theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) strengthen national food security and (b) increase levels of domestic food production. \p Daniel Zeichner: Food security is national security. We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers.

The Government’s commitment to farming and food security remains steadfast which is why the government is investing £2.7 billion a year into sustainable food production and nature’s recovery, with funding for our Environmental Land Management schemes increasing by 150%.

Work is underway to develop an ambitious new food strategy to set the food system up for long term success. The strategy will deliver wide ranging improvements to ensure it is able to feed the nation, realise its potential for economic growth, protect the planet, and nourish individuals.

We work closely with the Cabinet Office and other Lead Government Departments ensuring food supply is fully incorporated as part of emergency preparedness, including consideration of dependencies on other sectors.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the statement by the British Beer and Pub Association entitled Chaotic new rules that will lead to pubs paying twice for recycling at a cost of £60 million a year - equivalent to 5,000 jobs, published on 11 March 2025, if he will (a) pause the rollout of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme and (b) make amendments to the scheme to avoid double-counting glass waste. \p Mary Creagh: We do not intend to pause the rollout. The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 came into effect on 1 January 2025, PackUK, the Scheme Administrator has been appointed, and producers have started to accrue scheme costs from the 1 April 2025.

Since Autumn 2024, the Government has been working with stakeholders, including representatives of the hospitality sector, to consider potential amendments to the definition of household packaging. At a roundtable with industry chaired by Minister Creagh on 10 June it was agreed to establish an industry led group to develop approaches to remove dual use packaging that is unlikely to end up in household waste stream from obligation. This work is now underway.
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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme on pubs. \p Mary Creagh: The Government has worked closely with industry, including the brewing and hospitality sectors, throughout development of Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR). In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme on packaging producers as a whole. This impact assessment did not split the assessment by sector.
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Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations of the Just one ocean policy brief entitled, Plastic chewing gum: a hidden microplastic health hazard and plastic polluter, published on 19 June 2025. \p Mary Creagh: No assessment has been made of the potential implications for policies of the recommendations made in the Just one ocean policy brief entitled, Plastic chewing gum: a hidden microplastic health hazard and plastic polluter. The Government is currently considering further actions that can be taken to address the challenges associated with single-use plastic products. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach, to reduce the use of unnecessary or harmful single-use plastic products.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking through the National Curriculum to ensure that children in school are taught (a) practical digital safety skills and (b) how to (i) block and (ii) filter harmful online content. \p Catherine McKinnell: ​​The Curriculum and Assessment Review’s interim report notes the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and trends in digital information, and it is necessary the curriculum keep pace with these changes, including renewed focus on digital and media literacy and critical thinking skills.

​Currently, in the computing curriculum pupils are taught how to use technology safely, responsibly, respectfully and securely, how to keep their personal information private, how to recognise unacceptable behaviour, and where they can go for help and support.

​Media literacy is currently taught through the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2. Teaching of citizenship equips pupils to identify misleading and malicious information and to counter the effects of negative and harmful news, events and information, including online.

​Within the statutory guidance for relationships and health education in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms.

​The department appointed a task and finish group to advise on digital, AI and technology. We will consider how best to develop and implement any of their recommendations.
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Paul Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her Department's policies of the National Literacy Trust’s report entitled Children and young people’s writing in 2025, published on 12 June 2025. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Colne Valley, to the answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 62713.
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Marsha De Cordova:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken to improve media literacy education in schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s interim report notes the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and trends in digital information and that it is necessary that the curriculum keep pace with these changes, including a renewed focus on digital and media literacy and critical thinking skills.

Media literacy is currently taught through the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2. Teaching of citizenship equips pupils to understand the identification of misleading and malicious information and to counter the effects of negative and harmful news, events and information, including online. As well as citizenship, media literacy is taught through the computing curriculum at key stages 2 to 4. The computing curriculum ensures, for example, that pupils know how to use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and how to be discerning when evaluating digital content, all of which supports the teaching of good media literacy.

