First elected: 4th July 2024
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Raise the income tax personal allowance from £12,570 to £20,000
Sign this petition Gov Responded - 20 Feb 2025 Debated on - 12 May 2025 View Tom Morrison's petition debate contributionsRaise the income tax personal allowance from £12570 to £20000. We think this would help low earners to get off benefits and allow pensioners a decent income.
These initiatives were driven by Tom Morrison, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Tom Morrison has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Tom Morrison has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Tom Morrison has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Tom Morrison has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
Period products are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which requires all products to be safe and for consumers to be provided with information on the potential risks of a product. Through the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, the Government has committed to consult on this matter to ensure that any changes to the safety provisions of these products are robust and consistent.
Studies carried out in the EU on chemicals in period products found that the chemicals identified in these products were present only in low concentrations, with no evidence of significant risks to human health. If a product were identified as unsafe, the Office for Product Safety and Standards would seek to remove it from the market, rather than run a public awareness campaign.
More widely, UK Health Security Agency is considering the information available to members of the public with respect to chemicals, and looking to publish a new website to give consumers access to more information on the chemicals they use in their everyday lives.
Departmental contact lines are not managed or run centrally. Therefore, each department is responsible for their own contact line, as well as customer service and response times.
The Secretary of State is grateful for the leadership Doug Gurr, the Interim Chair of the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”), has shown since his appointment.
Businesses of all sizes and types are required to comply with competition law. The CMA has published its prioritisation principles which set out the factors the CMA takes into consideration when deciding how to use its resources as effectively as possible.
Period products are regulated by the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, which requires all products to be safe and for consumers to be provided with information on the potential risks of a product. Through the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, the Government has committed to consult on this matter to ensure that any changes to the safety provisions of these products are robust and consistent.
Any export of controlled items requires approval under the UK's Export Controls regime - this is not affected by whether there is an FTA in place or not.
The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world. We remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights. We will draw on our full range of tools and levers, including our independent global human rights sanctions regime, to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations and abuses.
Goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the agreement between the UK and Israel, or in our agreement with the Palestinian Authority.
The UK will not compromise on any of our longstanding positions on the Middle East Peace Process through the FTA negotiation, including with respect to settlements.
The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world. We remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights. We will draw on our full range of tools and levers, including our independent global human rights sanctions regime, to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations and abuses.
The government respects the independence of the International Court of Justice, and we are carefully considering the Court's advisory opinion with the seriousness and rigour it deserves.
We are of the clear view that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories as rapidly as possible, but this must be done in a way that creates the conditions for negotiations towards the two-state solution. On 29 July 2024, the Secretary of State announced the Government's intention to deliver negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council, India, Israel, South Korea, Switzerland and Turkey.
We believe that having strong diplomatic and economic relationships with partners allows us to have frank discussions on important issues. The UK Government continues to work with our allies and partners, including across the region, to find a path towards permanent peace.
As set out in the Industrial Strategy Green Paper published in 2024, the UK's creative industries are world-leading, with the UK, according to UN Trade and Development statistics, being the third largest creative services exporter globally (behind Ireland and the United States).
While the Department for Business and Trade has not made a formal assessment of the competitiveness of the UK creative industry, in 2023, the UK, according to UN Trade and Development statistics, was the tenth largest exporter of creative goods and according to Department for Culture, Media and Sport statistics contributed an estimated £124 billion to the UK economy, accounting for 5.2 per cent of UK gross value added.
The forthcoming Industrial Strategy aims to leverage the sector's global comparative advantages to unlock private investment, boost exports and develop its highly skilled workforce.
This Government is committed to ensuring that employed parents receive the best possible support in balancing their work and home lives. Eligible fathers or partners can plan to take a longer period of leave by using Shared Parental Leave or Unpaid Parental Leave. We recognise that parental leave can be improved. Work on this has already begun. The Employment Rights Bill will make Paternity and Unpaid Parental Leave 'day one' rights, accessible to all employees.
