Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on requiring imports of (a) eggs, (b) pork and (c) fur to meet UK animal welfare standards to be permitted for (i) import and (ii) sale in the UK.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Ministers and officials meet regularly to address these important topics. The Government shares the public’s high regard for the UK’s environmental protections, food standards and animal welfare. We will promote robust standards nationally and internationally and will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage.
All agri-food products must comply with our import requirements in order to be placed on the UK market. This includes ensuring imported meat products have been slaughtered to animal welfare standards equivalent to our domestic standards.
The Government recognises the concerns about imports produced using methods not permitted in the UK. We have been clear that we will use our Trade Strategy to support economic growth and promote the highest standards of food production.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
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 social care reform supports (a) deafblind people and (b) other disabled people with complex needs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government recognises the challenges facing the adult social care system, and that people are suffering without the care they need or fighting a complicated system just to receive poor quality care.
The independent commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, will work with people who draw on care and their families, as well as sector partners, to make clear recommendations for how to rebuild the adult social care system to meet the current and future needs of the population, including for deafblind people and other disabled people with complex needs.
At the same time, we are committed to making immediate improvements. We will give disabled people more independence in their own homes through continued investment in the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), which funds practical changes that suit individual people’s needs. We have provided an uplift of £172 million across this and the last financial year, bringing the total funding for the DFG to £711 million in 2024/25 and 2025/26.
The Government understands the vital importance of coproduction, working directly with people who draw on care and support, including deafblind people and others with complex needs, to design policies that work for them to make their lives better.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that supply teachers are provided with (a) appropriate access to staff facilities, (b) induction information on school policies, and (c) safeguarding procedures.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Supply teachers perform a valuable role and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools across the country.
A supply teacher’s pay and working conditions will depend on who employs them. Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the ‘school teachers’ pay and conditions document’. If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay and conditions of employment.
Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment and deployment of their supply teachers. School leaders should ensure supply teachers are equipped with the necessary access and information to carry out their role effectively.
There is an established robust safeguarding framework in place in the form of ‘keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), which is the statutory safeguarding guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Part 1 of this guidance should be read by all staff who work directly with children and sets out the different types of abuse and harm, and supports all staff to know what signs to look out for, including how to respond to any concerns about a child.
The statutory ‘special educational needs and disability code of practice’ states that all teachers and support staff who work with the pupils with special educational needs should be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. This should also be recorded on the school’s information system.
All schools are required to have a behaviour policy that outlines effective strategies to promote good behaviour and specifies the sanctions for misbehaviour. This policy must be communicated to all pupils, school staff (including supply staff) and parents to ensure everyone is aware of the high standards of behaviour expected. The behaviour policy should also reflect the school's culture and be supported by all staff and senior leaders, including the head teacher.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that supply teachers are provided with up-to-date information on (a) pupils with (i) special educational needs and (ii) disabilities, and (b) behaviour management procedures.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Supply teachers perform a valuable role and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools across the country.
A supply teacher’s pay and working conditions will depend on who employs them. Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the ‘school teachers’ pay and conditions document’. If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay and conditions of employment.
Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment and deployment of their supply teachers. School leaders should ensure supply teachers are equipped with the necessary access and information to carry out their role effectively.
There is an established robust safeguarding framework in place in the form of ‘keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), which is the statutory safeguarding guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Part 1 of this guidance should be read by all staff who work directly with children and sets out the different types of abuse and harm, and supports all staff to know what signs to look out for, including how to respond to any concerns about a child.
The statutory ‘special educational needs and disability code of practice’ states that all teachers and support staff who work with the pupils with special educational needs should be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. This should also be recorded on the school’s information system.
All schools are required to have a behaviour policy that outlines effective strategies to promote good behaviour and specifies the sanctions for misbehaviour. This policy must be communicated to all pupils, school staff (including supply staff) and parents to ensure everyone is aware of the high standards of behaviour expected. The behaviour policy should also reflect the school's culture and be supported by all staff and senior leaders, including the head teacher.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the (a) pay and (b) conditions for supply teachers relative to permanent teaching staff.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Supply teachers perform a valuable role and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools across the country.
A supply teacher’s pay and working conditions will depend on who employs them. Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the ‘school teachers’ pay and conditions document’. If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay and conditions of employment.
Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment and deployment of their supply teachers. School leaders should ensure supply teachers are equipped with the necessary access and information to carry out their role effectively.
