Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the government has conducted an assessment of the number and availability of trained professionals needed to meet the Experts at Hand plan published in the Schools White Paper.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Poole to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 121419.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether Perenco should pay further compensation for oil spill in Poole harbour.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Environment Agency (EA) has undertaken a full investigation into the March 2023 oil spill in Poole Harbour and rigorously assessed Perenco’s £6 million Enforcement Undertaking (EU) in line with the EA’s Enforcement and Sanctions Policy. The package covers pollution clean‑up, compensation for verified claims, the development of a remediation plan, and funding for local environmental improvement projects. The EU was reviewed at both local and national levels within the EA to ensure it was proportionate, consistent, and reflected the operator’s level of responsibility.
Independent impact reports commissioned by the Recovery Co‑ordination Group found that the environmental harm from the incident was short‑lived and localised, with limited long‑term impacts on wildlife, community, and the local economy.
Perenco has additionally implemented operational improvements to reduce the risk of future incidents. Based on the EA’s assessment and the findings of the impact reports, the Secretary of State has not identified a need for further compensation.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) estimate her Department has made of the number and (b) assessment of the adequacy of availability of trained professionals required to meet the Experts at Hand plan.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Poole to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 121419.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure access for pre-school children with additional needs to nursery places in the Poole constituency.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We want every child, including those with additional needs, to be able to access a childcare setting where they can get the best start in life. The special educational needs and disability (SEND) reforms we announced in February, will give early years settings the training, evidence-based tools and expert input they need to welcome children with diverse needs into their settings and provide the right support from day one. We are investing over £200 million to strengthen the SEND offer in Best Start Family Hubs, including funding a family-facing practitioner in every hub to join up support across early years settings, health visitors and SEND teams.
Alongside this, we will work with local authorities to strengthen their childcare sufficiency planning for children with SEND and improve data on the availability of suitable places. This will provide parents greater confidence that their children can access the early education and childcare they are entitled to.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to ensure that nursery places are available to children with a range of special needs in Poole constituency.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We want every child, including those with additional needs, to be able to access a childcare setting where they can get the best start in life. The special educational needs and disability (SEND) reforms we announced in February, will give early years settings the training, evidence-based tools and expert input they need to welcome children with diverse needs into their settings and provide the right support from day one. We are investing over £200 million to strengthen the SEND offer in Best Start Family Hubs, including funding a family-facing practitioner in every hub to join up support across early years settings, health visitors and SEND teams.
Alongside this, we will work with local authorities to strengthen their childcare sufficiency planning for children with SEND and improve data on the availability of suitable places. This will provide parents greater confidence that their children can access the early education and childcare they are entitled to.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of SATs on levels of school attendance of children with SEND.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department has not identified evidence that SATs have a specific or disproportionate impact on the attendance of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Internal analysis indicates that overall attendance patterns for pupils with SEND remain consistent during the SATs assessment period.
Primary assessments are extensively trialled and reviewed by teachers and SEND specialists to ensure they are suitable for all and of appropriate difficulty, with modified papers and access arrangements available for pupils with SEND where needed.
The department’s ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance makes clear that pupils with SEND have the same right to education and the same attendance ambition as their peers, and that schools and local authorities should provide appropriate support to enable their attendance, including during assessment periods.
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Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the government has conducted any assessment of the efficacy of SEND reforms in Wales whilst developing the Schools White paper.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department has already consulted with colleagues in the Welsh government on analysis published in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) consultation document comparing rates of special education needs across both nations. The use of data to assess the efficacy of the Welsh SEND reforms introduced in 2021 was not feasible due to variation at school and local authority level.
We will continue to work with the devolved governments as we progress the proposals set out in the SEND consultation document, as well as preparations for future legislation, to ensure that legislative impacts are fully understood and addressed.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Israel–Iran confrontation and escalating hostilities in Lebanon on (a) regional stability in the Middle East, (b) the humanitarian and political situation inside Lebanon and (c) the risk of wider regional escalation involving additional states and non-state actors.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 17 March, and her answers to the questions raised in response.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to protect transport workers a) jobs b) pay c) pensions d) conditions and e) travel facilities in the context of the transition to Great British Railways.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In accordance with TUPE regulations, existing train operator staff transferring to the public-sector operator do so with their contractual terms and conditions protected. The trade unions (TUs) will be consulted at the earliest opportunity, if any changes to their members’ terms and conditions are being proposed as part of the transition to Great British Railways (GBR). In the meantime, we are keeping TU leaders informed on matters through the Rail Engagement Group.
Regarding pensions under GBR, I can confirm that we plan for the Railways Pension Scheme to continue to be the primary vehicle through which most rail employees build up their pension provision. The protections within the 1993 Railways Act remain unchanged by the Railways Bill currently going through parliament.
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has her Department made as to the impact of having to sit SATS on SEND children.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Statutory tests and assessments at primary school help measure the attainment of pupils in relation to the standards set out in the national curriculum and help teachers and parents identify where pupils may need additional support in a certain subject area.
The key stage 2 tests are subject to robust test development processes, which include reviews involving serving teachers and experts in special educational needs (SEN) and trials with hundreds of Year 6 pupils. Children with SEN have a range of needs and abilities, and it is important they are able to participate in assessments to demonstrate their achievements. Schools are able to utilise a range of access arrangements where appropriate, while for any children with SEN and others who are working below the standards of the national curriculum assessments there are alternative teacher assessments.
Primary assessments were reviewed as part of the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, led by Professor Becky Francis. The review panel, which included an expert in SEN, published their final report in November, concluding that the primary assessment system is generally working well and that the assessments are important for evaluating pupils’ progress.