The department recently appointed a task and finish group to advise on digital, AI and technology. We will consider how best to develop and implement any of their recommendations.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support students with dyscalculia in further education settings. \p Catherine McKinnell: ​​This government’s ambition is to deliver an excellent, inclusive education for every child with a world class curriculum and highly trained, expert teachers. In November 2024, the department established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, who will make recommendations on the best ways to support and meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people in mainstream education settings. We have also commissioned evidence reviews from University College London, which will highlight the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.

​The Maths Hubs programme, which is funded by the department, is a school-led network aimed at improving the teaching of mathematics for all pupils in publicly-funded schools. It covers primary, secondary and special schools and uses a mastery-based teaching approach, which aims to secure understanding of key concepts. This includes training for teachers on techniques such as avoiding cognitive overload by breaking the learning down into small manageable steps, using representations to expose mathematical structure and ensuring that learning is sequenced in a coherent manner so it makes sense to pupils. Boolean Maths Hub works with schools, academies and colleges to support the continuous improvement of mathematics education across the west of England, including Somerset.

​The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics offers a Further Education Mastery Specialist Programme for post-16 GCSE mathematics resit and Functional Skills Maths teachers. This programme, delivered through Maths Hubs, aims to develop teachers' expertise in teaching for mastery approaches and enable them to support others in their institutions.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date her Department first published a projection of the number of (a) Primary and (b) Secondary school places that would be needed in September 2024. \p Catherine McKinnell: ​​Estimates of the primary places needed to meet predicted demand for places in September 2024 were first published on 24 March 2022.

​Estimates of the secondary places needed to meet predicted demand for places in September 2024 were first published on 28 March 2019.

​The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the document entitled The UK's Modern Industrial Strategy, published on 23 June 2025, what steps her Department is taking to support further education colleges in rural areas to deliver training in (a) AI, (b) clean energy and (c) advanced manufacturing. \p Janet Daby: The department is making additional investment of over £1 billion per year in skills for young people by 2028/29. This is additional to the over £400 million extra funding already planned for 16-19 education in the 2025/26 financial year, as well as £155 million to support schools, colleges and local authorities with increased national insurance contributions. Taken together this investment demonstrates this government’s commitment to support further education, including in rural areas.

We are introducing Technical Excellence Colleges to specialise in training skilled workforces for priority sectors. Further information on locations will be published in due course.

The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy published on 23 June 2025 confirmed £200 million capital investment to tackle sector specific shortages. This is in addition to £375 million of capital investment to support post-16 capacity to accommodate additional learners entering the system and £1.7 billion from 2026/27 to 2029/30 to help colleges maintain the condition of their estate.

Local Skills Improvement Plans are collaborations with local employers and providers across the country, including in rural areas, which set out priorities to better meet local skills needs. They must consider the skills needed to meet net zero, climate adaptation, and wider environmental goals.
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Sonia Kumar:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department provides for the provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages courses in the West Midlands Combined Authority area. \p Janet Daby: The department will provide approximately £1.4 billion in funding for the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) in the 2025/26 academic year to ensure that adult learners can access the education and training they need to get into employment or progress in work. The ASF supports a range of courses, including English for speakers of other languages (ESOL).

Currently, 62% of the ASF is devolved to 9 Mayoral Strategic Authorities, including West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the ASF to learning providers.

WMCA devolved ASF budget for the 2024/25 academic year was £133.7 million. WMCA decide what to spend their ASF budget on and this includes ESOL. By honouring the department’s commitments to combine and further devolve adult skills funding, we give those with local knowledge the power they need to make decisions that are best for their areas.
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Sonia Kumar:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure awarding bodies for hair and beauty qualifications update their (a) guidance and (b) training to promote inclusivity for all (i) hair and (ii) skin types. \p Janet Daby: This is a matter for the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual). I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to my hon. Friend, the member for Dudley directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Sonia Kumar:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she considered the potential merits of providing a higher level of funding to help support the implementation of the updated National Occupational Standards for hair and beauty qualifications. \p Janet Daby: It is appreciated that over time National Occupational Standards change. The department expects providers to use the available funding to undertake any changes required.

