Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of recent changes to the Functional Skills Level 2 English exam on students with autism and other learning disabilities.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Reformed mathematics and English Functional Skills qualifications (FSQs) were introduced for first teaching from September 2019. As is standard practice, the department worked alongside Ofqual to evaluate the reforms in 2023. The department’s evaluation of FSQs found that the content of the qualifications is continuing to meet the needs of employers and learners. Ofqual’s concurrent evaluation found that the assessments are appropriate against this content but that awarding organisations need to make improvements in some areas, which the regulator is acting on.

Ofqual’s evaluation did hear reports of a lack of understanding around the availability and application of reasonable adjustments, and in some cases providers reported that students were not able to access appropriate reasonable adjustments. The regulator has considered this stakeholder feedback as part of a wider review of awarding organisations’ application of reasonable adjustments in vocational and technical qualifications, with a view to improving their practice.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has considered potential options to support people whose theory tests have expired while waiting for availability for practical tests.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

It is important that road safety knowledge and hazard perception skills are up to date at the critical point a person drives unsupervised for the first time.

The maximum duration of two years between passing the theory test and a subsequent practical test is in place to ensure that customers’ road safety knowledge and ability to identify developing hazards is current. This validity period is set in legislation, and the Government has no current plans to lay further legislation to extend it.

Ensuring learner drivers have current relevant knowledge and skills is a vital part of the learning to drive process as casualties on our roads are disproportionately new drivers. Learners therefore need to pass another theory test if their two-year theory test certificate expires.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is taking to remind motorists when their vehicle tax is due for renewal.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency sends renewal reminders around three weeks in advance of expiry to remind and encourage vehicle keepers to renew their Vehicle Excise Duty on time.

Vehicle keepers who have a Driver and Vehicles Account can also choose to receive email or text reminders. These are issued up to 21 days in advance of the Vehicle Excise Duty expiring. If the vehicle is not relicensed further emails or texts are sent seven days before expiry, on the day of expiry, and one day after expiry.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2024 to Question 7546 on Children: Hygiene, what discussions she has had with (a) school leaders and (b) local authorities on the impact of uniform hygiene on children; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of publishing practical guidance for schools on this matter.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving the life chances for every child. For too many children, living in poverty robs them of the opportunity to learn and to prosper.

A new Ministerial Taskforce, led by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has begun work on a child poverty strategy.

This taskforce will harness all available levers to drive forward short-term and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty, with a child poverty strategy published later this spring. Additional information regarding this strategy is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-child-poverty-developing-our-strategy/tackling-child-poverty-developing-our-strategy-html.

It is important that all children can attend school in a clean, affordable uniform. School leaders are well placed to manage uniform standards, including hygiene.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle (a) inter-pupil and (b) pupil on teacher violence.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

All pupils and staff should feel safe and protected at school, and nobody should face violence or abuse. The department will always support our hard-working teachers to ensure they can work in safe and calm classrooms. All school employers, including trusts, have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees.

To prevent the most serious cases, we have invested in specialist support in both mainstream and alternative provision (AP) schools in the areas in England where serious violence most impacts the community. The taskforces work with schools and APs to improve attendance, behaviour and wellbeing, and to reduce serious violence.

In order to give teachers confidence in responding to the rare cases of violence, the department is now consulting on the revised update to the 2013 ‘Use of reasonable force’ guidance, which aims to help schools proactively minimise the need to use reasonable force and other restrictive interventions through early support, prevention and de-escalation strategies.

While the department expects schools to take immediate and robust action if incidents of violence occur, any decision on how to sanction the pupil involved is a matter for the school.

