theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_130
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_130

Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department take steps with the (a) Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and (b) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to further digitise paper-based patient information leaflets through the UK Electronic Patient Information Task Force. \p Karin Smyth: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has worked with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry through the UK Electronic Patient Information Task Force on the potential digitisation of the paper-based patient information leaflets.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is committed to continuing to engage with healthcare partners and patients to identify opportunities to enable better patient access to healthcare information that fulfils the needs of patients.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_131
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_131

Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to increase the number of GPs with up-to-date pension records. \p Karin Smyth: NHS England is working with NHS Pensions and Primary Care Support England (PCSE) to support general practitioners (GPs) to reduce the number of missing records. For the 2025/26 financial year, PCSE is maintaining a dedicated team to support GPs to resolve missing years. The Department and NHS England are also working with NHS Pensions and the British Medical Association to use their networks to encourage GPs to submit missing certificates.

PCSE is reliant on GPs submitting the required forms to enable PCSE to update their pension record. NHS England will continue to work with PCSE to ensure they are undertaking their obligations upon receipt of the forms, and to support joint working with stakeholders to ensure pension record gaps are promptly resolved.

PCSE is also working with those GPs who need to provide certificates to resolve missing years in their pension records, as GP’s pension records must be updated in sequential order, and if one year of data is missing all future years will also show as missing from the GPs annual pension statement issued by NHS Pensions. Any received information remains on the PCSE system until the missing year is received, at which point all information is then recorded on Pensions Online, which updates the NHS Pension record.

PCSE has contacted GPs with missing certificates detailing the action they need to take to bring their pension record up to date. Webinars with supporting communications have been regularly organised by PCSE to ensure GPs are supported in how to access and resolve missing information and how to submit certificates at the end of each financial year.

The NHS Pensions has also recently written directly to NHS Pension Scheme members affected by the public sector pensions remedy, McCloud, to highlight the need to ensure that PCSE records are up to date.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_132
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_132

Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to FOI-02629, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) Capita and (b) the NHS Business Services Authority on GPs’ pensions records. \p Karin Smyth: Every six weeks the Department meets with NHS England, the NHS Business Services Authority, Primary Care Support England, and the British Medical Association to review general practice (GP) pensions administration, discuss the current challenges and opportunities, track progress on key priorities, and ensure a co-ordinated approach to supporting GPs to submit records as required to ensure their pension records are up to date.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_133
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_133

Will Stone:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps with NHS England to publish guidance on (a) safe and (b) effective pain relief for outpatient hysteroscopy procedures. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises that some procedures, such as a hysteroscopy, can result in pain, and the level of pain experienced will vary between individual women. It is important that healthcare professionals provide women with information prior to their procedure so that women can make an informed decisions about the procedure and pain relief options, including the option of local or general anaesthetic.

Clinical guidelines support healthcare professionals to provide evidence-based care. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists published an updated guideline on outpatient hysteroscopy in September 2024. The updated guideline has particular reference to minimising pain and discomfort during hysteroscopy procedures. While the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ guidelines are not mandatory, they are designed to support high-quality care, and the Department and the National Health Service encourage local implementation tailored to patient needs. This guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.rcog.org.uk/guidance/browse-all-guidance/green-top-guidelines/outpatient-hysteroscopy-green-top-guideline-no-59/

The NHS website also provides information for patients. The page on hysteroscopy provides information on preparing for and recovering from a hysteroscopy, including pain relief options.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_134
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_134

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of ambulance response times in Great Yarmouth constituency exceeded national targets for category 1 and category 2 calls in the last 12 months. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not hold the information in the format requested.

NHS England publishes official statistics for average ambulance response times by category of incident at a national level and at ambulance trust level. In addition, information on Category 2 ambulance response times has also been published since April 2024 by integrated care board area. This information is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_135
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_135

Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that patients referred for a potential diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease are seen by a neurologist within 18 weeks. \p Karin Smyth: The Government is committed to delivering the National Health Service constitutional standard for 92% of patients to wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. This includes patients waiting for elective treatment on neurological pathways.

We have taken our first step towards delivering this commitment goal by exceeding our pledge to deliver an extra two million operations, scans, and appointments in our first year in office, having now delivered over three million more appointments.

The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the specific productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard.

