theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mark Sewards:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent dangerous car racing. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for the Government and a key part of the Safer Streets Mission.

On 25 February 2025, the Crime and Policing Bill was introduced to Parliament. The Bill includes proposals to give the police greater powers to clamp down on vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour, including dangerous street racing, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.

This will strengthen the law and send a clear message that antisocial street racing will not be tolerated.

Excess speed is a major cause of death and serious injury on our roads and anyone who breaks the speed limit should expect to face sanctions.
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Will Stone:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will include retail delivery drivers within the standalone offence for assaulting a retail worker. \p Dame Diana Johnson: This Government is committed to tackling retail crime. Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

Assaults against delivery drivers are already an offence (common assault) under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and are covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 creates a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public. This includes those delivering goods to customers and other public-facing roles.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to take steps to help ensure that small businesses receive funding through initiatives funded by the National Business Crime Centre. \p Dame Diana Johnson: We are investing £2 million over three financial years (25/26 – 27/28) in the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime. We are currently working with the NBCC to agree details of how the funding will be used.

Funding will be provided through the usual Government funding process, via a grant agreement. This includes an agreed delivery plan and Key Performance Indicators, and ongoing monitoring throughout the period of the grant. An evaluation will be undertaken to ensure the aims of the funding are delivered, and it represents appropriate use of public money.
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Will Stone:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure the safety of retail delivery drivers when they are carrying out government-mandated enforcement checks with customers. \p Dame Diana Johnson: This Government is committed to tackling retail crime. Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

Assaults against delivery drivers are already an offence (common assault) under the Criminal Justice Act 1988, and are covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, including actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

Section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 creates a statutory aggravating factor in sentencing cases of assault against public facing workers. It applies where an assault is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public. This includes those delivering goods to customers and other public-facing roles.
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Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of current fee levels under the Licensing Act 2003; and whether she plans to review that Act to ensure that licensing fees reflect the actual costs incurred by local authorities in processing and enforcing those licences. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that alcohol licensing fees, set under Section 55 of the Licensing Act 2003, are fair, proportionate and reflective of the costs incurred by local authorities in administering the licensing system.

A previous consultation by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government explored whether local authorities should have more control over setting statutory fees. The Government is reviewing the consultation’s findings and will assess the wider fee landscape alongside this to inform any potential future changes.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) the level of funding for and (b) the number of police officers in the West Midlands. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to tackle crime effectively and protect the communities they serve. Visible policing is essential to restoring public confidence in the police.

West Midlands will receive up to £846.9 million in funding in 2025-26, an increase of up to £56.6 million when compared to the 2024-25 funding settlement under the previous government. This represents a 7.2% cash increase and a 4.7% real terms increase in funding.

This includes a total of £30.7m to support the maintenance of 8,086 police officers.

The Government has also committed to boosting neighbourhood policing and is providing £200 million to police forces this financial year to support the first steps of delivering this commitment.

West Midlands Police has been allocated £12,210,903 from the £200 million fund for 2025/26. Based on their funding allocation, the projected growth for West Midlands Police over 2025/26 will be 289 police officers (FTE) and 20 Police Community Support Officers (FTE) in neighbourhood policing roles.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of local police station closures on (a) response times and (b) public confidence in policing. \p Dame Diana Johnson: It is for Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents) to make decisions on local resourcing and estates, including police stations. They are best placed to make these decisions based on their knowledge of local need and their experience. Police stations are just one of the ways in which people can access their local police, including reporting online and by phone 24/7 via 999 for emergencies and 101 for non-emergency calls.

A key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission is focused on restoring neighbourhood policing. As part of this, we have introduced the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which will ensure that by July, every community will have named and contactable officers dedicated to addressing the issues facing their communities. We have also provided £200 million in FY 2025/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of the Parliament. This increase in neighbourhood policing, alongside the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) support and (b) guidance provided to local authorities on the use of Public Spaces Protection Orders to prevent the use of disposable barbecues in areas at high risk of wildfire. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour (ASB), including the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately flexible in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances of each individual case.

PSPOs may be put in place by a local authority to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a specific area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life, by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone. This may include for example a prohibition on use of barbecues in a specific location.

