Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of public funding for specialist domestic abuse services.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We have set out our mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. The Government understands the vital role that the domestic abuse sector plays in supporting victims.

The Minister for Safeguarding regularly meets with the sector to discuss the Government’s approach to tackling violence against women and girls, including the role of funding and specialist domestic abuse services, most of which does not sit in the Home Office.

All decisions on funding will be made in due course as part of the Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) improve support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in mainstream settings and (b) develop new specialist provision for children with SEND in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), or who are in alternative provision, receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. This government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need. This government wants to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting children and young people with SEND through early identification, effective support, high quality teaching and effective allocation of resources. We will listen to and work with families and sector partners to fix this, which includes taking wider opportunities on accountability, the curriculum, workforce and more.

The department will strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, including through Ofsted, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise, and encourage schools to set up Resourced Provision or special educational needs (SEN) units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are part of the most recent competition to find trusts for 18 additional special schools that was launched by the previous government. The window for trusts to apply has now closed. The department is working through the next steps and will provide an update in due course.

The department also continues to work very closely with the local authority and trust leaders on proposals to establish and expand high quality resource bases and SEN unit provision.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the domestic abuse sector on the adequacy of public funding for specialist domestic abuse services, in the context of potential considerations to be reflected in the upcoming Budget.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We have set out our mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. The Government understands the vital role that the domestic abuse sector plays in supporting victims.

The Minister for Safeguarding regularly meets with the sector to discuss the Government’s approach to tackling violence against women and girls, including the role of funding and specialist domestic abuse services, most of which does not sit in the Home Office.

All decisions on funding will be made in due course as part of the Spending Review.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is taking steps to review the (a) operation and (b) fines attached to Parking Charge Notices.

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

We have no current plans to raise on-street parking penalty charges. It is important to strike the right balance between deterrence and fairness. Organisations representing local authorities have undertaken research into penalty charge levels and shared their findings with the Department. The Department will be reviewing the issue in light of this research.

Local authorities may employ contractors to carry out on-street civil parking enforcement on their behalf, but ultimately, it is the local authority to which parking fines are payable.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to reform the Mental Health Act 1983 to ensure that people have an automatic right to (a) assessment and (b) treatment.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Mental Health Bill will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. It will give patients enhanced rights and support, whilst maintaining the right balance to ensure that people get the treatment they need when necessary for their own protection, or that of others.

However, we recognise the long-standing gap between demand and supply for mental health treatment, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health and that people can be confident of accessing high quality mental health support when they need it. The Mental Health Bill will be published when Parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his planned timetable is for publishing the Mental Health Bill.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Mental Health Bill will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. It will give patients enhanced rights and support, whilst maintaining the right balance to ensure that people get the treatment they need when necessary for their own protection, or that of others.

However, we recognise the long-standing gap between demand and supply for mental health treatment, which is why we will fix the broken system to ensure we give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health and that people can be confident of accessing high quality mental health support when they need it. The Mental Health Bill will be published when Parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to improve children's health.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is committed to raising the healthiest generation of children ever. We have already begun work to ensure that every child has a healthy, happy start to life. To tackle obesity, we have committed to implementing a 9:00pm television watershed and a 24-hour ban on paid-for advertising of less healthy food and drink products, coming into force on 1 October 2025.

We will also be introducing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, to protect future generations from becoming hooked on nicotine. Additionally, to reduce tooth decay in children, we are developing a supervised tooth-brushing scheme for three- to five-year-olds, targeting areas of highest need.

To improve children's mental health, we are working to recruit 8,500 additional staff across children and adult mental health services and introduce a specialist mental health professional in every school.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his Department's polices of recent trends in levels of unmet need for mental health support.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service in England found that too many people were waiting too long for mental health support from the NHS, with approximately 1 million people waiting for mental health services as of April 2024.

As part of our mission to build an NHS that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit an additional 8,500 mental health workers to reduce delays and provide faster treatment, which will also help ease pressure on busy mental health services. We will also modernise the Mental Health Act, introduce a specialist mental health professional in every school in England, and roll out open access Young Futures hubs in every community.

