theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) changes to employer National Insurance contributions, (b) increase in the National Minimum Wage, (c) removal of the ability to charge for (i) consumables and (ii) compulsory extras and (d) requirement to extend funded hours of childcare provision to younger children as a standard rate on early years providers. \p Stephen Morgan: This government believes giving children the best start in life is the foundation of the mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We have set a milestone of a record proportion of children starting school ready to learn in the classroom. We will measure our progress through 75% of children reaching a good level of development in the early years foundation stage profile assessment by 2028. This assessment takes place at the end of reception.

In the 2025/26 financial year alone, this government plans to spend over £8 billion on early years entitlements, which is a £2 billion increase on the previous year. The department is providing an additional £75 million expansion grant to support the sector in providing the additional places and staff needed ahead of the September 2025 expansion to 30 hours of childcare and early education from when a child is nine months old. The grant is focused on the 2 year-old and under-2s cohort to target the extra costs involved in delivering the entitlements to younger children.

The department will also deliver the largest ever uplift to the early years pupil premium, increasing the rate by over 45% compared to the 2024/25 financial year, which is equivalent to up to £570 per eligible child per year. On top of this, we are providing £25 million through the National Insurance contributions grant for public sector employers in early years.

In determining funding rates for 2025/26, the department will be reflecting forecasts of average earnings and inflation next year, including the National Living Wage. In line with a recent High Court judgment, any charges providers seek to levy must not be mandatory or a condition of accessing a funded place.

Providers must offer reasonable alternatives to parents that enable them to access the entitlements for free if they wish, however we know that many parents prefer to purchase consumables from their provider and will continue to be able to do so.

The department is grateful for the fantastic work the sector is doing to deliver the expanded entitlements and prepare for the final phase from September 2025. We are engaging closely with the sector through provider roadshows and engagement with representative bodies and will continue to listen to any concerns around costs and ensure the sector is financially sustainable going forward.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has plans to establish a new framework for independent institutions. \p Stephen Morgan: The department expects independent educational institutions to be regulated under the same framework which exists for independent schools under Part 4 of Chapter 1 of the Education and Skills Act 2008.

The department keeps policy regarding independent educational institutions under review to ensure that appropriate action can be taken to provide the best education and opportunities for all children and young people.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support the well-being of children returning to school following a period of home education in South Suffolk constituency. \p Stephen Morgan: Supporting the wellbeing of children in schools is central to their ability to achieve and thrive. That is why the department encourages schools to ensure a calm, orderly, safe and supportive environment where all pupils want to be are ready to learn. The department also provides a range of guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ wellbeing, including a resources hub for mental health leads and a toolkit to help choose evidence-based early support for pupils.

The information that local authorities will collect through the Children Not in School statutory registers, which the department are introducing under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, will help to build a clearer picture of the child’s individual needs and circumstances and enable the local authority or school to provide the tailored support required to best meet those needs.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill also introduces a duty on local authorities to provide advice and information to parents of children on their registers, should the parents request it.
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Mr Luke Charters:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department holds data on the number of ransomware attacks against schools and colleges in the last three years. \p Stephen Morgan: Educational settings in England are responsible for maintaining their IT systems and cyber security. There is currently no mandatory reporting requirement legislation for schools to report a cyber attack and no central register of cyber attacks exists. However, the department has been notified of 53 ransomware cases across the sector over the last 3 years.

The department has a small, dedicated sector cyber security team to support the education sector. The team provides appropriate guidance and advice, via regular targeted and broad communications, to help schools adhere to and maintain good cyber security standards. The department provides guidance for schools and colleges on how to help protect against a cyber incident, which can found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-digital-and-technology-standards-in-schools-and-colleges/cyber-security-standards-for-schools-and-colleges.

The department also works closely with the National Cyber Crime Security Centre (NCSC) and Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) to ensure that up-to-date cyber security guidance is shared with schools, colleges and universities.

Further guidance on cyber security for schools can be found at: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/education-skills/cyber-security-schools.

The department’s Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) has more than 9,900 member schools, which is 52% of eligible schools in England, and is including cover for cyber incidents as standard from the 2022/23 membership years. In the event of a cyber incident, RPA members have access to a 24/7 Incident Response Service.

The department’s dedicated sector cyber security function provides advice in response to cyber security enquiries and incident reports from the sector, liaising with the affected institution following an incident to advise on steps to mitigate the threat and provide guidance on recovery.

The department adheres to the NCSC guidance on payment of ransoms and does not encourage, endorse nor condone the payment of ransom demands in response to a ransomware attack. This guidance is outlined at: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/mitigating-malware-and-ransomware-attacks.
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Patrick Spencer:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme on attainment for pupils in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich; and what the cost per child is of the programme. \p Stephen Morgan: Early language skills are vital to enable children to thrive in the early years and later in life, including for all aspects of later attainment in school. That is why in July 2024, this government announced that funded support for the Nuffield Early Learning Intervention (NELI) programme would continue for the 2024/25 academic year.

To date the department has invested over £20 million in the NELI programme, which supports reception aged children needing extra support with their speech and language development.