Failing to comply with a requirement of a PSPO is a criminal offence. Depending on the behaviour in question, the enforcing officer could decide a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) would be the most appropriate sanction. As set out in legislation, FPNs have a fixed upper limit of £100. Provisions in the Crime and Policing Bill will increase the upper limit for breach of a PSPO to £500.

The Home Office publishes statutory guidance for frontline professionals on the use of the powers in the 2014 Act. The guidance is published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6422a19b60a35e00120cae63/2023_Update_ASB_Statutory_Guidance_-_FINAL__1_.pdf
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered reviewing Police Remuneration Review Body processes to help increase (a) trust and (b) transparency in that system. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) and Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) make recommendations to the Government on the appropriate level of pay and allowances for police officers.

The pay review bodies gather and invite parties to submit evidence to inform their decisions. This includes both written and oral evidence from the Government, police employers and police staff associations. They weigh the evidence, consider independent research, and formulate detailed recommendations.

We are committed to the Pay Review Body process and the Government appreciates and values the independent, expert advice and contribution that the pay review bodies make.
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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent (a) hate crime and (b) harassment towards people with hidden disabilities. \p Dame Diana Johnson: We are clear that all hate crimes, including those targeting disability, are completely unacceptable. There must be zero tolerance for every form of hate crime in Britain and we back the police in taking strong action against the perpetrators of these appalling offences.

The Government funds an online hate crime reporting portal called True Vision, designed so victims of all types of hate crime do not have to visit a police station to report what has happened to them. We also continue to fund the National Online Hate Crime Hub which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime.

The Equality Act 2010 provides strong protection from harassment for people who meet the Act's definition of disability, which can include hidden conditions. Protection from harassment related to a person's disability applies in a variety of settings such as employment and when accessing goods and services. A person who thinks they have been harassed may take their case to a court or an employment tribunal.
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Dr Danny Chambers:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for recent trends in renewal times for passports; and if she will meet a constituent of the hon. Member for Winchester to discuss renewal times. \p Seema Malhotra: His Majesty’s Passport Office’s performance indicator for standard applications from the UK is for 98.5% of customers to receive their passport within three weeks where no further information is required. In Quarter 1 of 2025, 99.86% of customers in this scenario received their passport within three weeks.

His Majesty’s Passport Office will not issue a passport until all checks have been satisfactorily completed, and a minority of applications will take longer where further information is required or if further investigation is needed to confirm the applicant’s identity, nationality, and eligibility. Where this is the case, HM Passport Office will contact the customer within three weeks.

MPs can raise case enquiries on behalf of their constituent by emailing their Account Manager at the Home Office.
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Steff Aquarone:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the minimum income requirements for spousal visas on pensioners who are unable to increase their income. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Secretary commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the financial requirements in the Family Immigration Rules. Once published, we will consider their report and decide on any policy changes, consistent with the objectives of the Government’s Immigration White Paper.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to establish a national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs. \p Jess Phillips: The Government is committed to getting to the truth of both historical and current group-based child sexual exploitation or grooming gangs offending, to ensure that perpetrators are punished and to deliver justice and accountability for victims and survivors.

We will set our next steps to tackle this heinous offending when we publish Baroness Casey’s audit in the coming weeks.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases of online fraud and scams were reported in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire in the last 12 months. \p Dan Jarvis: A constituency level breakdown is unavailable. However, 5,991 fraud incidents, of all types, were reported to Action Fraud in Lancashire in the year ending May 2025, totalling £30m in reported losses. 67% of these were cyber-enabled, meaning there were approximately 4,000 frauds reported in Lancashire with an online component in the year ending May 2025 (this includes both individuals and businesses).

Lancashire Constabulary receive support from the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit (NECVCU) at a level 1 and 2 service (Level 1: appropriate support to less complex cases where there is no indication of vulnerability, Level 2: more complex and difficult cases, where an indication of vulnerability has been identified). Since the inception of the NECVCU service in 2018, 13,169 victims of fraud and cyber crime from Lancashire have been through the service across levels 1 and 2.

