theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Julia Buckley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much additional funding her Department has allocated for special educational needs provision by Shropshire Council since the Autumn Budget 2024. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of almost £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to £11.9 billion. Of that total, Shropshire Council is being allocated over £46 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), which is an increase of £3.8 million on this year’s DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula (NFF). This NFF allocation is an 8.1% increase per head of their 2 to 18-year-old population on their equivalent 2024/25 NFF allocation.

In addition to the DSG, local authorities will also receive a separate core schools budget grant (CSBG) in the 2025/26 financial year. This CSBG continues the separate grants payable this year, which are to help special schools and alternative provision with the costs of teachers’ pay and pension increases and other staff pay increases. Individual local authorities’ allocations for 2025/26 will be published in due course.

As also announced at the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is receiving compensation in recognition of the increase in National Insurance contributions paid by schools and other state-funded SEND provision. That funding will be additional to the £1 billion increase in high needs funding through the DSG, and the separate CSBG referred to above, and the department will provide further information on the allocations as soon as possible.
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Ben Coleman:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that (a) deaf children and (b) their families receive support from specialist teachers of the deaf in (i) education and (ii) early years settings. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has developed a Sensory Impairment apprenticeship. The apprenticeship is expected to be available from September 2025 and will open up a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people with sensory impairments. This will improve the supply of those qualified to teach this important cohort and further help to improve their outcomes.

It is also important that early years practitioners are able to identify and support children with SEND, including children with hearing impairment and deafness. The department wants deaf children to be able to thrive in their early years, which might sometimes mean that settings access specialist teachers for the deaf.

The Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow to ensure every child has the best start in life, including those with SEND. It stipulates that providers must have arrangements in place to support children with SEND. Maintained schools, maintained nursery schools and all providers who are funded by the local authority to deliver early education places must have regard for the SEND Code of Practice.

In November, the department published the updated early years foundation stage profile handbook, which includes a change to allow a child’s established or preferred mode of communication (including British Sign Language) to be used for all of the early learning goals, including speaking. The handbook can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-handbook.
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Paula Barker:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the increase in university tuition fees on university enrolment. \p Janet Daby: An Equality Impact Assessment of changes to tuition fees and student support for the 2025/26 academic year was published on GOV.UK on 20 January when the Higher Education (Fee Limits and Fee Limit Condition) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 were laid before Parliament. These regulations increase maximum tuition fee limits in 2025/26 by 3.1%, based on forecast inflation using the RPI All Items Excl Mortgage Interest (RPIX) inflation index.

The government expects that a 3.1% increase in maximum tuition fees, which will be accompanied by a similar increase in fee loans in 2025/26 for full-time, full-time accelerated and part-time undergraduate courses, will have a broadly neutral impact as the total level of debt for students who qualify for up-front tuition fee loans should remain unchanged in real terms.

The government also considers that the increase in maximum tuition fees will not significantly alter participation decisions for most students as the value of tuition fees will remain unchanged in real terms.

The government plans to lay further regulations in February increasing maximum fee loans for 2025/26 by 3.1%.
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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2024 to Question 16109 on Free Schools: Dorking, what (a) reports and (b) surveys required to submit the planning application for Betchwood Academy the construction contractor (i) has produced and (ii) is producing. \p Stephen Morgan: The Mole Valley District Council decided not to contest the judicial review to award a decision notice to Betchwood Vale Academy and the authority submitted an application to the court to quash the planning application.

The following reports were completed in support of the initial planning application:

The following surveys were completed to support the previous planning application:

All of the above reports and surveys are in the process of being reviewed and refreshed as appropriate to support with a new planning application for the school.