Government has also committed to a review of the parental leave system to ensure that it best supports working families. Planning work is already underway.
Stockport Council have applied for support from our Green Heat Networks Fund for their district heating network. To be eligible for support from the scheme, applicants must demonstrate that their networks will cause no detriment to domestic customers. This means that householders in fuel poverty should be no worse off.
We are also taking action to strengthen consumer protection by introducing Ofgem regulation of heat networks from January 2026, providing protections for vulnerable customers, and ensuring fairer pricing.
Oil and gas is traded on international markets, therefore domestically produced oil and gas does not mean cheaper prices and leaves British consumers exposed to unstable fossil fuel markets. On 5 March the Government launched a consultation that progresses the commitment to not issue new licences to explore new oil and gas fields while managing existing fields for their lifespan. It also sets out the next steps to make the North Sea a world leading example of an offshore clean energy industry, which is vital for delivering the best outcomes for workers and communities, energy security, and sustainable economic growth.
The Office of Clean Energy Jobs (OCEJ) is engaging widely with industry, experts, and trade unions for a clear assessment of the skills opportunities and challenges. It is working closely with Skills England to ensure that skills systems reforms support the clean energy transition.
The OCEJ will also set out targeted interventions to support specific skills needs in the clean energy workforce. It has recently launched the initial version of the Energy Skills Passport to support oil and gas workers into new roles in the clean energy sector like offshore wind. In phase two, we are exploring opportunities to expand it into other clean energy sectors such as CCUS and Hydrogen.
The Electronic Communications Code provides rights and obligations intended to facilitate the installation and maintenance of electronic communications networks, subject to conditions and restrictions set out in the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003. Ofcom, the independent regulator, has powers to take enforcement action against any breaches of the 2003 Regulations.
Nonetheless, I am aware of community concerns with the deployment of new broadband infrastructure. Following my meeting with the industry, the Telecommunications Poles Working Group Best Practice Recommendations have been published, which includes an industry commitment to always consider the interests of communities.
The Electronic Communications Code provides rights and obligations intended to facilitate the installation and maintenance of electronic communications networks, subject to conditions and restrictions set out in the Electronic Communications Code (Conditions and Restrictions) Regulations 2003. Ofcom, the independent regulator, has powers to take enforcement action against any breaches of the 2003 Regulations.
Nonetheless, I am aware of community concerns with the deployment of new broadband infrastructure. Following my meeting with the industry, the Telecommunications Poles Working Group Best Practice Recommendations have been published, which includes an industry commitment to always consider the interests of communities.
The Government is aware of public concerns about the deployment of additional broadband infrastructure, despite the guidance provided in the Cabinet Siting and Pole Siting Code of Practice 2016. This is why I asked operators to consider revising the Code of Practice to take into account communities’ concerns. Operators have responded by convening the Telecommunications Poles Working Group, which has now published its best practice recommendations, setting out expectations for how operators can pay due regard to community interests. The Government will continue to monitor the impact of these recommendations on public concern about the deployment of broadband infrastructure.
The UK is committed to establishing a proportionate AI regulatory approach which is grounded in science and supports growth and innovation. As set out in the manifesto, the Government is developing legislative proposals which will establish targeted measures. This will complement work outlined in the government’s response to the AI Action Plan to support the UK's existing regulators who are responsible for governing the vast majority of AI systems at the point of use.
As we develop our approach to regulating AI, we recognise the need to engage with a range of international partners. This includes engaging with the EU, who are a key science and technology partner, to discuss our respective approaches, as well as working alongside them and other partners in the G7, OECD, UN, and other international fora. We take a close interest in how our trading partners are regulating in similar areas and have regular exchanges with the EU on regulatory developments.
Increasing transparency about the use of copyrighted works to train AI models and AI-generated content was one of the key issues explored in the Government’s recently closed Copyright and AI consultation.
