Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the number and proportion of complaints relating to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) that are escalated to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce the underlying causes of such complaints.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) is independent of government and publishes information about complaints and findings relating to local authorities, including matters concerning special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Annual local government complaint reviews can be found on the LGSCO website.
The department considers a range of evidence to ensure local authorities are held to account. This includes Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection outcomes, outcomes for children and young people, and local improvement activity. All local areas are due to receive a full inspection under the current Ofsted / CQC Area SEND inspection framework by the end of 2027.
Decisions on whether additional monitoring, support or intervention are required are taken on a case-by-case basis and informed by the nature of identified concerns. Repeated ombudsman findings may contribute to the wider evidence considered by the department when assessing local authority performance and determining appropriate improvement and intervention activity.
Where serious concerns arise, the department may intervene directly, using statutory powers and improvement partners to support recovery and improve services for children and young people.
In our response to the SEND consultation and throughout the reforms themselves, we will set out how we will make local partnership working more effective and support all partners to drive SEND reforms across all local areas.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department maintains records of local authorities that have received multiple Ombudsman findings relating to failures in the delivery of Education, Health and Care Plans, SEND assessments or statutory timescales; and what criteria are used to determine whether additional intervention, monitoring or formal action is required in cases of persistent non-compliance.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) is independent of government and publishes information about complaints and findings relating to local authorities, including matters concerning special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Annual local government complaint reviews can be found on the LGSCO website.
The department considers a range of evidence to ensure local authorities are held to account. This includes Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection outcomes, outcomes for children and young people, and local improvement activity. All local areas are due to receive a full inspection under the current Ofsted / CQC Area SEND inspection framework by the end of 2027.
Decisions on whether additional monitoring, support or intervention are required are taken on a case-by-case basis and informed by the nature of identified concerns. Repeated ombudsman findings may contribute to the wider evidence considered by the department when assessing local authority performance and determining appropriate improvement and intervention activity.
Where serious concerns arise, the department may intervene directly, using statutory powers and improvement partners to support recovery and improve services for children and young people.
In our response to the SEND consultation and throughout the reforms themselves, we will set out how we will make local partnership working more effective and support all partners to drive SEND reforms across all local areas.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what enforcement powers are available to her Department where a local authority is repeatedly found by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to have failed in its statutory duties towards children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities; and how frequently such powers have been used in each of the last five years.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) is independent of government and publishes information about complaints and findings relating to local authorities, including matters concerning special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Annual local government complaint reviews can be found on the LGSCO website.
The department considers a range of evidence to ensure local authorities are held to account. This includes Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection outcomes, outcomes for children and young people, and local improvement activity. All local areas are due to receive a full inspection under the current Ofsted / CQC Area SEND inspection framework by the end of 2027.
Decisions on whether additional monitoring, support or intervention are required are taken on a case-by-case basis and informed by the nature of identified concerns. Repeated ombudsman findings may contribute to the wider evidence considered by the department when assessing local authority performance and determining appropriate improvement and intervention activity.
Where serious concerns arise, the department may intervene directly, using statutory powers and improvement partners to support recovery and improve services for children and young people.
In our response to the SEND consultation and throughout the reforms themselves, we will set out how we will make local partnership working more effective and support all partners to drive SEND reforms across all local areas.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with representatives of SMEs on the potential introduction of incentives to support compliance with the Gatsby Benchmarks for young people with Education, Health and Care Plans.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We want every young person with an education, health and care (EHC) plan to benefit from inclusive careers guidance and meaningful workplace experiences.
We have no plans to introduce specific financial incentives linked directly to the Gatsby Benchmarks. Through the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) and careers hubs, we help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) participate by providing brokerage, employer networks, guidance, special educational needs and disabilities-focused resources and support to deliver inclusive employer encounters and workplace experiences.
The CEC’s Employer Standards help businesses improve the quality and inclusivity of their education outreach. More than 1,650 employers have completed a self-assessment, and 83% say engagement with schools and colleges helps them develop talent pipelines.
Programmes such as supported internships and Access to Work also help reduce practical and administrative barriers for employers providing opportunities for young people with EHC plans.