All victims who report to Action Fraud, including those in Lancashire, will receive a response and advice on how to protect themselves from fraud. If a victim’s case is being investigated, they receive support from the investigating force. If the case is not disseminated for investigation, it will be triaged for vulnerability and referred to the NECVCU. Cases with the highest level of vulnerability and those outside of the scope of the NECVCU (e.g. under 18s and businesses) will be sent to local police forces for safeguarding advice.

Funding for the NECVCU services is allocated at a national level and is not broken down by number of victims per force. Home Office investment in the NECVCU for the last five financial years (FY) is set out below.

The table sets out actual spend in financial years 2021/22-2024/25, and the indicative budget allocation for financial year 2025/26. All figures are provided to 1 decimal place:

FY 2021/22 Actual Spend

FY 2022/23 Actual Spend

FY 2023/24 Actual Spend

FY 2024/25 Actual Spend

FY 2025/26 Indicative Budget

5-year total

£2.2m

£2.2m

£3.2m

£3.3m

£4.1m

£15.0m

The NECVCU endeavours to make victims feel safer and more confident, whilst assisting them to recover from the crime and reduce the likelihood of repeat victimisation. We do not hold data on force or constituency level revictimisation rates, but less than 1% of all the victims who engaged with the NECVCU at either level 1 or level 2 returned to the service.

We do not hold data on response times by forces, however 74% of level 2 victims are contacted by the NECVCU within 12 days of their initial report. However, there have been instances where the NECVCU have responded within 72 hours for those victims who present as extremely vulnerable.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) mandatory and (b) routine reporting on the number of animals that are bred and not used in scientific testing every five years. \p Dan Jarvis: The Home Office is presently reviewing the collection and publication of additional statistics on animals that were bred but not used in scientific procedures.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Departments plans to implement transitional arrangements for people impacted by the proposals outlined in her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025. \p Seema Malhotra: The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced new measures on a wide range of issues.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year. Further details will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to ensure that the hospitality sector has adequate access to (a) seasonal, (b) international and (c) other labour. \p Seema Malhotra: The Government’s Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, sets out how relevant sectors will need to develop workforce strategies to reduce their reliance on international labour, including the hospitality sector. Further details will be set out in due course.
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Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the qualifying period for indefinite leave on families with British-born children. \p Seema Malhotra: We will reform our settlement and citizenship rules by expanding the Points-Based System and increasing the standard qualifying period for settlement to ten years.

Individuals will have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period to settlement and citizenship based on contributions to the UK economy and society.

Paragraph 265 of the White Paper states that we will continue to offer a shorter pathway to settlement for non-UK dependants of British citizens of five years, provided they have remained compliant with the requirements of the relevant family route.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will seek legal advice on the potential impact of her Department’s proposal to remove the right to return to the UK from existing social care workers who fail to find an alternative sponsor after 60 days on the Human Rights Act 1998. \p Seema Malhotra: When a sponsored worker loses their job, they are expected to either secure new sponsorship, switch into a different immigration route or leave the UK. Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care officials are working hard to ensure care workers seeking alternative employment due to exploitation by their employer or licence revocation have access to support. Information about the Regional Partnerships can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-offer-to-international-asc-workers-whose-employers-sponsor-licence-has-been-revoked/support-offer-to-international-asc-workers-whose-employers-sponsor-licence-has-been-revoked.
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Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain on people seeking to buy property in the UK. \p Seema Malhotra: A technical annex has been published alongside the White Paper. It can be found in the following link: Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper - GOV.UK.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.
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Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed extension of the qualifying period for indefinite leave on levels of poverty in migrant communities. \p Seema Malhotra: A technical annex has been published alongside the White Paper. It can be found in the following link: Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper - GOV.UK.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and will provide details of how the scheme will work at that time.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken is to decide an in-country application for leave to remain on the basis of private life where (a) minimum income and (b) English language are not required. \p Seema Malhotra: The requested data is not currently available from published data and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had discussions with the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation on the steps needed to tackle AI scams in the form of phishing emails. \p Dan Jarvis: The Home Office is absolutely committed to tackling the threat of fraud, which is why this Government has committed to publishing a new and enhanced Fraud Strategy that addresses the full range of harm that UK citizens face from fraud, including AI enabled fraud.