In the most serious cases, suspensions and permanent exclusion may be necessary to ensure that teachers and pupils are protected from disruption and to maintain safe, calm environments. Should the incident constitute a criminal offence, the school should report it to the police.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) engage healthcare professionals in the early diagnosis and treatment of facial palsy and (b) support patients in the days following a facial palsy diagnosis.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The provision of care and management for people with facial palsy, also known as Bell’s palsy, is the responsibility of general practices, under local integrated care boards.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced a clinical knowledge summary on Bell’s palsy, last revised in February 2023, which provides primary care practitioners with a readily accessible summary of the current evidence base and practical advice on best practice for Bell’s palsy. This clinical knowledge summary is available on the NICE’s website, at the following link:

https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/bells-palsy/

Our 10-Year Health Plan will consider what actions are needed to improve patient access and reduce waiting times for patients, including those with facial or Bell’s palsy, by setting out a bold agenda to deliver on the big shifts needed, including the shift from the hospital to the community.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the establishment of the National Centre for Arts and Music Education will improve the UK's creative industries; and what outcomes she expects that initiative to produce for young people.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

On 18 March, the department announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education. A key part of the National Centre’s role will be helping schools maximise the opportunities available with and through the cultural sector, through partnerships and relationships, which both schools and cultural providers tell us is needed.

The department’s intention is to launch the National Centre in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. Further details will be released in due course.

The creative industries grew by 35.4% between 2020 and 2023, which is approximately 1.5 times the 22.3% growth rate that the UK economy experienced during the equivalent period. In 2023, the creative industries contributed over £124 billion to the economy, accounting for approximately 5.2% of the UK’s total gross value added. By widening access to a high quality arts education, the National Centre will not only enrich our children’s lives, but also support a globally respected creative economy by opening up and encouraging career paths to a new generation of musicians, artists, film-makers and creatives.

In addition to the National Centre, the department announced the intention to develop an Enrichment Framework to support schools to offer pupils high quality creative and other extracurricular activities. We will work closely on this with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, in collaboration with a panel of experts. We have committed to publishing the new Enrichment Framework by the end of 2025. Further details will be released in due course.

The government has committed £79 million per year funding for the Music Hubs programme over the last three academic years, from 2022/23 to 2024/25, and a total of £25 million capital funding for musical instruments from academic year 2024/25. Future funding for the Music Hubs programme and National Centre is subject to the ongoing spending review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve partnerships between schools and cultural providers through the National Centre for Arts and Music Education.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

On 18 March, the department announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education. A key part of the National Centre’s role will be helping schools maximise the opportunities available with and through the cultural sector, through partnerships and relationships, which both schools and cultural providers tell us is needed.

The department’s intention is to launch the National Centre in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. Further details will be released in due course.

The creative industries grew by 35.4% between 2020 and 2023, which is approximately 1.5 times the 22.3% growth rate that the UK economy experienced during the equivalent period. In 2023, the creative industries contributed over £124 billion to the economy, accounting for approximately 5.2% of the UK’s total gross value added. By widening access to a high quality arts education, the National Centre will not only enrich our children’s lives, but also support a globally respected creative economy by opening up and encouraging career paths to a new generation of musicians, artists, film-makers and creatives.

In addition to the National Centre, the department announced the intention to develop an Enrichment Framework to support schools to offer pupils high quality creative and other extracurricular activities. We will work closely on this with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, in collaboration with a panel of experts. We have committed to publishing the new Enrichment Framework by the end of 2025. Further details will be released in due course.

The government has committed £79 million per year funding for the Music Hubs programme over the last three academic years, from 2022/23 to 2024/25, and a total of £25 million capital funding for musical instruments from academic year 2024/25. Future funding for the Music Hubs programme and National Centre is subject to the ongoing spending review.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he has taken to help manage work required to meet EPC level C for houses of multiple occupancy.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government is now consulting on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation sets out proposals on the maximum spend required from landlords and the exemptions regime to manage the cost burden placed on landlords and the impact on the rental market. We are considering how we can best support landlords to meet the new standards and welcome responses from landlords to the consultation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has awarded to Hub Lead Organisations through the (a) revenue and (b) capital grant in the last three years; and whether she plans to provide additional funding for music hubs until the launch of the National Centre for Arts and Music Education.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

On 18 March, the department announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education. A key part of the National Centre’s role will be helping schools maximise the opportunities available with and through the cultural sector, through partnerships and relationships, which both schools and cultural providers tell us is needed.

