theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Apsana Begum:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the level of funding available for specialist by and for violence against women and girls organisations that support (a) Black, Asian and minority ethnic survivors, (b) migrant victim-survivors and (c) migrant victim-survivors with No Recourse to Public Funds. \p Jess Phillips: This Government recognises the specific challenges that both Black, Asian and minority ethnic survivors, and migrant victim-survivors, can face when accessing support. These can include cultural and language barriers, fear of reporting to the police, and difficulty accessing refuge and support.

To address this, we fund financial and wraparound support to migrant victims of domestic abuse through a scheme delivered by Southall Black Sisters, a by-and-for organisation. This can include accommodation, subsistence, counselling and immigration support. Funding for the scheme was increased by £398k in 2024/25, with a further uplift of £600k in 2025/26, bringing total investment to £2.4m. Migrant victims here on certain visa routes can also access the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession, which provides three months recourse to public funds.

In addition, we are investing £1.96m in the Flexible Fund, delivered by Women’s Aid Federation England and a consortium of over 470 services. This provides financial support to victims of domestic abuse, including those with no recourse to public funds, to enable them to leave abusive situations where their financial situation otherwise prevents that.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Apsana Begum:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the level of funding available to specialist by and for violence against women and girls organisations. \p Jess Phillips: We recognise the vital role of specialist and ‘by and for’ services in providing the tailored support that victims and survivors of VAWG need to recover and rebuild their lives. That’s why in May 2025 we announced a £19.9m investment to provide vital support to victims of VAWG, increase awareness of VAWG and fund projects across the country aimed at preventing these horrific crimes. This includes:

The Home Office continues work on improving the commissioning of ‘by and for’ services at the local level to help stabilise and strengthen the sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Apsana Begum:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish the minutes or summaries of any meetings of the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy Advisory Panel. \p Jess Phillips: The Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy Advisory Board met on 19 March 2025 and 30 April 2025, and bilateral engagements with sector organisations and experts, as well as ministerial roundtables on specific VAWG issues, have taken place regularly.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle antisocial drug smoking. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Tackling anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse, is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

That’s why we have committed to recruiting an additional 13,000 neighbourhood police officers and community support officers by the end of the Parliament and will ensure that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong. It is unlawful to possess or supply controlled drugs without a Home Office licence and we expect the police to enforce the law.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to all forms of anti-social behaviour, including drug misuse.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Apsana Begum:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to introduce a firewall to prevent data sharing between public services and immigration enforcement to help encourage migrants to report domestic abuse through her forthcoming Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. \p Jess Phillips: This Government is committed to ensuring that all victims of domestic abuse are able to report to the police. As outlined in the Immigration White Paper, we recognise the specific barriers migrant victims can face and we will strengthen the protections in place to support them.

We will publish a new strategy on tackling Violence Against Women and Girls in the coming weeks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help tackle organised crime. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The government is committed to tackling Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). SOC is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK. It costs lives, blights communities, hampers economic growth, and corrodes the global reputation of the UK and its institutions.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) plays a pivotal role in disrupting SOC and In November last year the Prime Minister announced an additional £58m to the Agency’s core budget in 2025/26 to support NCA’s disruptions of serious and organised crime. This represents an increase of 9% from their 2024/25 core budget.

In addition, on 11 June 2025, the Chancellor announced up to £280 million per year for the Border Security Command by the end of the spending review period in 2028-2029. We’ve boosted the NCA’s capacity to tackle organised immigration crime by funding 100 new specialist officers, bringing the total dedicated FTE close to 500.

We have also introduced the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill to bring forward new laws to protect the UK border and our communities. This includes a series of measures to enhance the effectiveness of SCPOs, including a new Interim Serious Crime Prevention Order (ISCPO), which will speed up the process for placing restrictions on suspects to prevent, disrupt and restrict serious crime. The Bill also brings forward new criminal offences related to the possession and supply of articles used in serious crime, targeting those who enable or facilitate such activity. (SOC articles included are vehicle concealments, pill presses and templates for 3D printed firearms components).
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to issue physical proof of status alongside eVisas to enhance accessibility. \p Seema Malhotra: We are conscious of the lessons learnt from Windrush and are committed to ensuring that all people, including the most vulnerable, are properly supported as we transform our immigration system.

