Emma Lewell-Buck

The department does not collect data on the average time pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) spend in isolation across England.

In July 2022, the department published the updated ‘Behaviour in Schools’ guidance, which is the primary source of advice for schools on developing and implementing a behaviour policy. This updated guidance provides clarity and support to schools on removing pupils from the classroom, which includes advice that schools should collect, monitor and analyse data about this intervention. This information should help schools to make data-based decisions about any additional support individual pupils may require, and to identify whether the school’s removal policy is having a disproportionate impact on pupils sharing particular characteristics.

Schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take such steps as is reasonable to avoid any substantial disadvantage to SEND pupils caused by the school’s policies or practices. Within these legal parameters, it is then for individual schools to develop their own policies.

Any school behaviour policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Account must be taken of a pupil’s age, any SEND they may have, and any religious requirements affecting them.

We are committed to reviewing Universal Credit, to make sure it is doing the job we want it to. We will set out the details of this in due course.

Eligibility criteria, including earnings thresholds for passported benefits including Free School Meals and Healthy Start payments are owned by Department of Education and the Department of Health and Social care respectively.

Average actual clearance times are shown in the table below from 3 June 2024. Please note, the information is not available monthly.

The table below shows the average (in working days) for each week.

Please note, the data shown is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal departmental use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.

The information requested is not collected at regional level and to calculate it would incur disproportionate cost.

The information requested on the proportion of Pension Credit claims which are initially turned down but are subsequently overturned at Tribunal is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Information on appeals in the First-tier Tribunal, including Pension Credit appeals, is published at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics

Specifically, information on the number of appeal receipts, disposals and outcomes of Pension Credit appeals can be found in the Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) tables: SSCS_1, SSCS_2 and SSCS_3 of the Main Tables.

We confirm that we do not hold the information you have requested as our systems do not breakdown Pension Credit applications by region.

The Healthy Start scheme was introduced in 2006 to encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies and young children under four from very low-income households. It can be used to buy, or put towards the cost of, fruit, vegetables, pulses, milk and infant formula. Healthy Start beneficiaries have access to free Healthy Start Vitamins for pregnant women and children aged under four.

Healthy Start now supports over 353,000 beneficiaries. This figure is higher than the previous paper voucher scheme.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. All applicants to the Healthy Start scheme, where they meet the eligibility criteria, must accept the terms and conditions of the prepaid card at the point of application. As the prepaid card is a financial product and cannot be issued without the applicant accepting these terms, NHS BSA is not able to automatically provide eligible families with a prepaid card. However, the Healthy Start scheme is kept under review we are exploring all viable routes to improve uptake.

The average weekly payment to beneficiaries on the Healthy Start scheme in June 2024 was £5.68.