The department’s intention is to launch the National Centre in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. Further details will be released in due course.

The creative industries grew by 35.4% between 2020 and 2023, which is approximately 1.5 times the 22.3% growth rate that the UK economy experienced during the equivalent period. In 2023, the creative industries contributed over £124 billion to the economy, accounting for approximately 5.2% of the UK’s total gross value added. By widening access to a high quality arts education, the National Centre will not only enrich our children’s lives, but also support a globally respected creative economy by opening up and encouraging career paths to a new generation of musicians, artists, film-makers and creatives.

In addition to the National Centre, the department announced the intention to develop an Enrichment Framework to support schools to offer pupils high quality creative and other extracurricular activities. We will work closely on this with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, in collaboration with a panel of experts. We have committed to publishing the new Enrichment Framework by the end of 2025. Further details will be released in due course.

The government has committed £79 million per year funding for the Music Hubs programme over the last three academic years, from 2022/23 to 2024/25, and a total of £25 million capital funding for musical instruments from academic year 2024/25. Future funding for the Music Hubs programme and National Centre is subject to the ongoing spending review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for the completion of the Enrichment Framework for the National Centre for Arts and Music Education.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

On 18 March, the department announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education. A key part of the National Centre’s role will be helping schools maximise the opportunities available with and through the cultural sector, through partnerships and relationships, which both schools and cultural providers tell us is needed.

The department’s intention is to launch the National Centre in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. Further details will be released in due course.

The creative industries grew by 35.4% between 2020 and 2023, which is approximately 1.5 times the 22.3% growth rate that the UK economy experienced during the equivalent period. In 2023, the creative industries contributed over £124 billion to the economy, accounting for approximately 5.2% of the UK’s total gross value added. By widening access to a high quality arts education, the National Centre will not only enrich our children’s lives, but also support a globally respected creative economy by opening up and encouraging career paths to a new generation of musicians, artists, film-makers and creatives.

In addition to the National Centre, the department announced the intention to develop an Enrichment Framework to support schools to offer pupils high quality creative and other extracurricular activities. We will work closely on this with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, in collaboration with a panel of experts. We have committed to publishing the new Enrichment Framework by the end of 2025. Further details will be released in due course.

The government has committed £79 million per year funding for the Music Hubs programme over the last three academic years, from 2022/23 to 2024/25, and a total of £25 million capital funding for musical instruments from academic year 2024/25. Future funding for the Music Hubs programme and National Centre is subject to the ongoing spending review.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) trust and (b) accountability on staff complaints in NHS organisations; and what steps he is taking to prevent (i) discrimination and (ii) bullying in the NHS.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

National Health Service staff should have the confidence to speak out and come forward if they have concerns. There is support in place for staff who wish to raise concerns, including a network of more than 1,200 local Freedom to Speak Up Guardians across healthcare in England, whose role it is to help and support NHS workers. In November 2024, the Department launched a consultation on options for regulating NHS managers, with the aim of improving leadership quality and accountability. This will help ensure that the NHS has strong and effective leadership in place, and that leaders and managers are held accountable for their practise.

Discrimination and bullying are unacceptable in any workplace and have no place in the NHS. All employers across the NHS should have robust policies in place on how these behaviours should be handled, and what support should be made available to staff.

In June 2023, NHS England published their Equality Diversity and Inclusion Improvement Plan, which set out a series of High Impact Actions, including the requirement for NHS organisations to review data by protected characteristics on bullying, harassment, discrimination, and violence, and to develop plans to improve staff experience. NHS England has also developed an NHS Civility and Respect programme to tackle bullying and harassment in the NHS, and to create a culture of civility and respect.

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jess Brown-Fuller; Jonathan Davies; Mary Glindon

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Bob Blackman (Chair); Jess Brown-Fuller; Jonathan Davies; Mary Glindon

Found: Hopkins Vice-President of the Secondary Care Network - Emma Jenkinson National Treasurer - Jonathan Davies

Found: Alexander Phillips, Policy & Advocacy Specialist WWF Cymru (representing Wales Environment Link) Dr Jonathan Davies