People who need support can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre to request that an account is created for them so they can access their eVisa. They can also get help to access their eVisa from Grant Funded Organisations or Local Authorities, or through the Assisted Digital Service if they are digitally excluded.

We are continuing to listen to the views and concerns of stakeholders and users of our digital systems and aim to continually enhance the user experience wherever possible. We have also increased the number of support services available to vulnerable people and have delivered £4m of grant funding to 72 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK.

Listening to feedback from users, we have provided information and guidance videos on GOV.UK which show all users how to access and use their UKVI account.

We are continually improving the functionality and ease of use of the UKVI account to access an eVisa. For example, we recently added the facility for a person without an identity document to create an account and we will add the ability to link a Home Office issued travel document to a UKVI account later in 2025.

Monitoring of the system since the end of December 2024 suggests that for most people the transition to eVisa has gone smoothly. By the end of April 2025 over 4.3 million people had created an online (UKVI) account to access their eVisa, with the latest statistics published on GOV.UK on 22 May 2025. Further statistics will be published in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to support (a) social and (b) cultural assimilation of legal immigrants arriving in the UK. \p Seema Malhotra: The Immigration White Paper, published on Monday 12 May, announced proposals on a wide range of reforms, including in the areas of community cohesion, integration and English language requirements, further details of which will be set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of delays in Ukrainian Visa Extension Schemes applications on Ukrainians in the Newton Abbot constituency. \p Seema Malhotra: We recognise the importance of minimising any delays in the processing of UPE applications. The vast majority of Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme applications are being processed within Service Level Agreements. There may be applications which have varying levels of complexity which can cause a delay to an application. Applicants that apply before their previous permission expires will continue to have their conditions maintained under Section 3C of the Immigration Rules.

Information on visa processing times for applications made from within the UK can be found here: Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Dan Carden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the report by the Migration Advisory Committee entitled Family Route: Financial Requirements Review, published June 2025. \p Seema Malhotra: On 10 June the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published their independent review of the financial requirements across the family routes. The report is now under review respond in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Sarah Owen:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to waive the Secure English Language Test requirement for foundation year students applying for study visas from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. \p Seema Malhotra: The Government is keeping all existing visa pathways under review in response to events in Gaza. Palestinians who wish to settle in the UK can do so via the existing routes available.

The English language requirements on the Student route are designed to ensure that Students being offered places to study in the UK are genuine students who also genuinely possess the English language ability required to see their course through to completion.

Officials are working across government to address the complex issues arising from the current situation in Gaza.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Apsana Begum:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Destitute Domestic Violence Concession to include all migrant survivors of domestic abuse. \p Seema Malhotra: Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for this government and our mission is to halve levels of violence against women and girls within a decade.

We are reviewing all the issues impacting migrant victims of domestic abuse including the scope and operation of both the Migrant Victims of Domestic Abuse Concession (formerly the Destitution Domestic Violence Concession) and the provisions of Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse.

We will communicate the outcome of these reviews as soon as is practicable.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Jake Richards:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been granted entry clearance to the UK under the (a) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy, (b) Afghan citizens resettlement scheme and (c) Afghanistan Response Route. \p Seema Malhotra: From 2021 to the end of June 2025, there have been around 36,000 arrivals under the Afghan Resettlement Programme, of which 13,200 were through the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, 19,000 through Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy and 3,400 through the Afghanistan Response Route.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether allocated funding to the Animal and Plant Health Agency for Asian hornet response operations has changed since 2023. \p Mary Creagh: The response to Asian hornet also known as Yellow-Legged Hornet (YLH) is carried out by the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) National Bee Unit (NBU). The NBU do this as part of the overall programme of work that they deliver for Defra from the funding allocated to APHA. There isn’t a specific budget allocated to the response to YLH. Being part of APHA means the NBU can draw on further resources which allows them to take action on notifiable bee diseases, while continuing to provide an effective response to YLH.

In 2023 there was a large increase in the number of YLH nests found in GB and the NBU located and destroyed 72 nests in 56 locations. Further analyses during the winter of 2023 indicated that a few of the nests may have reached maturity and released queens which overwintered. Therefore in 2024 the NBU carried out spring trapping for YLH in 4 areas across the south of GB. Additional funds were allocated for the spring trapping work.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Rosie Duffield:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to take forward the spirit and substance of the Climate and Nature Bill. \p Mary Creagh: This Government is absolutely committed to tackling the climate and nature crises. Though there is already a well-developed legislative framework in place, the Government agreed to several actions reflecting the spirit and substance of the Climate and Nature Bill, including an annual statement on the State of Climate and Nature.