However, we know wider change is needed and we have launched a national conversation, called Change NHS: help build a health service fit for the future, to develop the 10-Year Health Plan. We are inviting people to share their ideas on what needs to change across the health and care system, including:

• how the NHS could change to deliver high quality care more effectively;
• how other parts of the health and care system and other organisations in society could change to promote better health and improve the way health and care services work together; and
• how individuals and communities could do things differently in the future to improve people’s health.

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 take steps to publish guidance on when landlords may refuse a request from tenants to have a pet.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 9679 on 24 October 2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of poor mental health on educational (a) attainment and (b) inequality.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has not made a formal assessment of the impact of poor mental health on educational attainment and inequality, but the department is aware of a wide range of evidence that identifies an association between mental health and educational outcomes and that educational inequality is likely to be exacerbated by poor mental health.

A study published in British Medical Journal in 2019 suggested that, controlling for a range of other factors, mental health difficulties in Key Stage 3 were associated with lower attainment at GCSE. Pupils with previous atypical mental health scores were 2.7 times more likely to not achieve five A* to C grades than those measured in the normal range.

The Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2021 survey published by NHS Digital shows that over half of children with special educational needs (SEN) have a probable mental health disorder (56.7%) compared to 12.5% of children with no identified SEN. Additionally, the 2022 follow up survey found that children and young people with a probable mental disorder are seven times as likely to have missed more than 15 days of school as those unlikely to have a mental disorder (12.6% and 3.9% respectively). The 2023 follow up survey also found that children aged 8 to 16 years with a probable mental disorder were more than twice as likely to live in a household that had fallen behind with rent, bills or mortgage (18.7%) than those unlikely to have a mental disorder (6.8%).

This is why the government has set a bold ambition to raise the healthiest generation of children in history, giving mental health the same attention as physical health. The government is reforming NHS services and has committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, removing barriers to opportunity and helping children to thrive.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of mental health issues on young people becoming involved in crime.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

A multiagency approach to divert young people away from becoming involved in crime is pivotal. This includes partners that play a role in young people’s mental health. This is why the Government is creating the Young Futures Programme to identify young people at risk and the most effective interventions to support them.

These Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to help improve the way young people can access the support they need. We will be engaging with local communities, the police, charities, and other key partners to support the design of the hubs and explore options for their delivery.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) increase and (b) improve training on SEND in the (i) teacher and (ii) classroom assistant training (A) curriculum and (B) classroom practice.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

High quality teaching is the single most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for children and it is particularly important for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The department’s recruitment and retention reforms will support all teachers and we are committed to ensuring that all pupils can achieve and receive excellent support from their teachers.

The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. The Teachers’ Standards include Standard 1, which requires teachers to set goals that stretch and challenge young people of all backgrounds and abilities, and Standard 5, which requires teachers to adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils.

Consideration of SEND underpins both the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework (CCF) and Early Career Framework (ECF) which have been designed around how to support all pupils to succeed, including those pupils identified within the four areas of need set out in the SEND Code of Practice.

The department recently reviewed the mandatory ITT CCF alongside the ECF and particular attention was given to the needs of trainees and early career teachers when supporting pupils with SEND. The new framework includes significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting all pupils with SEND.

The department has also launched a National Professional Qualification for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (NPQ for SENCOs) where teachers develop the essential knowledge and skills needed to set the strategic direction of SEN policy in a school and the conditions in which pupils with SEND can thrive.

The availability of training and career progression opportunities for teaching assistants helps ensure schools have the skilled staff they need to deliver high quality education. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has recently approved a new Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship, allowing teaching assistants to specialise in one of three areas, including: SEND, social and emotional wellbeing or curriculum provision. The apprenticeship will be available for candidates to undertake in 2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in mainstream settings.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

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. The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need. We want to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting children and young people with SEND through early identification, effective support, high quality teaching and effective allocation of resources. The department will listen to, and work with, families and sector partners to fix this, which includes taking wider opportunities on accountability, the curriculum, workforce and more.