The Getting It Right First Time programme, which provides tailored regional and national support to providers, also has a neurology specific Further Faster workstream. This is a clinically led initiative supporting peer to peer learning and improvement. A neurology 'handbook' and checklist with benchmarked data and case studies has been published and there are regular neurology online sessions for clinical and operational leads.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_136
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_136

Josh Newbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of vehicles rented by his Department are electric vehicles. \p Karin Smyth: None of the 14 vehicles hired by the Department during the 2023/24 financial year were fully electric. The Department is setting up a vehicle hire contract with a new supplier that will increase the availability of electric hire vehicles for staff.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_137
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_137

Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the adequate running cost of integrated care boards per head of population. \p Karin Smyth: Sir Jim Mackey wrote to the National Health Service on 1 April 2025 setting out that in the future, integrated care boards (ICBs) should reduce their running costs by 50%.

Analysis undertaken by NHS England shows the variation in the costs of commissioning in ICBs ranges from £51 to £26 per head of population. It is that variation that is being targeted, alongside the move to ICBs acting as strategic commissioners.

A national target per head of weighted population of £18.76 has been set. There will be some flexibility to vary this for individual ICBs to reflect local circumstances, and NHS England will be providing further information on expectations of how the reduction should be delivered.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_138
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_138

Alex Ballinger:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will introduce legislation to (a) protect and (b) guide the ambulance service on a statutory footing. \p Karin Smyth: National Health Service ambulance services have already been placed on a statutory footing through existing legislation.

NHS England will publish further guidance to support integrated care boards in their commissioning of ambulance services in 2025/26, and will provide a new ambulance commissioning specification for 2026/27.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_139
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_139

Brian Mathew:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to improve funding for local councils. \p Jim McMahon: The government is committed to fixing the foundations of local government. In 2025-26 we targeted additional funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement to places with the greatest need and demand for services and less ability to raise income locally, through a new Recovery Grant

From 2026-27, we will update and improve the approach to funding allocations within the Local Government Finance Settlement by allocating funding to ensure that it reflects an up-to-date assessment of need and local resources. We will deliver the first multi-year settlement since 2016, enabling local government to focus on its priorities – delivering for residents and providing vital front-line services that people rely on every day. We will also simplify the local funding landscape, reducing the number of grants and consolidating them into the Local Government Finance Settlement so local authorities can plan more effectively. We will be consulting on more detailed proposals following the Spending Review.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_140
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_140

Liz Saville Roberts:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of continuing thank you payments following the end of the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme. \p Alex Norris: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 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.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_141
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_141

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of Unite's statement entitled Birmingham council real plans laid bare as it now announces savage cuts for bin drivers, published on 29 April 2025. \p Jim McMahon: The waste dispute between the employer (Birmingham City Council) and the trade union (Unite), remains a significant concern. The government has no formal role in these negotiations but we urge both parties to negotiate in good faith, reach a fair agreement, and bring this dispute to a close.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_142
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_142

Lauren Edwards:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether she plans to provide (a) additional (i) funding and (ii) other resources and (b) guidance on risk management in larger authorities. \p Alex Norris: On 5 February I formally invited unitary proposals from all the councils in two tier areas and their neighbouring small unitaries. It is for councils to develop robust and sustainable proposals that are in the best interests of their whole area. Local government reorganisation is a complex process, and we are at the beginning of this journey. We will continue to reset the relationship and work in partnership with the sector to ensure they receive the necessary support as we work together to deliver this ambitious agenda. Councils need our full backing and support to drive these changes forward and this government is acutely aware of the difficult financial situation facing all councils. On 24 March I announced that £7.6 million will be made available in the form of local government reorganisation proposal development contributions, to be split across these 21 areas, and I will provide further information on how this is to be allocated shortly.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_143
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_143

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2025 to Question 43565 on Faith Matters and Tell MAMA: Finance, if she will publish correspondence between her Department and Faith Matters in relation to her Department's funding offer for the 2025-26 financial year. \p Alex Norris: The Government made available £500,000 for funding Tell MAMA in 2025/26 to support their work, subject to signing of a Grant Funding Agreement. This was in addition to the new Combatting Hate Against Muslims fund, announced on 2 April.