We will continue to engage SMEs through the CEC and careers hubs to increase participation and remove barriers for young people with EHC plans.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to SMEs to provide Gatsby Benchmark-aligned careers and workplace opportunities for students with Education, Health and Care Plans, and what steps her Department plans to take to increase employer participation.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We want every young person with an education, health and care (EHC) plan to benefit from inclusive careers guidance and meaningful workplace experiences.
We have no plans to introduce specific financial incentives linked directly to the Gatsby Benchmarks. Through the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) and careers hubs, we help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) participate by providing brokerage, employer networks, guidance, special educational needs and disabilities-focused resources and support to deliver inclusive employer encounters and workplace experiences.
The CEC’s Employer Standards help businesses improve the quality and inclusivity of their education outreach. More than 1,650 employers have completed a self-assessment, and 83% say engagement with schools and colleges helps them develop talent pipelines.
Programmes such as supported internships and Access to Work also help reduce practical and administrative barriers for employers providing opportunities for young people with EHC plans.
We will continue to engage SMEs through the CEC and careers hubs to increase participation and remove barriers for young people with EHC plans.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) financial and (b) non-financial incentives her Department is planning to take to support SMEs in meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks for students with Education, Health and Care Plans.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We want every young person with an education, health and care (EHC) plan to benefit from inclusive careers guidance and meaningful workplace experiences.
We have no plans to introduce specific financial incentives linked directly to the Gatsby Benchmarks. Through the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) and careers hubs, we help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) participate by providing brokerage, employer networks, guidance, special educational needs and disabilities-focused resources and support to deliver inclusive employer encounters and workplace experiences.
The CEC’s Employer Standards help businesses improve the quality and inclusivity of their education outreach. More than 1,650 employers have completed a self-assessment, and 83% say engagement with schools and colleges helps them develop talent pipelines.
Programmes such as supported internships and Access to Work also help reduce practical and administrative barriers for employers providing opportunities for young people with EHC plans.
We will continue to engage SMEs through the CEC and careers hubs to increase participation and remove barriers for young people with EHC plans.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve skills in the defence workforce.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
As the War in Ukraine has proven, we are only as strong as the industry behind it. That is why the Defence Investment Plan reaffirms our £182 million commitment to enhancing defence industry skills across the UK.
As part of that, we are launching Defence Technical Excellence Colleges across the country, including Weston College in the South West, providing more funding to universities and colleges to increase capacity on defence-focused Higher Education courses; and supporting mid-career professionals to reskill and upskill.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department are taking to ensure local Integrated Care Boards are giving adequate resourcing to (a) customer service, (b) complaints and (c) appeals teams.
Answered by Preet Kaur Gill
It is for integrated care boards (ICBs) to determine how to make best use of their resources to deliver their duties and responsibilities and meet the healthcare needs of their local populations.
Specifically on complaints, the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 set out in law the minimum standards National Health Service organisations must adhere to in respect of their complaint handling arrangements.
When ICB responsibilities increased to include primary care commissioning in April 2023, additional complaints handlers were moved into ICB structures, to complement their existing complaints handling resource. As part of the 2026/27 national oversight framework, published on 11 June 2026, new reporting will commence to understand how well ICBs have discharged their duties, as referenced in complaints regulations.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
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 Local Authority’s experience of introducing Article 4 Directions covering Houses in Multiple Occupation; and whether any proposals will be brought forward to simplify this process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department engages regularly with local authorities about a range of planning matters, including those that have introduced an ‘Article 4’ direction.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals for a more flexible policy in relation to the use of Article 4 so local planning authorities can remove
permitted development rights where it is necessary to protect the amenity or well-being of an area, for instance to support the renewal of towns centres or where there is an overconcentration of small Houses in Multiple Occupation.
We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, for what reason Companies House is using Authorised Corporate Service Providers as an alternative method for HMRC contact.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Authorised Corporate Service Providers (ACSPs) are agents that can verify the identities of their clients and file information with Companies House on their behalf. They are not an alternative method for HMRC contact.