Rachel Maclean Portrait

Rachel Maclean

Conservative - Former Member for Redditch

First elected: 8th June 2017

Left House: 30th May 2024 (Dissolution)


Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill
10th Jan 2024 - 30th Jan 2024
Minister of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
7th Feb 2023 - 13th Nov 2023
Renters (Reform) Bill
8th Nov 2023 - 13th Nov 2023
Women and Equalities Committee
15th Nov 2022 - 22nd May 2023
Online Safety (Re-committed Clauses and Schedules) Bill
7th Dec 2022 - 15th Dec 2022
Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Bill
7th Dec 2022 - 14th Dec 2022
UK Infrastructure Bank Bill [Lords]
16th Nov 2022 - 22nd Nov 2022
Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
7th Sep 2022 - 28th Oct 2022
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
16th Sep 2021 - 6th Jul 2022
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
13th Feb 2020 - 16th Sep 2021
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee
11th Sep 2017 - 18th Jun 2018
Business and Trade Committee
11th Sep 2017 - 18th Jun 2018


Division Voting information

Rachel Maclean has voted in 1483 divisions, and 5 times against the majority of their Party.

17 Jun 2020 - Health and Personal Social Services - View Vote Context
Rachel Maclean voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 104 Conservative Aye votes vs 124 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 253 Noes - 136
9 Jul 2019 - Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill - View Vote Context
Rachel Maclean voted Aye - against a party majority and in line with the House
One of 72 Conservative Aye votes vs 84 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 332 Noes - 99
18 Oct 2022 - Public Order Bill - View Vote Context
Rachel Maclean voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 103 Conservative No votes vs 113 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 297 Noes - 110
7 Mar 2023 - Public Order Bill - View Vote Context
Rachel Maclean voted Aye - against a party majority and against the House
One of 107 Conservative Aye votes vs 109 Conservative No votes
Tally: Ayes - 116 Noes - 299
16 Apr 2024 - Tobacco and Vapes Bill - View Vote Context
Rachel Maclean voted No - against a party majority and against the House
One of 58 Conservative No votes vs 179 Conservative Aye votes
Tally: Ayes - 383 Noes - 67
View All Rachel Maclean Division Votes

All Debates

Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.

Sparring Partners
Theresa May (Conservative)
(50 debate interactions)
Lindsay Hoyle (Speaker)
(47 debate interactions)
Andrea Leadsom (Conservative)
(36 debate interactions)
View All Sparring Partners
Department Debates
Home Office
(281 debate contributions)
Department for Transport
(261 debate contributions)
Cabinet Office
(117 debate contributions)
View All Department Debates
View all Rachel Maclean's debates

Latest EDMs signed by Rachel Maclean

26th March 2024
Rachel Maclean signed this EDM on Friday 19th April 2024

Referral of matters of 21 February 2024 to the Committee of Privileges

Tabled by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
That this House notes the Speaker’s decision on selection and calling of amendments on 21 February 2024 was not in accordance with the established precedent for Opposition days; and accordingly considers that, notwithstanding the Resolution of this House of 6 February 1978, the matter of whether undue pressure was placed …
70 signatures
(Most recent: 19 Apr 2024)
Signatures by party:
Scottish National Party: 42
Conservative: 25
Independent: 2
Plaid Cymru: 1
21st February 2024
Rachel Maclean signed this EDM on Monday 26th February 2024

No confidence in the Speaker

Tabled by: William Wragg (Independent - Hazel Grove)
That this House has no confidence in Mr Speaker.
90 signatures
(Most recent: 20 Mar 2024)
Signatures by party:
Conservative: 42
Scottish National Party: 41
Independent: 3
Plaid Cymru: 3
Workers Party of Britain: 1
View All Rachel Maclean's signed Early Day Motions

Commons initiatives

These initiatives were driven by Rachel Maclean, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.

MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.


Rachel Maclean has not been granted any Urgent Questions

2 Adjournment Debates led by Rachel Maclean

Wednesday 15th May 2019
Wednesday 13th February 2019

1 Bill introduced by Rachel Maclean


The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require doctors to inform the appropriate driver licensing agency of a diagnosis of dementia; to require drivers diagnosed with dementia to undertake a supplementary driving assessment; and for connected purposes.

Commons - 20%

Last Event - 1st Reading: House Of Commons
Tuesday 4th June 2019
(Read Debate)

Latest 50 Written Questions

(View all written questions)
Written Questions can be tabled by MPs and Lords to request specific information information on the work, policy and activities of a Government Department
21st Mar 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has provided funding to 50:50 Parliament in the last five years.

The Cabinet Office finance system does not show any transactions to 50:50 Parliament in the last five years, including grants issued by the department. The Cabinet Office does not hold financial data for other departments.

Alex Burghart
Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, how his Department works with the Department for Work and Pensions to define (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Questions of 5th January is attached.

John Glen
Shadow Paymaster General
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what steps the ONS takes taken to help participants in the Labour Force Survey distinguish between (a) normal and (b) medical levels of (i) bad nerves and (ii) anxiety.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Questions of 5th January is attached.

John Glen
Shadow Paymaster General
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, when the self-reported conditions of (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety were added to the Labour Force Survey.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Questions of 5th January is attached.

John Glen
Shadow Paymaster General
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what medical research supports the concept of bad nerves.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Questions of 5th January is attached.

John Glen
Shadow Paymaster General
21st May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when she plans to publish a strategic roadmap for solar.

It has not proved possible to respond to my hon. Friend in the time available before Prorogation.

