Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to (a) reduce the number of unnecessary Education, Health and Care panels and (b) speed up the production of Education, Health and Care Plans.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

This government is committed to strengthening the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system for all children and young people to ensure they receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Parents have struggled to get their children the support they need and deserve, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes.

The department wants to ensure that EHC needs assessments are progressed promptly and plans are issued quickly in order to provide children and young people with the support they need to help them achieve positive outcomes.

The department continues to monitor and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we help the local authority to identify the barriers and put in place an effective plan to improve delivery. This includes, where needed, securing specialist SEND adviser support to help identify the barriers to EHC plan process timeliness and put in place practical plans for recovery.

The department is working closely with experts on reform, including a Strategic Advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families as we consider next steps.

The department has also listened to parents, local authority colleagues, and partners across education, health and social care and is considering carefully how to address and improve the experience of the EHC plan process for families and reflecting on what practice could or should be made consistent nationally.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the successful applicants to secondary teacher training for Religious Education received a Subject Knowledge Enhancement grant in each month since September 2022 .

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The below tables show the number of candidates who received a religious education (RE) subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) grant in each month since October 2022.

The previous government took the decision to cut funding for RE SKEs from April 2024 alongside four other subjects. The department currently offers SKE support in five secondary subjects: chemistry, computing, mathematics, modern languages and physics. The department will continue to explore our options for delivery of SKE training in future academic years to ensure that our funding supports courses in the subjects where these courses are most needed.

SKE courses in RE by month

Initial teacher training (ITT) census data shows there were 269 new entrants to postgraduate ITT courses in RE in the 2023/24 academic year. Therefore, the department estimates 32% of all new postgraduate entrants in RE in the 2023/24 academic year undertook a SKE prior to commencing ITT.

ITT census data shows there were 462 new entrants to postgraduate ITT courses in RE in the 2024/25 academic year. We therefore estimate 27% of all new postgraduate entrants in RE in the 2024/25 academic year undertook a SKE prior to commencing ITT.

This government inherited a system with critical shortages of teachers, with numbers not keeping pace with demographic changes. Financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply, which is why the department has announced an initial teacher training financial incentives package for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle worth £233 million, which is a £37 million increase on the last cycle. This includes the reintroduction of a £10,000 tax free bursary to encourage prospective trainees to teach RE.

​​The department has also expanded its ‘School Teacher Recruitment’ marketing campaign which inspires and attracts candidates to consider a career in teaching, including RE. It promotes the profession and directs people to the ‘Get Into Teaching’ service, which exists to make teaching a career of choice and supports candidates to apply for teacher training in the most effective and efficient way possible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to (a) reintroduce a Subject Knowledge Enhancement Grant for Religious Education (RE) and (b) increase recruitment of teachers of RE more broadly.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The below tables show the number of candidates who received a religious education (RE) subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) grant in each month since October 2022.

The previous government took the decision to cut funding for RE SKEs from April 2024 alongside four other subjects. The department currently offers SKE support in five secondary subjects: chemistry, computing, mathematics, modern languages and physics. The department will continue to explore our options for delivery of SKE training in future academic years to ensure that our funding supports courses in the subjects where these courses are most needed.

SKE courses in RE by month

Initial teacher training (ITT) census data shows there were 269 new entrants to postgraduate ITT courses in RE in the 2023/24 academic year. Therefore, the department estimates 32% of all new postgraduate entrants in RE in the 2023/24 academic year undertook a SKE prior to commencing ITT.

ITT census data shows there were 462 new entrants to postgraduate ITT courses in RE in the 2024/25 academic year. We therefore estimate 27% of all new postgraduate entrants in RE in the 2024/25 academic year undertook a SKE prior to commencing ITT.

This government inherited a system with critical shortages of teachers, with numbers not keeping pace with demographic changes. Financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply, which is why the department has announced an initial teacher training financial incentives package for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle worth £233 million, which is a £37 million increase on the last cycle. This includes the reintroduction of a £10,000 tax free bursary to encourage prospective trainees to teach RE.

​​The department has also expanded its ‘School Teacher Recruitment’ marketing campaign which inspires and attracts candidates to consider a career in teaching, including RE. It promotes the profession and directs people to the ‘Get Into Teaching’ service, which exists to make teaching a career of choice and supports candidates to apply for teacher training in the most effective and efficient way possible.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department plans to introduce a Cancer Care Plan for (a) children and (b) young people.

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

We are committed to getting the National Health Service diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster, so that more children and young people survive, and we will improve the experience of young cancer patients across the system.

That’s why on 4 February 2025 we relaunched the Children and Young People Cancer Taskforce to identify tangible ways to improve outcomes and experiences for children and young people with cancer. The taskforce will explore opportunities for improvement across detection and diagnosis, genomic testing and treatment, research and innovation, and patient experience

The taskforce will ensure that the unique needs of children and young people with cancer are carefully considered as part of the National Cancer Plan, due for publication in the second half of 2025.