As with all government investment, special provision free school projects will be subject to value for money consideration through their development, in line with the government’s vision for the special educational needs system.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release entitled Government reaffirms commitment to Free Speech in universities, published by her Department on 15 January 2025, what the terms of reference are for the (a) review of the overseas transparency provisions of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 and (b) assessment of the existing approaches to managing foreign interference. \p Janet Daby: This government is committed to ensuring our world leading universities remain free from foreign interference. Providers should expect the Office for Students (OfS) to take regulatory action if they allow foreign governments to interfere in free speech or academic freedom. To support this, the OfS can already request information from providers about overseas arrangements, including financial transactions, if they are relevant to a potential breach. The new complaints scheme being implemented as part of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act will also offer a new focused route for concerns to be raised.

There are a range of wider measures and guidance for the sector to support secure international collaboration. This includes the Academic Technology Approval Scheme, advice provided by the Research Collaboration Advisory Team based within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and powers in the National Security and Investment Act 2021 to scrutinise and intervene in business transactions. Further guidance includes that published by the National Protective Security Authority and Universities UK on managing the security-related risks of internationalisation.

The government is now working at pace on the implementation of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, which will apply to universities across the UK and will require registration of foreign-directed activity involving specific governments and entities where it is necessary to protect the safety or interests of the UK. The scheme is expected to commence in summer 2025.

Any additional regulatory ask on providers needs to add value to these existing and upcoming protections and not duplicate reporting requirements. This is why the government is conducting an internal review, informed by engagement with the regulator, sector, academics impacted by foreign interference and international partners, to assess existing approaches to managing the risk of foreign interference and what more support they might need. The department will keep open options around the commencement of the overseas funding measures as we work carefully on this.
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Barry Gardiner:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information her Department holds on the number of tribunal judges who have been promoted to become Circuit Judges by the Judicial Appointments Commission within six months of receiving a formal advice of misconduct from the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office in the last five years. \p Sarah Sackman: Circuit Judges are appointed by the King, on the advice of the Lord Chancellor and the Lady Chief Justice, following a fair and open competition administered by the Judicial Appointments Commission.

The number of judges who have been appointed as Circuit Judges having been tribunal judges, within six months of receiving formal advice of misconduct from the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office in the last five years is one.
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Robert Jenrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what meetings she has held with the Lady Chief Justice since her appointment. \p Sarah Sackman: The Lord Chancellor meets the Lady Chief Justice regularly in the course of her duties, as part of her constitutional obligation to engage the judiciary on relevant matters.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what contracts (a) BFS Group Limited and (b) subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited hold with (i) her Department and (ii) agencies of her Department. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Ministry of Justice holds one contract with BFS Group, under Bidfood, for the supply of food to all public prisons. Details can be found at: Prisoner & Non-Prisoner Food Supply - Contracts Finder.
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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions she has had with officials in Greater Manchester on taking steps to protect victims of domestic abuse. \p Alex Davies-Jones: This Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade. We will use every tool within our power to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence, including domestic abuse. For instance, in November, we launched Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) in selected areas including Greater Manchester, to provide more protection for victims. Working closely with all our delivery partners in the Greater Manchester area has been critical to the successful pilot launch in this area, and we engage regularly with Greater Manchester Central Authority via our Greater Manchester DAPO Local Partner Steering Group.
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Jo Platt:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to (a) financially and (b) emotionally support victims of domestic abuse (i) when seeking a non-molestation order and (ii) in other circumstances, in the context of seeking a non-molestation order. \p Alex Davies-Jones: It is incredibly important that victims of domestic abuse get the support they need to apply for protective orders. The Ministry of Justice funds FLOWS (Finding Legal Options for Women Survivors), a free and confidential service delivered by RCJ Advice, which helps survivors apply for a non-molestation order in the family court. Legal aid is also available to eligible victims of domestic abuse for the new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs) currently piloted in selected areas, and for non-molestation orders.