The department will strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive including through Ofsted, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise, and encourage schools to set up Resourced Provision or special educational needs (SEN) units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the availability of school places in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council area.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities. The department engages with councils on a regular basis to review their plans for creating additional places and to consider alternatives where necessary. When local authorities are experiencing difficulties, the department supports them to find solutions as quickly as possible. Where local authorities are failing in their duty, the government will intervene.

The department provides capital funding through the basic need grant to support local authorities to provide school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and school capacity data. They can use this funding to provide places in new schools or through expansions of existing schools and can work with any school in their local area, including academies and free schools. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council will receive just over £561,000 in the 2025/26 financial year to support the provision of new school places needed by September 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to take steps to (a) prevent landlords from not considering prospective tenants that have pets and (b) support people with pets to find somewhere to rent.

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

The Renters' Rights Bill will prevent landlords from unreasonably denying tenants' requests to keep pets. Once a landlord has consented to a pet, it will be an implied term of that tenancy and so consent cannot be withdrawn without agreement from both parties. We believe that by strengthening tenants' rights, we will see an increase in pet-friendly properties and a positive shift in landlords' attitudes to pet ownership.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to take steps to ensure that tenants with permission to keep pets are able to keep those pets throughout their tenancy.

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

The Renters' Rights Bill will prevent landlords from unreasonably denying tenants' requests to keep pets. Once a landlord has consented to a pet, it will be an implied term of that tenancy and so consent cannot be withdrawn without agreement from both parties. We believe that by strengthening tenants' rights, we will see an increase in pet-friendly properties and a positive shift in landlords' attitudes to pet ownership.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to regulate football clubs to prevent clubs being relocated away from local communities without fan approval.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Football Governance Bill was introduced to Parliament on 24 October 2024. The Bill delivers on our manifesto commitment to establish the independent football regulator and a new set of rules to protect clubs, empower fans and keep clubs at the heart of their communities.

The Bill includes a requirement for clubs to seek the Regulator’s approval for a stadium sale or relocation. Clubs will not be able to relocate from their stadium unless it makes financial sense and does not compromise the heritage of the club. Clubs will also be required to consult their fans on the move, prior to the Regulator giving approval.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make it her policy to prevent football club (a) grounds and (b) other assets from being sold for other uses.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Football Governance Bill was introduced to Parliament on 24 October 2024. The Bill delivers on our manifesto commitment to establish the independent football regulator and a new set of rules to protect clubs, empower fans and keep clubs at the heart of their communities.

This includes a requirement for clubs to seek the Regulator’s approval for a stadium sale or relocation. The potential sale of a club’s home ground must not undermine the financial sustainability of the club.

The home ground is often the most important economic and heritage asset of a club so has been given specific protections. The Regulator will assess the wider assets of a club as part of the financial regulation regime.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to include provisions on banning leveraged buyouts of football clubs in the Football Governance Bill.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Football Governance Bill was introduced to Parliament on 24 October 2024. The Bill delivers on our manifesto commitment to establish the independent football regulator and a new set of rules to protect clubs, empower fans and keep clubs at the heart of their communities.

As part of the test for prospective new club owners, they will have to provide the Regulator with evidence they have sufficient financial resources to acquire a club. The Regulator will not approve a takeover if the acquiring party does not have sufficient funds and an appropriate plan to finance a club.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is taking steps to support local authorities in improving enforcement of licence conditions for street works.

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

The Department for Transport introduced a performance-based inspections regime in April 2023 to ensure utility companies were incentivised to produce reinstatements that are fit for purpose following works and comply with site safety requirements.  This change allows authorities to inspect utility companies with high rates of defects in their reinstatements and safety checks more often than those who comply with the statutory Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways and the safety code of practice. Utility companies pay for each of these inspections. Highway authorities also have the power to direct utility companies to carry out remedial works at the utility company’s expense if they identify reinstatements that do not meet the standards in the code.