The department uses the 16 to 19 funding formula to calculate the funding to institutions each academic year for the students they recruit. Funding rates depend on the size of students’ study programmes or T Levels, regardless of the type of institution.

In the 2025/26 academic year, the department will increase the national funding rate for students aged 16 and 17 and students aged 18 and over with high needs by 5.4%, compared with 2024/25, to £5,105. Other funding bands will increase proportionately.

For adults, the department is spending £1.4 billion on the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) in the 2025/26 academic year, ensuring that adults can access the education and training they need to get into employment or progress in work.

Currently, 62% of the ASF is devolved to nine Mayoral Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the ASF to learning providers. The department is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas.

For the 2024/25 academic year, the department introduced five new funding rates that apply to non-devolved ASF. Under these new funding rates, 78% of qualifications have seen an increase in funding. There are a range of factors that influence the funding bands, such as skills needs and the cost of delivery.
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Ms Polly Billington:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to include skills training for nature restoration and ecological programmes as part of the new Technical Excellence Colleges. \p Janet Daby: The department is introducing Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) to specialise in training skilled workforces which industry needs in priority sectors. This starts with the launch of ten construction TECs from September 2025. This will be followed by the launch of TECs to address shortages in engineering, which is critical to the skills needed in priority sectors including advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, and digital and technologies.

The department will also invest in the estate and facilities needed to deliver priority training with £200 million capital investment via the Skills Mission Fund to tackle sector-specific shortages, including expanding TECs beyond construction.
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Paula Barker:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support university students with the cost of living. \p Janet Daby: The government recognises the impact that the cost-of-living crisis has had on students.

The government has therefore announced that maximum loans for living costs will increase by 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year. A 3.1% increase is in line with forecast inflation based on the Retail Prices Index Excluding Mortgage (RPIX) inflation index.

We continue to provide means-tested non-repayable grants to low-income full-time students with children and adults who are financially dependent on them.

In addition, students with disabilities can apply for non-means tested disabled students’ allowance to support additional disability-related study costs. For the 2025/26 academic year, maximum dependants’ grants and disabled students’ allowance are being increased by 3.1%.

Students undertaking nursing, midwifery and allied health profession courses also qualify for additional non-repayable grant support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.

The department aims to publish our plans for higher education reform as part of the Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy White paper in the summer, and work with the sector and the Office for Students to deliver the change that the country needs.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will consider ring-fenced funding for adult learners of all ages to access accredited (a) training and (b) qualifications in social-welfare advice. \p Janet Daby: The department will provide approximately £1.4 billion in funding for the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) in the 2025/26 academic year. The ASF fully funds or co-funds education and skills training for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.

Currently, 62% of the ASF is devolved to nine mayoral strategic authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the ASF to learning providers. The department is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas.

Colleges and grant funded providers in non-devolved areas have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF, in line with the funding rules, and work with local stakeholders to determine what provision best meets local needs.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to funding for level 7 apprenticeships on the number of chartered town planning apprenticeships. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57098.
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Sarah Olney:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it his policy to reconstitute Skills England as an independent body. \p Janet Daby: Skills England has been established as an executive agency of the Department for Education, a model of arm’s length body with a clearly defined status, established and governed in line with Cabinet Office guidance. As an executive agency, Skills England will be sufficiently independent so that it can focus on the delivery of its functions, at arm’s length from the department, while also ensuring sufficient proximity to inform decisions on skills policy and delivery quickly and efficiently. In carrying out its functions, Skills England will be scrutinised and supported by its independent chair and board.