In randomised control trial evaluations of the programme at scale, when supported by departmental funding, NELI was proven to help children make, on average, an additional four months progress, or seven months for those eligible for free school meals.

The implementation cost of the NELI programme has been rated as ‘very low’ by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), when compared to other programmes that EEF have evaluated. It is estimated since 2020 that 650,000 children have had their language screened nationally from the investment in the NELI programme nationally.

Based on the £20 million investment, the cost to the department works out, on average, to be as little as £31 per child. EEF’s findings in relation to the NELI programme is available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/promising-programmes/nuffield-early-language-intervention.
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Mr Andrew Mitchell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to provide funding to help improve the mental health of (a) primary school pupils, (b) secondary school pupils and (c) 18-25 year olds in (i) further or (ii) higher education. \p Stephen Morgan: This government is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. This is critical to high and rising standards in schools and breaking down barriers to opportunity, helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education.

That is why the government has committed to expand Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. ​ NHS-funded MHSTs are expected to cover at least 50% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England by the end of March 2025.

The department will also recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.

In addition, to support education staff, the department provides a range of guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. For example, a resources hub for mental health leads, and a toolkit to help choose evidence-based early support for pupils.

The department continues to work closely with the further education sector to promote and support providers to develop and implement a whole college approach to mental health and wellbeing. This includes supporting the Association of Colleges (AoC) in their goal for all colleges to sign up to the AoC Mental Health Charter and to align it with the University Mental Health Charter in higher education (HE). AoC’s framework aims to integrate mental health and well-being into every aspect of college life.

Departmental officials also continue to work closely with students, parents, mental health experts and the HE sector to drive meaningful change in mental health practice through the HE Mental Health Implementation Taskforce, which recently published its second stage report.

To raise standards in the sector, the Office for Students has also provided £400,000 of funding to the student mental health charity, Student Minds. This has enabled significant expansion of the University Mental Health Charter Programme, with 113 universities now signed up. The programme helps universities to adopt a whole-institution approach to mental health, bringing universities together to drive forward continuous improvement in mental health support for students.
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Maya Ellis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to extend the free childcare offer to parents in (a) education and (b) training. \p Stephen Morgan: The government is committed to delivering the expansion of the 30 hours free childcare offer so that, from September 2025, eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare per week, over 38 weeks of the year, from the term after their child turns nine months old to when they start school. Accessible and high-quality early education and childcare is a crucial part of giving every child the best start in life, boosting children’s life chances and giving parents work choices.

Students who work in addition to their studies and earn the equivalent of at least 16 hours a week at National Minimum Wage, which is equivalent to £183 per week/£9,518 per year in 2024/25, and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, may be eligible for this offer. If parents are unable to meet this threshold, they will remain eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education, which is available to all three and four-year-olds regardless of family circumstances.

We recognise the value of parents continuing in education and provide a range of support for students in further or higher education (HE) to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time HE students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help identify victims of child-trafficking in schools in Cambridgeshire. \p Stephen Morgan: Protecting children requires cooperation and coordination across multiple agencies. Local authorities, police, and health services share a joint and equal statutory duty to work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The three safeguarding partners (local authorities, police, and health services) collaborate with other relevant agencies, including education settings, to make strategic decisions essential for effective practice and child safety.

There is also an established robust framework in place in the form of ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), which is the statutory safeguarding framework to which all schools and colleges must have regard when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Part 1 of this guidance, which should be read by all staff who work directly with children, not only sets out the different types of abuse and harm but it also supports all staff to know what signs to look out for, including how to respond to any concerns about a child.

In addition, the guidance includes information on modern slavery, the National Referral Mechanism and links to joint guidance from the Department for Education and the Home Office. The full guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-children-who-may-have-been-trafficked-practice-guidance.

This safeguarding framework ensures that all concerns are identified and managed swiftly, effectively and in line with local safeguarding protocols. Schools and colleges must also work with their local safeguarding partners to ensure these processes are implemented consistently.
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Alex Ballinger:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has plans to reintroduce a safeguarding database for children. \p Stephen Morgan: Keeping children safe is a priority for this government. Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is taking a range of steps to improve safeguarding. We are introducing a new information sharing duty, making provision for a Single Unique Identifier, strengthening the role of education in local safeguarding arrangements and introducing multi-agency child protection teams.

There are presently no plans to re-introduce a national safeguarding database for children.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Single Unique Identifier that the Government are piloting is the NHS number; what the (a) locations, (b) timing and (c) size of the pilot is; and how families have been informed. \p Stephen Morgan: The department is currently exploring the suitability of using the NHS number as a single unique identifier with Wigan local authority. This process will take several months. This first phase of work will explore whether success rates of linking children’s records can be improved within a local authority by using the NHS number provided by the NHS Personal Demographic Service. This work will inform future tests and pilots.

The department anticipates several rounds of piloting the different aspects of implementation to establish where it can have the right impact, and to understand the system costs and business process changes associated with its usage.