Andrew Bowie
Shadow Minister (Veterans)
23rd Nov 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of energy prices on the international competitiveness of British energy intensive manufacturing businesses.

Quantitative and qualitative sector level assessment has been carried out as part of a review of the Compensation Scheme for Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs). Among the outcomes of this assessment was an extension of this scheme for the indirect costs of the UK Emissions Trading System and Carbon Price Support Mechanism for 3 years, with an increased level of aid intensity. This represents more than double the current budget to support EIIs. Additionally, EIIs are eligible for support under the Government’s current Energy Bill Relief Scheme.

5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council has spent in Redditch constituency (a) in each year of this Parliament and (b) since 2010.

Arts Council England has provided the below data pertaining to total funding in the Redditch constituency since 2010. Due to a change in the Arts Council’s grant management system in 2016, data from before that date are not reliably comparable with more recent data. For example, data on funding for “Regularly Funded Organisations” (the predecessor to the current National Portfolio Organisations) are not included in these figures in 2010-12. Noting this caveat, we have provided the figures nonetheless for completeness.

Arts Council England funding to Redditch

Year

Funding awarded

2010/11

£ 17,659

2011/12

None

2012/13

£ 9,910

2013/14

None

2014/15

None

2015/16

£ 15,805

2016/17

£ 24,750

2017/18

£ 14,990

2018/19

£ 14,845

2019/20

£ 30,294

2020/21

£ 881,281

2021/22

£ 57,968

2022/23

£ 265,526

2023/24

£ 397,691

Arts Council England’s open funding programmes (such as National Lottery Project Grants, and Develop Your Creative Practice) are open to organisations and people across the country to apply to, including to those in the Redditch constituency.

Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding.They are available in the following locations:

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council spent in Worcestershire (a) in each year of this Parliament and (b) since 2010.

Arts Council England has provided the below data pertaining to total funding in Worcestershire since 2010. Due to a change in the Arts Council’s grant management system in 2016, data from before that date are not reliably comparable with more recent data. For example, data on funding for “Regularly Funded Organisations” (the predecessors to National Portfolio Organisations) are not included in these figures in 2010-12. Noting this caveat, we have provided the figures nonetheless for completeness.

Arts Council England funding to Worcestershire

Year

Funding awarded

2010/11

£204,803

2011/12

£223,088

2012/13

£1,174,280

2013/14

£1,254,008

2014/15

£1,633,134

2015/16

£1,203,109

2016/17

£1,424,243

2017/18

£1,587,323

2018/19

£5,078,236

2019/20

£1,610,429

2020/21

£7,172,037

2021/22

£2,651,172

2022/23

£2,212,330

2023/24

£2,183,777

Arts Council England’s open funding programmes (such as National Lottery Project Grants, and Develop Your Creative Practice) are open to organisations and people across the country to apply to, including those in Worcestershire.

Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding.They are available in the following locations:

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Arts Council spent in the West Midlands (a) in each year of this Parliament and (b) since 2010.

Arts Council England has provided the below data pertaining to total funding in the West Midlands since 2010. Due to a change in the Arts Council’s grant management system in 2016, data from before that date are not reliably comparable with more recent data. For example, data on funding for “Regularly Funded Organisations” (the predecessors to National Portfolio Organisations) are not included in these figures in 2010-12. Noting this caveat, we have provided the figures nonetheless for completeness.

Arts Council England funding to the West Midlands

Year

Funding awarded

2010/11

£ 9,666,079

2011/12

£ 8,647,935

2012/13

£ 66,462,145

2013/14

£ 66,080,822

2014/15

£ 62,956,069

2015/16

£ 62,887,795

2016/17

£ 64,072,560

2017/18

£ 68,410,952

2018/19

£ 73,549,387

2019/20

£ 80,418,153

2020/21

£ 154,252,274

2021/22

£ 91,028,435

2022/23

£ 86,361,062

2023/24

£ 79,826,119

Arts Council England’s open funding programmes (such as National Lottery Project Grants, and Develop Your Creative Practice) are open to organisations and individuals across the country to apply to, including those in the West Midlands.

Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding.They are available in the following locations:

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding the Arts Council has provided in each (a) county and (b) devolved Administration since 2010; and where Worcestershire ranks in this list.

Grants awarded from the Arts Council’s main funding streams within the last 5 financial years (2023/2024 inclusive) are published online and provide details of all organisations that receive funding.They are available in the following locations:

National Lottery Project Grants

Developing Your Creative Practice

Investment Programme (2018-2022 NPO)

Investment Programme (2023-2026 NPO)

Cultural Recovery Fund

Emergency Response Fund

Any funding data prior to the last five years is held by Arts Council England.

Julia Lopez
Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
9th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how domestic abuse victims will be adequately protected through the Online Safety Bill.

The Online Safety Bill includes stringent provisions to tackle online violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse.

All in-scope services will need to proactively tackle priority illegal content. This includes a number of offences that disproportionately target women and girls, such as offences relating to sexual images, such as revenge and extreme pornography, harassment and cyberstalking. The Government has also announced its intention to add controlling or coercive behaviour as a priority offence during passage through the Lords.

All services will need to ensure that they have effective systems and processes in place to quickly take down other illegal content directed at women and girls once it has been reported or they become aware of its presence.

The Government has also announced its intention to use the Bill to criminalise the sharing of people's intimate images without their consent. This, in combination with the measures already in the Bill to make cyberflashing a criminal offence, will significantly strengthen protections for women.