It is equally important that victims of domestic abuse receive emotional and practical support to recover from abuse and rebuild their lives. The 42 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales receive annual grant funding from the Ministry of Justice to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types. This includes ring-fenced funding for sexual violence and domestic abuse community-based services and Independent Sexual Violence and Domestic Abuse Advisers.  In addition, the Home Office runs the Flexible Fund, administered by Women’s Aid Federation, which can offer financial support to victims in specific circumstances.
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Robert Jenrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether her Department has had recent discussions with security companies on the provision of technology that can jam drone signals to help tackle drones delivering weapons into prisons. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the use of drones to deliver contraband into prisons. We conduct vulnerability assessments across the prison estate to identify risks, and to develop and implement plans to manage and mitigate them.

We work across Government, to examine options to mitigate the threat of drones to prisons. We are also engaging with international counterparts to support our strategy and share best practice. Owing to security sensitivities, we are not able to discuss in detail the measures used to disrupt drones.
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Danny Kruger:To ask the Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, how much (a) the Church Commissioners distributed to and (b) was certificated by the Archbishops’ Council under section 2(6) of the National Institutions Measure 1998 in each year since 1998; and how much was granted by the Church Commissioners pursuant to section 1 of the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2018 to the Archbishops’ Council in each year since 2018. \p Marsha De Cordova: Section 1 of the Miscellaneous Provisions Measure 2018 (“the 2018 power”) came into force on 1 March 2019 and has only been used for grants made since the start of 2020. Between the Archbishops' Council’s inception at the start of 1999 and the end of 2019 all grants from the Commissioners to the Council were made under section 2(1) of the National Institutions Measure 1998 (“the 1998 power”).

Since the start of 2020 some grant streams clearly fit under the 1998 power (e.g. Lowest Income Communities Funding) and others have been made using the 2018 power (e.g. support for the Parish Giving Scheme and the energy cost support provided to parishes through dioceses in 2022).

Other grant streams (e.g. the Diocesan Investment Programme) fall within the broader provisions of the 2018 power, but some or all aspects of individual grants may also fall within the 1998 power. It has not been possible to ascertain which proportion of each such grant falls within the scope of the 1998 power. The table below states the total of grants that were entirely within the scope of the 1998 power (which would also have been possible under the much broader 2018 power), those made under the 2018 power only, and those which were partially covered by the 1998 Measure and entirely covered by the 2018 Measure (which are not mutually exclusive).

Church Commissioners’ grants to Archbishops' Council

2020

2021

2022

2023

£m

£m

£m

£m

1998 Measure

49.6

43.5

37.9

33.5

2018 Measure

17.2

20.1

38.3

38.0

Partially covered under 1998 Measure Entirely covered by 2018 Measure (not mutually exclusive)

28.0

25.7

52.0

81.4

Total

94.8

89.3

128.2

152.9

Source: Church Commissioners annual report and accounts exclusive of discount applied to multi-year grants.

The Archbishops’ Council provide the Commissioners with an annual certificate under section 2(6) of the National Institutions Measure 1998. There are some differences between the amounts in the annual certificate and the amounts in the Commissioners’ accounts due to differing rounding, accounting policies and the discount factors applied to multiyear grants.
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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) increasing the termly rates and (b) expanding the eligibility criteria for the Continuity of Education Allowance. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence recognises the unique circumstances faced by our Service personnel and that frequent mobility can disrupt children’s education. Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) helps by providing the children of Service personnel with a stable education that would not otherwise be available in the state-maintained day school sector, due to their family’s mobility.

Termly rates of CEA are recalculated to account for changes to fees made by schools for the new academic year. This is usually an annual event but as schools changed their fees for January 2025 in response to the Government’s new VAT policy, the CEA rates were recalculated in December 2024. New rates will be calculated ahead of changes in school fees for September 2025.