On July 14 2025 the Secretary of State for the Department of Net Zero and Energy Security, alongside Defra’s Secretary of State, delivered this first of-its-kind statement, setting out with radical transparency the scale of the crises and how the choices we make influence global action. The written statement notes further steps taken on nature restoration, consumption emissions, public participation and collaboration between the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and Climate Change Committee.

This Government has restored the UK as an international leader on climate change and is reversing nature’s decline after years of neglect. In this year’s Spending Review, we secured the largest investment in clean power in a generation and record funding for nature restoration.

The Government’s climate and nature priorities and policies will be further set out this year in a revised Environmental Improvement Plan, updated delivery plan for Carbon Budgets 4-6 and our Nationally Determined Contributions, Net Zero Public Participation Strategy, Food Strategy, Farming Roadmap, and Land Use Framework.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) native and (b) varroa-tolerant bee breeding programmes in England. \p Mary Creagh: Developing varroa-tolerant bees through selective breeding is likely to be very difficult as it requires geographic isolation or artificial insemination to preserve the resistance traits being selected for, as well as large numbers of colonies to ensure that the resulting strains maintain good genetic diversity. There is advice for beekeepers about how to manage Varroa and queen rearing on BeeBase, the website managed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s National Bee Unit.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help prevent the spread of (a) bee pests and (b) diseases linked to the importation of non-native honey bee strains. \p Mary Creagh: Apis mellifera also known as the Western honey bee is native to Europe. All consignments of honey bees (Apis mellifera) imported into the UK must be accompanied by health certificates confirming that the area the bees originated from is free of certain pests and diseases. The health certificate must be issued no more than 24 hours prior to dispatch and the certifying officer must also confirm that a pre-export inspection took place.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support councils to establish food partnerships. \p Daniel Zeichner: Towards a Good Food Cycle, the UK Government food strategy for England, published on 15 July, sets out the Government's plans to transform the food system. A UK government food strategy for England - GOV.UK.

As we develop the food strategy, we will be considering how we can better support local and place-based initiatives, to deliver the changes needed to deliver our health, sustainability and resilience outcomes. We are working with the Local Government Association to better understand the role of local authorities in supporting resilient local food systems.

The Department will continue to work with partners and seek views from across the food system.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to (a) introduce (i) licensing and (ii) regulation for dog and cat rescue centres and (b) prevent fraudulent operations at unregulated rescue centres. \p Daniel Zeichner: This Government will introduce the most ambitious plan to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Department has initiated a series of meetings with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of an overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more detail of plans in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve bilingual provision in (a) Cornish and (b) English in agricultural (i) guidance and (ii) communications for farmers in Cornwall. \p Daniel Zeichner: Cornish is not currently a legally recognised formal language under UK law. Any translations or bilingual materials would be a matter of voluntary policy or local practice. Language service needs and spend are assessed to ensure these services offer good value for money for taxpayers while maintaining high standards of service delivery.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Rosie Duffield:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that the country’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions minimises damage to ecosystems. \p Emma Hardy: This Government knows that there is no route to tackling climate change that does not involve nature, and no pathway to nature recovery that does not consider climate change. This is why are committed to ensuring that the UK’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions supports, rather than harms, ecosystems.

Nature recovery and preserving our ecosystems are an essential part of the Clean Energy Superpower Mission. As we unblock barriers to the deployment of clean power projects, we are committed to ensuring that, wherever possible, nature recovery is incorporated in development stages and that innovative techniques can be used to encourage nature recovery.

Nature-based solutions which deliver for both climate and nature, such as tree planting and peatland restoration, are an essential part of the story. Later this year, the Government will set out our climate and nature priorities and policies in several key documents including an updated plan covering the policies and proposals which will deliver Carbon Budgets 4-6 and a revised Environmental Improvement Plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how he plans to work with international partners to support lower-income countries in meeting Global Plastics Treaty obligations. \p Emma Hardy: We recognise the importance of mobilising support for countries most in need to implement the agreement and that this is an essential element for an effective treaty to end plastic pollution.

