Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the (a) postcode, (b) local authority area and (c) rural urban classification for each state school that has closed and not reopened in another form in each year since 2000.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Information on closures of state-funded schools, including the urban/rural classification for each school, is available on the Get Information about Schools (GIAS) website, which can be found at: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Search?SelectedTab=Establishments.

GIAS records a number of different reasons for closure, including closure as a result of amalgamation, “closure” where a school has been replaced by a successor institution, including academy conversions, as well as outright closure of provision.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which (a) state schools and (b) independent schools Ministers in her Department have visited since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The table below outlines information on the 69 schools visited by departmental Ministers, including the Secretary of State, between 4 July 2024 and 22 April 2025, in a Ministerial capacity. We have included state and independent primary, secondary and special schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44536 on Childcare: Finance, what role ministers played in allocation decisions; and in what way the four key criteria were (a) assessed and (b) scored.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The assessment process for applications to the school-based nursery capital grant was conducted in a fair and consistent manner across all schools. Awards to eligible schools were made based on application scores.

Each application was evaluated by a team of officials from the department against four established criteria, using a six-point scoring scale. Any applicant that scored less than 2 in any criterion was eliminated from the process. Assessors reviewed each project based on the information provided in the application, the required supporting documentation and relevant school performance and financial indicators available to the department.

After the initial assessment and scoring, a panel of commercial specialists conducted a moderation exercise. Applications were then ranked by total score and funding was awarded to the 300 highest-scoring projects.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the document entitled List of schools in the breakfast clubs early adopters scheme, last updated 22 April 2025, for what reason the number of schools participating in the breakfast clubs early adopters scheme fell between the first publication of that list and its most recent published update.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The total number of schools participating in the breakfast clubs early adopters scheme has increased since the initial list was published on 24 February.

From the start of this term, the first 750 free breakfast clubs are opening in towns and cities across the country, supporting nearly 180,000 children with a healthy, nutritious start to their day.

Over 3,000 schools expressed interest in joining the programme, so some movement was always expected as the department confirmed the final list.

The department built in time between the announcement and the start of the scheme in order to work closely with schools, ensure plans were deliverable, and get clubs up and running from the first day of term.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 29 February 2024 to Question 15468 and 6 March 2024 to Question 15467, how many staff in (a) his Department and (b) NHS England have job titles that include the words (i) equality, (ii) diversity, (iii) inclusion, (iv) gender, (v) LGBT and (vi) race.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department currently has four roles with job titles that include the words equality, diversity, inclusion, gender, LGBT and race. These roles sit within policy areas linked to supporting the Department’s work externally, and are not internally or HR focussed.

As per 22^nd of April 2025, there are 47 direct employees in NHS England whose job title include either of the following words: equality, diversity, inclusion, gender, LGBT, or race.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff in (a) her Department and (b) Homes England have job titles which include the words (i) equality, (ii) diversity, (iii) inclusion, (iv) gender, (v) LGBT and (vi) race.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As of 31 March 2025 the department had 5 or less roles that included the specified words within their job titles.

Homes England have no one employed with these words in their job title, nor do they have any colleagues designated solely to work on EDI.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the median time taken to register a death was in each (a) integrated care board and (b) local authority area in the most recent six months for which data is available.

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

The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024, through the Death Certification Strategic Board and a cross-Government data strategy group. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes a weekly deaths release which includes the provisional number of deaths registered in England and Wales in the latest weeks, and which is available at the following link:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/weeklyprovisionalfiguresondeathsregisteredinenglandandwales

As part of this release, the ONS publishes data on the median time taken to register a death in England and Wales in each region. This data is also split by certification type and place of occurrence. The latest data available covers deaths registered in the week ending 18 April 2025. The ONS does not publish any data on the median time taken in integrated care boards or local authorities.

The introduction of medical examiners is in part about making sure deaths are properly described and improving practice, but the impact on the bereaved is also central. The reforms aim to put the bereaved at the centre of the process, and the medical examiner’s office must offer a conversation with representatives of the deceased, so they can ask any questions they have about the death or to raise concerns. Ensuring the system is appropriately resourced and works for all those who interact with it is crucial, and something we will continue to monitor with NHS England.

Question

To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what the weekly attendance was for (a) children, (b) adults and (c) all ages for (i) weekly, (ii) Sunday and (iii) school services in each year since 2003.

Answered by Marsha De Cordova

An excel spreadsheet is attached that gives weekly attendance for (a) children, (b) adults, and (c) all ages, for (i) weekly, (ii) Sunday and (iii) school services in each year since 2003.

The 2024 figures are preliminary and may change as further information is received and further data checks are carried out.

Attendance at services for schools has only been collected since October 2013.

The Church of England publishes statistical data annually on its website. The most recent (2023) Statistics for Mission document is available here: https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2024-12/statisticsformission2023.pdf

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff in his Department have job titles which include the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT and (f) race.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This information is not held centrally.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 28 June 2019 to Question 267249 on Schools: Closures, what the (a) postcode, (b) local authority area and (c) rural and urban classification is of each school that has closed with no direct replacement provision in each year since 21 June 2019.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Information on closures of state-funded schools, including the urban/rural classification for each school, is available on the Get Information about Schools (GIAS) website, which can be found here: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Search?SelectedTab=Establishments.

GIAS records a number of different reasons for closure, including closure as a result of amalgamation, “closure” where a school has been replaced by a successor institution (including academy conversions), as well as outright closure of provision.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many staff in (a) his Department and (b) UKRI and the Research Councils have job titles that include the words (i) equality, (ii) diversity, (iii) inclusion, (iv) gender, (v) LGBT and (vi) race.

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

(a) There are 4 staff within DSIT with one or more of the terms in their job title, the individual breakdowns are as follows - Equality: 0, Diversity: 0, Inclusion: 4, Race: 0, Gender: 0, LGBT: 0.

(b) There are 20 staff within UKRI and its research councils with one or more of the terms in their job title, the individual breakdowns are as follows: (note: some staff have multiple terms in their job title, while some staff only have one term in their job title, so the numbers below are greater than 20) - Equality: 18, Diversity: 18, Inclusion: 19, Race: 1, Gender: 0, LGBT: 0

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many children were prescribed antidepressants in each year since 2007.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) holds data going back to April 2015, but not prior to this date. The following table shows the total number of patients aged 17 years old and under that were prescribed antidepressants for the financial years 2015/16 to 2023/24:

Source: NHSBSA Statistical Collections, available at the following link:
https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/medicines-used-mental-health-england

These cover antidepressants prescribed in England that are then dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of looked after children (a) were and (b) were not Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children in each year since 2005.

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

Information on the number of looked after children, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC), is submitted to the department on an annual basis and is published at local authority level in our statistical release at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions.

Figures on the number of UASC in each year since 2005 can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/32f71e7b-83b1-4494-96d7-08dd85738b16. This table also provides data on all children looked after at 31 March from which the number and proportion of non-UASC can be calculated. Similarly, the percentage of UASC can also be derived from this table.