The strongest protections in the Bill will be for children, ensuring that they are protected from content that is harmful to them. Additionally, major platforms will have a duty to ensure that all adult users, including women, will be able to exercise greater control over the content and other users they engage with. Women and girls will also benefit from better mechanisms to report abuse online.

We also announced our intention to name the Victims’ Commissioner and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner as Statutory Consultees for the codes of practice. These bodies will be consulted by Ofcom ahead of drafting and amending the codes of practice, ensuring the voices of those affected by these issues are reflected in the way this legislation works in practice.

9th Dec 2022
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to include specific provisions to tackle violence against women and girls in the Online Safety Bill.

The Online Safety Bill includes stringent provisions to tackle online violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse.

All in-scope services will need to proactively tackle priority illegal content. This includes a number of offences that disproportionately target women and girls, such as offences relating to sexual images, such as revenge and extreme pornography, harassment and cyberstalking. The Government has also announced its intention to add controlling or coercive behaviour as a priority offence during passage through the Lords.

All services will need to ensure that they have effective systems and processes in place to quickly take down other illegal content directed at women and girls once it has been reported or they become aware of its presence.

The Government has also announced its intention to use the Bill to criminalise the sharing of people's intimate images without their consent. This, in combination with the measures already in the Bill to make cyberflashing a criminal offence, will significantly strengthen protections for women.

The strongest protections in the Bill will be for children, ensuring that they are protected from content that is harmful to them. Additionally, major platforms will have a duty to ensure that all adult users, including women, will be able to exercise greater control over the content and other users they engage with. Women and girls will also benefit from better mechanisms to report abuse online.

We also announced our intention to name the Victims’ Commissioner and the Domestic Abuse Commissioner as Statutory Consultees for the codes of practice. These bodies will be consulted by Ofcom ahead of drafting and amending the codes of practice, ensuring the voices of those affected by these issues are reflected in the way this legislation works in practice.

10th Feb 2020
To ask the Minister for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to improve access to cultural attractions outside London.

Through the Arts Council England (ACE), we are investing and promoting the arts and culture all around the country and will continue to do so.

There continues to be a shift in the distribution of ACE's National Portfolio funding, with the amount of funding spent outside London increasing from 53.8% in 2012-15 to 60.3% in 2018-22.

As part of this, ACE expects the organisations they fund to ensure that their cultural offer is accessible to as many people as possible

A great example of ACE’s funded national portfolio organisations doing this is the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich, which hosts relaxed viewings of it’s performances in order to make them more accessible to those with dementia.

Helen Whately
Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
14th May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) school, (b) alternative provision and (c) other places for (i) children and (ii) adults with (A) SEND and (B) an education, health and care plan there were in each of the last 20 years.

Data on special educational needs (SEN) provision was collected for the first time in the School Capacity Survey (SCAP) in 2023. Local authorities provided the capacity, as at May 2023, of special schools plus SEN units and resourced provision in mainstream schools. This includes post-16 capacity in secondary specialist provision, where appropriate, and does not include independent or alternative provision. As a new data collection, the department expects the quality of the data returns to improve over time as the collection becomes established. However, it should be noted that all local authorities returned data as requested for this first collection. Data was published as official statistics in development here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity.

There were 148,000 special school places reported in 2022/23, including 60,000 primary places and 88,000 secondary. This is alongside 9,000 places in SEN units, of which 6,000 were in primary schools and 3,000 in secondary, and 18,000 places in resourced provision, of which 10,000 were in primary schools and 8,000 in secondary, in mainstream schools. Data is not available by age. Secondary places in some special schools will include places for some young people over compulsory school age.

The department publishes annual statistics on the number of pupils with SEN support and Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans over time. Due to the request ranging back 20 years, there are three publications required to answer the question. The most recent figures are from the 2022/23 academic year and are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england. These statistics date back to 2015/16.

Data prior to 2015/16 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england-january-2015 and data prior to 2007 is available here: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20070905140107/http:/www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000661/index.shtml.

The department does not hold historical trend information on adults with SEN and their placements. This is because the Special Educational Needs survey only accounts for school pupils. Also, the SEN2 collection has changed into an individual level collection from an aggregate level last year.

14th May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much was spent on (a) education places and (b) home to school transport for SEND (i) children and (ii) adults by local authority in 2023.

Total high needs funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is over £10.5 billion in the 2024/25 financial year, which is an increase of over 60% from the 2019/20 allocations. Of this, Worcestershire County Council is due to receive a high needs funding allocation of £90.2 million in 2024/25, which is a cumulative increase of 32% per head over the three years from 2021/22. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with SEND.

Local authorities spent £7.9 billion on education for children and young people with complex SEND in the 2022/23 financial year, the latest year for which actual expenditure is available. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) allocated a further £1.0 billion on high needs funding for SEND places in that financial year. The outturn data for expenditure in the 2023/24 financial year is not yet available, but is due to be published in late 2024. Planned expenditure reported by local authorities for that year was £9.4 billion and the ESFA’s expenditure was £1.1 billion. The data does not enable differentiation between children aged 0 to 18 and adults aged 19 to 25. Individual local authority expenditure information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-local-authority-school-finance-data.

In the 2023/2024 academic year, a further £592 million of disadvantage funding was allocated through the 16 to 19 funding formula for young people aged 16 to 19, or those aged 19 to 24 and who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. Institutions are free to choose the best ways to use this additional funding and use this, in part, to support disadvantaged students including those with learning difficulties and disabilities.

