Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 78154 on Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, what steps she has taken to ensure (a) adoptive and (b) kinship families receive appropriate help from local authority Family Help services.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is committed to rebalancing the children’s social care system, which is why we are rolling out the Families First Partnership programme. On 20 November, we announced additional investment of £547 million, bringing the total funding provided for the programme to £2.4 billion over the next three years. This demonstrates our commitment to invest in prevention, supporting local authorities, working in collaboration with partners, to deliver reformed help and protection services that make a real, tangible difference to families.
We will spend close to £1.5 billion over the next three years on improving family services and early years education. Best Start Family Hubs are backed by £500 million of this investment between 2026 and 2029.
It is for local authorities to determine how best to make use of these resources to support adoptive and kinship families with the help they need.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to announce the eligibility criteria for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) in 2026-27; whether her Department will provide funding for the ASGSF after April 2027; and, with reference to the Written Statement of 4 September 2025, HCWS908, if she will set out details of the proposed public engagement process.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government has confirmed the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) will continue in 2026/27 and that applications running into 2026/27 can now be made. Details of the ASGSF from April 2026 will be made available once departmental business planning decisions are completed. We will share details of the public engagement process on longer-term decisions as soon as possible in the new year.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to assess the impact of the April 2025 changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, including (a) the reduction in the fair access limit and (b) reductions in funding for (i) assessments and (ii) match funding.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The new criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund will enable as many children and families as possible to access support. So far this year, over 12,500 applications have been approved, including almost 1,000 applications for specialist assessments. The department continues to monitor and assess the impact of the changes and is engaging with stakeholders.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2025 to Question 67594 on Adoption Support Fund, whether the equalities impact assessment was drafted prior to the date of her Department's decisions to amend the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The equalities impact assessment (EIA) was drafted prior to the decisions to amend the adoption and special guardianship support fund. Following the announcement of the changes to the Fund, the EIA was prepared for publication and subsequently made available in the House Libraries.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to co-produce policy changes to mobility allowances.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The PIP mobility element is in scope of the Timms Review, which aims to ensure PIP is fair and fit for the future.
We will co-produce the Review with disabled people, and their organisations to ensure lived experience is at the heart of its work. We will provide an update shortly.
We will not make changes to PIP eligibility, including for the mobility element, until the Review has concluded.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of UK Aid is entering Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is doing all we can to alleviate suffering. All allocations of our Humanitarian Programme are available publicly on Development Tracker. We have published further information on Core Relief Items through the programmes annual review with the next to be published by November 2025. Quantifying how much UK-aid has entered into Gaza is difficult, due to the complex operating environment and limited real-time data, as well as Israel's restrictions on humanitarian workers and monitors. But despite Israel's restrictions on access we know UK Aid is having an impact - our funding to UK-Med has treated nearly 600,000 people in Gaza.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she is having with (a) farming bodies and (b) animal welfare organisations on the potential for phasing out the use of farrowing crates by indoor pig farms.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 5 September 2025 to the hon. Member for Ashfield, PQ 73693.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has considered introducing method of production labelling for pork products to help consumers that are seeking to avoid products from farrowing crates.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We will consider the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the government’s wider animal welfare strategy.
On 12 June 2025, we published the summary of responses and the Government response to the fairer food labelling consultation, which was undertaken last year by the previous government. The response is available here on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to convene the talks to end the war in Sudan since the London Sudan Conference.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary's speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) confirmed that the UK will continue to use its leadership at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to advocate for increased international efforts on Sudan, including pushing the warring parties to implement the humanitarian pause, the wider ceasefire and the political transition that the Sudanese people need.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the external actors to the war in Sudan.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary's speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) confirmed that the UK will continue to use its leadership at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to advocate for increased international efforts on Sudan, including pushing the warring parties to implement the humanitarian pause, the wider ceasefire and the political transition that the Sudanese people need.