The Home Office is also working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to identify and respond to the threats that AI poses across a broad range of harms, including fraud, and with the AI Security Institute on their work to evaluate the potential risks posed by advanced AI systems.
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Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase protections for Hong Kongers facing transnational oppression in the UK. \p Dan Jarvis: While we do not comment on specific threats or targets, I can assure the Hon Member that the safety and security of Hong Kongers in the UK remains of the upmost importance.

The UK will always stand up for the rights of the people of Hong Kong. On Christmas Eve, the Foreign Secretary strongly condemned the Hong Kong police’s targeting of individuals for exercising their right to freedom of expression. FCDO officials have raised concerns directly with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities. This year, the Foreign Secretary and Minister West met with individuals affected by the latest round of arrest warrants and bounties placed on them by the Hong Kong Police Force.

The UK Government has developed a range of support and security assistance mechanisms to protect individuals and communities that are at risk of transnational repression. This assistance is based on threat and varied in its scope and approach, but can include tailored protective advice, cybersecurity measures, and access to broader public resources. In addition, I announced in March that training and guidance on state threats activity is now being offered by Counter Terrorism Policing to all 45 territorial police forces across the UK. This will enhance the ability of front-line police officers and staff in the identification of state-directed crimes and the actions that can be taken to escalate and mitigate this activity.

Guidance can be found on GOV.UK providing those who believe themselves to be at risk of TNR with practical advice for their safety both physically and online. If individuals think they are a victim of state directed activity, they should report this to police via the established mechanisms - 101, 999, or at a local police station.
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Blair McDougall:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to protect Jewish communities from terrorist attacks. \p Dan Jarvis: In her speech to the annual dinner of the Community Security Trust on 26 March, the Home Secretary made clear the Government’s commitment to protect Jewish communities against antisemitic attacks and other security threats. The full speech is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/home-secretary-speech-at-the-community-security-trust

The Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant provides protective security measures (such as security personnel services, CCTV and alarm systems) at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and community sites. It is managed on behalf of the Home Office by the Community Security Trust.

From 2024/25 to 2027/28, the Community Security Trust has been allocated £18 million annually through the JCPS Grant to continue this important work. We continue to work closely with the CST to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities across the UK.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of cyber fraud incidents in the last six months. \p Dan Jarvis: We committed in our manifesto to introduce a new Fraud Strategy, which covers a range of areas including improved public awareness and victim support, better collaboration with Technology and Telecom industries and with international partners. Development of the Strategy has begun and further details will be set out in due course.

Through our Stop! Think Fraud campaign, work continues to help the public protect themselves from fraud. We’re also working closely with our strategic partners to make fraud a global priority and dismantle international networks of scammers. Furthermore, as of March 2025, the Online Safety Act’s illegal content duties are now enforceable by Ofcom. Under the Act, the largest firms will also be required to do all they can to prevent fraudulent advertising appearing on their platforms.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. \p Dan Jarvis: The Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under close review, as we seek to protect the UK from the threats that we face. However, as a matter of longstanding policy we do not comment on whether or not an organisation is being considered for proscription.

We will continue to consider the full range of tools and powers available to tackle the threats that we face from Iran. That is why the whole of the Iranian state - including the IRGC and MOIS - will be placed on the Enhanced Tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme which will go live on 1 July.

On 19 May, the Home Secretary announced that we will be taking forward Jonathan Hall KC’s recommendations in his review of State Threats legislation, including the creation of a new State Threats Proscription-like Tool. We will bring forward legislation as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has reviewed the reasons for Sudanese children forming the largest group of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in 2024-25. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Asylum claims from unaccompanied Sudanese children fell in the year ending March 2025, but they were the largest group of UASC in that period due to a decrease in asylum claims from the previous top UASC nationality of Afghanistan.