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 help reduce delays in accessing cancer treatment in South Warwickshire.

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

The Department is committed to reducing waiting times for cancer treatment and improving access to treatment across England, including in South Warwickshire. We will achieve this by delivering an extra 40,000 operations, scans, and appointments each week, as the first step to ensuring early diagnosis and faster treatment.
The National Cancer Plan will include further details on how we will improve outcomes for cancer patients, as well as speeding up diagnosis and access to treatment. Furthermore, it will ensure that patients have access to the latest treatments and technology. These actions will help bring this country’s cancer survival rates back up to the standards of the best in the world.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the UK copyright framework in tackling AI-generated content that infringes upon copyright protections.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

AI generated content will infringe copyright in the UK if it reproduces a substantial part of a protected work unless a copyright exception applies.

The Government’s consultation on Copyright and AI, which closed on 25^th February, covered a range of topics including copyright enforcement for infringing AI outputs.

Our priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of recruiting people with experience of raising children into child protection roles.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department recognises the importance of recruiting individuals with a range of skills, knowledge and lived experiences into child protection roles. While formal qualifications and specialist training are essential for safeguarding children effectively, we acknowledge that personal experience of raising children can offer valuable insights into the challenges children and families face.

Through initiatives such as the Step Up to Social Work and Approach Social Work programmes, as well as apprenticeships, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, the department aims to attract talented individuals from diverse backgrounds and with a range of life experience into the social work profession.

Local authorities and social work employers have flexibility in their recruitment approaches and may consider a candidate’s personal experience as a complement to their professional expertise.

The statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children 2023’ sets out clear multi-agency child protection practice standards and expectations for all practitioners working to help, protect and promote the welfare of children, whatever their personal and professional backgrounds.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if he will take steps to ensure that the responsibility for preventing intellectual property infringement by AI systems falls to AI companies rather than creators.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government’s consultation on Copyright and AI, which sought views on proposals for a new regulatory model for text and data mining, has closed. Our priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response.

Copying material protected by copyright in the UK remains an infringement unless it is licensed or an exception to copyright applies.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that social workers receive adequate training to (a) recognise and (b) investigate cases where children may be at risk of harm.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Provision of continuous professional development for employed social workers is a matter for their employer. The regulator for the social work profession, Social Work England, sets the professional standards which all social workers must meet. These include recognising the risk indicators of different forms of abuse and neglect and their impact on people, their families and their support networks. Social workers complete initial education and training courses which are approved by the regulator against the education and training standards. Course providers must update and design their courses as a result of developments in research, legislation, government policy and best practice.

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 ADHD patients' Right to Choose is protected.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to patients having the right to choose their provider when referred to consultant-led treatment, or to a mental health professional, for their first appointment as an outpatient. A patients right to choose is set out in legislation. Further information on the choices available for patients can be found on the NHS Choice framework, which is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-choice-framework

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to issue guidance on the tax treatment of payments received under the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme; and what progress the joint working group has made on that issue.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has established the joint HMT/HMRC working group with industry representatives to identify solutions that provide clarity on the tax treatment of ecosystem service markets, including the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme. The work of the group is currently ongoing.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of an opt-out for AI and copyright on (a) visual artists sharing their works online and (b) museums and galleries displaying artists’ works.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government’s consultation on Copyright and AI, which sought views on proposals to support the development and use of AI technology while continuing to reward human creators, has just closed

The Government published an assessment of options alongside the consultation. Further information and evidence on the economic impact of the use of AI models on visual artists and the wider creative and cultural heritage sector was welcomed as part of the consultation.

Our priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that visual artists can identify (a) when and (b) from where their work has been ingested by operators of web crawlers and general-purpose artificial intelligence models.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government’s consultation on Copyright and AI has just closed. This included a proposal to require AI model developers to be more transparent about how they obtain their training material, whether from web crawlers or other forms of training for AI models.

The proposals would enable right holders to reserve their rights, so they can prevent the use of their content to train AI models in the UK.

Our priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to take steps to ensure that visual artists with limited financial means and technical know-how can determine (a) whether and (b) how their works have been used by AI firms.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Government’s consultation on Copyright and AI has just closed. This included a proposal to require AI model developers to be more transparent about how they obtain their training material, whether from web crawlers and other forms of training for AI models.

Any new framework would need to work effectively for both individual creators, such as visual artists with limited financial means and technical know-how, and larger rights holders, as well as AI developers.

