Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many young people aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training are care leavers, in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The available information relates to care leavers aged 17 to 24. This is published in the annual statistical release and is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2025.
For 17 to 21-year-old care leavers, information is collected on the activity which most accurately reflects the young person's main activity status on or around their birthday. The latest information on the number of 17 to 21-year-old care leavers who were not in education, employment or training during the reporting year ending 31 March 2025 is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/a0cc6be3-ef34-407f-543a-08de072d13df.
For 22 to 24-year-old care leavers, the activity information relates to the latest contact in the year if the young person requested and received support from the local authority.
Local authorities are not expected to be in touch and initiate contact with young people older than 21 who have not requested or received support during the reporting period.
The latest information on the number of known 22 to 24-year-old care leavers not in education, employment or training at their latest contact during the reporting year ending 31 March 2025 is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/61b0c0fb-0270-4d46-5441-08de072d13df.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the proposals in the consultation on Assistive software funded through the Disabled Students' Allowance, which closed on 18 June 2026.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is currently analysing the responses to the consultation and assessing the implications for its policies. This evidence, alongside an updated Equality Impact Assessment, will inform decisions on any changes to the provision of assistive software funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance.
No final policy decisions have been made. The department intends to publish the consultation response in due course.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential financial impact of the proposals set out in the consultation on assistive software funded through the Disabled Students' Allowance.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has undertaken internal indicative cost modelling on the potential financial impact of the proposals set out in the recent consultation on assistive software funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance, which suggests that any estimates would be highly uncertain.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the consultation entitled Assistive software funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance, what methodology was used to review assistive software.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Supporting disabled students to access and succeed in higher education remains a government priority. Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) provides support to remove disability-related barriers to learning, enabling students to demonstrate their full academic potential. DSA-funded support is designed to meet disability-related needs and promote independence in study through appropriate equipment, assistive software and support.
The consultation recognises that paid-for assistive software and free-to-access tools are not necessarily equivalent in all cases. A key purpose of the consultation is to understand the extent to which advances in mainstream functionality can appropriately meet disability-related needs and where specialist software continues to be required. The department has not made a final assessment of the adequacy of these tools, as we are seeking evidence of this through the consultation process.
The consultation seeks views on how exceptional cases should operate in practice and which circumstances might be considered exceptional to help inform our approach. The intention is to ensure provision is appropriately targeted and represents value for money. Decisions would continue to be made on a case-by-case basis.
The consultation provides an opportunity for both disabled students and stakeholders to share their experiences and views in detail. In addition, the department has undertaken further engagement, including a survey with students who have received DSA funding to ensure that their views are fully considered.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of free and open-sourced, built-in assistive software tools in meeting the needs of disabled students.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Supporting disabled students to access and succeed in higher education remains a government priority. Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) provides support to remove disability-related barriers to learning, enabling students to demonstrate their full academic potential. DSA-funded support is designed to meet disability-related needs and promote independence in study through appropriate equipment, assistive software and support.
The consultation recognises that paid-for assistive software and free-to-access tools are not necessarily equivalent in all cases. A key purpose of the consultation is to understand the extent to which advances in mainstream functionality can appropriately meet disability-related needs and where specialist software continues to be required. The department has not made a final assessment of the adequacy of these tools, as we are seeking evidence of this through the consultation process.
The consultation seeks views on how exceptional cases should operate in practice and which circumstances might be considered exceptional to help inform our approach. The intention is to ensure provision is appropriately targeted and represents value for money. Decisions would continue to be made on a case-by-case basis.
The consultation provides an opportunity for both disabled students and stakeholders to share their experiences and views in detail. In addition, the department has undertaken further engagement, including a survey with students who have received DSA funding to ensure that their views are fully considered.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria her Department plans to use to determine eligibility for assistive software funding in exceptional circumstances under the proposals set out in her Department's Assistive software funded through Disabled Student’s Allowance consultation.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Supporting disabled students to access and succeed in higher education remains a government priority. Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) provides support to remove disability-related barriers to learning, enabling students to demonstrate their full academic potential. DSA-funded support is designed to meet disability-related needs and promote independence in study through appropriate equipment, assistive software and support.
The consultation recognises that paid-for assistive software and free-to-access tools are not necessarily equivalent in all cases. A key purpose of the consultation is to understand the extent to which advances in mainstream functionality can appropriately meet disability-related needs and where specialist software continues to be required. The department has not made a final assessment of the adequacy of these tools, as we are seeking evidence of this through the consultation process.