It would not be appropriate for the department to publish private correspondence between the department and existing or prospective funded partners.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_144
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_144

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent estimate she has made of the number of second homes in each local billing authority in England. \p Jim McMahon: The government annually publishes data on council taxbases, including the number of dwellings assessed as second homes for council tax purposes in England. The most recent data, taken from a snapshot in October 2024, is available here.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_145
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_145

Alberto Costa:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure that armed forces veterans are given priority status on local authority housing registers. \p Matthew Pennycook: Local authorities are responsible for designing and managing their own housing allocations policies to meet local need within the framework of legislation under which certain categories of people must be given priority.

By law, local authorities must give ‘additional preference’ (high priority) to veterans where they fall within one or more of the ‘reasonable preference’ (priority) categories and have urgent housing needs. Social housing allocations guidance can be found on gov.uk here.

In addition, we have made changes to social housing allocations regulations to exempt all veterans from local connection and residency tests, where these apply, to facilitate their access to social housing. The regulations came into force on 18 December 2024.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_146
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_146

Mary Kelly Foy:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department includes local authority (a) owned and (b) managed Gypsy and Traveller sites within its definition of social housing under the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. \p Matthew Pennycook: All registered providers of social housing, including local authorities, are required to deliver the outcomes of the consumer standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing (‘the regulator’).

The regulatory standards apply to social housing as defined by the Housing and Regeneration Act (2008). The Act defines low-cost rental accommodation as accommodation rented below market rate and made available to those whose needs may not be adequately served by the commercial market.

Socially rented residential homes on local authority owned or managed Gypsy and Traveller sites will be subject to the regulator’s consumer standards if they meet the definition of social housing under the Act.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_147
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_147

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether councils can account for costs of planning appeals when calculating the level of planning fees in the context of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Planning and Infrastructure Bill contains a measure which would allow local planning authorities to set their own planning fees.

The process for setting these fees will be set out in regulations.

We will also publish guidance on the costs that may be considered when calculating planning fees.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_148
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_148

Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many planning applications for housing to local authorities were (a) partially and (b) wholly funded by the Government since July 2024. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Department does not collect or publish data on how planning applications made to local planning authorities are funded.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_149
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_149

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued on the consultation process in the planning system; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that guidance on the (a) efficiency and (b) cost of the planning application process. \p Matthew Pennycook: Guidance on consultation within the planning application process is set out in the relevant planning practice guidance.

The government keeps planning practice guidance under review.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_150
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_150

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has had discussions with anti-poverty campaigners on strengthening the Decent Homes Standard for social housing. \p Matthew Pennycook: My Department engages a wide range of external stakeholders, including campaigners, on issues facing social housing tenants.

The government intends to consult this year on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_151
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_151

Luke Murphy:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the planning system in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the protection of chalk streams. \p Matthew Pennycook: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 45278 on 30 April 2025.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_152
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_152

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Renters' Rights Bill on traveller pitches. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Renters' Rights Bill is focused on the assured tenancy regime.

Traveller pitches do not fall within the assured tenancy regime and an assessment is unlikely to provide significant new insights into the issues affecting those who occupy traveller pitches.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_153
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_153

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 41456 on Parish and Town Councils: Council tax, whether her Department holds data on the precepts set by individual (a) town and (b) parish councils. \p Jim McMahon: The 2024-25 council tax statistics on the precepts set by individual town and parish councils, in England, are published here. The 2025-26 statistics are provisionally scheduled to be published on 7 May 2025.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_154
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_154

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 47888 on Fire and Rescue Services: Finance, when she will publish the output of the public consultation on local government funding reform. \p Jim McMahon: The government is committed to implementing long-awaited local government funding reforms through a multi-year Settlement in 2026-27. On 19 December 2024, we published a consultation on the principles and objectives which will underpin our plans for those reforms. We will publish a second consultation on more detailed proposals for funding reform in the summer, after the Spending Review, and this will include the government’s response to the first consultation.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_155
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_155

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has provided to Surrey councils on drawing up proposals for a single unitary council for Surrey. \p Jim McMahon: In our unitary invitation we have set out guidance to support councils as they develop proposals that are in the best interests of their areas. This includes guidance on issues of size, sensible geographies, efficiencies and financial sustainability, public service delivery, community engagement and devolution. Proposals should be for a sensible geography which will help to increase housing supply and meet local needs. It is for councils to develop robust and sustainable proposals that are in the best interests of their whole area. We have not asked Surrey to include a single unitary proposal. As part of the feedback process, it was suggested that Surrey councils may wish to consider an options appraisal that could include a counter factual of a single unitary, which could be helpful as a benchmark.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_156
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_156

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April 2025 to Question 43904 on Local Government Pension Scheme, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of local government restructuring on upfront costs of (a) early retirement and (b) redundancy. \p Jim McMahon: Councils will be responsible for implementing local government reorganisation including taking decisions at a local level on the restructuring of the workforce.

