Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of currently-projected local authorities’ SEND deficits she expects to be covered from the central government funds when the Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

We have set out plans to address local authorities’ high needs-related dedicated schools grant deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit. Grants will be paid once councils have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with the department’s new system set out in the Schools White Paper, which will begin to improve outcomes for children and bring costs under control through effective early intervention stopping needs from escalating.

For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that we will continue to take a proportionate approach to such support, though it will not be unlimited. We will set out more details about our approach in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the OBR’s Economic and fiscal outlook November 2025, page 122, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the absorption of SEND provision into existing RDEL limits from 2028-29 on the Core Schools Budget.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

To deliver these reforms, the department is putting more money into the education system, with £7 billion more being spent on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support compared to 2025/26. The department’s budgets will increase above previously planned funding at Autumn Budget 2025 by £3.5 billion in 2028/29 to support investment in the SEND system. In every year of this parliament, core funding for schools and SEND is expected to increase, subject to future Spending Reviews. As we invest in the system, we will update the SEND Code of Practice and legal requirements for support to be provided in all mainstream education settings from early years to post-16, thereby strengthening the law to make sure children and young people receive the help and support they need.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the contribution of inbound international visitors to the UK economy in the five most recent years for which data are available.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

VisitBritain publishes International Passenger Survey data which contains estimates of the number of inbound visitors to Great Britain and their spend. This data reveals that inbound visitors to Great Britain spent: £28.448 million in 2019; £4.344 million in 2020; £5.646 million in 2021; £26.497 million in 2022; £31.075 million in 2023; and £31.912 million in 2024.

The Economic Value of Tourism Report, published by VisitBritain in January 2026, estimates that in total, direct and indirect tax impacts of UK tourism reached £52 billion in 2024. This figure excludes induced impacts, driven largely by consumption taxes. Out of the total £52 billion in taxes, VisitBritain estimated £14 billion came as a result of inbound travel, or 27%.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate she has made of the contribution of inbound international visitors to Exchequer receipts in the five most recent years for which data are available.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

VisitBritain publishes International Passenger Survey data which contains estimates of the number of inbound visitors to Great Britain and their spend. This data reveals that inbound visitors to Great Britain spent: £28.448 million in 2019; £4.344 million in 2020; £5.646 million in 2021; £26.497 million in 2022; £31.075 million in 2023; and £31.912 million in 2024.

The Economic Value of Tourism Report, published by VisitBritain in January 2026, estimates that in total, direct and indirect tax impacts of UK tourism reached £52 billion in 2024. This figure excludes induced impacts, driven largely by consumption taxes. Out of the total £52 billion in taxes, VisitBritain estimated £14 billion came as a result of inbound travel, or 27%.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (i) systems and (ii) manpower capacity in local authorities to implement local government reorganisation; and if he will place a copy of those assessments in the Library.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Councils, as independent employers, are responsible for the management of their staff and undertaking workforce planning. As part of the local government reorganisation programme, local authorities were required to set out in their proposals how they would manage implementation, including their approach to systems, staffing and governance. The Government has considered this information as part of its assessment of proposals, including where decisions have already been taken, and continues to do so for proposals under consideration.

After decisions are taken on proposals, councils are required to put in place the necessary plans to implement the agreed proposal, including putting in place governance arrangements to oversee the delivery of implementation work.

We will continue to work actively with councils to support an effective transition, including providing support to ensure a smooth transfer of staff from councils that will be wound up to incoming new councils.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will place in the Library a copy of the cost-benefit analysis for local government reorganisation in (i) Hampshire (ii) Essex (iii) Norfolk and (iv) Suffolk, including (a) an assessment of the financial resilience of the proposed new authorities, (b) the estimated transition costs and (c) the financial and non-financial benefits of service transformation.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Councils were asked to set out in their proposals how their area would seek to manage transition costs, including how those costs would be met over time from existing budgets, such as through the flexible use of capital receipts to support transformation and invest‑to‑save projects. Proposals were also required to explain how the new authorities would be financially sustainable and resilient over the longer term, and the expected financial and non‑financial benefits of reorganisation.

The government's assessment of the proposals was taken in the round, having regard to all the criteria in the statutory invitation and all relevant information available. This included consideration of the evidence and assumptions provided by councils, representations received during the statutory consultation, and official advice, including assessment of proposed costs and savings and the financial sustainability and resilience of the new councils, informed by departmental analysis and sector benchmarks. A summary of the decision on local government reorganisation already has been provided for i) Hampshire ii) Essex iii) Norfolk and iv) Suffolk. The proposals considered in reaching those decisions are publicly available, and the government has no plans to publish further information relating to the decision‑making process.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the estimated financial payback periods for each of the options for local government reorganisation in (i) Hampshire, (ii) Essex, (iii) Norfolk and (iv) Suffolk.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Councils were asked to set out in their proposals how their area would seek to manage transition costs, including how those costs would be met over time from existing budgets, such as through the flexible use of capital receipts to support transformation and invest‑to‑save projects. Proposals were also required to explain how the new authorities would be financially sustainable and resilient over the longer term, and the expected financial and non‑financial benefits of reorganisation.

The government's assessment of the proposals was taken in the round, having regard to all the criteria in the statutory invitation and all relevant information available. This included consideration of the evidence and assumptions provided by councils, representations received during the statutory consultation, and official advice, including assessment of proposed costs and savings and the financial sustainability and resilience of the new councils, informed by departmental analysis and sector benchmarks. A summary of the decision on local government reorganisation already has been provided for i) Hampshire ii) Essex iii) Norfolk and iv) Suffolk. The proposals considered in reaching those decisions are publicly available, and the government has no plans to publish further information relating to the decision‑making process.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of (i) ward and (ii) parish financial data to facilitate funding disaggregation as a result of boundary changes and deliver local government reorganisation in Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Decisions about how funding, assets and liabilities are managed are for councils to take forward locally as part of their transition planning, including how budgets and financial risks are apportioned between successor councils and the arrangements needed to maintain safe and legal services during transition.