In line with good practice for new arm’s length bodies, the government has committed to review Skills England between 18 and 24 months after it is set up. This review will include an assessment of whether the executive agency model is enabling Skills England to deliver its objectives.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of withdrawing postgraduate-level apprenticeship funding on (a) recruitment and (b) retention in the independent advice sector. \p Janet Daby: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Rushcliffe to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57098.
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Andrew Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the upcoming rise in undergraduate tuition fees on the take up of university courses by students from deprived backgrounds. \p Janet Daby: In January 2025, the government published an Equality Impact Assessment of the impact of changes to fee limits and student support for the 2025/26 academic year on undergraduate students with protected characteristics and disadvantaged students. This is available here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2025/41/pdfs/ukia_20250041_en.pdf.

The department does not believe that the increase in tuition fee limits by forecast RPIX inflation of 3.1% for the 2025/26 academic year will significantly alter participation decisions for most students, as the value of tuition fees will remain unchanged in real terms and the corresponding increase in upfront tuition fee loans for the 2026/26 academic year will ensure that higher education remains free at the point of access for students eligible for support.
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Andrew Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the number of university graduates currently in non-graduate roles; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of careers service support in assisting graduates in accessing graduate roles. \p Janet Daby: The department has not undertaken any specific assessment of trends of graduates in non-graduate roles. However, the Office for National Statistics have previously released data on numbers of graduates in non-graduate roles using one particular definition of graduate roles supplied by the Institute for Employment Research. The releases are for 2021 to 2022 and 2012 to 2020, and they show that the percentage of graduates in non-graduate roles has dropped from 37.2% in 2012 to 36.0% in 2020. The full 2021 to 2022 release is available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/1450onslocalgraduatesandnongraduatesemployedingraduateandnongraduaterolesnumbersandproportionsforukcountriesandregions2021and2022.

The full 2012 to 2020 release is available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/adhocs/13929employedgraduatesinnongraduaterolesincityregions2012to2020.

While most universities provide graduate careers support, the National Careers Service complements this by offering personalised, accessible and impartial advice to all adults, including recent graduates.

Careers service support should assist graduates in accessing graduate roles, ensuring that they contribute to the economy and society through the skills that they acquire. The department knows from Skills England’s September 2024 report ‘Driving Growth and Widening Opportunities’ that many of England’s businesses are dependent on graduate skills.
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to provide financial support to (a) Eat That Frog in Torbay and (b) other community organisations which are support hubs for those who are (i) disabled and (ii) neurodivergent to ensure their long-time viability. \p Janet Daby: The relationship between the department and Eat that Frog, as with all providers, is through the funding of learners through an agreed, published funding methodology. The department does not fund institutions/providers core costs, as the funding is driven by the learner funding methodology. In this case, as a Specialist Post-16 Institution (SPI), Eat that Frog is funded through the high needs funding methodology which is a combination of funding directly from the department and funding from the learners’ local authority, through their dedicated schools grant.

Some of the programmes and support provided through Eat that Frog is outside the scope of departmental funding, for example employment support, and therefore their remit is much wider than that of the department.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the recruitment and retention of further education staff in rural areas. \p Janet Daby: The department has announced an additional £190 million for 16 to 19 education in 2025/26 to help colleges, schools, and other providers recruit and retain expert teachers. This is in addition to over £400 million already planned for 16 to 19 education, and £155 million to support increased National Insurance costs. It is separate from my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s £600 million investment to address construction sector skills shortages. This funding will be delivered nationally and support colleges across the country, including land-based colleges that play a vital role in rural areas.

To support early-career further education (FE) teachers in technical subjects, the department is offering retention payments of up to £6,000 after tax in 2024/25 and 2025/26, including in rural and coastal areas.

Our national 'Teach in FE' campaign raises awareness and directs prospective teachers, including industry professionals to job listings and support services.

We also run ‘Taking Teaching Further’, a two-year programme helping industry experts retrain as FE teachers.