The consultation also sought views on the protection for the outputs of generative AI, the labelling of AI outputs and digital replicas.
The consultation closed on 25 February and our priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response.
The Government’s consultation on Copyright and AI has just closed. This included a proposal to require AI model developers to be more transparent about how they obtain and use copyright works in their training, whether from web crawlers or other forms of training for AI models.
Our priority now is to review the evidence from the consultation which will inform the Government response, including any legislative proposals.
I have regular discussions with national governing bodies of sport, including the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), on a range of issues including padel, and I welcome their strategic ambition to grow padel by making it accessible, welcoming, enjoyable and inspiring.
The Football Association is the recognised National Governing Body for futsal. As they are independent of Government, it is ultimately their responsibility to address issues related to the funding and profile of the game.
To date, this Government has not had any discussions with the FA relating to futsal or its funding.
The Football Association is the recognised National Governing Body for futsal. As they are independent of Government, it is ultimately their responsibility to address issues related to the funding and profile of the game.
To date, this Government has not had any discussions with the FA relating to futsal or its funding.
All these matters were addressed in the Government 10-week consultation on AI and Copyright, which was published on Tuesday 17 December and closed on 25 February. We engaged extensively with AI and creative industries stakeholders before, during and since the consultation and will respond to the consultation once we have considered the submissions in detail.
All these matters were addressed in the Government 10-week consultation on AI and Copyright, which was published on Tuesday 17 December and closed on 25 February. We engaged extensively with AI and creative industries stakeholders before, during and since the consultation and will respond to the consultation once we have considered the submissions in detail.
All these matters were addressed in the Government 10-week consultation on AI and Copyright, which was published on Tuesday 17 December and closed on 25 February. We engaged extensively with AI and creative industries stakeholders before, during and since the consultation and will respond to the consultation once we have considered the submissions in detail.
All these matters were addressed in the Government 10-week consultation on AI and Copyright, which was published on Tuesday 17 December and closed on 25 February. We engaged extensively with AI and creative industries stakeholders before, during and since the consultation and will respond to the consultation once we have considered the submissions in detail.
Parents have a right to educate a child of compulsory school age otherwise than at school, provided that the education is suitable. Home education can be demanding and so should only ever be an informed and positive choice. If their child is in a mainstream school, parents can withdraw their child by notifying the school that they wish to home educate. If their child is in a special school under arrangements made by a local authority, then the parent must first seek local authority consent. This additional check is not intended to keep children in a setting that does not meet their needs, but rather to ensure that there are no educational suitability issues resulting from the loss of the support at the school.
If parents have concerns that their child’s special educational needs (SEN) are not being met in school, then they should discuss these concerns with the school. If their child has an education, health and care plan, then they should also talk to their local authority. In either case, the package of support may need to be reviewed.
The department is aware of the challenges in the special educational needs and disabilities SEND system, and the government has been clear that a more inclusive education system is needed to give children and young people the opportunities they need to achieve and thrive.
The department takes its data protection obligations seriously and is committed to high standards of information security, privacy and transparency. All data received by the department, including as part of the children not in school (CNIS) registers, will be processed in accordance with UK-GDPR principles. No individual personal data from CNIS registers will be published by the department.
The department is conducting a Data Protection Impact Assessment and are consulting with the Information Commissioner’s Office to ensure all data protection risks have been considered and appropriate mitigation are in place before any processing of data has begun. The Data Protection Impact Assessment will be reviewed on a regular basis and updated as required.
Parents have the right under UK-GDPR to object to how their data is used. However, this right is not absolute. If the department or other agencies outlined in the Bill have compelling, legitimate grounds to continue using the parent’s data that outweigh the parent’s rights, they can refuse the parent’s request.
We will outline in future statutory guidance to local authorities how they should inform parents about their rights around data sharing and processing at the point of registration and/or providing updates for the registers.