The previous Government consulted on raising the level of fixed penalty notices (FPNs) available for some street works offences including breaching permit conditions.  We will publish a response to that consultation in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce disruption to road users from utility companies undertaking road works.

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

The Government is committed to supporting the effective planning and management of road works by utility companies and local authorities.  Works are needed to install and maintain the services on which we all rely and to, for example, roll out broadband and install electric vehicle charge points and to repair potholes.  We continue to improve our Street Manager digital service, which is used by all utility companies and authorities to raise and approve the permits needed for works.  The service also streams open data on live and planned works which can then be used for journey planning services.  We are supporting the roll-out of more lane rental schemes to reduce congestion from works on the busiest streets at the busiest times. We are keen to explore ways to improve the legislative framework, and I will publish a response in due course to a consultation on raising fines and introducing overrun charges at weekends.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she is taking steps to support local authorities in establishing lane rental schemes.

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

The Government recognises that lane rental schemes have proven to be an effective way of reducing congestion from works on the busiest streets at the busiest times.  I have just approved a new scheme in East Sussex.  To support local areas who wish to apply for a lane rental scheme, the Department is updating guidance and producing templates to make the process easier. Resources are being allocated to ensure bids are assessed promptly, and officials are currently speaking to local authorities that plan to apply for lane rental.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding for education health and care plans.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The department is acutely aware of the financial pressures that local authorities are facing because of the increasing cost of supporting children and young people with education, health and care (EHC) plans. The department is acting as quickly as it can to respond to these cost pressures. In the meantime, local authorities are responsible for securing appropriate support for all children with EHC plans.

Funding for the 2025/26 financial year will be announced following the first stage of the government’s spending review, which is due to conclude on 30 October.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase (a) the number of people being trained to be educational psychologists and (b) the number of assessments of children with undiagnosed SEND.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

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

The SEND code of practice is clear that meeting the needs of a child with special educational needs (SEN) does not require a diagnostic label or test. It is the responsibility of teachers to monitor the progress of all pupils and put support in place where needed. This may include arranging diagnostic tests where appropriate. Where a child who has SEN requires more support than the school they are in can usually provide, parents or carers can ask the local authority to carry out an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment, irrespective of whether their child has a diagnosis or not.

The department recognises the critical role of educational psychologists within the SEND system, including in their statutory contribution to EHC assessments. To support this, the department is investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists from this year. This builds on the £10 million currently being invested in a cohort of over 200 trainees who began their training in September 2023. As these trainees complete their studies, they will join the workforce to support the capacity of local authority educational psychology services, including in delivering assessments.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle misinformation on (a) migrant access to NHS services and (b) the accommodation of asylum seekers.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 17 October 2024 to Question 8361.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Mental Health Act 1983 on individuals with complex mental health needs.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The independent review: Modernising the Mental Health Act, chaired by Professor Sir Simon Wessely, and published in 2018, provided an assessment of how the Act is working, its impact on those detained under the Act, including individuals with complex needs, and what improvements are needed to make it fit for the 21st century.

The Act has an important role in our society, and it is crucial to get the balance right to ensure that people get the support and treatment they need when necessary, for their own protection or that of others. However, we recognise that detention under the Act can be a traumatic experience, and more needs to be done to improve this.

The Mental Health Bill announced in the King’s Speech will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. The Bill will give patients greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights and support, and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment. The Bill will be published when Parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Mental Health Act 1983 on black people.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We know that rates of detention under the Mental Health Act 1983 for Black people were more than three times higher than that for White people in 2023/24, with use of Community Treatment Orders for Black people being seven times higher than for White people. Black people were also the most likely to be subject to repeated detention, with 20.1 per cent of this group being detained more than once. More information is available in the NHS England Mental Health Services Monthly Statistics, Performance June 2024, which are available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-services-monthly-statistics/performance-june-2024

The NHS Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework arose out of Professor Sir Simon Wessely’s Independent Review: Modernising the Mental Health Act, and became mandatory for all mental health trusts in the National Health Service from April 2024. It supports mental health trusts to improve access, experience and outcomes and reduce disparities for people from ethnic minority groups. All mental health trusts will be required to have a framework in place by March 2025.