Together, these initiatives support our pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers across FE, secondary, and specialist schools during this Parliament, as part of our Plan for Change.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the document entitled The UK's Modern Industrial Strategy, published on 23 June 2025, what steps she is taking to provide (a) targeted apprenticeship and (b) reskilling opportunities to people living in rural areas. \p Janet Daby: This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will give greater flexibility to employers and learners and increase access to talent across the eight industrial strategy sectors.

The department will continue to rollout shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships to give more people across the country the opportunity to learn and earn in industrial strategy sectors. The first seven foundation apprenticeships will be available from August 2025, supporting young people into careers such as digital, engineering and manufacturing.

The department will also introduce short courses, funded through the growth and skills levy. These will also support industrial strategy sectors starting from April 2026.

The department will work with Skills England to identify the short courses which will be prioritised for the initial and subsequent rollouts and how these sit alongside apprenticeships and other training routes. We will set out further information in due course.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Chinese funding on universities. \p Janet Daby: As autonomous bodies independent of government, it is for universities to decide on effective business models and to how to manage their finances. The sector is free to attract foreign investment, including from Qatar and China, which can and does make a valuable contribution to our universities and wider economy. The latest data indicates that overall education-related exports and transnational education activity generated £32.29 billion in revenue for UK institutions in 2022, and developing international partnerships is a key strength of our system.

When collaborating with any international partners, the department expects the sector to be alert to a range of risks and conduct appropriate due diligence to comply with legislation and regulatory requirements. These range from financial sustainability responsibilities, to research security requirements and expectations to safeguard values, such as freedom of speech. As the independent regulator in England, it is the role of the Office for Students to monitor and assess registered providers’ compliance with all its conditions of registration.

The department, along with the Department for Business and Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, is currently conducting a review of the international education strategy to ensure that it continues to be an effective tool in increasing the value of education exports and reflects the priorities of education stakeholders, businesses and Ministers.
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John Milne:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she will take to ensure young people are supported in choosing from the range of (a) technical and (b) vocational options available to them after the end of the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge contract in summer 2025. \p Janet Daby: Enabling access to apprenticeships and technical education remains a key part of this government’s education policy. There is a range of support available to schools, colleges, parents, careers and young people to support careers education and the promotion of apprenticeship and technical education options.

Young people, parents and carers, as well as schools and colleges seeking support to raise awareness of apprenticeships and technical education can continue to access:
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on the (a) length and (b) frequency of gaps in education for children in care that are the result of placement moves. \p Janet Daby: The department recognises the need to improve the data available about children’s social care, including making it more relevant to the experience of children and young people during periods of change.

A core part of this work includes understanding the data needs of the children’s social care sector as a whole and scoping ways in which data gaps may be addressed over time. This year the department has published new statistics on stability measures for children looked after, providing further insight on school, placement and social worker stability for these children, here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/stability-measures-for-children-looked-after-in-england/2024.

Existing statutory data is collected for children missing education, school attendance, and children in care. However, it is not yet possible to accurately link these datasets to obtain the information requested, as the children missing education data is collected at a local authority level, while data for children looked after, and school attendance is collected at a child level. Addressing data gaps in children’s social care will be a long-term endeavour due to the need to agree data standards and definitions, as well as redesign local authority and departmental systems before rolling out nationally.
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Marsha De Cordova:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of learning through play in early years education. \p Stephen Morgan: The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets standards and requirements for all early years providers to ensure every child has the best start in life and is prepared for school. The EYFS is clear that children learn through play and that play is essential for children’s development. For example, singing songs helps to develop language comprehension, vocabulary, self-expression and literacy. Practitioners should organise enabling environments and cultures for high-quality play, create games, and provide opportunity for indoor and outdoor play.

