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Written Question
Special Educational Needs
Wednesday 16th July 2025

Asked by: Sonia Kumar (Labour - Dudley)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department is providing to schools that are experiencing an increase in pupils with an EHCP.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell

This government wants all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve and thrive. We will set out our plans for SEND and alternative provision (AP) reform in a Schools White Paper this autumn.

We are increasing high needs funding by £1 billion in 2025/26, raising the total to over £12 billion to help local authorities and schools with rising costs for pupils with complex SEND.

The department has published £740 million in high-needs capital allocations for 2025/26 to expand SEND and AP places. This funding can be used to improve classroom accessibility, establish specialist facilities within mainstream schools, and create special school places for pupils with complex needs.

We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in schools, drawing on learning from programmes such as Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS).

Division Vote (Commons)
15 Jul 2025 - Welfare Spending - View Vote Context
Sonia Kumar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 344 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 106 Noes - 440
Division Vote (Commons)
15 Jul 2025 - Taxes - View Vote Context
Sonia Kumar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 333 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 165 Noes - 342
Written Question
Health: Women
Thursday 10th July 2025

Asked by: Sonia Kumar (Labour - Dudley)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the UK's 41st place in the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index, what steps his Department is taking to improve women's health.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health as we build a National Health Service fit for the future.

Our focus is on turning the commitments in the Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as providing emergency hormonal contraception free of charge at pharmacies on the NHS from October 2025, setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan, and taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan.

The 10-Year Health Plan for England, published on 3 July, sets out the vision to distribute power to patients, including women, and to revitalise the NHS, making it fit for the future.

Division Vote (Commons)
9 Jul 2025 - Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill - View Vote Context
Sonia Kumar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 377 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 175 Noes - 401
Division Vote (Commons)
9 Jul 2025 - Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill - View Vote Context
Sonia Kumar (Lab) voted Aye - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 333 Labour Aye votes vs 47 Labour No votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 336 Noes - 242
Division Vote (Commons)
9 Jul 2025 - Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill - View Vote Context
Sonia Kumar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 377 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 103 Noes - 416
Division Vote (Commons)
9 Jul 2025 - Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill - View Vote Context
Sonia Kumar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 356 Labour No votes vs 8 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 35 Noes - 469
Division Vote (Commons)
9 Jul 2025 - Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill - View Vote Context
Sonia Kumar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 331 Labour No votes vs 47 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 149 Noes - 334
Division Vote (Commons)
9 Jul 2025 - Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill - View Vote Context
Sonia Kumar (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 333 Labour No votes vs 35 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 130 Noes - 443