In our invitations to councils to submit proposals for unitary local government we said that proposals should set out how an area will seek to manage transition costs. We expect that areas will be able to meet potential costs, including those related to redundancies or early retirement, over time from existing budgets, including the flexible use of capital receipts and invest-to-save projects, and the efficiencies from reorganisation.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_157
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_157

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of public funding for local leisure facilities. \p Jim McMahon: The Department works closely with local government and other government departments to understand specific demand and cost pressures facing local government on an ongoing basis. This involves looking at a range of cost and demand data, as well as regular engagement with local authorities.

The Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash-terms increase in councils’ Core Spending Power on 2024-25. The majority of this funding is un-ringfenced, and can be used to address the range of pressures facing the local government sector. Spending decisions beyond 2025-26, including on funding for local leisure facilities, are a matter for the upcoming Spending Review.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_158
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_158

Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to compensate fire fighters in Yeovil constituency whose pensions were transferred from the 1992 Fire Fighters Pensions scheme to the 2015 Fire Fighters Pension Scheme in 2022. \p Alex Norris: Discrimination experienced as a result of the transfer of pensions from the 1992 Firefighters’ Pension Scheme to the 2015 Firefighters’ Pension Scheme is being addressed by the McCloud/Sargeant remedy. The Government continues to work with the fire sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud/Sargeant remedy for all affected individuals.

While the government has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the firefighters’ pension scheme regulations, the firefighters’ pension scheme is locally administered by each individual Fire and Rescue Authority (FRA). For Yeovil constituents, the relevant FRA is Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. Their remit includes determining their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, as well as when remedy payments will be distributed.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_159
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_159

Graham Stuart:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of homes owned by private registered providers had an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or above in (a) the most recent year for which data is available and (b) 2010 in (i) England, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales. \p Alex Norris: The English Housing Survey is the Department’s key source of information on households and housing in England. While it is a sample survey and does not have a record of all dwellings built, it does contain data on the proportion of properties in different tenure types annually for England only, which is found: here. The department does not hold data for Wales or Scotland.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_160
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_160

Naushabah Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has plans to introduce (a) misogyny and (b) the treatment of women onto the national curriculum in schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Gillingham and Rainham to the answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 40591.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_161
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_161

James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking with Nottinghamshire County Council to improve its Education Otherwise Than At Schools provision; and whether she plans to make additional funding available for Education Otherwise Than At Schools provision in Nottinghamshire. \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.

When a local authority decides to make an ‘education otherwise than at school’ arrangement for a child or young person with an education, health and care plan, it funds this through its high needs budget. Following the Autumn Budget 2024, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion. Of that total, Nottinghamshire County Council is being allocated over £130 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £10.8 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula.

A joint local area SEND inspection of Nottinghamshire was undertaken by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January 2023 under the new Area SEND Inspection framework. Ofsted/CQC found widespread and/or systemic failings leading to significant concerns about the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND which the local area partnership (LAP) must address urgently. The local area submitted a Priority Action Plan to Ofsted/CQC, to address two identified areas for priority action, which was approved 14 July 2023.

Following the inspection outcome, the department has worked closely with its partners in NHS England to monitor, support and challenge the LAP in making the necessary improvements.

The department has also commissioned the Research and Improvement for SEND Excellence partnership consortium, led by the Council for Disabled Children, to support the local area to develop their SEND strategy.

Nottinghamshire LAP is also receiving additional support from a specialist SEND advisor, and the department will continue to work with the local area and relevant stakeholders to support them in improving SEND services and provision.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_162
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_162

Michael Wheeler:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of incorporating (a) the use of ICT to plan, draft, edit and present written work and (b) other digital composition skills into the teaching of English in schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: A strong foundation in reading and writing is crucial for children to achieve and thrive. As part of the government’s drive to improve reading and writing, the department will publish a writing framework this summer. This non-statutory guidance will be aimed at teachers and school leaders and will articulate a common approach to teaching writing most effectively at primary level, supporting schools in raising writing attainment.