The early years workforce is at the heart of the government’s mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver our Plan for Change.
The department is providing a range of high-quality support and training for early years educators and leaders, building a stronger, more expert workforce, to enable nursery settings to deliver quality early education, including our online early years child development training, online support available through the ‘Help for early years providers’ and ‘Foundation years’ services, and a range of non-statutory guidance to support effective curriculum and assessment, including ‘Development Matters’. We have also extended funding of the Stronger Practice Hubs until March 2026 to continue support for early years educators to improve practice.
Our online child development training in particular is designed to help early years educators build and strengthen their knowledge, in response to user research which identified a specific need from educators working with the zero to four age group for practical easily accessible information to support implementation of the early years foundation stage (EYFS). The training includes a specific module on understanding child development and the importance of early childhood education and care, including how to implement strategies to provide a positive approach in a setting, the importance of child development knowledge, the various factors that impact on children’s development and how to effectively deliver the EYFS.
Last year, in collaboration with The Lullaby Trust the department produced safer sleep guidance which is available on the Foundation Years website. This covers a variety of areas including sleeping products which are not suitable for babies, suitable sleeping surfaces for babies and safe use of blankets.
The department has also produced guidance with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children on supporting distressed babies and the importance of positive interactions on baby brain development. These support providers with developing enriching relationships with the babies in their settings, by recognising their social cues and responding appropriately.
Later this year the department will publish a strategy to reform early years education, including the workforce. We will work in partnership with the sector, reforming training and support for the workforce to drive up standards and offer sustained professional development. We will work in partnership with those inside and outside of government to test new approaches and drive progress towards a common goal of giving every child the best start in life.
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework which all early years providers are required to follow includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance. This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.
Ofsted inspects early years settings against the EYFS requirements. Early years providers failing to follow safer sleep practice in line with this guidance would be in breach of the requirements and subject to enforcement action.
The early years qualification requirements and standards document sets out the minimum qualification requirements, including the qualifications criteria at levels 2 and 3, that staff must meet to be recognised as level 2, level 3 or level 6 members of staff for the purpose of working within the EYFS staff:child ratios. This document can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.
Both the level 2 and level 3 criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision, with level 3 also including use of equipment, furniture and materials safely with regard for sleep safety.
In September 2024, the department worked in collaboration with The Lullaby Trust to produce guidance which is available on the Foundation Years platform at: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2024/09/safer-sleeping-practices-for-early-years-educators/. This covers a variety of areas including sleeping products which are not suitable for babies, suitable sleeping surfaces for babies and safe use of blankets.
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework which all early years providers are required to follow includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance. This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.
Ofsted inspects early years settings against the EYFS requirements. Early years providers failing to follow safer sleep practice in line with this guidance would be in breach of the requirements and subject to enforcement action.
The early years qualification requirements and standards document sets out the minimum qualification requirements, including the qualifications criteria at levels 2 and 3, that staff must meet to be recognised as level 2, level 3 or level 6 members of staff for the purpose of working within the EYFS staff:child ratios. This document can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.
Both the level 2 and level 3 criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision, with level 3 also including use of equipment, furniture and materials safely with regard for sleep safety.
In September 2024, the department worked in collaboration with The Lullaby Trust to produce guidance which is available on the Foundation Years platform at: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2024/09/safer-sleeping-practices-for-early-years-educators/. This covers a variety of areas including sleeping products which are not suitable for babies, suitable sleeping surfaces for babies and safe use of blankets.
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework which all early years providers are required to follow includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance. This guidance can be accessed here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.
Ofsted inspects early years settings against the EYFS requirements. Early years providers failing to follow safer sleep practice in line with this guidance would be in breach of the requirements and subject to enforcement action.
The early years qualification requirements and standards document sets out the minimum qualification requirements, including the qualifications criteria at levels 2 and 3, that staff must meet to be recognised as level 2, level 3 or level 6 members of staff for the purpose of working within the EYFS staff:child ratios. This document can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.
