Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Bury St Edmunds at Education Questions on 27 January 2025, which medical schools are offering (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory redundancy to clinical academics; and how many redundancies are being offered by each of those schools.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government acknowledges the significant impact of our world leading higher education (HE) sector. As both educational and research institutions, universities make a vital contribution to our economy, society, and to industry and innovation.
Universities are autonomous and, as such, the government does not gather information on which institutions are offering voluntary and compulsory redundancies to clinical academics, nor the exact number of redundancies being offered by each.
This government recognises the concerns of providers and their staff regarding the ongoing financial stability of their institutions. We are aware that some providers are making difficult staffing decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability.
We expect providers to work with staff, using their knowledge and experience to help identify how best to reduce unnecessary spend. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide better long-term value both for students and for the country.
We are currently reviewing options to deliver a more robust HE sector and will set out a long-term plan for reform by summer 2025.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of school children have required additional support due to special educational needs in each of the last ten years; and if she will make an assessment of the reasons for the trend in the number of children assessed to have special educational needs.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Information on the number of pupils in England with special educational needs can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england.
The figures for England for each academic year since 2015/16 are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b04266ac-d3d0-4aff-785c-08dd3ba46a29.
For too long the education system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities, with parents struggling to get their child the support they need and deserve. We know that a lack of capacity in the system to meet need has increased the demand on specialist support, meaning that children, young people and parents are faced with a long and difficult education, health and care plan process. We will work with children, young people, parents, local authorities, schools and colleges and their partners in delivering improvements so that children and young people can access the support they need.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Government has received legal advice on the compatibility of (a) Ministerial and (b) special adviser appointments with section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
As is a longstanding practice under successive administrations, Civil Service or legal advice on appointments is treated in confidence.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Lord Mandelson has disposed of his lobbying interests on his appointment as Ambassador to the United States.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Cabinet Office guidance outlines the process for declaring and resolving conflicts of interest for Senior Civil Servants. The guidance - which applies in this case - makes clear that, "Any actual conflicts of interest must be resolved in a way which removes the conflict."
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he considers the International Criminal Court to be a foreign court.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an international court based in the Netherlands. The UK is a State Party to the Rome Statute, the international treaty which established the ICC, and is one of the founding members. The ICC Act 2001 gives effect to the UK's obligations under the Rome Statute. We respect the independence of the ICC, which is the primary institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a table of the proportion of requests for EHCP assessment met within the correct timeframe by local authorities.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Information on the number and percentage of education, health and care plans issued within the statutory 20 week deadline, with and without statutory exceptions to that deadline applying, is published as part of the 2024 statistical release, ‘Education, health and care plans’, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.
The figures for each local authority in the 2023 calendar year can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7b372ed7-8c76-42df-5a32-08dd3479441b.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with (a) regional adoption agencies and (b) local authorities to reduce the time taken for initial assessments for the Adoption Support Fund post adoption order.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Adoption England are working with regional adoption agencies to develop national standards for adoption support. This will help ensure that wherever families live, they can expect the same level of high-quality support. This includes the development of a framework for an early support core offer entitled ‘Becoming a family’, for the first twelve to eighteen months of placement, and an adoption support plan to guide assessments of a family’s support needs.
The department is working with regional adoption agencies and voluntary agencies to promote good practice to help ensure that applications to the adoption and special guardianship fund are assessed promptly so that families can access the support they need.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that provision of support services for adopters with newly placed children is geographically equitable.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Adoption England are working with regional adoption agencies to develop national standards for adoption support. This will help ensure that wherever families live, they can expect the same level of high-quality support. This includes the development of a framework for an early support core offer entitled ‘Becoming a family’, for the first twelve to eighteen months of placement, and an adoption support plan to guide assessments of a family’s support needs.
The department is working with regional adoption agencies and voluntary agencies to promote good practice to help ensure that applications to the adoption and special guardianship fund are assessed promptly so that families can access the support they need.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will continue a national approach to recruiting adopters similar to the national recruitment campaign in 2020-21.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has provided £9 million of funding in the 2024/25 financial year for Adoption England to help develop national approaches for adoption services. This will help ensure consistency of high-quality adoption services across the country. This includes the implementation of new national standards for the adopter journey from initial enquiry to assessment and national matching standards to promote good practice across all agencies. These will help ensure that wherever an adopter or child is recruited or placed across the country they can expect consistent and high-quality services.
Adoption England has developed national adopter recruitment campaigns in each year since 2021 and is currently developing plans for 2025/2026. One of these campaigns can be found here: https://www.youcanadopt.co.uk/.
Adoption England published a three year strategy in 2024 that the government supports. This sets out a wide range of work to develop adoption services. The strategy can be found here: https://adoptionengland.co.uk/sites/default/files/2024-04/Adoption%20England%20Strategy.pdf.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made on creating a national matching service for adoption services.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has provided £9 million of funding in the 2024/25 financial year for Adoption England to help develop national approaches for adoption services. This will help ensure consistency of high-quality adoption services across the country. This includes the implementation of new national standards for the adopter journey from initial enquiry to assessment and national matching standards to promote good practice across all agencies. These will help ensure that wherever an adopter or child is recruited or placed across the country they can expect consistent and high-quality services.
Adoption England has developed national adopter recruitment campaigns in each year since 2021 and is currently developing plans for 2025/2026. One of these campaigns can be found here: https://www.youcanadopt.co.uk/.
Adoption England published a three year strategy in 2024 that the government supports. This sets out a wide range of work to develop adoption services. The strategy can be found here: https://adoptionengland.co.uk/sites/default/files/2024-04/Adoption%20England%20Strategy.pdf.