theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department considered the legal opinion by Tom Cross KC and Ruth Kennedy entitled In the Matter of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, published on 28 April 2025, during the development of the document entitled Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: ECHR memorandum, published on 2 May 2025. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 58291 on Tomography: Waiting Lists, whether his Department has set a target date by which all patients referred for diagnostic scans in North Shropshire will be seen within six weeks. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Dr Ben Spencer:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of supporting the amendments tabled by the hon. Member for Runnymede and Weybridge to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many officials in his Department are assigned to work on the social care review. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to his Department's of 3 June 2025, what options his Department is considering for (a) reform of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme reform and (b) the situation of those (i) injured or (ii) bereaved as a result of Covid-19 vaccines. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government recognises how difficult it is for those individuals who have sadly experienced harm following vaccination. Ministers are considering several options covering both potential reforms to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, and the situation of those who have suffered harm following COVID-19 vaccination.
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Josh Fenton-Glynn:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many referrals were made to mental health services, by primary reason for referral in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, how the savings in the NHS were calculated. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025. \p Dame Nia Griffith: Across government, we will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the government has altered its risk assessment criteria for foreign-state linked acquisition companies under the National Security and Investment Act since 5 July 2024. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: Decisions made under the Act may be subject to judicial review. The Government currently has no plans to change this.

All acquisitions considered under the NSI Act are assessed on a case by case basis, taking account of all relevant considerations.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has made an estimate of the issues which have led to the largest number of incidents of reported civil servants being found in breach of strict impartiality conduct. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The collection of any data with regard to breaches of the Civil Service Code would be a matter for individual departments.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department plans to take to support (a) neutrality and (b) impartiality in the civil service. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: Impartiality, and in particular political impartiality, is one of the values of the Civil Service Code. It is a contractual obligation for civil servants to abide by the Code. Impartiality means civil servants must serve the Government, whatever its political persuasion, to the best of their ability.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential financial impact of applying the Government commercial function terms and conditions of employment to the wider civil service. \p Georgia Gould: No such assessment has been made. Decisions on terms and conditions of employment are made by the employing department, depending on their specific business requirements and nature of the role and as set out in the Civil Service Management Code.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Comprehensive Spending Review 2025, what estimate he has made of the number of new Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisations which will be created. \p Georgia Gould: Proposals for new bodies are subject to the ongoing ALB review, announced by the Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster on 6 April, to ensure their existence can be strongly justified against key principles.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, whether the EU will be entitled to claim damages through arbitration if the UK fails to implement new EU laws. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The details of new agreements described in the Common Understanding are subject to negotiation. The Common Understanding is clear that new agreements will be subject to independent arbitration.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025. \p Dame Nia Griffith: I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given on 20 June (PQ UIN 59003).
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Jas Athwal:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Sikhs are employed in his Department; and whether they are recorded as (a) an ethnic or (b) a religious group. \p Georgia Gould: Departments should be recording Sikh or Sikhism, as a religion or belief and not as an ethnicity.

Departments are advised to refer to Civil Service Statistics 2024 Table A3 where statistics on religion or belief by department as at 31 March 2024 are published: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2024. This includes statistics on those recorded as ‘Sikh’.
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Dr Allison Gardner:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of workplace disability adjustments for visually impaired employees. \p Dame Nia Griffith: The Equality Act 2010 (the Act) provides protection against disability discrimination. This protection ensures any person with a condition that meets the Act’s definition of disability - that is, “a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-day activities” will be covered.

As is with all provisions under the Act, it is for a person who feels that they have been discriminated against (including an alleged failure to make a reasonable adjustment) to make a claim against a service provider or employer.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of how to improve civil service compliance with strict impartiality in (a) recruitment and (b) retention. \p Georgia Gould: The Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles explain the legal requirement that selection for appointment to the Civil Service must be on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. The Civil Service takes adherence to these principles very seriously. The Civil Service Commission publishes data regarding compliance and their most recent annual report for 2023/24 showed a 13% reduction in breaches compared to 2022/23.