Both the level 2 and level 3 criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision, with level 3 also including use of equipment, furniture and materials safely with regard for sleep safety.
In September 2024, the department worked in collaboration with The Lullaby Trust to produce guidance which is available on the Foundation Years platform at: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2024/09/safer-sleeping-practices-for-early-years-educators/. This covers a variety of areas including sleeping products which are not suitable for babies, suitable sleeping surfaces for babies and safe use of blankets.
The department’s priority is to grow high-quality education and care for children, whilst ensuring their safety, in order to give every child the best start in life. We continually monitor and review safeguarding requirements for early years settings to make sure children are kept as safe as possible.
In September 2025, subject to parliamentary procedure the department will be introducing changes to the safeguarding requirements of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework which all early years settings must follow. The framework can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2.
This includes requirements which will help keep babies under 12 months as safe as possible, such as a new safer eating section, which includes a requirement to have ongoing discussions with parents and/or carers in regard to introducing solid foods.
Last year, in collaboration with The Lullaby Trust the department produced safer sleep guidance which is available on the Foundation Years, which can be accessed here: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2024/09/safer-sleeping-practices-for-early-years-educators/. This covers a variety of areas including sleeping products which are not suitable for babies, suitable sleeping surfaces for babies and safe use of blankets.
The department also produced guidance with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children on supporting distressed babies, available at: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2025/01/responding-to-babies-cries-a-guide-for-early-years-educators/, and the importance of positive interactions on baby brain development, available at: https://www.foundationyears.org.uk/2025/01/the-importance-of-positive-interactions-on-baby-brain-development/. These support providers with developing enriching relationships with the babies in their settings, by recognising their social cues and responding appropriately.
The department has already seen a strong response from the early years sector following the introduction of the new entitlement, the latest stage of which was the expansion to 15 hours for eligible children under two in September 2024. 2023 to 2024 saw nearly three times the growth in places (44,000 compared to 15,000) and more than 1.5 times the growth in staff (20,000 compared to 13,000) working in early years compared to 2022 to 2023, showing the early years market is responding positively to the demand. Continuing this growth ahead of September 2025 will allow more families to benefit from the expansion.
The department’s priority is to grow high-quality, affordable and flexible education and care for children, whilst ensuring their safety, giving every child the best start of life and delivering on our Plan for Change. We continually monitor and review safeguarding requirements for early years settings to make sure children are kept as safe as possible.
The department sets the standards which early years settings such as nurseries must follow, these are set out in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The department also sets policy on inspection and registration, but how it is implemented is for Ofsted to decide whilst remaining accountable to Parliament.
The decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.
Ofsted can carry out any early years inspection without notice and these usually take place due to previous inadequate judgements or as a result of risk assessments after concerns have been raised.
In September 2025, subject to Parliamentary procedure we will be introducing changes to the EYFS safeguarding requirements. This includes new requirements around whistleblowing, to help ensure that all early years educators understand when and how to escalate any safeguarding concerns. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-foundation-stage-eyfs-safeguarding.
Ofsted’s early years inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant suitability and safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.
The department’s priority is to grow high-quality, affordable and flexible education and care for children, whilst ensuring their safety, giving every child the best start of life and delivering on our Plan for Change. We continually monitor and review safeguarding requirements for early years settings to make sure children are kept as safe as possible.
The department sets the standards which early years settings such as nurseries must follow, these are set out in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The department also sets policy on inspection and registration, but how it is implemented is for Ofsted to decide whilst remaining accountable to Parliament.
The decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.
Ofsted can carry out any early years inspection without notice and these usually take place due to previous inadequate judgements or as a result of risk assessments after concerns have been raised.
In September 2025, subject to Parliamentary procedure we will be introducing changes to the EYFS safeguarding requirements. This includes new requirements around whistleblowing, to help ensure that all early years educators understand when and how to escalate any safeguarding concerns. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-foundation-stage-eyfs-safeguarding.