The Mental Health Bill announced in the King’s Speech will deliver the Government’s manifesto commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. It will give patients greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights and support, and ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment. The Bill will be published when Parliamentary time allows.

Pilots are currently underway to test models of Culturally Appropriate Advocacy, which provide tailored support to hundreds of people from ethnic minorities to better understand their rights when detained under the Act.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to include a chapter on youth homelessness in the future homelessness strategy.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government recognises that homelessness levels are far too high and this can have a devastating impact on those affected, including young people and care leavers. We will look at these issues carefully and will consider youth and care leaver homelessness as we develop our long-term, cross-government strategy working with Mayors and councils across the country, to get us back on track to ending homelessness.

Helping care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independence is a priority for this Government. We will improve access to social housing for care leavers under 25 and exempt them from local connection and residency tests for social housing. We will work with the sector and engage with relevant stakeholders to bring forward these changes in due course.

The Homelessness Reduction Act places duties on local housing authorities to take reasonable steps to try to prevent and relieve a person’s homelessness. These duties apply irrespective of whether a person has 'priority need' or if they are 'intentionally homeless'.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to ensure that the homelessness sector will be consulted on the homelessness strategy.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government recognises that homelessness levels are far too high and this can have a devastating impact on those affected, including young people and care leavers. We will look at these issues carefully and will consider youth and care leaver homelessness as we develop our long-term, cross-government strategy working with Mayors and councils across the country, to get us back on track to ending homelessness.

Helping care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independence is a priority for this Government. We will improve access to social housing for care leavers under 25 and exempt them from local connection and residency tests for social housing. We will work with the sector and engage with relevant stakeholders to bring forward these changes in due course.

The Homelessness Reduction Act places duties on local housing authorities to take reasonable steps to try to prevent and relieve a person’s homelessness. These duties apply irrespective of whether a person has 'priority need' or if they are 'intentionally homeless'.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions has she had with the homelessness sector on youth homelessness.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government recognises that homelessness levels are far too high and this can have a devastating impact on those affected, including young people and care leavers. We will look at these issues carefully and will consider youth and care leaver homelessness as we develop our long-term, cross-government strategy working with Mayors and councils across the country, to get us back on track to ending homelessness.

Helping care leavers to make a successful transition from care to independence is a priority for this Government. We will improve access to social housing for care leavers under 25 and exempt them from local connection and residency tests for social housing. We will work with the sector and engage with relevant stakeholders to bring forward these changes in due course.

The Homelessness Reduction Act places duties on local housing authorities to take reasonable steps to try to prevent and relieve a person’s homelessness. These duties apply irrespective of whether a person has 'priority need' or if they are 'intentionally homeless'.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the availability of pastoral support for (a) children and (b) young people.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Schools and colleges are best placed to decide what pastoral support to put in place to meet the needs of their pupils. Pastoral support should promote good mental wellbeing and respond to emerging issues. There is a range of support available to schools, including a government-commissioned mental wellbeing toolkit, which is available here: https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/targeted-support/.

This practical guide and tool were designed to help schools and colleges identify and embed the most effective targeted support options for their setting.

To ensure the right support is available to every young person that needs it, the department has committed to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. As of April 2024, Mental Health Support Teams cover 44% (4.2 million) of pupils in schools and learners in further education (FE) in England and are expected to cover at least 50% by the end of March 2025. The government will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.

Pastoral support is also available to children and young people in other education settings.

The department continues to work closely with the FE sector to promote and support providers to develop and implement a whole college approach to mental health and wellbeing. This is supported by the Association of Colleges refreshed Mental Health and Wellbeing Charter, published in March 2024. The department encourages colleges to sign up to effectively integrate a whole-college approach.

To raise standards for mental health support in the higher education sector, the Office for Students has provided £400,000 of funding to the student mental health charity, Student Minds. This has enabled significant expansion of the University Mental Health Charter Programme, with 113 universities now signed up. The programme helps universities to adopt a whole-institution approach to mental health, bringing universities together to drive forward continuous improvement in mental health support for students.