Local authorities publish information about their expenditure on home-to-school travel for children with special educational needs (SEN) and on post-16 transport for both young people aged 16 to 18 and adults aged 19 to 25 with SEN, learning difficulties or disabilities, but they are not required to specify whether each child, young person, or adult has an EHC plan.

The information collected from local authorities is published on GOV.UK and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/la-and-school-expenditure. Local authority gross expenditure on SEN transport covering the 2022/23 financial year is set out in the attached table.

14th May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average cost was to educate (a) a child and (b) an adult with SEN in each of the last 20 years.

Children and young people with special educational needs are educated in a broad range of settings, most of which do not report their costs in a way that enables the department to isolate the costs of their education. Due to this, the department does not hold the information requested on the average cost.

Through the department’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision (AP) Improvement Plan, the department is reforming the SEND system so that when a child or young person requires specialist provision, they get access to the support they need, and parents do not face an adversarial system to secure this. To support this, the department have increased the high needs budget to £10.54 billion, which is 60% more than in 2019/20. The department is also investing £2.6 billion to deliver new specialist and AP places and improve existing provision.

14th May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the ages were of (a) children and (b) adults assessed for (i) special educational needs and (ii) an education, health and care plan in each of the last 10 years.

The department recognises that special educational needs (SEN) is a broad term, and that a child is defined as having a SEN if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. The Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan process is driven by a child's needs rather than any diagnosis they might have. The EHC needs assessment identifies the child or young person’s SEN, together with any relevant health or social care needs. The local authority, with advice from its partners, then considers whether to issue an EHC plan, which specifies provision to meet each identified need. The ‘SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ makes it clear that meeting the needs of a child or young person with SEN does not require a diagnostic label or test. The ‘SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have SEN that requires an EHC plan if they are requested to do so.

The department does not hold a breakdown by age group of individuals assessed over the last 10 years because the SEN2 collection has changed into an individual level collection from an aggregate level last year. Therefore, there is one year (2022) that shows the number of assessments carried out broken down by single years of age, which is attached.

In terms of figures over time, the number of people assessed for a statement (which were replaced in 2014 by EHC plans, with no new statements since 2015), the number of individuals assessed for an EHC plan, and the number of people assessed where an EHC plan was issued are available at the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b4f6814c-b0da-43d1-0b12-08dc74c3bb80

The department publishes information about SEN and EHC plans annually on the GOV.UK website. The information for the 2022/23 academic year can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england. The data for the 2023 reporting year can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.

14th May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what conditions (a) children and (b) adults were assessed for (i) special educational needs and (ii) an education, health and care plan in each of the last 20 years.

The department recognises that special educational needs (SEN) is a broad term, and that a child is defined as having a SEN if he or she has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. The Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan process is driven by a child's needs rather than any diagnosis they might have. The EHC needs assessment identifies the child or young person’s SEN, together with any relevant health or social care needs. The local authority, with advice from its partners, then considers whether to issue an EHC plan, which specifies provision to meet each identified need. The ‘SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ makes it clear that meeting the needs of a child or young person with SEN does not require a diagnostic label or test. The ‘SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.

Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have SEN that requires an EHC plan if they are requested to do so.

The department does not hold a breakdown by age group of individuals assessed over the last 10 years because the SEN2 collection has changed into an individual level collection from an aggregate level last year. Therefore, there is one year (2022) that shows the number of assessments carried out broken down by single years of age, which is attached.

In terms of figures over time, the number of people assessed for a statement (which were replaced in 2014 by EHC plans, with no new statements since 2015), the number of individuals assessed for an EHC plan, and the number of people assessed where an EHC plan was issued are available at the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b4f6814c-b0da-43d1-0b12-08dc74c3bb80

The department publishes information about SEN and EHC plans annually on the GOV.UK website. The information for the 2022/23 academic year can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england. The data for the 2023 reporting year can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.

10th May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average class size was in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year group in each local authority in the latest period for which data is available.

The department publishes annual statistics on the number of pupils at schools in England according to the kind of school they attend. The most recent figures are for January 2023 and are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2022-23.

The department does not collect year group data for independent school pupils as these schools are not required to follow the national curriculum and year groups may not apply. The department does publish figures by age. A table showing independent school pupils by age as of January 2023 is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/8b927366-344b-4505-8cc9-08dc706299c6. Generally, national curriculum year 1 corresponds to pupils aged 5 years old at the start of the school year and compulsory schooling ends at year 11 with pupils aged 15 years old at the start of the school year.

Average class size figures are published by local authority for state-funded primary and secondary schools but not by year groups within those schools. The attached table contains the breakdowns requested.

Damian Hinds
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
10th May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of pupils that attend independent schools in each school year group in each local authority.

The department publishes annual statistics on the number of pupils at schools in England according to the kind of school they attend. The most recent figures are for January 2023 and are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2022-23.

The department does not collect year group data for independent school pupils as these schools are not required to follow the national curriculum and year groups may not apply. The department does publish figures by age. A table showing independent school pupils by age as of January 2023 is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/8b927366-344b-4505-8cc9-08dc706299c6. Generally, national curriculum year 1 corresponds to pupils aged 5 years old at the start of the school year and compulsory schooling ends at year 11 with pupils aged 15 years old at the start of the school year.

Average class size figures are published by local authority for state-funded primary and secondary schools but not by year groups within those schools. The attached table contains the breakdowns requested.

Damian Hinds
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
10th May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average cost was of educating a pupil in a (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each local authority area in the latest period for which data is available.