The Home Office keeps all trends in asylum claims under review, including those from unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers are being housed in Houses in Multiple Occupation in Northern Ireland. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Data, published quarterly, on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including accommodation type, can be found within the Asy_D11 tab of our most recent statistics release. The data can also be broken down by local authority. Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

In terms of the accommodation of asylum seekers in Northern Ireland, it remains the case that only those claiming asylum in Northern Ireland are accommodated there.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the average cost to the public purse of each immigration detention bed. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office currently operates seven Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) throughout the UK, (six in England and one in Scotland) and three residential Short-Term Holding Facilities (STHFs) (one in Northern Ireland and two in England). Additionally, the Home Office operates one Pre-Departure Accommodation for families (PDA) at Gatwick. As of 1 June, immigration detention capacity is c2,480 beds.

The Home Office are increasing detention spaces to support the Government’s priority to increase returns. This includes reopening and adding initially 290 beds across IRCs at Campsfield and Haslar, with further expansions in the future.

The Home Office publishes quarterly data on the daily cost of detention. This can be found on the gov.uk website at: Immigration Enforcement data: Q1 2025 - GOV.UK
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of school funding that is directly related to the number of pupils. \p Catherine McKinnell: Every year the department publishes the schools’ costs technical note to help the sector to understand school costs and funding. Our analysis considers pupil demographic changes alongside other factors.

The department allocates most mainstream funding through the schools national funding formula (NFF). In the 2025/26 financial year, 92% of total schools NFF funding is being distributed through “pupil led” factors, which are based on pupil numbers and pupil characteristics, such as eligibility for pupil premium and special educational needs and disabilities.

Real terms per pupil comparisons are only one way in which the department communicates funding changes, and schools and local authorities can also see their funding as total cash amounts. The total size of the core schools budget in the 2025/26 financial year is £65.3 billion, a £3.7 billion increase over 2024/25. This represents a 6.0% rise in cash terms, or 3.3% increase in real terms.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-10 conversation_376

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many warning letters Ofsted has sent to unregistered care settings for children in the last year. \p Janet Daby: It is illegal to manage an unregistered setting that should be registered with Ofsted. Unregistered settings pose a risk to children, given there is no assurance about safety.

Ofsted can pursue criminal prosecution, and between April 2023 and March 2024, opened over 1000 cases to investigate potential unregistered settings.

We are strengthening Ofsted’s powers, via the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, so they can fine unregistered providers. There is no limit to the fine. Ofsted will take into account the provider's previous record, severity of the breach and impact on children. This will enable Ofsted to act at scale and pace to tackle persistent offenders. It will also act as a greater deterrent. This will mean that more children are placed into registered settings, where Ofsted, the local authority, and the public can be assured that the child is in a home that meets all the requirements set out in legislation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-10 conversation_377

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve levels of care for children in social care. \p Janet Daby: The department announced the biggest overhaul to children’s social care in a generation to ensure opportunity for all children. This includes increased investment and landmark legislation through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Our policy statement ‘Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive’, published in November 2024, outlines our vision and core legislative proposals. We will shift the focus of the children's social care system to early support to keep families together.

Implementing the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will improve levels of care for children in social care, as it is a key step towards delivering the government’s Opportunity Mission. It will break the link between young people’s background and their future success, to shift the focus of the children's social care system to earlier support for children and families, and to tackle profiteering in the care market and put children needs first.

Our plans will ensure:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-10 conversation_378

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will introduce an equivalent to the statutory maternity allowance for self-employed adopters. \p Janet Daby: In the Department for Business and Trade’s ‘Plan to Make Work Pay’ report, the government committed to a review of the parental leave system to ensure that it best supports working families. This will include consideration of support to self-employed people, including self-employed adopters.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-10 conversation_379

Melanie Onn:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 19 May 2025 to Question 47692 on Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, if she will to publish the data on therapy service costs by region. \p Janet Daby: The data requested is in the table below.

Number of applications* approved in the 2024/25 financial year with therapy service costs totalled by region*:

Region

Total application value less than £3,000

Total application value between £3,000 and £5,000

East Midlands

1,217

934

East of England

1,265

731

Inner London

421

404

North East

621

603

North West

1,073

1,092

Outer London

651

563

South East

1,847

1,300

South West

1,834

1,438

West Midlands

876

875

Yorkshire and the Humber

798

1,075

*The data presented is the number of approved applications with therapy service costs. Please note that an individual application could have multiple recipients with multiple placement types and access the Fair Access Limit from multiple years.
wrans/answers2025-06-10 conversation_380
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-10 conversation_380

Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reduction in Adoption and Special Guardianship Support funding on (a) the policy mission entitled Break Down Barriers to Opportunity and (b) children's start in life. \p Janet Daby: The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children across the country. This includes reviewing the Equalities Impact Assessment, which will be deposited in the House Libraries in due course.