The consultation seeks views on how exceptional cases should operate in practice and which circumstances might be considered exceptional to help inform our approach. The intention is to ensure provision is appropriately targeted and represents value for money. Decisions would continue to be made on a case-by-case basis.
The consultation provides an opportunity for both disabled students and stakeholders to share their experiences and views in detail. In addition, the department has undertaken further engagement, including a survey with students who have received DSA funding to ensure that their views are fully considered.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of students who would no longer receive funded assistive software under the proposed changes as set out in the ‘Assistive software funded through Disabled Student’s Allowance’ Government consultation.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Supporting disabled students to access and succeed in higher education remains a government priority. Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) provides support to remove disability-related barriers to learning, enabling students to demonstrate their full academic potential. DSA-funded support is designed to meet disability-related needs and promote independence in study through appropriate equipment, assistive software and support.
The consultation recognises that paid-for assistive software and free-to-access tools are not necessarily equivalent in all cases. A key purpose of the consultation is to understand the extent to which advances in mainstream functionality can appropriately meet disability-related needs and where specialist software continues to be required. The department has not made a final assessment of the adequacy of these tools, as we are seeking evidence of this through the consultation process.
The consultation seeks views on how exceptional cases should operate in practice and which circumstances might be considered exceptional to help inform our approach. The intention is to ensure provision is appropriately targeted and represents value for money. Decisions would continue to be made on a case-by-case basis.
The consultation provides an opportunity for both disabled students and stakeholders to share their experiences and views in detail. In addition, the department has undertaken further engagement, including a survey with students who have received DSA funding to ensure that their views are fully considered.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with end users prior to the publication of the Assistive software funded through Disabled Student’s Allowance consultation.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Supporting disabled students to access and succeed in higher education remains a government priority. Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) provides support to remove disability-related barriers to learning, enabling students to demonstrate their full academic potential. DSA-funded support is designed to meet disability-related needs and promote independence in study through appropriate equipment, assistive software and support.
The consultation recognises that paid-for assistive software and free-to-access tools are not necessarily equivalent in all cases. A key purpose of the consultation is to understand the extent to which advances in mainstream functionality can appropriately meet disability-related needs and where specialist software continues to be required. The department has not made a final assessment of the adequacy of these tools, as we are seeking evidence of this through the consultation process.
The consultation seeks views on how exceptional cases should operate in practice and which circumstances might be considered exceptional to help inform our approach. The intention is to ensure provision is appropriately targeted and represents value for money. Decisions would continue to be made on a case-by-case basis.
The consultation provides an opportunity for both disabled students and stakeholders to share their experiences and views in detail. In addition, the department has undertaken further engagement, including a survey with students who have received DSA funding to ensure that their views are fully considered.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children receive a minimum of two hours of high-quality physical education per week, and are supported to be physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government has pledged to protect PE time and wants schools to offer a minimum of two hours of PE per week for all pupils. The department is committed to supporting schools to meet this ambition.
The government response to the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review has committed to strengthen the PE curriculum across all key stages, including key stage 4, to give it a clearer purpose and ensure schools recognise the importance of protecting two hours of PE throughout a pupil’s time at school.
To bring more consistency to the provision of support and opportunities across the country and to ensure it reaches the children and young people who need it most, we are working to set up new PE and School Sport Partnerships across the country. These will make sure that the support that schools can draw on for making improvements to PE is high quality and informed by the best evidence and clearly focused on the challenge of reducing inactivity, securing equal access to sporting opportunities and ensuring there is a renewed focus on supporting schools to increase PE time.
Asked by: Marsha De Cordova (Labour - Battersea)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the introduction of School Sport Partnerships and the new Enrichment Framework is supported by adequate levels of funding.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced in June 2025 the establishment of a new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network to ensure all children and young people have access to high quality PE and extracurricular sport. Details on the PE and School Sports Partnerships funding will be confirmed in due course.
The Enrichment Framework will be published this academic year, accompanied by a range of support to help schools’ enrichment offers. We will work with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the National Youth Strategy implementation, including the £22.5 million Enrichment Expansion Programme and £132.5 million through the ‘Every Child Can’ dormant assets funding. This is in addition to international enrichment opportunities through the UK’s association to the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, continuing investment in our national network of Music Hubs, a new £750,000 chess support programme, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s flagship ‘TechYouth’ programme.