Ofsted’s early years inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant suitability and safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.
The department’s priority is to grow high-quality, affordable and flexible education and care for children, whilst ensuring their safety, giving every child the best start of life and delivering on our Plan for Change. We continually monitor and review safeguarding requirements for early years settings to make sure children are kept as safe as possible.
The department sets the standards which early years settings such as nurseries must follow, these are set out in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The department also sets policy on inspection and registration, but how it is implemented is for Ofsted to decide whilst remaining accountable to Parliament.
The decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.
Ofsted can carry out any early years inspection without notice and these usually take place due to previous inadequate judgements or as a result of risk assessments after concerns have been raised.
In September 2025, subject to Parliamentary procedure we will be introducing changes to the EYFS safeguarding requirements. This includes new requirements around whistleblowing, to help ensure that all early years educators understand when and how to escalate any safeguarding concerns. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-foundation-stage-eyfs-safeguarding.
Ofsted’s early years inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant suitability and safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.
The department’s priority is to grow high-quality, affordable and flexible education and care for children, whilst ensuring their safety, giving every child the best start of life and delivering on our Plan for Change. We continually monitor and review safeguarding requirements for early years settings to make sure children are kept as safe as possible.
The department sets the standards which early years settings such as nurseries must follow, these are set out in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework and can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The department also sets policy on inspection and registration, but how it is implemented is for Ofsted to decide whilst remaining accountable to Parliament.
The decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.
Ofsted can carry out any early years inspection without notice and these usually take place due to previous inadequate judgements or as a result of risk assessments after concerns have been raised.
In September 2025, subject to Parliamentary procedure we will be introducing changes to the EYFS safeguarding requirements. This includes new requirements around whistleblowing, to help ensure that all early years educators understand when and how to escalate any safeguarding concerns. Further information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/early-years-foundation-stage-eyfs-safeguarding.
Ofsted’s early years inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant suitability and safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.
Local government spending on children’s social care has risen by £4.4 billion over the last decade whilst spend on non-statutory, preventative services has fallen from £3.9 billion in 2012/13 to £2.7 billion in 2022/23, which is a fall of 31% in real terms.
The department wants to shift the dial to prioritise earlier intervention, removing barriers to accessing support. Families should access the right help at the earliest opportunity, to improve outcomes for children and to reduce the need for future costly intervention.
In this financial year, over £500 million is available to local authorities to roll out Family Help, multi-agency child protection and family network reforms through the Families First Partnership (FFP) programme. The FFP programme is based on strong evidence from several programmes delivered by local partners and we expect these reforms to lead to sustained reductions in spend on children’s social care. Local authorities will be able to recruit more practitioners who can spend more time with children and families at the earliest opportunity, to avoid later costly crisis intervention. We expect to generate savings by diverting children from care and improving school attendance and attainment, directly impacting the Opportunity Mission.
The government will continue to look at this closely in the next phase of the spending review.
In 2022, the department invested £18 million to improve the quality of supported internships and increase the quantity to 4,500 internships per year by March 2025. The Internships Work consortium has led this investment.
Owing to the commitment of everyone involved in the programme, indicative data shows that the department has reached its aim of doubling the number of supported internships to 4,500 across the country. The interim report from our evaluation of the programme also shows an improvement in the quality of intern placements with employers and numbers of interns progressing into employment. The full interim report can be read here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supported-internship-programme-evaluation-of-investment.
We will provide an update in due course.
In 2022, the department invested £18 million to improve the quality of supported internships and increase the quantity to 4,500 internships per year by March 2025. The Internships Work consortium has led this investment.
Owing to the commitment of everyone involved in the programme, indicative data shows that the department has reached its aim of doubling the number of supported internships to 4,500 across the country. The interim report from our evaluation of the programme also shows an improvement in the quality of intern placements with employers and numbers of interns progressing into employment. The full interim report can be read here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supported-internship-programme-evaluation-of-investment.
We will provide an update in due course.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency closed on 31 March 2025 and its functions transferred to the department. The chief executive officer of the Agency, at its closure, issued an accounting officer letter to the sector on 19 March 2025 confirming the transfer of functions to the department. This letter is available on GOV.UK at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d95fceb1857deda3da016d/Letter_to_accounting_officers_-_19_March_2025.pdf.
Moving the agency functions into the department allows for more joined-up delivery, both in the regulatory space and in the services it provides to the sector. It enables a single, joined-up approach to funding and regulation to improve accountability, provides a unified voice to schools and ensures that financial improvement is central to school improvement.
The department recently announced, in partnership with GB Energy, an £80 million (£40 million from the department and £40 million from GB Energy) initiative to install solar and other technologies such as electric vehicle chargers in 200 schools and colleges, prioritising those in areas of deprivation, to start in 2025/26.
This is one element of our strategy to ensure that the school estate is sustainable. We are providing support for all schools and colleges to start on their journey towards net zero via our new online sustainability support for education platform and our climate ambassador programme. Where schools are considering the purchase of solar panels or other sustainable systems, our ‘Get help for buying’ service provides support to ensure that schemes procured are of high-quality and value to the sector. More information can be found here: https://gethelpbuyingforschools.campaign.gov.uk/.
Details of other government funding available to public bodies for sustainability, can be found at this website, prepared by the Crown Commercial Service: https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/social-value/carbon-net-zero/funding-and-grants.
Capital funding allocated to the school sector each year can also be used for projects that improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of school buildings, as well as improving the condition of the estate to keep schools safe and operational. Decisions on which projects to prioritise can be primarily taken at a local level.
The department has allocated £2.1 billion in condition funding for the 2025/26 financial year, which is £300 million more than the previous year.
In November 2021, the department launched a new set of construction standards addressing sustainability, energy and climate change. These revised standards mandate that all new department funded school buildings include roof mounted photovoltaic panels.
The department’s full specification can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/school-design-and-construction#output-specification.
Parents who choose to home educate their children assume full responsibility for that education, as a state-funded place is available for every child.
The decision to home educate must be an informed one, with full awareness of potential challenges and the associated costs. Parents should consider and plan in advance how and where their child can access exams and any written or practical assessments for their chosen subject(s).
Exam centres, such as schools and colleges, deliver exams on behalf of exam boards, and rightly take their own decisions on whether they can accept private candidates based on their own individual circumstances, such as how big their exam halls are. Private candidates includes home educated students, but also adults and others.
The department has worked with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JQC), who have created a centre search function on JCQ’s website, which enables any private candidate, including home educated students, to locate the nearest centre available to sit their A level science exams. Parents or private candidates should contact these centres, and any other private or local centres, to discuss whether they are able to accommodate private candidates taking both their exams and practical assessments.
Local authorities have existing oversight responsibilities for home educating children and must make arrangements to identify children in their areas who are of compulsory school age, but who are not in school and not receiving a suitable education. To support local authorities, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced by the government in December 2024, includes measures to introduce a compulsory Children Not in School registration system in each local authority area in England. It also includes accompanying duties on parents and out-of-school education providers to provide information for local authority registers.
As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is also, for the first time, introducing a duty on local authorities to support home educating families on their Children Not in School registers. This new duty means that, when requested to do so by the parent, local authorities must provide advice and information relating to the child’s education. This could include, for example, advice and information about how to access and navigate the exams system or signposting to educational resources. This new support duty will, for the first time, ensure an established baseline level of support across all English local authorities to ensure that wherever home educating families live they have access to a reliable level of support from their local authority.
Some local authorities may choose to offer support that goes beyond this baseline. However, this remains a decision for each local authority in respect of their individual circumstances.