Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of using the specialist sector to complement the inclusive mainstream sector; and what steps she is taking to (a) support and (b) invest in special schools and specialist colleges.
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.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to ensure that children and young people will have a right to be educated in a specialist placement if their complex needs cannot be met in a mainstream educational setting.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
In line with our proposed reforms, children with complex needs, who need a Specialist Provision Package(s) and a placement within a specialist setting, will have their provision guaranteed in their education health and care plan. Specialist Provision Packages will provide comprehensive, evidence-based and nationally consistent support.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will review the adequacy of her Department's travel advice for Hong Kong, in the context of recent reports of enforcement actions, under the National Security Law, regarding electronic devices in the possession of travellers; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of those reports on UK travellers and journalists operating in the territory.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office keeps its travel advice under constant review, and last updated its advice for Hong Kong on 1 April to reflect its assessment of the situation on the ground.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will instruct the Rural Payments Agency to implement a manual system to process applications for ELM schemes on Common land.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) recognises the importance of commons to the delivery of environmental outcomes. The RPA is currently assessing how common land can access Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and is actively exploring both on and off system options, testing feasibility. Once this assessment is complete, the RPA will engage external stakeholders to discuss its planned approach.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will increase humanitarian support to Myanmar’s refugees, internally displaced people and civil society in 2026.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 April in response to Question 124595.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she is taking diplomatic steps to hold the recently inaugurated President of Myanmar, Min Aung Hlaing, accountable for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 April in response to Question 124592.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to support the resumption of inquests that were discontinued by previous legislation.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Troubles Bill will restore the small number of Troubles-related inquests that were already in progress but then halted by the previous government’s Legacy Act.
Inquests that had not started will be subject to an assessment by the Solicitor General to independently consider whether each case is most appropriately dealt with by the reformed Legacy Commission or the coronial system.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for the National Inclusion Standards to include (a) speech and language therapists, (b) any other experts on speech, language and communication challenges.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
New National Inclusion Standards will set out evidence-based tools, strategies and approaches for educators to draw on to identify and support children and young people with additional needs. This will include evidence for targeted support to address barriers to learning and participation related to specific areas of development. One of these proposed areas of development is Speech, Language, and Communication.
We will establish an independent, expert panel to develop National Inclusion Standards. The panel will be composed of a range of experts across both research and practice in supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. They will also engage wider experts to test the development of the Standards. This will include, for example, ensuring expertise from speech and language therapists and other relevant experts is incorporated.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for SEND practitioners to be provided with training on how to support children with speech, language and communication challenges.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recently announced an investment of £15 million to establish new speech and language therapist (SaLT) advanced practitioners in every integrated care board geographical area, to get more SaLTs working in educational settings. These advanced practitioners will be qualified speech and language therapists.
The government is also investing £200 million to give all staff in schools, colleges and early years settings the training they need to better support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, including those with speech, language and communication needs in mainstream settings.
This is in addition to £3.4 million being invested this year in the Early Language Support for Every Child programme, helping to identify and respond to speech and language needs, continued investment in the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, which has demonstrated significant impact on speech and language skills particularly for disadvantaged pupils, and an expansion of English Hubs programme from the 2026/27 academic year to include intensive language and literacy support.
Asked by: Desmond Swayne (Conservative - New Forest West)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of the exclusion of refined products from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism from January 2028; and what estimate she has made of the potential impact on the UK economy were refined products to be included in the mechanism.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government recognises the role that refineries play in energy security and the UK’s industrial base. The Government published a call for evidence (https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/future-of-the-uk-downstream-oil-sector/future-of-the-uk-downstream-oil-sector-call-for-evidence) on the future of the fuel sector on 23rd February 2026 in order to help understand the current state of the refining sector.
Following a strategic and technical assessment by HMG, it has been decided not to expand the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to refined oil products in January 2028. Assessing the case for and feasibility of including refined oil products within the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism at a later date is a priority. We are continuing to work with the sector to assess the options.