The ‘Children of the 2020s’ study is part of a programme of departmental research to improve our understanding of children’s progress throughout key phases of learning and education. The study follows over 8,500 families and their babies, born in England between September and November 2021. The second wave of data is due to be published in autumn, and we will assess that to consider future policy for early education, including learning through play.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-04)

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Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many fines were issued to parents for unauthorised school absence in (a) Bromsgrove constituency and (b) Worcestershire in the last 12 months. \p Stephen Morgan: The information is not held by the department at constituency level.

Information on penalty notices for unauthorised absence is collected at local authority level. The latest available data, covering the 2023/24 academic year is available in the parental responsibility measures statistical release here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/parental-responsibility-measures/2023-24.

The number of penalty notices issued in Worcestershire in the 2023/24 academic year is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/e0dc750b-0698-49dc-a884-08ddb31391cd.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-04)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many of the 3,000 (a) new and (b) expanded school-based nurseries will be in Fylde. \p Stephen Morgan: At the Spending Review, the department announced almost £370 million of further funding to create tens of thousands of places in new and expanded school-based nurseries to ensure more children can access the high-quality early education they deserve and get the best start in life.

The department is currently planning the next phases of the programme, and we will be announcing the next steps shortly. We encourage eligible schools in Fylde to engage with their local authority and explore opportunities to participate in future rounds of funding.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-04)

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Dr Beccy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish the revised School Food Standards; and what steps he is taking to consult (a) schools, (b) public health experts and (c) other stakeholders in the process. \p Stephen Morgan: To ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, the department is acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance. We are currently engaging with a range of stakeholders to help us understand the challenges around school food.

We intend to consult on these revisions and further details will be available in due course. We understand the importance of hearing from schools as part of this work and will ensure there are appropriate opportunities for their engagement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-04)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2025 to Question 50632 on Schools: Broadband, if she will list the five schools in Bedfordshire. \p Stephen Morgan: The five schools due to receive a funded update to fibre this year in Bedfordshire are:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-04)

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Marsha De Cordova:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to roll out family hubs in Battersea constituency. \p Janet Daby: On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.

We are working within the department and with the Department for Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme. We recognise the importance of providing local authorities with certainty of future funding across the whole programme and we will share further information when we are able.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-04)

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Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of developing a national outcomes framework for family hubs. \p Janet Daby: On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.

We are working within the department and alongside the Department for Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-04)

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Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that all local authorities provide family hubs in their communities. \p Janet Daby: On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.

This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.

We are working within the department and alongside the Department for Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme. We recognise the importance of providing local authorities with certainty of future funding across the whole programme and we will share further information when we are able to.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-04)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 52040 on Private Education: VAT, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the five month preparation period for private schools. \p Stephen Morgan: The government believes it is right these changes were introduced as soon as possible in order to raise the funding needed to help deliver our commitments to public services, including those relating to education and young people. Together, the VAT and business rates reforms are expected to raise £1.8 billion per year by the 2029/30 financial year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-04)

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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of moving home (a) in the lead up to and (b) during GCSE exams on care-experienced young people’s (i) educational attainment and (ii) future opportunities. \p Janet Daby: The department is committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive outcomes. We recognise the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life. Under the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review guidance and regulations, a child’s social worker should do everything possible to minimise disruption to their education. School changes should be minimised and any transitions well-planned and supported. Where a change to a child’s educational arrangements is unavoidable, their Personal Education Plan should set out arrangements to minimise disruption to education, especially during exam periods and other critical periods in their education.

The government is introducing measures, including through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to rebalance the market, improve regulation and commissioning of placements, and bring greater visibility to the prices local authorities are paying. This includes a focus on addressing the barriers that prevent homes from being established where they are needed.

Through our Plan for Change, we’re also investing £2 billion over this Parliament to give more children a safe, loving home, including expanding the children’s home estate, delivering more foster care placements and helping keep families together by providing targeted support before problems escalate.

These measures will provide greater placement availability, stability and ensure that, where it is in a child's best interests, they are placed closer to home.