The department holds data on funding levels. However, it does not hold data on the specific local authority level costs of educating primary and secondary pupils.

The published dedicated schools grant (DSG) for 2024/2025 includes information on the amount of core schools funding allocated by the department nationally as well as to each local authority. The published information can be found here: https://skillsfunding.service.gov.uk/view-latest-funding/national-funding-allocations/DSG/2024-to-2025. The published information includes the amount of funding allocated in respect of primary and secondary pupils in mainstream schools, referred to as the ‘primary schools unit of funding’ and ‘secondary schools unit of funding’.

In addition to the funding from the DSG, schools may also receive additional school funding from other grants in the 2024/25 financial year, including:

Additional grants provided on an academic year basis include:

Damian Hinds
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
10th May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much was spent by each local authority on home to school transport for children with (a) special educational needs and (b) an education, health and care plan in each of the last 10 years.

Section 251 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 requires local authorities to submit information about their education expenditure to the department. They must include information about their expenditure on home-to-school travel for children with special educational needs (SEN), but they are not required to specify whether each child has an Education Health and Care plan.

The information collected from local authorities is published on GOV.UK and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/la-and-school-expenditure. Local authority gross expenditure on SEN transport covering the 2012/13 to 2022/23 financial years can be viewed using the create a table function. This is set out in the attached table.

Damian Hinds
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
10th May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average annual cost per child of an education, health and care plan was in each of the last 10 years.

The department does not hold this information.

However, the department is reforming the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system so that, where children require an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and specialist provision, they get access to the support they need and parents do not face an adversarial system to secure this. Through Multi-Agency Panels, templates and supporting materials for the EHC plan process, tailored lists and strengthened mediation arrangements, the department’s SEND reforms focus on:

  • Improving the quality of EHC plans and making the process more consistent.
  • Reducing conflicts through better co-production.
  • Improving the outcomes of children and young people.

The department is also significantly increasing the high needs budget, which is worth £10.54 billion by 2024/25 and worth 60% more than in 2019/20.

10th May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Care Standards Act 2000, what the annual spend on children's homes was in each of the last 20 years.

Spend on children’s homes takes place at a Local Authority (LA) level. Annual LA expenditure statistics based on Section 251 (Outturn) returns are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/la-and-school-expenditure.

Within this release, expenditure on children looked after in residential care shows the spend on children’s homes. Residential care expenditure includes expenditure on residential care in voluntary children’s and registered children’s homes as defined in the Children Act 1989, which can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1989/41/contents.

The latest publication on 25 January 2024 providers cumulative expenditure data for LAs in England from the 2015/16 to 2022/23 financial years.

5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data on students who self report (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety.

The mental health of children and young people is an absolute priority for this government.

The department supports education settings through a range of guidance on mental health and wellbeing, including to support schools and colleges to establish a whole school/college approach to mental health, promoting positive wellbeing among students: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing.

This guidance is supported by the opportunity for all state schools and colleges in England to access a senior mental health lead training grant by 2025, with over 14,400 settings having claimed a grant so far. The department is also continuing to roll-out Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) and extending coverage of MHST to an estimated 44% of pupils and learners by the end of this financial year, and at least 50% by the end of March 2025.

The department has also commissioned two new resources to help providers that have been published this year, a targeted pastoral support toolkit and a resource hub for mental health leads, which are intended to help colleges to identify the most appropriate and effective support at the early intervention stage.

School-specific resources include guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions, including conditions relating to mental health, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3. Additionally, the department has published guidance on mental health problems manifesting themselves in behaviour, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2.

The department is supporting the mental health of higher education (HE) students through an approach focussed on three pillars: funding and resourcing vital services, spreading and implementing best practice, clear responsibilities for providers and protection for students.

The department has seen impressive progress with the target for all universities to join the University Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024, with 96 members now signed up. Members follow a process of continuous improvement as they embed the principles which ensure that student wellbeing is supported in all aspects of university life.

The sector is active in developing best practice which supports HE student mental health and wellbeing. I have written to all HE providers to ensure they are implementing guidance produced by the sector and third sector charities, including around suicide prevention and actions to take following a death by suicide, and information sharing with trusted contact of students.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency collects data on the number of students declaring a disability, including mental health conditions: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-15.

From 2022/2023, students with multiple disabilities will disclose each of their disabilities instead of falling under a catch-all "multiple disabilities" category. Depression, bad nerves, schizophrenia, anxiety, and other mental health conditions will continue to be included under one mental health category.

The department also collects data on various aspects of children and young people’s wellbeing and mental health, presenting key sources from the department and other stakeholders through the annual State of the Nation report on Children and Young People’s Wellbeing: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-nation-2022-children-and-young-peoples-wellbeing.

5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides for education settings to help students experiencing (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety.

The mental health of children and young people is an absolute priority for this government.

The department supports education settings through a range of guidance on mental health and wellbeing, including to support schools and colleges to establish a whole school/college approach to mental health, promoting positive wellbeing among students: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing.

This guidance is supported by the opportunity for all state schools and colleges in England to access a senior mental health lead training grant by 2025, with over 14,400 settings having claimed a grant so far. The department is also continuing to roll-out Mental Health Support Teams (MHST) and extending coverage of MHST to an estimated 44% of pupils and learners by the end of this financial year, and at least 50% by the end of March 2025.

The department has also commissioned two new resources to help providers that have been published this year, a targeted pastoral support toolkit and a resource hub for mental health leads, which are intended to help colleges to identify the most appropriate and effective support at the early intervention stage.