Our priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to make a decision on the future of the Adoption Support Fund.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Stratford-upon-Avon to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will issue guidance to (a) GP practices and (b) Integrated Care Boards on shared care agreements for ADHD patients diagnosed privately in line with NICE guidelines.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

General practitioners (GPs) are independent contractors that provide services within the National Health Service. The General Medical Council (GMC) has published the guidance, Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices content. This includes guidance on shared care arrangements between a specialist service and the patient’s GP to help GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities for any condition. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/good-practice-in-prescribing-and-managing-medicines-and-devices/shared-care

NHS clinicians need to be content that any prescriptions, or referrals for treatment, are clinically appropriate. The British Medical Association has issued guidance, underpinned by the GMC guidance, which outlines that shared care with private providers is not recommended due to the general NHS constitution principle of keeping as clear a separation as possible between private and NHS care. Shared care may be appropriate where private providers are providing commissioned NHS services and where appropriate shared care arrangements are in place. All shared care arrangements are voluntary, so even where agreements are in place, practices can decline shared care requests on clinical and capacity grounds.

If a shared care arrangement cannot be put in place after the treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician; this applies to both NHS and private medical care.

We are supporting a cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has established to look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD including timely access to services and support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is he taking to ensure that individuals diagnosed with ADHD by private specialists can access NHS treatment.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

General practitioners (GPs) are independent contractors that provide services within the National Health Service. The General Medical Council (GMC) has published the guidance, Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices content. This includes guidance on shared care arrangements between a specialist service and the patient’s GP to help GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities for any condition. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/good-practice-in-prescribing-and-managing-medicines-and-devices/shared-care

NHS clinicians need to be content that any prescriptions, or referrals for treatment, are clinically appropriate. The British Medical Association has issued guidance, underpinned by the GMC guidance, which outlines that shared care with private providers is not recommended due to the general NHS constitution principle of keeping as clear a separation as possible between private and NHS care. Shared care may be appropriate where private providers are providing commissioned NHS services and where appropriate shared care arrangements are in place. All shared care arrangements are voluntary, so even where agreements are in place, practices can decline shared care requests on clinical and capacity grounds.

If a shared care arrangement cannot be put in place after the treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician; this applies to both NHS and private medical care.

We are supporting a cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has established to look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD including timely access to services and support.

Own Books and World Book Day

Future of the adoption and special guardianship support fund

Building consensus on a pathway to spending 3% of GDP on defence

Community pharmacies

Mobile phone usage in schools

Covid-19 Day of Reflection 2025

Changes to Overseas Development Assistance

Found: Hykeham) Amanda Martin (Labour; Portsmouth North) Darren Paffey (Labour; Southampton Itchen) Manuela Perteghella

Found: : Helen Hayes (Chair); Jess Asato; Mrs Sureena Brackenridge; Amanda Martin; Darren Paffey; Manuela Perteghella

Found: Members present: Helen Hayes (Chair); Jess Asato; Mrs Sureena Brackenridge; Darren Paffey; Manuela Perteghella

Found: Chamberlain James MacCleary Liz Jarvis Munira Wilson Caroline Voaden Helen Maguire Tessa Munt Manuela Perteghella

Found: NC16 _NC1 Helen Hayes Jess Asato Caroline Voaden Mark Sewards Mrs Sureena Brackenridge Manuela Perteghella

Found: Daisy Cooper Clive Jones Wendy Chamberlain Liz Jarvis Freddie van Mierlo Mike Martin Manuela Perteghella

Found: Daisy Cooper Clive Jones Wendy Chamberlain Liz Jarvis Freddie van Mierlo Mike Martin Manuela Perteghella

Found: NC14 _NC1 Helen Hayes Jess Asato Caroline Voaden Mark Sewards Mrs Sureena Brackenridge Manuela Perteghella

Found: Daisy Cooper Clive Jones Wendy Chamberlain Liz Jarvis Freddie van Mierlo Mike Martin Manuela Perteghella

Found: _NC1 Helen Hayes Jess Asato Caroline Voaden Mark Sewards Mrs Sureena Brackenridge Manuela Perteghella

Found: Daisy Cooper Clive Jones Wendy Chamberlain Liz Jarvis Freddie van Mierlo Mike Martin Manuela Perteghella

Found: NC13 _NC1 Helen Hayes Jess Asato Caroline Voaden Mark Sewards Mrs Sureena Brackenridge Manuela Perteghella

Found: Daisy Cooper Clive Jones Wendy Chamberlain Liz Jarvis Freddie van Mierlo Mike Martin Manuela Perteghella

Found: _NC1 Helen Hayes Jess Asato Caroline Voaden Mark Sewards Mrs Sureena Brackenridge Manuela Perteghella

Found: Daisy Cooper Clive Jones Wendy Chamberlain Liz Jarvis Freddie van Mierlo Mike Martin Manuela Perteghella

Found: NC8 _NC1 Helen Hayes Jess Asato Caroline Voaden Mark Sewards Mrs Sureena Brackenridge Manuela Perteghella

Found: Daisy Cooper Clive Jones Wendy Chamberlain Liz Jarvis Freddie van Mierlo Mike Martin Manuela Perteghella