CEA is available to all eligible Service personnel and the eligibility criteria are as expansive as necessary to meet the aim of the allowance. To make a claim, the family of the Service person claiming must remain living together; be likely to move in the succeeding four years; and, agree that having chosen a school, their child will stay there until the end of their education stage.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24 December 2024 to Question 20228 on Civil Society: Islam, whether his Department has engaged with (a) MEND, (b) CAGE, (c) the Muslim Association of Britain and (d) the Muslim Council of Britain since 5 July 2024. \p Al Carns: The Ministry of Defence does not hold any record of engagement with the listed organisations since 5 July 2024.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the space craft sector in Northern Ireland. \p Maria Eagle: The Ministry of Defence recognises the significance of Northern Ireland’s growing impact to the UK – and global – space sectors, and we welcome the recent announcement of European Space Agency’s €862 million contract with Thales Alenia Space, whose propulsion facility is located in Belfast. In 2021-22, the sector in Northern Ireland generated £104 million and supported 545 jobs across 62 organisations. Northern Ireland secured over £1.5 million from the UK Space Agency to boost its commercial supply chain in line with emerging technology requirements, and to harness space-enabled data to improve the delivery of public services. Further highlighting Northern Ireland’s vital role, the UK Space Agency hosted the 2023 UK Space Conference at the ICC Belfast and looks forward to bringing the In-Orbit Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing (ISAM) Conference there in June 2025.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contracts (a) BFS Group Limited and (b) subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited hold with (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department. \p Maria Eagle: Bidfood, a trading division of BFS Group Limited, currently holds a contract for the Supply of UK Deployable Food. No other contracts between the Department and BFS Group Limited or any of its subsidiary companies have been identified.
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Dave Doogan:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Landmark £9 billion contract for British business to boost jobs, growth and nuclear deterrent, published on 24 January 2025, how many of the jobs in (a) Cardiff and (b) Glasgow are already in existence working on elements of defence nuclear power. \p Maria Eagle: Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd indicate that at the end of January 2025 there are currently three posts filled in Cardiff with plans to recruit up to an additional 127 posts in the next 14 months. There are 64 posts filled in Glasgow with plans to recruit up to an additional 56 posts over the next 14 months.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of extending the out-of-service date of the Eurofighter Typhoon. \p Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 27 January 2024 to Question 25025 to the hon. Member for North Devon (Ian Roome).

Typhoon Aircraft: Exports (docx, 23.4KB)
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David Reed:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December to Question 17489 on Electronic Warfare: Training, what percentage of the Ministry of Defence's demand for personnel with cyber warfare skills is being met; and how many personnel have been trained to date to meet this demand. \p Luke Pollard: This Government inherited a retention and recruitment crisis with every part of our Armed Forces not meeting their recruitment targets. Cyber is a key area for the military and we are seeking to expand the number of people working in cyber. The Defence Secretary announced a new direct entry route into cyber last year and this will be rolled out this year.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Afghans who worked directly for British forces were brought to the UK under (a) Operation Lazurite and (b) its predecessor schemes. \p Luke Pollard: Operation LAZURITE supports the Afghan Resettlement Programme announced in December. It is not in itself a scheme, rather a delivery component that assists parts of the end-to-end process of Afghan relocation and resettlement into the UK.

Over 30,000 eligible Afghans have been relocated to the UK under resettlement schemes. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of relocation figures by job role, including those who worked directly for British Forces, at this time.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will improve the training estate to support Operation Interflex. \p Luke Pollard: The Ministry of Defence works continuously to improve the Defence Training Estate on a capability and training needs basis. Work addressing areas of improvement highlighted by Operation Interflex, which stands to benefit the Defence Land Environment Training Function, is underway.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2025 to Question 25390 on Diego Garcia: Military Bases, which international agreements govern the US (a) presence and (b) operations in the British Indian Ocean Territory. \p Luke Pollard: The UK-US 1966 Exchange of Notes, as amended and supplemented in 1972, 1976, 1987 and 1999, govern the United State's presence and operations in the British Indian Ocean Territory.
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Dave Doogan:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of how many jobs the Unity Contract with Rolls Royce will create in (a) Cardiff and (b) Glasgow. \p Maria Eagle: Rolls-Royce Submarines Ltd estimate the Unity contract will create at least 200 new jobs in Glasgow and Cardiff providing the company with longer-term contractual security to plan and develop their existing and future workforce.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment her Department has made of (a) the governance structures in men's rugby union and (b) their alignment with the requirements for government funding allocations. \p Stephanie Peacock: The governance of rugby union is a matter for the Rugby Football Union (the national governing body for rugby union), which is independent of government.