The funding available through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will still enable children in Gosport, as throughout our country, to access a significant package of support, tailored to meet their individual needs. In 2024/25, there was only one match-funding application to the ASGSF from Hampshire local authority. Where needed, local authorities can use their own funding to increase the amount of therapy.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. The ASGSF is an important part of this, but other sources of support are available to adopted and kinship children. This year, we are making £500 million available to local authorities to roll out Family Help and Child Protection nationally to transform services and transition towards earlier intervention. We are also recruiting an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and opening new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-10 conversation_381

Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to increase pre-school support for children living in disadvantaged areas. \p Stephen Morgan: The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give children the best start in life. Low income families, children with education, health and care plans and looked after children are eligible for 15 hours funded early education from age 2. In addition, eligible disadvantaged children can get early years pupil premium (EYPP). This additional funding supports the delivery of high-quality early education improving disadvantaged children’s outcomes. In December 2024, we announced an unprecedented 45% increase to EYPP.

School-based nurseries are a key part of this government’s Opportunity Mission. We have awarded 300 primary schools £37 million to repurpose spare space for new or expanded nursery provision, which will be opening from September 2025.

In addition, from September 2026, every pupil whose household is in receipt of Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals.

This means that over half a million children from the most disadvantaged households will become eligible for a free nutritious lunchtime meal every school day. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 a year per child back in parents’ pockets to support parents in decisive action to improve lives ahead of the Child Poverty Strategy coming later this year.

We are also investing an additional £126 million in 2025/26 to build up the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme. The 75 local authorities on the programme have already opened more than 400 family hubs in some of the most deprived areas in the country.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-10 conversation_382

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing VAT on independent schools in (a) January, (b) August and (c) September 2025 on the number of independent school closures. \p Stephen Morgan: Tax policy is a matter for HM Treasury (HMT). HMT published a tax information and impact note concerning the introduction of VAT on independent school fees which is accessible here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees. Information about individual schools is available at the Get Information About Schools service.

Between 2010 and 2024 over 1,000 private schools closed. During the same period 1,213 opened, of which 705 were independent special schools.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-10 conversation_383

Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) experienced and (b) new teachers in mainstream schools receive adequate training for teaching neurodivergent children. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department provides continuing professional development to the school and further education (FE) workforce through the Universal Services programme, led by the National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen). This programme helps the school and FE workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) earlier and more effectively.

From September 2025, the new initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF) will set out a minimum entitlement to training for all new teachers. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and SEND which was tested with SEND educational experts, to ensure new teachers are equipped to support pupils with a range of additional learning needs.

The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and has committed to review the ITTECF in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support. This review will include a focus on teaching pupils with SEND.

Also in November 2024, the department established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, which includes clinicians, scientists, academics, education experts and third sector organisations. The group will make recommendations on the best ways to support and meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people in mainstream education settings.

The department is also investing in the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, which is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-10)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-10 conversation_384

Anna Dixon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2024 to Question 15144 on Teachers: Workplace Pension, what the updated planned timetable is for resolving the backlog of people waiting for cash equivalent transfer value details from Teachers’ Pensions. \p Catherine McKinnell: The scheme administrator has made significant progress to reduce the backlog of Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV) figures that built up whilst the necessary guidance was developed following the Transitional Protection (McCloud) remedy taking effect.

The backlog of 3,062 at the end of October 2024 has been reduced to 472 as of 3 June. The current outstanding figure includes recent applications and as such there will always be a number of outstanding CETVs at any given time.

The scheme administrator is now working through the more complex cases for members who have not retired who have scheme flexibilities to take account of, which must be processed clerically as a result.

Addressing the remainder of the backlog remains a key priority for both the department and the scheme administrator and it is anticipated that these outstanding cases will be completed before October 2025.