The Government supports the use of the Global Environment Facility to support the implementation of the treaty – this will avoid further fragmentation of the environmental financial architecture and to allow for synergies with funding for the related challenges of climate and nature.

The UK has supported developing countries to attend the negotiations and regional consultation meetings, including through a £200,000 uplift ahead of INC-5.2, bringing the total of UK support for the treaty process to £2.2 million. The UK is also the largest donor (£20.5 million) to the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), which bring together governments, businesses, and civil society to tackle plastic pollution and increase investment in the circular economy in ODA-eligible countries. Members across GPAP’s networks have committed a total US$2.9 billion to plastic pollution initiatives as of March 2024.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to support the inclusion of strong measures in the Global Plastics Treaty to reduce plastic pollution and protect marine ecosystems. \p Emma Hardy: For too long, plastic has littered our ocean and threatened our wildlife. We urgently need an ambitious and effective international agreement to end plastic pollution by 2040.

The United Kingdom has been a leading voice in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee and as a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution (HAC), the UK is committed to achieving an ambitious treaty. Negotiations will resume in August with the aim of concluding negotiations on a new treaty. The UK is working with other countries, including allies in the HAC to achieve this.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the health risks posed by (a) microplastics and (b) plastic-related toxins to (i) people and (ii) ecosystems. \p Emma Hardy: Under the 2022/23 UK REACH Work Programme, Defra initiated a research proposal to investigate the risks of intentionally added microplastics. The evidence project has reviewed their emissions, and the risks they pose both to human health and the environment. It also included a socio-economic assessment. Defra published this report on 12 May 2025. Defra and the Welsh and Scottish Governments are considering its findings.

The Environment Agency (EA) has identified areas of key research that will assist policymakers in developing targeted, proportionate, and effective interventions to minimise the impacts of microplastics on the environment.

The EA continues to support the water industry and National Highways with microplastics investigations and options appraisal for minimising microplastics releases from infrastructure. Additional collaboration with academia ensures understanding of environmental risk and regulatory development is informed by strong scientific evidence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will produce an impact assessment on the potential impact of increases in costs for (a) butchers, (b) abattoirs and (c) other food business operators on those businesses. \p Daniel Zeichner: The UK food processing and manufacturing sectors are highly resilient and adaptable and continue to supply healthy and affordable products in spite of the many challenges they have faced in recent years including the covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

The Government continues to support food businesses more widely through a range of initiatives. The upcoming SME Strategy Paper will outline a cross-Government vision to help small and medium-sized enterprises, including food businesses, scale up and thrive. This includes improving access to finance, markets, and tailored support. The new Business Growth Service will streamline access to advice and resources, delivered locally in partnership with Growth Hubs and devolved governments. Funding for Growth Hubs and Help to Grow: Management in 2025-26 will further strengthen business capabilities and resilience.

The Government remains focused on maintaining a fair and competitive environment for all businesses and to reducing burdens through targeted, proportionate measures.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Fabian Hamilton:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support an international agreement that includes targets to reduce plastic production ahead of the next round of Global Plastics Treaty negotiations in August 2025. \p Emma Hardy: The Government is committed to reaching an agreement on a global legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution when negotiations resume in August 2025. At the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on a treaty to end plastic pollution, the UK endorsed a statement calling for all countries to commit to achieving sustainable levels of primary plastic production and for a global target. Ahead of negotiations we are engaging with other countries to push for an effective treaty that addresses the full lifecycle of plastic, including sustainable production and consumption.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Rural Payments Agency’s IT system. \p Daniel Zeichner: The Rural Payments Agency is supporting Defra’s Digital Data Technology Services team, the Livestock Improvement Transformation Programme, and the Farming & Countryside Programme on a suite of work to upgrade, improve and replace IT systems.

The Rural Payments Service currently supports tens of thousands of customers, handling their agreements and payments for land-based schemes.