The revised Code for Sports Governance sets out the levels of transparency, diversity and inclusion, accountability and integrity that are required from sporting governing bodies, including the RFU, who seek – and are in receipt of – DCMS and National Lottery funding from UK Sport and/or Sport England (DCMS’ arm’s-length bodies). This is kept under review.

We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England – which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and government money. Sport England has awarded the RFU £13,859,000 for the period 2022-27 as one of Sport England’s long-term system partners to support grassroots rugby union.
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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will discuss with Ofcom potential steps to reduce the sexualisation of children in television (a) advertisements and (b) programmes. \p Stephanie Peacock: Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code includes rules intended to protect the welfare and the dignity of people under eighteen who take part or are otherwise involved in programmes. Revisions to the Code are a matter for Ofcom as the independent regulator.

The Advertising Standards Authority co-regulates broadcast advertising under contract with Ofcom and its sister organisation, the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, sets the advertising codes. The codes require that advertisements must not portray or represent children in a sexual way and care must be taken when scheduling advertisements in or around children's programmes or programmes likely to be seen by significant numbers of children.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress she has made on the allocation of dormant assets in the last 12 months. \p Stephanie Peacock: To date, the Dormant Assets Scheme has unlocked over £1 billion of dormant assets which The National Lottery Community Fund distributes across the UK. DCMS is responsible for the English portion and recently announced that the next £350 million tranche of funding for England would be split equally between youth, financial inclusion, social investment and community wealth funds. The relevant Devolved Governments are responsible for their own portion.

To date, a total of £25 million has been allocated to the Northern Ireland Dormant Assets programme to build capacity, resilience and sustainability in the third sector. Over £3 million has been committed in FY24/25 to support smaller and underrepresented community groups to build their capacity. Discussions are underway regarding the deployment of the next phase of dormant assets funding in Northern Ireland, which is expected to be launched in due course.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what contracts (a) BFS Group Limited and (b) subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited hold with (i) her Department and (ii) agencies of her Department. \p Stephanie Peacock: All Government Awarded contracts are published on Contracts Finder (for awarded contracts above £12,000) and Find a Tender services for above threshold contracts.

Details can be found at https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder and https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will take steps to increase the level of funding made available to support the (a) growth and (b) financial sustainability of women’s Rugby Union at (i) grassroots and (ii) professional levels. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is committed to supporting every aspect of women’s sport including supporting its expansion.

In October last year, the Department for Business and Trade launched the 2024-25 Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator scheme. The aim of the scheme is to attract more private investment in women’s sport and drive growth into the sector. Over 20 leagues, teams and competitions across 9 different sports will benefit including Rugby Union.

Sport England have awarded the Rugby Football Union £13,859,000 as one of their long-term system partners for the period 2022-27 to support grassroots men’s and women’s rugby union.

In addition to this DCMS has provided £28.76 million of investment to support England hosting the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, including £14.55 million of legacy funding. This ‘Impact 25’ funding is providing substantial improvements in facilities and greater opportunities for women and girls at all levels of the game in England.
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Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme projects have (a) been completed and (b) remain incomplete since the start of this Parliament. \p Stephanie Peacock: Since 9 July 2024, a total of 637 Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities projects have been completed across the UK. Projects funded include new and upgraded artificial grass pitches, clubhouses, changing rooms, floodlights, and pitch maintenance equipment.