For early years, the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe. It sets out the importance of strong, warm and responsive relationships between staff and children. The framework is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.

The EYFS also states that each child must be assigned a key person. Their role is to help ensure that every child’s care is tailored to meet their individual needs to help the child become familiar with the setting, offer a settled relationship for the child and build a relationship with their parents and/or carers.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with local authorities on the proposed establishment of a Central South Combined Authority.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

In July, the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to places without devolution agreements, including across this area, asking them to come forward with proposals for their areas. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is reviewing the proposals received through this process, in tandem with finalising our new devolution offer to be published soon as part of the English Devolution White Paper.

This Government believes that the benefits of devolution are best achieved through the establishment of combined authorities or combined county authorities, supported by a mayor and established over sensible economic geographies. We want to see all parts of England represented by a Mayor on the Council of Nations and Regions, with strong and effective partnerships in place with councils and other partners to deliver through devolution the missions we have set out to transform the country.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for post-16 education.

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

Funding for post-16 education has been discussed with my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

As announced in the Budget, the government is providing an additional £300 million for further education to ensure young people are developing the skills they need to succeed.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage (a) reuse and (b) repair of items that would otherwise be thrown away.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This Government committed in its manifesto to reducing waste by moving to a circular economy. The Secretary of State has committed to developing a new Circular Economy Strategy for England to support economic growth, deliver green jobs, promote efficient and productive use of resources, minimise negative environmental impacts and accelerate to Net Zero.

We will work across Government, and with input from all parts of society, to create a Strategy which supports and encourages greater reuse and repair.

Defra has also published guidance Guidance on applying the waste hierarchy - GOV.UK on how businesses can use the waste hierarchy – a framework for dealing with waste which promotes re-use. The guidance shows how it works for a range of common materials and products and what businesses and public bodies need to do. It gives top priority to preventing waste in the first place. When waste is created, it gives priority to preparing it for re-use, then recycling, then recovery, and last of all disposal (e.g. landfill).

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to reform the Mental Health Act 1983 to (a) abolish community treatment orders, (b) ensure people to have a right to appeal decisions, (c) ensure patients in a mental health hospital to automatically get an advocate and (d) ensure young people are not placed on adult wards.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Mental Health Bill announced in the King’s Speech will deliver the Government’s commitment to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. The reforms will strengthen the voice of patients by adding statutory weight to patients’ rights to be involved with planning for their care, and to make choices regarding the treatment they receive.

The reforms will also strengthen and improve the statutory roles which protect and support those who are detained, by introducing a new statutory role, the nominated person, who is chosen by the patient, to replace the nearest relative and extend access to Independent Mental Health Advocates to informal patients and introduce an opt-out system for formal patients.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the capacity of domestic ports to facilitate the (a) delivery and (b) maintenance of offshore wind.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Ports play a vital role in the deployment, operation, and maintenance of offshore wind, particularly for floating offshore wind. As it stands, the UK does not have the port capacity to enable the mass deployment of floating offshore wind. That is why the Government has taken the Port of Cromarty Firth and Port Talbot into due diligence and subsidy control assessment as part of the up to £160m Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme. Additionally, at least £5.8 billion of the National Wealth Fund’s capital will focus on the sectors announced in the manifesto, including ports.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to increase the domestic ownership of UK-based offshore wind capacity.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Economic growth is Government's top priority and investment is a key pillar of our growth strategy. The UK is open to investment from around the world. Great British Energy, which is fully owned by the British people, will own, manage, and operate clean energy projects across the UK, generating homegrown electricity. By partnering with The Crown Estate, GBE will help maximise the delivery of clean energy infrastructure, which could include offshore wind. As Great British Energy will be operationally independent, the exact mix of technologies it chooses to invest in will be determined in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to deliver specialist mental health professionals in every school.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is working across the Government to consider how to deliver our commitment of a specialist mental health professional in every school. We need to ensure any support meets the needs of young people, teachers, parents, and carers. This includes considering the role of existing programmes of support with evidence of a positive impact, such as Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what funding the Government is providing to support domestic manufacturing of offshore wind turbines.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government will soon be introducing supply chain support measures through the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. These will initially apply to offshore wind for the next CfD allocation round and may be broadened out to other technologies in the future depending on prevailing market conditions.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help increase domestic production of wind turbines for use in the UK.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government will soon be introducing supply chain support measures through the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. These will initially apply to offshore wind for the next CfD allocation round and may be broadened out to other technologies in the future depending on prevailing market conditions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve (a) care and (b) treatment for people with Jordan’s Syndrome.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Jordan’s Syndrome. The UK Rare Diseases Framework sets out four priorities collaboratively developed with the rare disease community: these include better coordination of care and improving access to specialist care, treatments, and drugs. We remain committed to delivering under the Framework and will publish an annual England action plan in 2025 which will report on progress.