Recognising the complexity of this work, the Government has made transition funding available and is working with sector partners to provide practical implementation support to help councils manage the additional complexity where disaggregation is required.

The Secretary of State’s consideration of local government reorganisation proposals is based on information provided by councils, representations received through the statutory consultation, and official advice and analysis drawing on published sources and sector data.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the specialist provision packages mentioned in the SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First consultation on children with complex needs reliant on statutory Education Other Than in School provision.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether in areas with middle schools, a pupil transitioning to Middle school or from Middle school will count as a change in phase of education for the purposes of the EHCP reforms she outlined in February 2026.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether there are any changes of circumstances or residency, other than moving to secondary school or college, which could trigger the ‘change of educational phase’ provisions in the EHCP reforms she outlined in February 2026.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has she made of the potential merits of standardising cash and banking services in the next iteration of the Banking Framework between Post Office and the banking industry.

Answered by Rachel Blake - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking and access to cash, including vulnerable customers and those with specific needs, can continue to access essential services. That is why, as announced on the 14 May, the Government is commissioning an independent Review into Access to Banking Services.

The Review will identify who is affected by declining access to in-person banking services and how many people are affected. It will also look at what kinds of banking services are important for people to be able to access. The Review is designed to inform future decisions by the Government and regulators as to whether further action is needed and what this might look like, and the Government intends to take a power in the upcoming Financial Services and Markets Bill to take action should this be necessary.

The Government remains committed to supporting the financial services industry’s roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament. Importantly, this number is a floor, not a ceiling, and Cash Access UK will deliver a banking hub wherever LINK has recommended one.

The Post Office plays a key role in supporting access to banking services. Under the Banking Framework, a commercial agreement between the Post Office and 30 banking firms, most personal and business customers can withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at over 10,500 Post Office branches across the UK, subject to banks’ commercial agreements on services provided. The Government protects the Post Office network by setting minimum access criteria. These include ensuring that 99% of the UK population lives within three miles of a Post Office and 90% of the population within one mile.

On 21 January, the Government held joint discussions between the Post Office and the banking sector to explore where continued collaboration, on a commercial and voluntary basis, would allow all parties to better meet the needs of individuals and businesses.

The specific services provided under the Framework are subject to commercial negotiations between individual banks and the Post Office, and the Government has no formal role in deciding what these arrangements are.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) the roll-out of banking hubs and (b) post offices to meet in-person banking needs beyond cash.

Answered by Rachel Blake - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to ensuring that people who need in-person banking and access to cash, including vulnerable customers and those with specific needs, can continue to access essential services. That is why, as announced on the 14 May, the Government is commissioning an independent Review into Access to Banking Services.

The Review will identify who is affected by declining access to in-person banking services and how many people are affected. It will also look at what kinds of banking services are important for people to be able to access. The Review is designed to inform future decisions by the Government and regulators as to whether further action is needed and what this might look like, and the Government intends to take a power in the upcoming Financial Services and Markets Bill to take action should this be necessary.

The Government remains committed to supporting the financial services industry’s roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament. Importantly, this number is a floor, not a ceiling, and Cash Access UK will deliver a banking hub wherever LINK has recommended one.

The Post Office plays a key role in supporting access to banking services. Under the Banking Framework, a commercial agreement between the Post Office and 30 banking firms, most personal and business customers can withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance, pay bills and cash cheques at over 10,500 Post Office branches across the UK, subject to banks’ commercial agreements on services provided. The Government protects the Post Office network by setting minimum access criteria. These include ensuring that 99% of the UK population lives within three miles of a Post Office and 90% of the population within one mile.

On 21 January, the Government held joint discussions between the Post Office and the banking sector to explore where continued collaboration, on a commercial and voluntary basis, would allow all parties to better meet the needs of individuals and businesses.

The specific services provided under the Framework are subject to commercial negotiations between individual banks and the Post Office, and the Government has no formal role in deciding what these arrangements are.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Ofsted inspection frameworks take account of how schools support children from Armed Forces families with special educational needs or disabilities.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for East Hampshire directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

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Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Mr Bayo Alaba; Vicky Foxcroft; Damian Hinds

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Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Caroline Dinenage (Chair); Mr Bayo Alaba; Vicky Foxcroft; Damian Hinds

Found: Q57 Damian Hinds: Sometimes we call it culture—the dominant ideology.

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Found: Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP, Minister of State No relevant interests Rt Hon Baroness Williams of Trafford,

Found: No relevant interests 15 DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION The Rt Hon Damian Hinds

Found: Charities    Trustee, Godinton House Preservation Trust    Patron, Find a Voice  Damian Hinds

Found: , Berkhamsted Patron, Watford Peace Hospice Patron, British Legion (Rickmansworth Branch) Damian Hinds

Found: Francis, Berkhamsted Patron, Watford Peace Hospice Patron, British Legion (Rickmansworth Branch) Damian Hinds

Found: Lexis Nexis  Mr Gauke’s brother in law is a solicitor specialising in tax at Gowling WLG    Damian Hinds

Found: by Lexis Nexis Mr Gauke’s brother in law is a solicitor specialising in tax at Shoesmiths Damian Hinds

Found: APS Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office 4 Rt Hon Damian Hinds

Found: commissioned to review school exclusion by the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Damian Hinds