We continue to look for opportunities to improve in advance of any new IT replacing it. Recent examples include upgrade of the infrastructure underpinning the Rural Payments Service to improve system performance and the introduction of an online service for customers to amend their bank details.
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Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the data breach relating to the Afghan relocations and assistance policy on military spending. \p Luke Pollard: There has been no direct impact on military spending. Additional ringfenced funding was identified, initially from the Reserve and then funded as part of the Spending Review plans we set out in June.
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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the proportion of maintenance downtime is for (a) tanks, (b) armoured fighting vehicles and (c) armed personnel carriers across the armed forces. \p Maria Eagle: It will take time to collate and review the information needed to answer the hon. Member’s question. I will write to him shortly and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Ministry of Defence: Ministers’ Hospitality - May 2025, published on 26 June 2025, for what reason the Rt Hon Member for Liverpool Garston received lunches offered by Babcock on (a) 26 May, (b) 27 May and (c) 30 May 2025. \p Maria Eagle: To maximise the value of my time on overseas visits, I will sometimes join working lunches with industry to discuss their live export campaigns and priorities. The dates referenced cover a period where I was in New Zealand and Australia to further Defence priorities in the region.

I attended a working lunch with Babcock at their office in Auckland on 26 May to discuss a live export campaign to New Zealand.

I did not attend a lunch with Babcock on 27 May. This was a reporting error in my transparency returns.

I attended a working lunch with Babcock at their office in Perth, Australia on 30 May, to discuss their partnership with the Australian Submarine Delivery Agency.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2025 to Question 57372 on Chagos Islands: Sovereignty, what the costs were to his Department of the Agreement concerning the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia. \p Luke Pollard: As set out by the Secretary of State in his statement on 22 May 2025, the Agreement is at a cost of less than 0.2% of the annual defence budget and secures a base which is vital for UK national security for over a century. It represents good value for UK taxpayers.

A bill to implement the Treaty was introduced by the Government to the House of Commons on 15 July 2025.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education,with reference to the Education Policy Institute's Annual Report 2025, what plans she has to review the (a) adequacy and (b) targeting of disadvantage funding across all education phases in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency. \p Catherine McKinnell: In the 2025/26 financial year, 10.6%, representing £5.1 billion of the schools national funding formula (NFF), has been allocated through deprivation factors, as part of the 17.8%, representing £8.6 billion, allocated for additional needs overall. Schools with more pupils with additional needs therefore receive extra funding to help them to close attainment gaps. In 2025/26, the most deprived schools have, on average, attracted the largest per pupil funding amounts. The per pupil funding rates provided in respect of all NFF additional needs factors can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/674f2609d7e2693e0e47d02a/NFF_Policy_document.pdf.

Alongside the NFF, the department is providing over £3 billion in pupil premium funding in 2025/26 to improve the attainment and wider outcomes of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Pupil premium funding allocations can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2025-to-2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_38

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the pupil premium at reducing attainment gaps in (a) England and (b) in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency. \p Catherine McKinnell: Schools receive pupil premium, worth over £3 billion in 2025/26, to support disadvantaged pupils’ educational outcomes. South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency’s pupil premium allocation this financial year is £5.59 million.

The department published an evaluation of pupil and recovery premia in March 2025: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dd5b7f0114b0b86e59f42b/Pupil_premium_and_recovery_premium_evaluation.pdf.

This contained positive findings, for example 85% of schools and 91% of trusts agreed that having pupil premium meant they had a better strategy for meeting disadvantaged pupils’ needs.
wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_39
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_39

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that teachers are adequately trained to deal with students with ADHD. \p Catherine McKinnell: High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, including those with neurodivergent conditions such as ADHD, and we are committed to ensuring that all pupils receive excellent support from their teachers.

The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and this is embedded in teacher training. From September 2025, all new teachers will benefit from 3 years of evidence-based training through the revised initial teacher training and early career framework. This has significantly more content related to supporting pupils with SEND, including content adapted from the new national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators.

To ensure ongoing review, the department’s Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group brings together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings. Additionally, the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national, cross-governmental programme, backed by £22 million of investment, which deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children in mainstream primary schools.
wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_40
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_40

Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the national funding formula on educational outcomes in (a) rural areas, (b) Wiltshire and (c) other counties with lower levels of funding. \p Catherine McKinnell: The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the sparsity factor provides eligible primary schools up to £57,400, and all other eligible schools up to £83,400. In 2025/26, 64 schools in Wiltshire attract additional funding through the sparsity factor. In addition to this, all small and rural schools have benefited from the increase to core factors in the NFF in 2025/26, including the NFF lump sum set at £145,100. The lump sum provides a fixed amount of funding that is particularly beneficial to small schools, as it is not affected by pupil numbers.