As of 30 January 2025, 521 projects identified for funding remain incomplete.
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Chris Hinchliff:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure a minimum level of provision for youth services across (a) North East Hertfordshire constituency and (b) the UK. \p Stephanie Peacock: Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people. In September 2023 DCMS published updated statutory guidance to support local authorities’ understanding of the existing duty and how to deliver it. Alongside this, DCMS funds a Peer Review programme for local authorities to learn from each other about the best approaches to youth service provision.

This government has also committed to co-producing a new National Youth Strategy, which is an opportunity to move away from one-size-fits all approaches from central government, bringing power back to young people and their communities and rebuilding a thriving and sustainable sector. We plan to publish the strategy in the summer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-03)

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Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure a minimum level of provision for youth services across the country. \p Stephanie Peacock: Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people. In September 2023 DCMS published updated statutory guidance to support local authorities’ understanding of the existing duty and how to deliver it. Alongside this, DCMS funds a Peer Review programme for local authorities to learn from each other about the best approaches to youth service provision.

This government has also committed to co-producing a new National Youth Strategy, which is an opportunity to move away from one-size-fits all approaches from central government, bringing power back to young people and their communities and rebuilding a thriving and sustainable sector. We plan to publish the Strategy in the summer.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-03 conversation_257

Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will publish all correspondence she has received from the Union of European Football Association since 5 July 2024. \p Stephanie Peacock: As was the case under the previous government, the Department does not share private correspondence provided to us, including by international organisations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-03 conversation_258

Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential economic impact of introducing a football regulator. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Independent Football Regulator will create a clearer and more certain regulatory environment for investors which will drive future investment and growth so that English football remains a global success story. A more sustainable game is a more investable game, and this in turn should drive continued economic growth in the market.

The government’s estimate of the economic impact of introducing a football regulator is set out in our Impact Assessment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-03 conversation_259

Stuart Andrew:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many national governing bodies of sport have (a) published and (b) implemented the Concussion Guidelines for Grassroots Sport. \p Stephanie Peacock: The impact of the Concussion Guidelines for Grassroots Sport is currently being evaluated by the Department for Health and Social Care, with DCMS involvement, including an assessment of how National Governing Bodies have made use of the guidelines. The evaluation is expected to be published in 2025.

The Sports Concussion Research Forum, established by DCMS and chaired by the Medical Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation, published its independent report into the key research questions in this important area in September 2024 - https://www.ukri.org/publications/concussion-in-sport/

Evidence-based sports research is an important component in ensuring that sport is made as safe as possible for all participants and I would encourage the sport sector to prioritise addressing the gaps in concussion in sport research identified in the Forum’s report.

The Government will continue to discuss athlete safety, including the recording of head injuries, with relevant stakeholders and the sports sector to ensure that everyone can take part in sport as safely as possible.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-03 conversation_260

Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what contracts (a) BFS Group Limited and (b) subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited hold with (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department. \p Jo Stevens: None. The Wales Office does not have any contracts with BFS Group Limited or its subsidiary companies.
wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_1

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with (a) asylum seeker status, (b) refused asylum seeker status and (c) no lawful immigration status are in receipt of benefit support; and what the annual cost of that support is. \p Andrew Western: People without valid UK immigration status are prohibited from accessing public funds benefits, including asylum seekers and those refused asylum in the UK. People with a pending asylum application may be able to claim asylum support provided by the Home Office, which is separate to the mainstream welfare system.
wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_2
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_2

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation entitled Guarantee our Essentials: reforming Universal Credit to ensure we can all afford the essentials in hard time, published on 4 March 2025, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an essentials guarantee for welfare recipients. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_3

Danny Beales:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using the Crisis and Resilience Fund to encourage local authorities to provide essential furniture and white goods items to those living in furniture poverty. \p Dame Diana Johnson: My Department has actively engaged with stakeholders on the design of the Crisis and Resilience Fund through a structured co-design process involving a representative group of local authorities, third-party organisations and academics. We are considering all feedback received through this process, and we plan to publish guidance in January 2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_4

