Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) businesses and (b) charities that provide activities for children with SEND.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department provides funding to deliver £24 million worth of grants each year to provide support to low-income families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people. We have also funded innovative grants that promote best practice for delivering services for short breaks.
To support young people aged 16 to 24 with an education, health and care plan to secure and sustain employment, we are continuing to invest in supported internships by providing up to £12 million to March 2026. This funding will support local authorities to sustain their special educational needs and disabilities Employment Forums, training on employer engagement and training for job coaches. Indicative data from local authorities shows we reached our previous target of doubling the number of supported internships to 4,500 per year and our continued support will enable areas to sustain this.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to review how attendance at schools is recorded for students who have been transferred to another school.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Once a pupil has been transferred to another school, their name is deleted from both the admission and attendance registers.
The ’Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets out the process clearly for schools in paragraphs 222-224. The guidance was drawn up following full public consultation and can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdf.
This guidance explains the legal process set out in Regulation 9(1)(a) of The School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024, which can be accessed here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2024/208/regulation/9/made.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to support medical students with the cost of living.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54621.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of local authority funded early years places for children with SEND under the age of 9 months.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not fund places for children under the age of nine months. This is because the earliest a child can take up their government-funded place is the term after a child turns nine months old.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding her Department is providing to early years providers to help meet increases in staffing costs.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 42009.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
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 increase in (a) business rates and (b) employer National Insurance contributions on the early years sector.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 42009.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the long-term development of (a) speech, (b) language and (c) social skills for early years children.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Substantial work has been conducted on the impact of the pandemic on child development and the department recognises the impact of the pandemic on critical speech, language and social skills.
That is why, as part of the early years education recovery programme, the department provided funding of over £20 million to deliver Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI), which is an evidence-based programme for children needing extra support with their speech and language development.
The department is also continuing to improve access to speech and language therapy by funding the Early Language and Support for Every Child pathfinder project, in partnership with NHS England. This programme aims to improve capacity and knowledge among the workforce who support children in early years and school settings with mild to moderate speech, language and communication needs, by utilising therapy support assistants.
In addition, the department has launched some online child development training, which includes modules dedicated to supporting children’s personal, social and emotional development and early language. More information on the training can be found here: https://child-development-training.education.gov.uk/.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to incorporate financial literacy as a mandatory component of GCSE qualifications.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to include digital financial literacy in the national curriculum.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support teachers in teaching financial education in schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.