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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) social and (b) council housebuilding projects in Southampton are not delayed due to financial infeasibility.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer my Hon Friend to the answer I gave to Question UIN 10272 on 28 October 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will implement a national breast cancer screening awareness campaign to encourage people to attend appointments.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Breast Screening Programme has high levels of activity, however NHS England has advised that some women are simply not coming forward for screening. To address this, NHS England is carrying out research into the best approaches to target specific groups that are not coming forward for screening. Evidence suggests approaches such as personalised appointments from a general practitioner (GP), fixed appointment with a date and time, and text messaging reminders are the best ways to engage underserved communities.

In addition, The Help Us Help You national campaign helps to raise awareness of early diagnosis of cancer and encourages people to see their GP sooner. The campaign activity is designed to increase earlier diagnosis of cancer by reducing barriers to seeking earlier help, and by increasing body vigilance and knowledge of key red flag symptoms.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to reduce the cost to local authorities of home-to-school transport.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities must arrange free home-to-school travel for children of compulsory school age who attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational needs, disability or mobility problem, or because the route is unsafe. There are extended rights to free home-to-school travel for children from low-income families, aimed at helping them exercise school choice.

The department knows that local authorities’ spending on home-to-school travel has increased sharply in recent years, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities. This is largely due to increases in the number of children with education, health and care plans and the number of those children who have to travel long distances to a school that can meet their needs.

The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools so fewer children need to travel long distances to a school that can meet their needs. This will reduce home-to-school travel costs for local authorities over time.

The purpose of this short inquiry is to hear from representatives of those affected by the Department's review of post-16 qualification reforms; to influence the Department's review before it concludes by the end of the year; to establish the full extent of the Department's plans for level 3 qualifications reform; and to provide clarity to schools, colleges, and students who face uncertainty about which courses will be available to them in the coming years.