Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to confirm Sports Premium funding for 2026-27.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for York Outer to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115304.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure equitable access to cochlear implant services across England.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that primary schools offer a broad range of after school clubs.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people across England can access a variety of enrichment opportunities at school, including after school clubs, as part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity. A new Enrichment Framework will be published this academic year. It will set out benchmarks to help schools and colleges plan high-quality enrichment more strategically, with case studies and signposting to tools and resources. The framework will support schools to provide accessible and inclusive enrichment opportunities to those less likely to participate, such as pupils on free school meals.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that road safety measures in the vicinity of primary schools are given a priority status within (a) national transport policy and (b) guidance to local authorities.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Road safety around schools is a priority for the Government, particularly the safety of children travelling to and from school.

Protection for children is not limited to the immediate school frontage; national transport policy focuses on improving safety along the whole journeys commonly made by children and young people, including routes to school. This approach includes the use of 20 mph limits where appropriate, alongside safer crossing facilities, traffic calming measures, School Streets schemes, enforcement, and school travel planning. The Government supports delivery of these measures through national funding, including £7.3 billion of capital funding for local highway maintenance between 2026–27 and 2029–30, which local authorities can use to maintain and improve their road networks, including roads in the vicinity of schools.

Active Travel England (ATE) encourages authorities to consider a range of walking and cycling schemes to deal with local needs, including active travel to school. The Department for Transport and ATE have developed and published specific guidance on how to develop an effective School Streets scheme. School Streets can improve the experiences of a school’s pupils, staff, visitors, and neighbours alike at peak school arrival and departure times.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the Student Loans Company is operationally effective.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure that national guidance on traffic flow and speed does not inhibit local authorities from installing zebra crossings outside primary schools.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department does not set mandatory criteria for the installation of zebra crossings. Local authorities are best placed to decide whether a zebra crossing is appropriate, including outside primary schools, taking into account local traffic conditions, vehicle speeds and patterns of pedestrian movement.

The Department provides national good practice guidance in Chapter 6 of the Traffic Signs Manual, which includes advice on the assessment and design of pedestrian crossings. This is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual

Chapter 6 is guidance and it is for authorities to consider how to apply it to their own roads.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to encourage more zebra crossings near primary schools.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department does not set mandatory criteria for the installation of zebra crossings. Local authorities are best placed to decide whether a zebra crossing is appropriate, including outside primary schools, taking into account local traffic conditions, vehicle speeds and patterns of pedestrian movement.

The Department provides national good practice guidance in Chapter 6 of the Traffic Signs Manual, which includes advice on the assessment and design of pedestrian crossings. This is available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-signs-manual

Chapter 6 is guidance and it is for authorities to consider how to apply it to their own roads.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that commissioning policies for bilateral cochlear implants for adults take account of individuals who experienced inadequate access to cochlear implantation during childhood.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure safeguarding standards and accountability are applied consistently across all types of schools.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department ensures effective oversight where safeguarding concerns are raised about independent schools.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of artificial intelligence usage in schools on safeguarding.

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

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps the Government is taking to encourage civil servants to serve as reservists in the Armed Forces.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

It has not proved possible to respond to the Hon Member in the time available before Prorogation

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department will consider introducing a supported entry pathway into PIP and Work Capability Assessment roles for newly qualified nurses.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department keeps its approach to recruitment for Personal Independence Payment and Work Capability Assessment health professionals (HPs) under continuous review, to ensure it supports high-quality, safe and consistent assessments for claimants.

At present, all HPs undertaking these assessments are required to meet established professional standards, hold current registration and have relevant post-registration clinical experience. These requirements are in place to ensure assessments are carried out safely, and that quality, audit and assurance standards are met.

Any changes to entry requirements would need to demonstrate that HPs are suitably qualified and experienced to undertake assessments effectively, without compromising the safety of claimants or the integrity of the assessment process.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether there are plans to review the NHS medical exemption criteria for prescription charges, and assess the merits of adding asthma to the medical exemption list.

Answered by Preet Kaur Gill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government currently has no plans to review or amend the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate.