Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative data her Department holds on the proportion of 16-24 year olds not in education, employment or training (a) who were previously eligible for free school meals and (b) overall.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department publishes statistics on those aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) for England from the Labour Force Survey (LFS): NEET age 16 to 24, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/neet-statistics-annual-brief/2024.
At the end of 2024, the proportion of the 16 to 24 population who were NEET was estimated to be 13.6%. Data is not available for those NEET who attended state schools nor who were previously eligible for free school meals, as this is not collected in the LFS.
Official statistics for 16 to 18 destination measures show the percentage of pupils not continuing to a sustained education, apprenticeship or employment destination in the year after completing 16 to 18 study, that is 6 months of continual activity. The latest publication includes destinations in 2023/24 by characteristics breakdown, for those finishing 16 to 18 study in 2022/23. Data on those who were not recorded as continuing to a sustained education, apprenticeship or employment destination is available for state-funded mainstream schools and colleges, and by free school meals eligibility here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9e5bf7ed-27f0-49f3-b1bd-08de39895a0e.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative data her Department holds on the proportion of 16-24 year olds not in education, employment or training (a) who attended state schools and (b) overall.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department publishes statistics on those aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) for England from the Labour Force Survey (LFS): NEET age 16 to 24, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/neet-statistics-annual-brief/2024.
At the end of 2024, the proportion of the 16 to 24 population who were NEET was estimated to be 13.6%. Data is not available for those NEET who attended state schools nor who were previously eligible for free school meals, as this is not collected in the LFS.
Official statistics for 16 to 18 destination measures show the percentage of pupils not continuing to a sustained education, apprenticeship or employment destination in the year after completing 16 to 18 study, that is 6 months of continual activity. The latest publication includes destinations in 2023/24 by characteristics breakdown, for those finishing 16 to 18 study in 2022/23. Data on those who were not recorded as continuing to a sustained education, apprenticeship or employment destination is available for state-funded mainstream schools and colleges, and by free school meals eligibility here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9e5bf7ed-27f0-49f3-b1bd-08de39895a0e.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people with a serious or terminal diagnosis are not required to repay benefit overpayments that arose due to official error, particularly in cases in which the claimant notified the Department promptly that they believed they were receiving benefits to which they were not entitled.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
All DWP colleagues are trained to support our most vulnerable customers and have access to a wide range of guidance to support them.
DWP will always strive to set affordable and sustainable repayment plans and encourages customers to make contact if they are unable to afford the proposed repayment rate.
People with a serious or terminal diagnosis can request that DWP cease recovery of their overpayment. This is a waiver request and details for claimants can be found here in Chapter 8 of this link : Benefit overpayment recovery guide - GOV.UK.
Claimants can also request mandatory reconsiderations and have the right to appeal overpayment decisions. This link sets out the path for this: Challenge a benefit decision (mandatory reconsideration): Eligibility - GOV.UK
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that all pupils are able to purse vocational education pathways in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, published on 20 October, set out our vision for a world-leading skills system which breaks down barriers to opportunity, meets student and employers’ needs, widens access to high quality education and training, supports innovation, research, and development and improves people’s lives.
It sets out our plans to introduce V Levels, which will sit alongside A levels and T Levels, and will become the pathway for vocational qualifications at level 3 for 16 to 19 year olds, sitting alongside the academic and technical pathways. We will also introduce two clear post-16 pathways at level 2 for further study and for occupations. We have launched a consultation on these measures, which will close on 12 January 2026. Full details are accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways.
Skills England has also been established to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on the number of civil servants employed on temporary contracts is published quarterly by the Office for National Statistics as part of the quarterly Public Sector Employment statistics. Information can be accessed for September 2025 at the following web address:
Departmental expenditure on consultancy is published within the Annual Report and Accounts. The latest report for FY 2024/25 can be found at the following web address:
DWP annual report and accounts 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK
Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of secondary school music teachers left the profession in each year from 2010 to 2025; and how that proportion compares to those that joined in each of those same years.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers in state-funded schools and teacher entrants and leaver rates, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024.
The department publishes secondary subject level entrant numbers and leaver rates as part of the ‘Postgraduate initial teacher training targets’ (PGITT) publication, the most recent version of which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/postgraduate-initial-teacher-training-targets/2025-26.
To note that the entrant and leaver rates included within this publication are calculated for a specific purpose which is to produce the primary and secondary PGITT targets and teachers that arrive from or leave to the special/pupil referral unit phase are counted within the rates. This is a different methodology than used to calculate the overall national and phase level teacher entrant and leaver rates in the school workforce census and so the rates are not directly comparable. These data will be updated when new targets are published in Spring 2026.
The department collects and publishes data on the degree subjects held by primary school teachers. The number of primary school teachers who hold a music degree or degree in a music-related subject is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/1a4752ff-957f-4676-b1dd-08de39895a0e. This data has been available since 31 July 2025.
1.7% of secondary school music teachers were aged 60 or over in 2024/25. There is no single set retirement age for teachers. The department does not collect information on subjects taught in primary schools.
The department does not collect curriculum data from primary schools on the subjects taught by individual teachers. Unlike secondary teachers, who specialise in individual subjects, primary school teachers typically instruct across the whole curriculum. Gathering detailed data on which subjects each teacher delivers would require extensive additional reporting, increasing administrative workload.
Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of retention rates among secondary school music teachers compared to other subject teachers between 2015 and 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers in state-funded schools and teacher entrants and leaver rates, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024.
The department publishes secondary subject level entrant numbers and leaver rates as part of the ‘Postgraduate initial teacher training targets’ (PGITT) publication, the most recent version of which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/postgraduate-initial-teacher-training-targets/2025-26.
To note that the entrant and leaver rates included within this publication are calculated for a specific purpose which is to produce the primary and secondary PGITT targets and teachers that arrive from or leave to the special/pupil referral unit phase are counted within the rates. This is a different methodology than used to calculate the overall national and phase level teacher entrant and leaver rates in the school workforce census and so the rates are not directly comparable. These data will be updated when new targets are published in Spring 2026.
The department collects and publishes data on the degree subjects held by primary school teachers. The number of primary school teachers who hold a music degree or degree in a music-related subject is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/1a4752ff-957f-4676-b1dd-08de39895a0e. This data has been available since 31 July 2025.
1.7% of secondary school music teachers were aged 60 or over in 2024/25. There is no single set retirement age for teachers. The department does not collect information on subjects taught in primary schools.
The department does not collect curriculum data from primary schools on the subjects taught by individual teachers. Unlike secondary teachers, who specialise in individual subjects, primary school teachers typically instruct across the whole curriculum. Gathering detailed data on which subjects each teacher delivers would require extensive additional reporting, increasing administrative workload.
Asked by: Jonathan Davies (Labour - Mid Derbyshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data on the (a) degree subjects of primary school teachers and (b) number of primary school teachers who hold a music degree or degree in a music-related subject.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers in state-funded schools and teacher entrants and leaver rates, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024.
The department publishes secondary subject level entrant numbers and leaver rates as part of the ‘Postgraduate initial teacher training targets’ (PGITT) publication, the most recent version of which is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/postgraduate-initial-teacher-training-targets/2025-26.
To note that the entrant and leaver rates included within this publication are calculated for a specific purpose which is to produce the primary and secondary PGITT targets and teachers that arrive from or leave to the special/pupil referral unit phase are counted within the rates. This is a different methodology than used to calculate the overall national and phase level teacher entrant and leaver rates in the school workforce census and so the rates are not directly comparable. These data will be updated when new targets are published in Spring 2026.
The department collects and publishes data on the degree subjects held by primary school teachers. The number of primary school teachers who hold a music degree or degree in a music-related subject is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/1a4752ff-957f-4676-b1dd-08de39895a0e. This data has been available since 31 July 2025.
1.7% of secondary school music teachers were aged 60 or over in 2024/25. There is no single set retirement age for teachers. The department does not collect information on subjects taught in primary schools.
The department does not collect curriculum data from primary schools on the subjects taught by individual teachers. Unlike secondary teachers, who specialise in individual subjects, primary school teachers typically instruct across the whole curriculum. Gathering detailed data on which subjects each teacher delivers would require extensive additional reporting, increasing administrative workload.
Asked by: Baroness Redfern (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the increase in energy prices and the tariffs on UK steel imports to the United States of America, when will the steel strategy be published.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to supporting the UK steel sector. We are cutting electricity costs for steel producers by reducing network charges via the British Industry Supercharger by 90%, up from 60%, as announced in our Industrial Strategy.
We are also ensuring the long-term viability and competitiveness of the sector through the steel strategy. A robust position on trade is a critical element of this strategy, underpinning our approach to defending against unfair practices and global overcapacity. We are prioritising developing robust measures in light of the UK steel safeguard expiring in June 2026 to protect our domestic sector and secure stable and reliable supply chains, and engaging with our partners. We will therefore publish the steel strategy in early 2026.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce and (b) prevent equipment theft in (1) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (2) Lincolnshire.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Equipment theft can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector.
That is why we are committed to the implementation of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its intentions to prevent the theft and re-sale of All-Terrain Vehicles, quad bikes and GPS systems. We will introduce the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.
The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a new power for the police to enter and search premises to which items have been electronically tracked by GPS or other means, where the items are reasonably believed to have been stolen and are on those premises, and where it has not been reasonably practicable to obtain a warrant from a court. This will provide a valuable tool for police in tackling stolen equipment and machinery.
This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000). The National Rural Crime Unit provides police forces with specialist operational support in their response to rural crime, such as the theft of farming or construction equipment. They also help police across the UK tackle organised theft and disrupt organised crime groups.
We have also worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to deliver their updated Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy for 2025-2028. The strategy highlights how policing can assist in the prevention of crime in rural areas including equipment theft.