Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to implement recommendation 1 of the Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel national review into safeguarding children with disabilities and complex needs in residential settings, published in October 2022.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s recommendations for safeguarding children with disabilities and complex health needs in residential settings were set out in their phase 2 report published in April 2023. Recommendation 1 concerned the provision of specialist non-instructed advocacy services.
The department is determined to improve the provision of advocacy services. We will publish updated statutory guidance on the provision of effective advocacy services under the Children Act 1989 and updated national standards for children’s advocacy services, later this year. The latter will include a new standard on non-instructed advocacy for children with complex needs and learning disabilities and new requirements for advocacy services in the safeguarding of children.
The government set out this information, including its commitment to publishing revised National Standards on Children’s Advocacy, in the report ‘Tackling child sexual abuse: progress update’ which was published on 8 April 2025 and is available on the government’s website.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Growth and Skills Levy effectively reduces skills gaps identified by Skills England.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Rochester and Strood to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 39389.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of funding through the growth and skills levy will employers be able to spend on non-apprenticeship training.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Rochester and Strood to the answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 40142.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken to publish guidance on funding rules and criteria for the Growth and Skills Levy on the number of apprenticeship starts in the 2025-26 academic year.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The apprenticeship funding rules for the 2025/2026 academic year were published on 15 May 2025 on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-funding-rules-2025-to-2026.
These include guidance for employers and providers on the growth and skills offer, including on foundation and shorter duration apprenticeships. All apprenticeships starting on or after 1 August 2025 will be subject to these rules unless otherwise specified.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to provide guidance to (a) providers and (b) employers on the growth and skills levy.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The apprenticeship funding rules for the 2025/2026 academic year were published on 15 May 2025 on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-funding-rules-2025-to-2026.
These include guidance for employers and providers on the growth and skills offer, including on foundation and shorter duration apprenticeships. All apprenticeships starting on or after 1 August 2025 will be subject to these rules unless otherwise specified.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to share data between Departments on matters that affect trends in the level of the cost of living.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government has set out a Plan for Change, outlining our ambitious yet achievable milestones, including raising living standards in every part of the United Kingdom to ensure working people have more money in their pockets.
The Government is working to ensure that public sector data is fit for purpose, trusted, ethically managed, and reused for the public good with robust safeguards for privacy, regardless of the individual departmental source.
Cabinet Office ministers are actively working with ministerial colleagues in other departments to encourage data sharing to support the delivery of the Government’s Plan for Change.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether she plans to provide (a) additional (i) funding and (ii) other resources and (b) guidance on risk management in larger authorities.
Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 5 February I formally invited unitary proposals from all the councils in two tier areas and their neighbouring small unitaries. It is for councils to develop robust and sustainable proposals that are in the best interests of their whole area. Local government reorganisation is a complex process, and we are at the beginning of this journey. We will continue to reset the relationship and work in partnership with the sector to ensure they receive the necessary support as we work together to deliver this ambitious agenda. Councils need our full backing and support to drive these changes forward and this government is acutely aware of the difficult financial situation facing all councils. On 24 March I announced that £7.6 million will be made available in the form of local government reorganisation proposal development contributions, to be split across these 21 areas, and I will provide further information on how this is to be allocated shortly.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
What steps he is taking to work with his European counterparts on cross-border energy projects to achieve clean power in the UK by 2030.
Answered by Kerry McCarthy - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Cross-border cooperation with our European neighbours is vital for our energy security. Through the government’s wider reset of relations with Europe we have strengthened our relationship with key partners, and will work together to secure our safety, security and prosperity.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, when she plans to communicate decisions on unitary structures.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 5th February 2025 I formally invited unitary proposals from all the councils in two tier areas and their neighbouring small unitaries. In this invitation I set out the timelines for the submission of proposals for each area.
Once proposals have been submitted it will be for the government to decide on taking a proposal forward to consult on as required by statute. We will take a phased approach, and expect that Government will take decisions on proposals between summer 2025 and spring 2026, ahead of delivering new unitary authorities in April 2027 and 2028.
Asked by: Lauren Edwards (Labour - Rochester and Strood)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how existing local authority third party contracts for the new unitary authorities with end dates beyond the proposed vesting dates will be managed, in the context of her proposals for local government reorganisation.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The potential impact of local government reorganisation on individual areas will be a matter for local councils to consider as they develop their proposals for reorganisation. It is essential that councils developing proposals for reorganisation continue to deliver their business-as-usual services and duties, which remain unchanged up until such time as the reorganisation process is complete. This duty may include arrangements around third party contracts that deliver or support the delivery of statutory services.
Until a decision about any new councils is made and legislation is in place councils are encouraged to consider voluntary arrangements to help balance the decisions needed now to maintain service delivery and ensure value for money for council taxpayers, with those key decisions that will affect the future success of any new councils in the area.