The purpose of the schools NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with lots of pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation or low prior attainment, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.
wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_41
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_41

Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to amend the high needs funding formula to reflect current levels of need and not historic expenditure. \p Catherine McKinnell: Our aim is to establish a fair education funding system that directs resources to where they are most needed and enable improved support and outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Because it is important that we take the time needed to review the high needs national funding formula, the structure of the formula is largely unchanged for the 2025/26 financial year allocations to local authorities.

The department is considering the funding required for future years and how it is to be allocated, following the conclusion of the recent spending review. Our objective is that future funding for SEND supports our plans for reforming the SEND system, which will be set out in further detail in a White Paper in the autumn.
wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_42
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_42

Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Dedicated Schools Grant per pupil in Wiltshire relative to comparator authorities with similar pupil numbers and demographics. \p Catherine McKinnell: Local authorities’ dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations are calculated using the national funding formula (NFF), by reference to their numbers of pupils and schools, and their characteristics. The purpose of the NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with lots of pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation or low prior attainment, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils. In addition, schools in more expensive areas, like London, attract higher funding per pupil than other parts of the country to reflect the higher costs they face.

We will take the time needed to consider changes to various funding formulae going forward, ensuring that we get any changes right, and recognising the importance of establishing a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed.
wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_43
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_43

Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to ensure young people in rural areas receive the financial skills needed to support long-term prosperity. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer the hon. Member for Chippenham to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_44

Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with schools on the potential impact of branded school uniform policies on families; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that schools comply with the statutory guidance entitled Cost of school uniforms, published on 19 November 2021. \p Catherine McKinnell: Whilst many schools are taking action to reduce costs, too many families tell us that the cost of school uniform remains a financial burden. The department’s research shows that the average cost of uniform is significantly lower when parents can buy items from somewhere other than a designated shop or school. This research is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms-survey-2023.

The government has introduced legislation through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to limit the number of compulsory branded items schools can require, to remove the cost of uniform as a barrier to pupils accessing school and activities in school.

We estimate that requiring fewer branded items from designated suppliers could save some parents over £50 per child during the back to school shop once the uniform limit comes into effect.

The department has statutory guidance on the ‘Cost of school uniforms’, and schools must have regard to it when designing and implementing their uniform policies. We expect all schools to now be compliant.
wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_45
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_45

Lewis Cocking:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish revised guidance for schools on promoting British values. \p Catherine McKinnell: Schools already embed British values through their statutory duty to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development. This is supported by statutory curriculum content, notably in citizenship and relationships education. The department has no current plans to publish revised guidance on promoting British values.

Schools have a good understanding of these values and integrate them well. However, through the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, we will ensure young people are provided with a balanced curriculum that develops the knowledge and skills they need to thrive as citizens, both in work and throughout life.
wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_46
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_46

Juliet Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent immigration policy changes on the higher education sector. \p Janet Daby: The government has been clear that we welcome international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. International students come from all over the world and benefit UK higher education (HE) and our society, boosting our economy by more than £21 billion a year.

The government expects the UK’s HE sector to remain highly attractive. We have four UK universities in the world’s top 10 and 17 in the top 100, alongside a wide array of other high-quality institutions.

The system must, however, ensure that international students make a positive contribution to the communities in which they study. We will not permit anyone who seeks to exploit the system.

The Immigration White Paper, published in May, sets out a balanced approach which helps the government achieve our manifesto commitment of reducing net migration while maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness.
wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_47
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_47

Julia Buckley:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has considered the potential merits of applying the same land access arrangements for distribution network operators as currently apply for other utilities. \p Michael Shanks: DESNZ published a consultation on consents, land access and rights for electricity network infrastructure on 8 July. It sets out a package of reforms intended to reduce delays to essential works and support the upgrade and maintenance of electricity infrastructure. The proposals include clarifying access rights for both distribution and transmission operators, ensuring they have appropriate powers to access land, including adjacent third-party land, and aligning rights for distribution network operators to install infrastructure in private streets with other utilities, such as telecoms.
wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_48
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-25)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-25 conversation_48

Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what comparative assessment he has made of the average time taken for planning decisions for solar farm applications in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) nationally. \p Michael Shanks: Nationally Significant Infrastructure decisions are taken by this department and the majority of solar farm applications have been taken within the statutory deadline, although extensions are occasionally required. This department does not hold information on the time taken for solar application decisions taken by Local Authorities.