For the centrally managed Senior Civil Service, departments are able to address flight risk with Pivotal Role Allowances (PRAs) for those delivering critical programmes and those responsible for implementing government priorities. All PRAs require the approval of the Cabinet Office and the Treasury and are assessed against strict eligibility criteria, including the business criticality of the role, the impact should the incumbent leave, the skills required and the level of flight risk. For grades below the SCS, departments have delegated authority to determine their own pay arrangements to reflect their recruitment and retention needs.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK-EU Summit - Common Understanding, published on 19 May 2025, whether the EU will be permitted to station inspectors in the UK to monitor compliance with EU law. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The details of new agreements described in the Common Understanding are subject to negotiation. I remind the Hon Member that EU inspectors are stationed in the United Kingdom under the Windsor Framework, negotiated by the previous government.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question HL7182 on Cabinet Office: Zero Hour Contracts, what is the annual cost of staff on zero-hours contract; and in what business units do they work. \p Georgia Gould: The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department.

The Cabinet Office uses zero hours contracts to selectively manage temporary demand. To end exploitative zero hours contracts, under the government’s plans to Make Work Pay legislation will be brought in to give workers on zero hours contracts and workers with a ‘low’ number of guaranteed hours, who regularly work more than these hours, the ability to move to guaranteed hours contracts which reflect the hours they regularly work over a 12-week reference period.
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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Commissioner for Public Appointments was consulted on the appointment of the Chair of the Independent Football Regulator; and whether the Commissioner raised any concerns on the process. \p Georgia Gould: The Commissioner is carrying out an inquiry into the campaign to appoint a new Chair of the Independent Football Regulator. The Government is co-operating fully with the Commissioner's office.
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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the Prime Minister plans to recuse himself from decisions relating to the appointment of the Chair of the Independent Football Regulator. \p Georgia Gould: The appointing Minister is the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth.
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Stuart Andrew:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department had a role in (a) reviewing and (b) overseeing the appointment process for the Chair of the Independent Football Regulator. \p Georgia Gould: As has been the case under successive administrations, it is a long-standing principle that Civil Service advice is given and treated in confidence.

The Commissioner for Public Appointments is carrying out an inquiry into the campaign to appoint a new Chair of the Independent Football Regulator. The Government is co-operating fully with the Commissioner's office.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools are informed when a pupil's parent is sent to prison. \p Janet Daby: The government has a key mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child, which is why the department is committed to identifying children affected by parental imprisonment and ensuring they get the community support they need to thrive.

Our approach to recognising children affected by parental imprisonment must be sensitive, child and family-focused, and in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

​We will continue to engage schools, children with lived experience of parental imprisonment, local authorities and charities, alongside other external stakeholders with a broad range of expertise, to help shape our policy to better identify and support children affected by parental imprisonment.​
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to implement a cross-departmental strategy on improving reading outcomes for children and young people. \p Catherine McKinnell: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child, in every region of the country, the best start in life.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the government has committed £27.7 million to support and drive high and rising standards in reading and writing. This includes supporting the teaching of phonics, early language and reading for pleasure via the English Hubs programme. The 34 English Hubs across England provide support to the schools in their region, with a focus on supporting children who are making the slowest progress in reading, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

​In the 2025/26 academic year, this funding will also deliver a range of support for schools, including new training for primary schools to help children progress from the early stages of phonics through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school, and new support and training for secondary schools to support reading at key stage 3.

Departmental officials are working with the sector and other departments to consider how we can further encourage reading and reading for pleasure.
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer named day Questions (a) 56436 and (b) 56437, tabled on 2 June 2025. \p Stephen Morgan: The responses to Written Parliamentary Questions 56436 and 56437 were published on 20 June 2025.
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timeline is for the completion of the rebuild of St Michael’s Church of England School in Paignton. \p Stephen Morgan: We are aiming to enter contract later this year and are currently on track. The current planned timescale is for pupils to be in the permanent accommodation from September 2026. This is also on track, but we will need to continue to monitor this as normal throughout the build period.
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Sir Mark Hendrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children who will receive free school meals in (a) Preston, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West in the (i) 2024-25 and (ii) 2025-26 academic years. \p Stephen Morgan: This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals (FSM) to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.

Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

For 2024/25, the department’s data on FSM can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25. To find the total number of pupils in the Preston constituency, see the ‘School level underlying data 2025 (csv, 22 Mb)’ under ‘additional supporting files’.

For 2025/26, the department has published data on the number of children who could benefit from expanded provision by constituency/region/local authority. This can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-expansion-impact-on-poverty-levels.
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children who will become eligible for free school meals following the extension to households in receipt of Universal Credit in (a) Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard constituency, (b) Bedfordshire, (c) the East of England and (d) England in the 2026-27 academic year. \p Stephen Morgan: This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.

Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunchtime meal every school day will also lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, meaning children get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life.

We have published data on the number of children who could benefit from expanded provision by constituency/region/local authority and this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-expansion-impact-on-poverty-levels.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many fines were issued to parents for school absence in the last 12 months; and what the value was of those fines. \p Stephen Morgan: The most recent data held by the department covers the 2023/24 academic year and is available in the statistical release on parental responsibility measures, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/parental-responsibility-measures/2023-24.

The information requested covering the last 12 months is not held by the department. Data for 2024/25 will be published in early 2026.
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Helen Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions is she having with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on (a) the consultation on a new National Youth Strategy and (b) the implications of the strategy for Young Futures Hubs. \p Janet Daby: Officials and Ministers from seven government departments (Department for Education, Home Office, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Department for Health and Social Care) have been working together, using evidence of what works, to start to shape Young Futures Hubs.

To roll-out Young Futures Hubs, building on the success of existing infrastructure and provision, the government will establish a number of early adopter hubs, the locations of which will be determined by where they will have the most impact. This will inform the longer term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs and where they may be located. The government will set out more details on timelines and locations in due course.

Young Futures Hubs are just one part of delivering support within a much wider youth landscape and they will work closely with core services and wider initiatives spanning youth, education, employment, social care, mental health, youth justice and policing. The government is developing a National Youth Strategy to set out a new long term vision for young people and an action plan for delivering this.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increases in employer National Insurance contributions on the viability of SEND transport provision in Hertfordshire. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer the hon. Member for Harpenden and Berkhamsted to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26397.
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Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) errors in (i) GCSE and (ii) A-level braille exam papers from examination boards and (b) the lack of past papers available to pupils studying for those exams on affected students. \p Catherine McKinnell: This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing ringfenced funding for statutory vision impairment services in further education. \p Catherine McKinnell: The government’s approach to supporting young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in further education (FE) aims to ensure that all students with SEND receive appropriate support tailored to their needs.

All education and training providers have a duty under Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including those with visual impairments, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students. Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010 can be read in full here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/20.

Local authorities receive high needs funding which they distribute to FE colleges to support students with SEND. However, the allocation and use of this funding is flexible, allowing colleges to address the diverse needs of their student population, rather than being restricted to specific disability types. Providers should keep both funding levels and methodologies under consideration to ensure value for money.

To support children with SEND in special schools, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. Total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND is over £12 billion in 2025/26.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional funding to support SEND provision in Hertfordshire. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department does not hold data on reasons why special schools have changed their school day or week.

To support children with SEND in special schools, the department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. Total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND is over £12 billion in 2025/26. Of this total, Hertfordshire County Council is being allocated over £207 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), to support SEND provision in Hertfordshire. This is an increase of £17.6 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block, calculated using the high needs national funding formula (NFF), and a 9.8% increase per head of their 2 to 18 year-old population, on their equivalent 2024/25 NFF allocation.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional support her Department is providing for dyslexic children in Nottinghamshire. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

We recognise that the early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.

To improve early identification, we have commissioned evidence reviews from University College London, which will highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective strategies to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs in mainstream schools.

Additionally, the ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme will research tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children. The research is expected to be completed by March 2026.

The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading. As part of the continuous professional development provided by the English Hubs, the ‘Reading Ambition for All’ programme has been launched to improve outcomes for children who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND. Nottinghamshire’s nearest English Hub is Flying High English Hub.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle regional inequalities in children’s (a) reading enjoyment and (b) daily reading frequency. \p Catherine McKinnell: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child, in every region of the country, the best start in life.