Alongside this, the government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18. The Review is evaluating the existing national curriculum and statutory assessment system in England, to ensure they are fit for purpose. One of the aims of the Review will be to ensure that the curriculum supports an excellent foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics, as part of a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn with the government’s response.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_163
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_163

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of school budgets spent on (a) teaching staff, (b) other staff and (c) non-staff costs. \p Catherine McKinnell: School funding and costs varies on a school-by-school basis as each school operates in their own unique contexts. Each school has autonomy to allocate their budgets to best meet the needs of their pupils to ensure they have the best opportunities in life.

On 18 March the department published the schools’ costs technical note, which projected, at the time of publication, the proportions of spend in previous years at a national level for the 2023/24 financial year. The data showed that, on average, 52% of schools’ spending was on teaching staff, 29% was on support staff and 20% was on non-staff costs. These percentages do not sum to 100% due to rounding.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_164
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_164

Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to (a) mandate allergy safety policies in all schools, (b) ensure the provision of individual healthcare plans for every child with an allergy, (c) mandate staff training on (i) allergy awareness, (ii) anaphylaxis management and (iii) responding to emergencies involving allergies in schools and (d) mandate the provision of emergency adrenaline auto-injectors in every school. \p Catherine McKinnell: Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. The accompanying statutory guidance on ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ makes clear to schools what is expected of them in taking reasonable steps to fulfil their legal obligations and to meet the individual needs of pupils with medical conditions, including allergies. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. Policies should set out how staff will be supported in carrying out their role to support pupils, including how training needs are assessed and how training is commissioned and provided. Any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs should have received suitable training.

The statutory guidance recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice for pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom.

Schools can purchase spare adrenaline auto-injectors from a pharmacy without a prescription and for use in an emergency situation.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_165
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_165

Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, whether a branded lanyard ribbon will count toward the proposed limit on the number of branded school uniform items. \p Catherine McKinnell: This measure limits the number of compulsory branded items of uniform that schools can require to three or under. Secondary schools and middle schools will have the option to include an additional compulsory branded item if one of those items is a tie.

The proposed legislation defines school uniform as a bag and any clothing required for school or for any lesson, club, activity or event facilitated by the school. Therefore, as it is not clothing or a bag, a branded lanyard ribbon would not count towards the limit on the number of branded school uniform items.

We also expect schools to follow existing statutory guidance which is clear that all branded items should be kept to a minimum and that schools should carefully consider whether any branded item is the most cost-effective way of achieving the desired result for their uniform.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_166
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_166

Mr James Frith:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Child Poverty Strategy of Parentkind's report entitled The Missing Chapter, published in March 2025. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bury North to the answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 46672.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_167
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_167

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of the cost of the increase in employers National Insurance contributions that will be met by (a) additional support from her Department and (b) schools in (i) Essex and (ii) England. \p Catherine McKinnell: The government has agreed that public sector employers will receive support in recognition of the increase in their National Insurance contributions (NICs) from April 2025.

Schools have autonomy over their budgets in order to respond to the needs of their pupils. The NICs grant announced on 18 March was designed to distribute funding in a way that is close to how core funding for schools is allocated through the national funding formula, introduced under the last government. A long-standing principle of the funding system is that it is designed to distribute funding according to pupil need and not to match the precise spending of each individual institution, as their spending patterns, including NICs costs, will vary.

The department is providing schools and high needs settings with over £930 million in the 2025/26 financial year to support them with their increased NICs costs. This support is additional to the £2.3 billion increase to core school funding announced at the Autumn Budget 2024. This means that the core schools budget, which includes the core revenue funding for schools and high needs, will total over £64.8 billion in 2025/26.

The amount of public sector support for NICs is based on HM Treasury analysis of the proportion of employer NICs receipts paid by public sector organisations and allocated between departments based on headcount and wage/salary data.

The department has distributed this funding in proportion to the need of the different sectors and phases of education at a national level for England. The department will continue to monitor cost pressures, as it usually does. The department’s most recent assessment, which included consideration of the impact of the change in NICs, was published in the ‘Schools’ Costs’ technical note on 18 March 2025 and can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67d974935bad4b1a7f01ed62/Schools_costs_technical_note_2024_to_2026.pdf.

