Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders on improving waiting lists for Education, Health and Care plan assessments in (a) Northumberland and (b) the North East.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Data on the number of requests for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment, the number of assessments carried out and assessments outstanding is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025. This includes data for the North East. The latest data was published on 26 June 2025. ​​​

Following the above publication of EHC plan statistics, departmental officials met with all North East local authorities during July and August 2025, including Northumberland County Council. Officials discussed the published data including the overall timeliness of assessments and actions each local area was taking to improve services and reduce wait times for children, young people and their families undergoing an EHC needs assessment.

The department will continue to work with North East local area partnerships to monitor the delivery of special educational needs and disabilities services and offer support when required.

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of improving parliamentary scrutiny procedures for international trade agreements.

Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

Effective parliamentary scrutiny of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) is vital. The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (CRaG) gives Parliament the statutory right to scrutinise treaties prior to ratification, and includes the power to block ratification. Parliament must also pass legislation that may be necessary to implement a treaty.

In addition, the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee plays an important role in scrutinising the Government’s trade policy.

Taken together, the current framework facilitates robust parliamentary scrutiny of FTAs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with relevant stakeholders on the inclusion of targets for child poverty reduction in Hexham constituency within the forthcoming Child Poverty Strategy.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.

Our recently published landmark Child Poverty Strategy is set to lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030.

The publication sets out how we intend to monitor and evaluate the impacts of the Strategy, including understanding how this varies across the UK and for different groups. The publication also sets out how we will measure the experience of children in the most severe and acute forms of poverty.

The Child Poverty Taskforce and Unit engaged extensively with stakeholders in the North East throughout the development of the Strategy. This includes engagement with the North East Poverty Commission and attendance at the North East Child Poverty Summit. Furthermore, Kim McGuinness, Mayor of the North East Combined Authority, attended a Taskforce meeting in September 2024 to discuss the experience of poverty in local communities and approaches to tackling child poverty.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with relevant stakeholders on the inclusion of targets for child poverty reduction in the Northumberland within the forthcoming Child Poverty Strategy.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.

Our recently published landmark Child Poverty Strategy is set to lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030.

The publication sets out how we intend to monitor and evaluate the impacts of the Strategy, including understanding how this varies across the UK and for different groups. The publication also sets out how we will measure the experience of children in the most severe and acute forms of poverty.

The Child Poverty Taskforce and Unit engaged extensively with stakeholders in the North East throughout the development of the Strategy. This includes engagement with the North East Poverty Commission and attendance at the North East Child Poverty Summit. Furthermore, Kim McGuinness, Mayor of the North East Combined Authority, attended a Taskforce meeting in September 2024 to discuss the experience of poverty in local communities and approaches to tackling child poverty.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with relevant stakeholders on the inclusion of targets for child poverty reduction in the North East within the forthcoming Child Poverty Strategy.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.

Our recently published landmark Child Poverty Strategy is set to lift 550,000 children out of poverty by 2030.

The publication sets out how we intend to monitor and evaluate the impacts of the Strategy, including understanding how this varies across the UK and for different groups. The publication also sets out how we will measure the experience of children in the most severe and acute forms of poverty.

The Child Poverty Taskforce and Unit engaged extensively with stakeholders in the North East throughout the development of the Strategy. This includes engagement with the North East Poverty Commission and attendance at the North East Child Poverty Summit. Furthermore, Kim McGuinness, Mayor of the North East Combined Authority, attended a Taskforce meeting in September 2024 to discuss the experience of poverty in local communities and approaches to tackling child poverty.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions the Department has had with relevant stakeholders in Northumberland to ensure parents have accessible information regarding the available safeguarding for extracurricular activities.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is committed to safeguarding children across all education settings, including extracurricular providers outside the statutory education and childcare system, referred to as out-of-school settings (OOSS). Local authorities are legally responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare all children in their area, regardless of the education setting they attend.