In the 2025/26 financial year, the government has committed £27.7 million to support and drive high and rising standards in reading and writing.

This includes supporting the teaching of phonics, early language and reading for pleasure via the English Hubs programme. The 34 English Hubs across England provide support to the schools in their region, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The English Hubs also deliver a reading for pleasure continuous professional development programme, ‘Transforming Schools Reading Culture’, in which over 2,000 schools have participated since 2021.

The department is also strengthening our tools for more effective school improvement by launching new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams to break down the barriers to opportunity and end the link between background and success. Supported by over £20 million in the 2025/26 financial year, RISE teams will provide both targeted intervention and universal support which will act as a catalyst for collaboration and improvement across all schools.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of schools impacted by strike action during the (a) GCSE and (b) A-level exam period. \p Catherine McKinnell: There is currently no national industrial action taking place in schools. There is no requirement for schools to report instances of local industrial action in schools and the department does not collect data on local strike action.

The department’s guidance ‘Handling strike action in schools’ makes clear that headteachers should take all reasonable steps to keep schools open for as many pupils as possible and minimise disruption to their education. In the event of industrial action during public exams, it is recommended that schools should remain open for exams and exam candidates where possible, even if the school is closed or restricting attendance.

Headteachers remain accountable for the conduct of the exams and provision of facilities in their centre, and schools are encouraged to review contingency plans well in advance of each exam or assessment series. The full guidance is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6523d331aea2d0000d2199bf/Handling_strike_action_in_schools.pdf.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of access to books in low-income households on reading outcomes among children eligible for free school meals. \p Catherine McKinnell: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department knows that reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits. As well as a number of strong links with attainment, pupils who read regularly report heightened levels of social and emotional wellbeing.

Evidence from the National Literacy Trust shows that in 2024, one in eight children who received free school meals (FSM) said they did not own a book of their own. There was a 4.4 percentage point gap in book ownership between children and young people who did and did not receive FSM, with 87.6% of those who received FSM having a book compared with 92.0% of their peers who did not.

The department recognises and welcomes the important work of charities such as the National Literacy Trust, the Book Trust, the Reading Agency, World Book Day and many others in supporting and encouraging reading.

The government has implemented a range of measures to support reading for pleasure. The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure. Furthermore, the government’s Reading Framework provides guidance on improving the teaching of reading, to ensure that every child is not only able to read proficiently but also develops a genuine love of reading.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, CP 1336, published on 11 June 2025, what assumptions have been made about spending on (a) special educational needs and disabilities and (b) high needs. \p Catherine McKinnell: At the Spending Review 2025, the government announced that funding for schools will increase by £4.7 billion per year by 2028/29, compared to the 2025/26 core schools budget, which was published at the Spring Statement 2025.

This additional funding will enable us to transform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system to make mainstream schools more inclusive, improve outcomes and stop parents having to fight for support.

Details of the government's intended approach to SEND reform will be set out in a Schools White Paper in the autumn. The department will also provide further details on the national funding formulae for schools and high needs for 2026/27.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

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Sir Oliver Dowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing mandatory education on antisemitism in schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: Schools and colleges are a place of protection, as well as education. There is no place for antisemitism in our society, and it is essential that Jewish students feel safe in education.

The Holocaust is the only historic event which is compulsory within the current national curriculum for history at key stage 3, and teaching about antisemitism is integral to teaching this event.

There are many other opportunities in the existing curriculum for schools to teach about antisemitism, including through citizenship, relationships and religious education.

The department’s ‘Tackling Antisemitism in Education’ programme, backed by £7 million of funding, seeks to improve confidence and resilience in tackling antisemitism across settings including schools, colleges and universities. It includes an Innovation Fund, which will be launching in the summer. This fund will support the creation of mechanisms to educate young people about antisemitism and provide them with key skills in areas such as media literacy.