There is an established robust safeguarding framework in place in the form of ‘keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), which is the statutory safeguarding guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Part 1 of this guidance should be read by all staff who work directly with children and sets out the different types of abuse and harm, and supports all staff to know what signs to look out for, including how to respond to any concerns about a child.
The statutory ‘special educational needs and disability code of practice’ states that all teachers and support staff who work with the pupils with special educational needs should be made aware of their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required. This should also be recorded on the school’s information system.
All schools are required to have a behaviour policy that outlines effective strategies to promote good behaviour and specifies the sanctions for misbehaviour. This policy must be communicated to all pupils, school staff (including supply staff) and parents to ensure everyone is aware of the high standards of behaviour expected. The behaviour policy should also reflect the school's culture and be supported by all staff and senior leaders, including the head teacher.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including supply teachers in any forthcoming workforce strategy for (a) teacher recruitment and (b) teacher retention.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
High quality teaching is the in school factor that has the biggest positive impact on children’s outcomes. Ensuring a high quality teaching workforce is therefore critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost life chances for every child. This is why the department will recruit 6,500 new expert teachers across secondary and special schools and colleges, get more teachers into shortage subjects, support areas that face recruitment challenges and tackle retention issues.
Supply teachers make an important contribution to the smooth running of schools by filling posts on a temporary basis and covering teacher absences.
School autonomy is vital to the health of our education system. Headteachers are ultimately responsible for employment in their schools, as they are best placed to understand the specific needs of their pupils and make staffing decisions accordingly.
The department is determined to improve the attractiveness of the teaching profession so that existing teachers want to remain in it, former teachers want to return to it, and new graduates and career changers wish to join.
We continue to incentivise teacher recruitment through increasing teacher trainee bursaries to £233 million in 2025/26, with a focus on shortage subjects, and doubling retention payments from this year. A successful recruitment strategy starts with a strong retention strategy, and we are doing more to improve wellbeing and reduce workload, including actively promoting flexible working such as allowing planning, preparation and assessment time to be taken from home.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will review the offer of a state visit to President Trump.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
No.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve (a) pay and (b) working conditions in further education colleges.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Further education (FE) colleges, rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating pay within colleges and for the working conditions of their staff.
FE Colleges were incorporated under the terms of the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act, which gave them autonomy over the pay and contractual terms and conditions of their staff. Unlike maintained schools, colleges are not bound by the national pay and conditions framework for school teachers, but are free to implement their own pay arrangements in line with their own local circumstances.
The department will be investing over £400 million more on 16 to 19 education in the 2025/26 financial year to ensure enough funding is available to respond to the significant increase in student numbers and other pressures on the system. We are making approximately £50 million of this funding available to colleges for April to July 2025 to respond to current priorities and challenges as they see fit, including workforce recruitment and retention.
The Plan to Make Work Pay sets out an ambitious agenda to deliver our Plan for Change by ensuring employment rights are fit for a modern economy, empowering working people and contributing to economic growth. Once implemented, it will represent the biggest upgrade of workers’ rights in a generation, including for those in the FE sector.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase (a) teaching capacity and (b) student places in further education colleges.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
To ensure that further education colleges can meet student demand, the department is spending approximately £87 million in the 2024/25 academic year to support in-year growth costs. This recognises the very large increase in students this year, which has led to the need for an unprecedented amount of in-year growth.
The department will be investing over £400 million more on 16 to 19 education in the 2025/26 financial year to respond to the significant increase in student numbers and other pressures on the system. We are making approximately £50 million of this funding available to colleges for April to July 2025 to respond to current priorities and challenges as they see fit, including workforce recruitment and retention. In addition, eligible early career teachers of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and priority technical subjects can receive up to £6,000 after tax annually, on top of their normal pay.
In the 2025/26 financial year, the department is providing £10 million of capital funding to Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Leeds City Council to support capacity for rising numbers of 16 to 19-year-olds, increasing opportunities in these places with the greatest pressures.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Spring Statement of 26 March 2025, how the £625 million for construction skills will be allocated; and when providers will receive (a) funding allocations and (b) bidding information.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced an additional £625 million of funding to support construction skills training, with the detail set out in the Spring Statement 2025. This is expected to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers this Parliament.
The measures will support the expansion of existing skills programmes, including Skills Bootcamps and apprenticeships, as well as help to deliver new initiatives, such as establishing ten Technical Excellence Colleges specialised in construction in every region in England.
Additional information regarding allocations and bidding information at regional and provider level will be shared in due course.