We have published a calculator tool for mainstream schools and academies to estimate their NICs grant funding for the 2025/26 financial year, with allocations being published shortly.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_168
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_168

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of continuing to pursue partnerships with Chinese Defence Universities. \p Janet Daby: The UK welcomes international partnerships, including with China, which make a positive impact on the UK’s higher education (HE) sector, our economy and society as a whole. However, we will always protect our national security interests, human rights and values.

This government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK’s relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to and challenge where we must. The department is contributing towards the government’s audit of the UK’s relationship with China as a bilateral and global actor, to improve our ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses.

Any international arrangements made by registered HE providers in England must be within the law and must comply with the registration conditions set by the Office for Students, including a commitment to their public interest governance principles. To support universities to maximise the opportunities of international collaboration whilst managing any risks, the government offers practical advice through the National Protective Security Authority, the National Cyber Security Centre and the Research Collaboration and Advice Team. The department works alongside these partners and engages directly with the sector to increase their understanding of any risks and their ability to respond to them.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_169
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_169

Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress her Department has made on setting up the child protection authority. \p Janet Daby: The government has committed to consulting on a roadmap to establish a Child Protection Authority for England by the end of 2025. The design and delivery of this Authority requires consultation, including with child protection experts and victim groups, to ensure it has the right constitution and powers to make a tangible difference to child protection practice. It is important, and right, that we take the time needed to work through the details before introducing a Child Protection Authority. Following consultation, we will set out the functions of the Child Protection Authority and a clear delivery timetable.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_170
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_170

Luke Myer:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking with local businesses to ensure that (a) schools and (b) colleges in the north of England have adequate resources to provide effective lifelong learning opportunities. \p Janet Daby: This government recognises the value of lifelong learning and creating opportunities for individuals across their working lives. That is why the department has committed to introducing the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), a transformation to the existing higher education student finance system. The LLE will launch in the 2026/27 academic year for learners studying courses starting on or after 1 January 2027.

Under the LLE, new learners will be able to access a full entitlement equal to four years of full-time tuition. This is currently equal to £38,140 based on the 2025/26 academic year fee rates.

Learners will be able to use this new entitlement more flexibly than ever before to fund individual modules as well as full courses at levels 4 to 6, regardless of whether they are provided in colleges, universities or independent providers.

Working closely with local and national employers to fully understand their needs is a key part of the successful delivery of the department’s ambition for the LLE. This is demonstrated through our existing piloting activity, the Modular acceleration programme, which is a two-year programme designed to accelerate the supply and delivery of individual modules of Higher Technical Qualifications. Through this programme, successful providers in the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber, seven colleges in the combined regions in this case, received funding to enable demand raising which included engagement with local employers.

Schools will also play a key part in the successful delivery of the LLE by communicating key messages about the programme to leaders, career-guidance practitioners, learners and their parents. This will be key in ensuring learners are well informed about the new flexibilities offered by the LLE.

In addition, local skills improvement plans, led by a designated employer representative body, are bringing together employers and providers across England to set out a clear articulation of employers’ skills needs and the priority changes required in the local area.
wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_171
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-08 conversation_171

Luke Myer:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to increase funding for (a) vocational education and (b) apprenticeships for young people in Teesside. \p Janet Daby: The department is investing over £7.5 billion in 16 to 19 funding during the 2024/25 academic year, and announced an additional £100 million investment in 16 to 19 education in the 2025/26 financial year on top of the £300 million announced at the Autumn Budget 2024. This £400 million spend will ensure enough funding is available given the very significant increase in student numbers and other pressures on the system and 16 to 19-year-olds in Teesside will benefit from this.

The department will provide approximately £1.4 billion in funding for the adult skills fund (ASF) in the 2025/26 academic year and will have devolved 68% of the ASF to mayoral strategic authorities. These authorities, including Tees Valley Combined Authority which covers Teesside, have autonomy in deciding how to use their funding to make decisions that are best for their areas.

This government also wants to support more young people to benefit from apprenticeship training. Future spending will be subject to the outcome of the spending review.

As part of the new Growth and Skills offer, the department is introducing foundation apprenticeships to provide young people with clear progression pathways into further work-based training and employment. Construction will be one of the key sectors that will benefit from this new offer, launching in August 2025, and employers will be provided with £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain in construction.