School-specific resources include guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions, including conditions relating to mental health, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3. Additionally, the department has published guidance on mental health problems manifesting themselves in behaviour, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2.

The department is supporting the mental health of higher education (HE) students through an approach focussed on three pillars: funding and resourcing vital services, spreading and implementing best practice, clear responsibilities for providers and protection for students.

The department has seen impressive progress with the target for all universities to join the University Mental Health Charter Programme by September 2024, with 96 members now signed up. Members follow a process of continuous improvement as they embed the principles which ensure that student wellbeing is supported in all aspects of university life.

The sector is active in developing best practice which supports HE student mental health and wellbeing. I have written to all HE providers to ensure they are implementing guidance produced by the sector and third sector charities, including around suicide prevention and actions to take following a death by suicide, and information sharing with trusted contact of students.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency collects data on the number of students declaring a disability, including mental health conditions: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-15.

From 2022/2023, students with multiple disabilities will disclose each of their disabilities instead of falling under a catch-all "multiple disabilities" category. Depression, bad nerves, schizophrenia, anxiety, and other mental health conditions will continue to be included under one mental health category.

The department also collects data on various aspects of children and young people’s wellbeing and mental health, presenting key sources from the department and other stakeholders through the annual State of the Nation report on Children and Young People’s Wellbeing: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-of-the-nation-2022-children-and-young-peoples-wellbeing.

20th Dec 2018
What steps he is taking to promote aerospace exports.

The UK’s Aerospace businesses are among the most innovative in the world, they turned over more than £35 billion last year and exported 85% of everything produced.

Our teams across the UK and in 108 countries around the world use every opportunity to take the industry to even greater heights.

1st Feb 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2023 to Question 132588 on Driving Licences: Gender, if he will take steps to ensure that (a) driving licence applications replace the word gender with the word sex and (b) the driving licence systems record male and female biological sex as essential categories for all purposes.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is working to ensure consistency in the way such information is captured across its driving licence application services.

25th Jan 2023
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will update the driving license application process to replace the word gender and the options male and female with the word sex and the options male and female.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) already captures ‘sex’ with the option for male and female on its new digital service for first provisional driving licence applications. The DVLA is working to ensure consistency in the way such information is captured across all its driving licence application services.

28th Jan 2020
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve rail services in the Midlands.

Major investment is planned to improve rail services throughout the region. In the West Midlands, £700m is being invested in a fleet of 180 new carriages which will deliver 20,000 more peak hour seats into Birmingham over the next two years,

The East Midlands will benefit from our £1.5 billion upgrade of the Midland Mainline, with faster peak time journeys to London from this December and a brand-new fleet of bi-mode trains entering service from 2022.

16th Oct 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of delivering Midlands Connect.

To date the Government has provided Midlands Connect with £25 million to develop a transport strategy and progress key projects designed to boost productivity and growth in the region.

This includes £5 million to develop the Midlands Rail Hub, which is a suite of infrastructure improvements designed to improve rail travel in the region. The cost of delivering Midlands Rail Hub in its entirety is estimated to be between £1.5bn and £2bn.

16th Oct 2019
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of providing free bus travel for people under 25.

The Government has not estimated the cost of providing free bus travel to people under 25.

1st Mar 2018
What steps his Department is taking to prepare transport infrastructure for severe winter weather.

Significant efforts have been made this year across the transport sectors, including road, rail and air, to boost resilience and preparedness.

We continue to work closely with all key transport operators, the local government sector, salt suppliers and other key partners to ensure that disruption to our transport network are kept to a minimum.

14th May 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had discussions with the National Statistics Authority on the use of the term bad nerves as a reason for (a) economic inactivity and (b) long term sickness absence.

Statistical definitions and data collection are the responsibility of the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS). The Department has an ongoing relationship with the ONS however there has been no discussion on the use of the term ‘bad nerves.’

As part of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) people, both in and out of work, are asked about any long-term health conditions they may have. The term ‘bad nerves’ is used as part of the option ‘depression, bad nerves and anxiety.’

The LFS only asks people for their main reason for economic inactivity. This can include long term sickness, but they are not asked which specific health condition this relates to. Therefore, the LFS does not capture if any health condition is the reason for economic inactivity or long-term sickness. There are often complex and interacting factors related to someone being economically inactive.

The LFS is currently undergoing a transformation with latest update from the ONS showing that the option for ‘depression, bad nerves and anxiety’ will be removed in favour of the following questions on mental health - ‘Do you have any of the following? Depression or anxiety’ and ‘Do you have any of the following? Mental illness, phobias, panics or other nervous disorders.’.

Mims Davies
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
29th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what clinical definition of anxiety his Department uses.

The Department does not use a specific clinical definition of anxiety as Work Capability Assessments and Personal Independence Payment assessments are functional assessments that focus on the impacts of a person’s health condition or disability on their daily life, rather than the diagnosis itself.

Mims Davies
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
10th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, whether he is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to encourage people with (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety to self manage their conditions by engaging with work.

Good work is generally good for health. The Government therefore has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including depression, bad nerves and anxiety, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.

Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. Initiatives include:

  • Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions;
  • The Work and Health Programme providing tailored and personalised support for disabled people;
  • Disability Confident encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace;
  • A digital information service for employers providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace;
  • Increasing access to occupational health, including the testing of financial incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed;
  • Additional Work Coach support programme that provides disabled people and people with health conditions with increased tailored work coach support to help them move towards and into work;
  • Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work; and
  • The Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme, a Supported Employment model (place, train and maintain) delivered in health settings, aimed at people with physical or common mental health conditions to support them to access paid jobs in the open labour market.

Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:

  • Doubling the number of places on the Universal Support employment programme, to provide support for 100,000 people per year when fully rolled out;
  • Formally launching WorkWell, which will bring together the NHS, local authorities and other partners, in collaboration with jobcentres, to provide light touch work and health support in approximately 15 pilot areas;
  • Building on the extension of the certification of the fit notes to a wider range of healthcare professions, exploring new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with timely access to work and health support; and
  • Establishing an expert group to support the development of the voluntary national baseline for Occupational Health provision.
Mims Davies
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, how job coaches work with people self reporting (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety.

Work coaches are trained to consider claimant's circumstances and to tailor support according to their individual needs. Staff complete training that covers a wide range of circumstances, including when claimants disclose they are experiencing a range of mental health issues.

The requirements any claimant is asked to meet will be clearly set out in their Claimant Commitment. All requirements are set in discussion with the claimant, tailored to their capability and circumstances, making them realistic and achievable.

Work coaches are also signposted to tools, guidance, support and websites to effectively use resources from both internal and external sites. This ensures that they access the most up to date advice on a particular health condition. They also have access to information on services available in their local area and can signpost to relevant organisations for support.

5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what the prevalence of (a) depression, (b) bad nerves and (c) anxiety is for each age cohort of (i) men and (ii) and for people (A) in work and (B) who are long term sick.

“Depression, bad nerves or anxiety” is a pre-specified single category in the Labour Force Survey questionnaire. We are therefore unable to separate out depression, bad nerves and anxiety from each other.

As such, we have provided a breakdown of working-age people (16-64) self-reporting depression, bad nerves or anxiety as a main or secondary health condition by age and sex for those (A) in work and (B) economically inactive due to long-term sickness, for the most recent quarter of data available. Note this is unpublished data.

Prevalence of depression, bad nerves or anxiety by age and sex, for those in work and those who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness, April-June 2023 (unpublished)

In work

Economically inactive due to long-term sickness

Total

Male

Female

Total

Male

Female

Total

2,682,183

1,026,235

1,655,948

1,360,720

566,368

794,352

16 to 24

317,861

108,056

209,805

106,622

48,054

58,568

25 to 34

801,357

306,992

494,365

206,336

94,522

111,814

35 to 49

895,129

333,752

561,377

328,877

133,968

194,909

50 to 64

667,836

277,435

390,401

718,885

289,824

429,061

Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) quarterly person data

Note this is unpublished data from our own analysis of ONS Labour Force Survey data and that the ONS release compared Jan-Mar 2019 to Jan-Mar 2023 data.

Mims Davies
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, whether (a) policy interventions for and (b) other approaches to (i) bad nerves and (ii) anxiety are different for people reporting it as a (A) primary and (B) secondary condition.

On average between 2014 and 2022, disabled people who reported depression, bad nerves or anxiety as their main long-term health condition were more likely to move into work than those that reported it as a main or secondary condition – 14.8% of those not in work the previous year for main condition compared to 9.5% for main or secondary condition. To note, the way the survey data is structured means we are unable to look at labour market impacts for those with conditions listed only as a secondary condition.

The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) assesses an individual against a set of descriptors to determine how their health condition(s) or disability affects their ability to work. A key principle is that the WCA considers the impact that a person’s disability or health condition has on them, not the condition itself. Therefore, whether the condition is primary or secondary is not relevant to the WCA outcome.

The WCA outcome will determine what work-related requirements, if any, are appropriate.

Those with particular health conditions, regardless of whether they are listed as primary or secondary conditions, may be found in any labour market regime as people’s conditions can impact their ability to work or engage in work related activity in different ways. This varies from claimants experiencing the most severe impacts from their health condition who are placed in the No Work Related Requirement group and cannot be subject to any work-related requirements, to claimants with health conditions but who are nonetheless fit for work who may set up to 35 hours of work search a week. Where claimants are in a group where conditionality is set, conditionality is agreed between the WC and the claimant and always tailored to someone’s circumstances. A work coach will consider the circumstances of the person in front of them when setting requirements and referring them to specific provision or policy interventions, regardless of whether a condition is listed as a ‘primary’ or ‘secondary’ condition.

Mims Davies
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what the prevalence is of (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety in people aged between 16 and 64 who have been economically inactive because of long term health conditions since (i) 2010 and (ii) 2000.

“Depression, bad nerves or anxiety” is a pre-specified single category in the Labour Force Survey questionnaire. We are therefore unable to separate out depression, bad nerves and anxiety from each other.

As such, we have provided a breakdown of working-age people (16-64) self-reporting depression, bad nerves or anxiety as a main or secondary health condition who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness from 2013 to 2023, published in The Employment of Disabled People 2023 (Table EIA017).

Prevalence of depression, bad nerves or anxiety for those who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness, 2013-2023

Quarter

Number of people who are economically inactive because they are long-term sick (thousands)

Number of people who are economically inactive because they are long-term sick with depression, bad nerves or anxiety (thousands)

Apr 13 to Jun 13

2,071

908

Apr 14 to Jun 14

1,999

908

Apr 15 to Jun 15

2,092

992

Apr 16 to Jun 16

2,048

1,000

Apr 17 to Jun 17

1,986

976

Apr 18 to Jun 18

2,046

980

Apr 19 to Jun 19

2,039

1,034

Apr 20 to Jun 20

2,133

1,143

Apr 21 to Jun 21

2,192

1,149

Apr 22 to Jun 22

2,394

1,256

Apr 23 to Jun 23

2,582

1,361

Source: Labour Force Survey (LFS) quarterly person data

Note this is unpublished data from our own analysis of ONS Labour Force Survey data and that the ONS release compared Jan-Mar 2019 to Jan-Mar 2023 data.

