 2025/26, including ARRS adjustments and other important reforms, will be confirmed following consultation with the GP Committee of the British Medical Association before April 2025.

The data requested on the number of unemployed and underemployed qualified GPs is not held centrally.

We hugely value the critical role that general practitioners (GPs) play and are determined to address the issues they face by shifting the focus of the National Health Service beyond hospitals and into the community.

The Government committed to recruiting over 1,000 newly qualified GPs through an £82 million boost to the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) over 2024/25, as part of an initiative to address GP unemployment and secure the future pipeline of GPs. My Rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has confirmed that recently qualified GPs who are employed via the ARRS will continue to be supported through the scheme in 2025/26.

We have also announced an £889 million uplift to the GP contract in 2025/26, which will support practices to increase capacity. Changes to the GP contract in 2025/26, including ARRS adjustments and other important reforms, will be confirmed following consultation with the GP Committee of the British Medical Association before April 2025.

The data requested on the number of unemployed and underemployed qualified GPs is not held centrally.

NHS England keeps the selection process for foundation training under review to make sure it works well for applicants and for building a sustainable workforce to provide the best possible care for patients.

We are committed to ensuring that the number of medical foundation training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable, nurtures homegrown talent and focused in the service areas where need is greatest.

Internationally educated staff remain an important part of the workforce, and our Code of Practice for International Recruitment ensures stringent ethical standards when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas. However, the Government is also committed to growing homegrown talent and giving opportunities to more people across the country to join the NHS.

In summer 2025, we will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.

The NHS England National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) provides adaptable guidance to support local decision-making. Healthcare organisations are responsible for conducting dynamic risk assessments to determine when enhanced infection control measures, such as the use of FFP3 masks, are necessary. These assessments take into account factors such as ventilation quality, local infection prevalence and specific care environments.

Should new evidence emerge that warrants updates, the guidance will be reviewed and revised accordingly by NHS England and UKHSA to ensure the highest standards of infection prevention and control are maintained across healthcare settings. Any updates will be disseminated appropriately to healthcare employers and providers to support consistent implementation

Since June 2022, 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) across England have been responsible for arranging National Health Service healthcare services to meet the needs of their respective populations, reflecting the diversity of the needs within these populations. The local ICB is therefore responsible for ensuring that NHS services are accessible in their area.

NHS England is responsible for funding allocations to ICBs. This process is independent of the Government, and NHS England takes advice on the underlying formula from the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA).

The ACRA endorsed the introduction of a new community services formula, that they believe will better recognise needs for much older populations with higher needs for certain community services, which on average tend to be in some rural, coastal, and remote areas.

Work is also underway across the Department and with NHS England and the regional Directors of Public Health to develop approaches to address regional health inequalities. In line with the Government’s Health Mission, the Department’s goal is to create a more equitable healthcare system that leaves no person or community behind.