The department is also supporting teachers through our Educate Against Hate website, which provides teachers with a range of free, quality assured resources, including on building resilience to antisemitism, teaching about tolerance and rejecting discrimination.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of financial education in schools in Fylde constituency. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer the hon. Member for Fylde to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she received representations from medical professionals before reducing the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund's fair access limit. \p Janet Daby: The changes made to the criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund ensure that each child can still access a significant package of support. The department always considers the impact of decisions on vulnerable children.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 58921 on Innovate UK: Northern Ireland, how Innovate UK’s regional support advisors in Northern Ireland promote the availability of Innovation Funding Services in Northern Ireland to small firms that previously had no contact with Innovate UK. \p Feryal Clark: Innovate UK actively promotes its products and services to Northern Ireland businesses to improve their access to innovation funding and resources and foster growth within the region’s innovation ecosystem. It does this through a variety of channels. These include Innovate Local events, joint webinars with Invest NI, and participation in Enterprise NI’s finance series. Innovate UK competitions are also promoted on nibusinessinfo.co.uk by Invest NI. The programmes they promote are an important source of support for businesses in Northern Ireland. For example, Innovate UK Business Growth has supported 339 businesses over three years, while the ‘New Innovators’ funding program, which is only available to businesses without prior Innovate UK engagement, has provided £1 million to 23 small and micro businesses since 2020.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

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Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many Sikhs are employed in his Department; and whether they are recorded as (a) an ethnic or (b) a religious group. \p Feryal Clark: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology records Sikh or Sikhism, as a religion or belief and not as an ethnicity.

Please refer to Table A3 of the Civil Service Statistics 2024 where statistics on religion or belief by department as at 31 March 2024 are published: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2024. This includes statistics on those recorded as ‘Sikh’.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

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Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many staff network events took place in his Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were. \p Feryal Clark: Staff networks are collaborative volunteer networks, organised by staff themselves rather than the department. As a result, events are organised by staff themselves, not the department. We are not aware of any events that these networks organised in May 2025.

There were two centrally co-ordinated staff network events in May 2025: the monthly meeting of the Department’s Staff Network Chairs, which was for network chairs only and lasted for one hour, and an online session with Staff Network Chairs to mark National Staff Network Day which was available to all staff to attend and also lasted for one hour.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of tax reliefs for research and development on economic growth. \p Feryal Clark: The Secretary of State and the Chancellor of the Exchequer have regular discussions on a range of issues. Research and development (R&D) tax reliefs play a vital role in the Government’s mission to boost economic growth and drive innovation in the UK. Overall, R&D reliefs will support an estimated £56 billion of business R&D expenditure in 2029-30, roughly a 20 per cent increase from £47 billion in 2022/23.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-20 conversation_224

Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on protecting (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable people against AI scams using deepfake content; and what steps he is taking to tackle such scams. \p Feryal Clark: DSIT regularly engages with Home Office on ongoing efforts to protect users from online harms, including AI-generated scams. AI generated content is regulated by the Online Safety Act where it is shared on an in-scope service and constitutes either illegal content or content which is harmful to children.

In March this year the Act’s illegal harms duties came into force, with fraud captured as a priority offence. User-to-user services must take preventative measures to stop fraudulent content from appearing and swiftly remove it where it does. Search services must minimise fraudulent content from appearing in results. This includes AI generated deepfake scams.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-20 conversation_225

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to replace animal testing in the development of (a) monoclonal antibody therapies and (b) other drugs with more effective human-specific methods. \p Feryal Clark: Regulatory approval processes already permit human-specific methods for drug testing where humans are the only relevant pharmacological species and the drug’s mechanism of action is well-defined and clinical monitoring is in place. This can include monoclonal antibody (mAbs) therapies. Where animals are still required for mAb testing, the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) collaborates with industry and regulators to minimise their use. (https://nc3rs.org.uk/our-portfolio/re-evaluating-need-mab-chronic-toxicity-studies)

The Government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and adoption of alternatives later this year, including any targets to phase out specific animal testing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-20)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-20 conversation_226

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he is taking steps (a) at the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use and (b) in other international regulatory forums to help increase the global (i) adoption and (ii) validation of human-specific technologies. \p Feryal Clark: The Government is committed to the development of non-animal alternatives and will publish a strategy to support their development, validation and adoption later this year.

The Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) adopts guidelines published by the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). The Government regularly engages with international regulators with a view to influencing guidance updates. Further details will be highlighted when the plan is published later this year.