Mims Davies
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what guidance his Department provides to employers to help them manage employees who report (a) bad nerves, (b) depression and (c) anxiety to stay in work.

The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.

Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:

  • Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions;
  • The Work and Health Programme providing tailored and personalised support for disabled people;
  • Disability Confident encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace;
  • A digital information service for employers providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace;
  • Increasing access to occupational health, including the testing of financial incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed;
  • Additional Work Coach support programme that provides disabled people and people with health conditions with increased tailored work coach support to help them move towards and into work;Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work; and
  • The Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme, a Supported Employment model (place, train and maintain) delivered in health settings, aimed at people with physical or common mental health conditions to support them to access paid jobs in the open labour market.

Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:

  • Doubling the number of places on the Universal Support employment programme, to provide support for 100,000 people per year when fully rolled out;
  • Formally launching WorkWell, which will bring together the NHS, local authorities and other partners, in collaboration with jobcentres, to provide light touch work and health support in approximately 15 pilot areas;
  • Building on the extension of the certification of the fit notes to a wider range of healthcare professions, exploring new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with timely access to work and health support; and
  • Establishing an expert group to support the development of the voluntary national baseline for Occupational Health provision.
Mims Davies
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what steps his Department takes to work with the Department of Health and Social Care on clinically recognised approaches to treating (a) bad nerves and (b) anxiety to design appropriate work-related interventions to tackle rates of long term sickness.

The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.

Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:

  • Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions;
  • The Work and Health Programme providing tailored and personalised support for disabled people;
  • Disability Confident encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace;
  • A digital information service for employers providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace;
  • Increasing access to occupational health, including the testing of financial incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed;
  • Additional Work Coach support programme that provides disabled people and people with health conditions with increased tailored work coach support to help them move towards and into work;Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work; and
  • The Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme, a Supported Employment model (place, train and maintain) delivered in health settings, aimed at people with physical or common mental health conditions to support them to access paid jobs in the open labour market.

Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:

  • Doubling the number of places on the Universal Support employment programme, to provide support for 100,000 people per year when fully rolled out;
  • Formally launching WorkWell, which will bring together the NHS, local authorities and other partners, in collaboration with jobcentres, to provide light touch work and health support in approximately 15 pilot areas;
  • Building on the extension of the certification of the fit notes to a wider range of healthcare professions, exploring new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with timely access to work and health support; and
  • Establishing an expert group to support the development of the voluntary national baseline for Occupational Health provision.
Mims Davies
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
5th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the ONS release Rising ill-health and economic inactivity because of long-term sickness, UK: 2019 to 2023, dated 26 July 2023, what interventions have proved effective at helping people with (a) anxiety and (b) bad nerves into work.

The Government has a wide range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including anxiety, bad nerves and depression, to start, stay and succeed in work. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) works in lockstep with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through our Joint DWP and DHSC Work & Health Directorate (JWHD), which reports to both Secretaries of State. This was set up in 2015 in recognition of the significant link between work and health and to reflect the shared agenda of boosting employment opportunities for disabled people and people with health conditions, with a focus on building the evidence base for what works for whom.

Based on the evidence and delivered through the JWHD in partnership with DHSC, we provide support to individuals and employers. Initiatives include:

  • Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies, which combines psychological treatment and employment support for people with mental health conditions;
  • The Work and Health Programme providing tailored and personalised support for disabled people;
  • Disability Confident encouraging employers to think differently about disability and health, and to take positive action to address the issues disabled employees face in the workplace;
  • A digital information service for employers providing better integrated and tailored guidance on supporting health and disability in the workplace;
  • Increasing access to occupational health, including the testing of financial incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises and the self-employed;
  • Additional Work Coach support programme that provides disabled people and people with health conditions with increased tailored work coach support to help them move towards and into work;Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres offering advice and expertise on how to help disabled people and people with health conditions into work; and
  • The Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme, a Supported Employment model (place, train and maintain) delivered in health settings, aimed at people with physical or common mental health conditions to support them to access paid jobs in the open labour market.

Building on existing provision and the £2 billion investment announced at the Spring Budget, we announced a new package of support in Autumn Statement 2023. This includes:

  • Doubling the number of places on the Universal Support employment programme, to provide support for 100,000 people per year when fully rolled out;
  • Formally launching WorkWell, which will bring together the NHS, local authorities and other partners, in collaboration with jobcentres, to provide light touch work and health support in approximately 15 pilot areas;
  • Building on the extension of the certification of the fit notes to a wider range of healthcare professions, exploring new ways of providing individuals receiving a fit note with timely access to work and health support; and
  • Establishing an expert group to support the development of the voluntary national baseline for Occupational Health provision.
Mims Davies
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
24th Jan 2024
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to ensure that Alexandra Hospital in Redditch publish updated information on the scope of its services.

The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board (ICB) is responsible for commissioning services for the local area. The services at Alexandra Hospital are delivered by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

A wide range of services are delivered at Alexandra Hospital. The trust publishes information on services available at the Alexandra Hospital on its website. The Herefordshire and Worcestershire ICB plans to increase the amount of planned elective activity carried out at the Alexandra Hospital, especially in orthopaedics.