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to expand Health Accelerators beyond the three funded areas. \p Dame Diana Johnson: NHS Health and Growth Accelerators are testing a novel approach where local NHS systems - Northeast North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), South Yorkshire ICB and West Yorkshire ICB - are held accountable for the impact they have on people’s work status. The NHS 10-year plan for England states that if the Accelerators are successful, we will expect all ICBs to establish specific and measurable outcome targets on their contribution to reducing economic inactivity and unemployment based on this model. In order to embed the Accelerator model, we will work closely with ICBs to set their outcome target and will expect ICBs to seek the closest possible collaboration with local government partners - including mayors and strategic health authorities in particular - so that citizens benefit from a seamless work, health and skills offer in their area.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_5

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have moved into sustained employment as a result of the Health Accelerator initiatives. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Evidence on how many people have moved into sustained employment as a result of the NHS Health and Growth Accelerators programme will be set out in the full evaluation, which concludes in 2027/28.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_6

Alex Baker:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps are being taken to consider the impact of autistic burnout when shaping policies on disability employment, to ensure autistic people achieve positive outcomes and receive appropriate support. \p Dame Diana Johnson: In January 2025, DWP launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. The panel considered the reasons why neurodivergent people (including autistic people) have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate. This included reflections on the challenges autistic people face. We will consider its findings alongside the work of the Keep Britain Working Review, which has now entered its Vanguards Phase to test new employer-led approaches to improving support for individuals to stay in work.

Employers already have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments, including workplace flexibilities, where a disabled person or person with a long-term health condition would otherwise be put at a substantial disadvantage. This includes chronic and fluctuating health conditions and disabilities. DWP provides tailored guidance through its Support with Employee Health and Disability online service and the Disability Confident Scheme encourages employers to create disability inclusive workplaces including guidance on flexible working.

DWP policies also help neurodivergent people into work. Our new supported employment programme - Connect to Work - provides a dedicated specialist employment support adviser who works alongside participants to understand their career goals and help them to address any specific barriers to employment. Connect to Work has a specialist pathway that is dedicated to supporting those with particularly complex barriers.

We are also training DWP staff to better understand the needs of autistic people. In September 2023, DWP’s Learning Delivery and Design Team introduced autism learning for all of our Jobcentre staff, including Disability Employment Advisors and Work Coaches.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_7

Ruth Jones:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2025 to question 86529, whether divergence between EU and GB mandatory hazard classifications for the same substance will change under HSE proposals for changing GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging. \p Sir Stephen Timms: From 23 June to 18 August 2025, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) consulted on proposals to reform three pieces of chemicals legislation: Great Britain Biocidal Products Regulation (GB BPR); Great Britain Classification, Labelling and Packaging (GB CLP); and Great Britain Prior Informed Consent for the export and import of hazardous chemicals (GB PIC).

The reform proposals suggest procedural changes to how the GB Classification system operates but do not propose changes to the underlying scientific criteria used for classifying and labelling chemicals. These criteria are set out in Annexes I and II to the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (known as the GB CLP Regulation).

The final proposals for GB CLP will be confirmed as part of HSE’s response to the Chemicals Legislative Reform Proposals consultation. It is expected to be published in early 2026 subject to Ministerial approval.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-03 conversation_8

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative data his Department holds on rates of (a) child poverty and (b) homelessness in (i) Surrey Heath constituency, (ii) Surrey, (iii) the South East and (iv) England. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty in the UK are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication, the latest available being: Households below average income: for financial years ending 1995 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

Statistics on the number of children living in absolute and relative poverty on a before housing costs basis at local level are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication, the latest available being: Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2024 - GOV.UK.

Homelessness statistics are published by MHCLG: Statutory homelessness in England: financial year 2024-25 - GOV.UK

Ahead of Child Poverty Strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty. The removal of the two child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures announced this year, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.