Sarah Bool

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life, breaking down the barriers to opportunity.

Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, providing statutory input into education, health and care (EHC) assessments and advising the school workforce on how to support children and young people with SEND.

As set out in the SEND Code of Practice, when carrying out an EHC needs assessment, local authorities are required to seek psychological advice and information from an educational psychologist, who should normally be employed or commissioned by the local authority.

As the employers of educational psychology services, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that their services are adequately staffed. The department does not hold data on waiting times for the commissioning of educational psychologists.

However, the department is taking measures to support local authorities by investing in building the pipeline. We are investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists from 2024. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.

To support retention, following graduation, trainees who have had their training funded by the department are required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period. For trainees beginning their course in September 2024, this requirement has increased to three years.

The Secretary of State for Transport’s Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on driving and diabetes mellitus, has recommended that continuous or flash glucose monitoring systems, may be used to monitor glucose for the purpose of driving.

Following a consultation with stakeholders in 2018, it was decided that the testing of interstitial fluid can be permitted for driving licensing purposes for people with diabetes and Group 1 licences (cars or motorcycles).

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is in the process of assessing the potential merits of introducing legislative proposals to extend the use of this technology to Group 2 licences (bus and lorry drivers) with diabetes. A targeted consultation was launched on 18 November 2024 and will run for a period of four weeks.

Land and property assets that have been acquired for HS2 via Compulsory Purchase Order or Statutory Blight, and that are no longer required, will be sold subject to the Crichel Down Rules.

These require Government departments, under certain circumstances, to offer back surplus land to the former owner or the former owner’s successors at the current market value.

As she/the Honourable Member will appreciate, this Government is still in its early stages, and is carefully considering next steps in this policy area.