All OOSS have a legal duty of care to ensure the safety of children attending their settings. The department has published guidance for:

• Parents and careers – this outlines the safeguarding standards providers should have in place.
• Local authorities – to support them to meet their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area.

The ‘Early education and childcare’ guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-childcare--2/early-education-and-childcare-effective-from-1-april-2025, and applies to:

• The duty on local authorities to secure sufficient childcare for parents to enable them to work or undertake education or training which could assist them to obtain work, including wraparound care (Part B).
• The provision of information, advice and assistance to parents (Part C).
• The provision of information, advice and training to childcare providers (Part D).

Whilst the department believes most out-of-school settings offer enriching education in a safe environment, we want this to be true for all. That is why the government held a call for evidence regarding sector safeguarding practices and invited views on approaches for further strengthening safeguarding, including potential regulation. This closed on 21 September and analysis is ongoing. We will respond in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions the Department has had with relevant stakeholders in the Hexham constituency to ensure parents have accessible information regarding the available safeguarding for extracurricular activities.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is committed to safeguarding children across all education settings, including extracurricular providers outside the statutory education and childcare system, referred to as out-of-school settings (OOSS). Local authorities are legally responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare all children in their area, regardless of the education setting they attend.

All OOSS have a legal duty of care to ensure the safety of children attending their settings. The department has published guidance for:

• Parents and careers – this outlines the safeguarding standards providers should have in place.
• Local authorities – to support them to meet their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area.

The ‘Early education and childcare’ guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-childcare--2/early-education-and-childcare-effective-from-1-april-2025, and applies to:

• The duty on local authorities to secure sufficient childcare for parents to enable them to work or undertake education or training which could assist them to obtain work, including wraparound care (Part B).
• The provision of information, advice and assistance to parents (Part C).
• The provision of information, advice and training to childcare providers (Part D).

Whilst the department believes most out-of-school settings offer enriching education in a safe environment, we want this to be true for all. That is why the government held a call for evidence regarding sector safeguarding practices and invited views on approaches for further strengthening safeguarding, including potential regulation. This closed on 21 September and analysis is ongoing. We will respond in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions the Department has had with relevant stakeholders in the North East to ensure parents have accessible information regarding the available safeguarding for extracurricular activities.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is committed to safeguarding children across all education settings, including extracurricular providers outside the statutory education and childcare system, referred to as out-of-school settings (OOSS). Local authorities are legally responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare all children in their area, regardless of the education setting they attend.

All OOSS have a legal duty of care to ensure the safety of children attending their settings. The department has published guidance for:

• Parents and careers – this outlines the safeguarding standards providers should have in place.
• Local authorities – to support them to meet their responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area.

The ‘Early education and childcare’ guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-childcare--2/early-education-and-childcare-effective-from-1-april-2025, and applies to:

• The duty on local authorities to secure sufficient childcare for parents to enable them to work or undertake education or training which could assist them to obtain work, including wraparound care (Part B).
• The provision of information, advice and assistance to parents (Part C).
• The provision of information, advice and training to childcare providers (Part D).

Whilst the department believes most out-of-school settings offer enriching education in a safe environment, we want this to be true for all. That is why the government held a call for evidence regarding sector safeguarding practices and invited views on approaches for further strengthening safeguarding, including potential regulation. This closed on 21 September and analysis is ongoing. We will respond in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Department has made of the potential merits of continuing the use of Education, Health and Care Plans to support children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities with a guaranteed right to support in the North East.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

This government inherited a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system that has failed to meet the needs of families for too long.

The department’s priority is improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND so they get every chance to achieve and thrive in their education, no matter where they are in the country.

We are continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children and young people get the outcomes and life chances they deserve. The government's approach to SEND reform will be set out in a Schools White Paper, which will be published in the new year.

There will always be a legal right to additional support for children and young people with SEND. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has also set out our principles for SEND reform in her letter to the Chair of the Education Select Committee.