Jordan’s syndrome is a rare and complex neurodevelopmental disorder and it is important to get a rapid and accurate diagnosis to ensure timely access to treatment and care. Currently NHS England offers genomic testing for two of the genes associated with Jordan’s Syndrome and any healthcare professional can refer their patient for testing based on their clinical indication. The NHS Clinical Genomic Services (CGS) deliver a comprehensive clinical genomic and counselling service and have a key role in providing care and coordinating care being provided by other clinical specialties to patients and their families. As part of the NHS CGS, the patient and their family will access diagnosis, and management relevant to their condition, but also receive support and guidance so that they are able to understand their condition, its implications, and their options in relation to reproduction, screening, prevention and clinical management.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report by the Sutton Trust entitled Lessons Learnt, published on 28 October 2024, if she will make her policy to (a) review and (b) reform the pupil premium.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Every child, regardless of background, deserves the opportunity to progress and succeed in school and beyond, and this government is committed to breaking the link between young people’s backgrounds and their future success.

The department is fully focused on supporting the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children. That is why removing barriers to opportunity and raising school standards are at the heart of our mission to transform life chances and ensure all children can achieve and thrive.

The department is providing over £2.9 billion of pupil premium funding in 2024/25 to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils in England.

The department will continue to take time to consider the various funding formulae going forward, recognising the importance of establishing a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed. We will consider the pupil premium as part of that process, and decisions on pupil premium funding for 2025/26 will be taken later this year.

The department will continue to support schools to achieve maximum impact from the pupil premium.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the attainment gap for pupils in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council area.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Removing barriers to opportunity and driving high and rising standards at all schools are at the heart of the government’s opportunity mission which aims to transform children’s life chances.

The Education Policy Institute's Annual Report 2024 outlined that the disadvantage gap in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is 10.2 months at the end of key stage 2 and that this grows to 16.1 months at the end of key stage 4. Far too many disadvantaged children are being failed and this government is determined to change this by raising standards and creating opportunities for all our children enabling them to achieve and thrive.

This is why the department has already started work to recruit an additional 6,500 expert teachers and has launched an independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review that will look closely at key challenges to attainment.

The department is also committed to making quick progress to deliver on its commitment to offer breakfast clubs in all state-funded primary schools, ensuring every primary school child is well prepared for school. The government confirmed it will triple its investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million in the 2025/26 financial year to help ensure children are ready to learn at the start of the school day and help to drive improvements to behaviour, attendance, and attainment.

Alongside this, pupil premium funding is allocated to schools to support the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils and is worth over £2.9 billion in the 2024/25 financial year.

Departmental officials also continue to work closely with the multi-academy trusts and schools in the area to promote continued collaboration, sector-led networks and initiatives to remove barriers to opportunity for all children in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of a regional planning policy to help deliver more affordable homes.

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

The Government has no plans to reintroduce regional level planning frameworks for the regions of England outside London.

In our recent consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, we made clear we intend to introduce formal strategic planning mechanisms through new legislation as part of a move to a model of universal strategic planning within the next five years.