Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the retention of female teachers in male-dominated subjects in schools.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

​​​​​​​​​​​​​The government has a central mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost life chances for every child. ​High-quality teaching is the factor that makes the biggest difference to a child’s education, with teachers helping to shape the lives of young people. Yet this government has inherited a context of poor recruitment and worsening teacher retention resulting in shortages of qualified teachers across the country. This is why the government has set out the ambition to recruit 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this parliament.

​​The department is focused on retention alongside recruitment to ensure teachers, no matter their gender or background, stay and thrive in the profession. As of 14 October, eligible early career teachers in priority science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and technical subjects can claim targeted retention incentive payments worth up to £6,000 after tax, with payments made available to college teachers in key STEM and technical subjects for the first time.

Ensuring people from all backgrounds can thrive as teachers is also a question of social justice, a priority for the government, ensuring that all individuals have equal economic and social opportunities. It is important that the teaching profession reflects the communities it serves and that children see themselves reflected in the role models around them.

Improving the experience of the profession for all teachers, for example through the department’s programmes on flexible working, wellbeing and workload, can also remove barriers to a successful career for many groups of teachers. Groups who may benefit in particular include those with caring responsibility, those with disabilities or teachers within particular age groups who require more flexibility in their working lives. For example, teachers can undertake their planning, preparation and assessment time remotely.

The department is also delivering a programme focused on embedding flexible working in schools and multi-academy trusts (MATs). This includes the delivery of supportive webinars and peer support provided by flexible working ambassador schools and MATs.

We have also made available a range of resources to help address teacher workload and wellbeing, including the ‘Improve workload and wellbeing for school staff’ service, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/improve-workload-and-wellbeing-for-school-staff, and the ‘Education staff wellbeing charter’, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time is for a spousal visa application.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

An applicant applying for a family visa at entry clearance should get a decision within 12 weeks.

Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

An applicant applying in the UK to extend a family visa (spouse or partner on a 5-year route to settlement) should get a decision within 8 weeks.

Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

An applicant applying in the UK for settlement should get a decision within 6 months.

Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Average processing times do not form part of any current transparency data for spouse/partner applications but the transparency data does, however, include a range of processing data and the latest data can be found at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people formerly resident in Warrington South constituency are claiming pensions whilst living abroad.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Department does not hold the information to be able to answer this question.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national standard for local authorities on the disposal of the belongings of deceased council tenants.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has no current plans to implement a national standard for the disposal of deceased council tenants’ belongings. The repossession of a property is a matter for the landlord concerned. They are best placed to manage what happens to deceased council tenants’ belongings, carefully considering the family’s circumstances. In doing so, we would expect local authorities to deal sensitively with cases before taking action to dispose of any belongings.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what data her Department holds per local authority of the number of times local authorities have had to conduct repairs of private rented sector properties when private sector landlords have failed to do so in each year since 2015; and what the potential cost to the public purse was for each local authority.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department does not collect data centrally on local authorities conducting repairs of private rented sector properties.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the contribution of universities to economic growth through graduate outcomes.

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

English higher education (HE) providers generate around 300,000 first degree UK graduates each year, and over 100,000 post-graduates.

These graduates generate significant economic impact: working first degree graduates in 2023 earned on average £6,500 more than non-graduates, which represents a proxy for their additional economic productivity. Graduates are also more likely to be employed, with 87.7% of working age (16 to 64 years old) first degree graduates in employment in 2023, compared to 69.7% of non-graduates. Further, graduates are critical in meeting skills shortages in priority areas, with 67% of working age first degree graduates in high-skilled employment in 2023, compared to 23.7% of non-graduates. Universities UK has estimated that the total economic impact of graduate skills from HE teaching and learning in 2021/22 will be £95 billion spread across the UK.

Over 35,000 of these first degree graduates generated each year, and over 15,000 of the post-graduates, live in the North-West. Universities UK has estimated that first degree graduates in the North-West earn on average 36% more than non-graduates by age 31, and that the economic impact of teaching and learning from the North-West’s 18 HE providers has an economic impact of £9.85 billion annually.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of graduate skills on the North West economy.

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

English higher education (HE) providers generate around 300,000 first degree UK graduates each year, and over 100,000 post-graduates.

These graduates generate significant economic impact: working first degree graduates in 2023 earned on average £6,500 more than non-graduates, which represents a proxy for their additional economic productivity. Graduates are also more likely to be employed, with 87.7% of working age (16 to 64 years old) first degree graduates in employment in 2023, compared to 69.7% of non-graduates. Further, graduates are critical in meeting skills shortages in priority areas, with 67% of working age first degree graduates in high-skilled employment in 2023, compared to 23.7% of non-graduates. Universities UK has estimated that the total economic impact of graduate skills from HE teaching and learning in 2021/22 will be £95 billion spread across the UK.

Over 35,000 of these first degree graduates generated each year, and over 15,000 of the post-graduates, live in the North-West. Universities UK has estimated that first degree graduates in the North-West earn on average 36% more than non-graduates by age 31, and that the economic impact of teaching and learning from the North-West’s 18 HE providers has an economic impact of £9.85 billion annually.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many penalties were issued for non-submission of self-assessment tax returns in each of the last five years.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Late filing penalties are issued when a taxpayer fails to file an Income Tax Self Assessment (ITSA) return on or before the filing date (October 31 for paper, January 31 online). HMRC requires the information provided in a tax return to establish tax liability and to effectively administer the tax system. If a return is filed late, HMRC will issue a penalty. Penalties encourage taxpayers to file on time and support the collection of tax.

Currently, late filing penalties for self assessment are:

• a fixed penalty if the initial filing deadline is missed
• daily penalties (issued to a 90 day maximum) once three months has passed following the filing deadline
• a fixed or tax geared penalty (whichever is higher) six months following the filing deadline
• a fixed or tax geared penalty (whichever is higher) twelve months following the filing deadline

Below is the late filing penalty data for tax years 2018/19-2022/23, for all of the late filing penalties listed above.

This data includes penalties for returns that have been submitted late to HMRC, as well as returns which have not yet been submitted to HMRC. It also reflects changes in the size or makeup of the Self-Assessment population from year to year.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to support the third sector to deliver public services.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The recent announcement of the Civil Society Covenant marks a new era of partnership between Government and civil society that will drive forward plans to foster closer collaboration in tackling some of society’s most pressing issues. The Covenant, which will launch in the New Year, seeks to establish a new relationship with the third sector and will support the delivery of the Government’s missions as well as our ambitious project of reform to public services so they deliver for working people.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail; and what her planned timetable is to announce further information.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Transport is an essential part of our mission to rebuild Briain, and the Government is committed to improving rail connectivity across the North. As announced in the Budget, the Government is progressing planning and design works to support future delivery of our plans for rail connectivity in the North and will set out further details in due course.

75th anniversary of National Parks

Review into breast cancer screening

Found: Sarah Hall: Hello.

Found: Letter dated 18/11/2024 from Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Ofsted, to Sarah Hall