We will be working with NHS England and local authorities as part of the piloting process, to ensure that the data processed as part of the pilot is secure and meets legal requirements around the data subject's rights to be informed about how their information is processed. One way children and families are informed about how their personal information is used, is via privacy notices. Wigan’s privacy notices that are relevant in this context can be accessed at: https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Council/DataProtection-FOI-Stats/Privacy-notices/Privacy-Notices-for-all-services.aspx.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) three and (b) four year olds were recorded as eligible for the additional 15 hours of free childcare in the academic year 2024-25; and how many were unable to take up those hours due to shortage of nursery places. \p Stephen Morgan: Information on 15 hours free childcare entitlements is published in the education provision: children under 5 years of age statistical publication. The publication is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-provision-children-under-5/2024.

Data on the number of two-year-olds eligible for the 15 hours free childcare entitlement for working parents is expected to be published in July 2025. An estimated 154,957 disadvantaged 2-year-old were eligible for 15-hours of free childcare in January 2024. Based on analyses of data from various surveys, an estimated 427,000 three and four-year-olds were eligible for the 30-hour entitlement in January 2024.

Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the early education and childcare statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents.

The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing. No local authority is currently reporting a sufficiency concern.

Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department will discuss what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and where needed, we support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for level 7 apprenticeships on the number of chartered town planners in local government. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for Yeovil to the answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23140.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of cuts to funding for level 7 apprenticeships on the availability of Chartered Town Planners in local government. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 23140.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of changes to (a) employer National Insurance contributions and (b) the minimum wage on the number of new apprentices in the hair salon industry. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for Huntington to the answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39407.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for level 7 healthcare apprenticeships on skills shortages in the NHS; and what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on that funding. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for Yeovil to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 39819.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of cuts to funding for level 7 healthcare apprenticeships on the availability of Advanced Clinical Practitioners in the NHS. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 39189.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many smart meters he expects to be installed in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year between 2025 and 2030. \p Stephen Morgan: The department does not hold information on how many primary and secondary schools have installed smart meters since 2015, nor do we set an expectation for how many primary and secondary schools should install smart meters. However, smart meters are recommended within the department’s published energy efficiency guidance. The guidance outlines that educational settings should monitor their energy use to help prioritise the best ways to reduce energy consumption. The guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-efficiency-guidance-for-the-school-and-fe-college-estate/energy-efficiency-guidance-for-the-school-and-further-education-college-estate.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in England are projected to pay on average for energy bills in each year between 2025 and 2030. \p Stephen Morgan: The average annual energy costs for primary and secondary schools based on financial returns to the department from 2015 to 2024 are as follows:

Year

Primary schools (£)

Secondary schools (£)

2023/24

38,214

190,897

2022/23

33,078

169,338

2021/22

20,285

107,613

2020/21

16,768

85,773

2019/20

17,508

86,578

2018/19

16,672

88,800

2017/18

15,402

82,867

2016/17

14,715

80,388

2015/16

15,556

87,343

To note:

The department does not hold a forecast for how much primary and secondary schools are projected to pay in their energy bills beyond the 2025/26 financial year. This is set out in the ‘School costs technical note’ which estimated energy price inflation for schools at a 4.1% increase for the 2024/25 financial year and a fall of 5.1% for the 2025/26 financial year.

The department is developing a suite of productivity initiatives to support schools in making efficiencies in their budgets. This includes giving schools the opportunity to join the department’s Energy for Schools initiative. When schools' energy contracts are up for renewal, they can join the department's contract. During the pilot for this project, schools saved 36% on average compared to their previous contracts.
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Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to review the upper threshold for small business rates relief for early years providers. \p Stephen Morgan: The government is committed to ensuring children have the best start in life, and has set a target of a record number of children starting school ready to learn as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. They are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting this duty, and to make this report available to parents. The department regularly discusses sufficiency with each local authority in England, and where there are challenges, the necessary actions to take and provision of support via our childcare sufficiency support contract is explored. We do not currently have any reports of sufficiency issues in any local authority.

The latest available figures on early years providers show that, between 31 August and 31 December 2024, 1,275 providers joined Ofsted’s Early Years Register and 1,581 providers left the Register. In the same period, the number of registered places grew slightly from 1,275,264 to 1,277,932.

His Majesty's Treasury has been working on a fundamental review of business rates in the UK. The latest update indicates that the final report of this review will be published in autumn 2025. This review aims to reduce the overall burden on businesses, improve the current business rates system and consider more fundamental changes in the medium-to-long term. Childcare providers are being considered as part of this, and the review acknowledges the unique challenges faced by nurseries and other childcare providers.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the removal of the automatic right to home educate under the Children and Wellbeing Bill on parents home schooling their children. \p Stephen Morgan: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the Ministerial team try to meet with stakeholders regularly, including in relation to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

It is important that the department engages and listens to the views of key stakeholders who have an interest in the Children Not in School measures within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. That is why we have established stakeholder implementation forums to listen to the views of home educating parents, home education organisations, local authorities and other safeguarding and education stakeholders with a vested interest.

There is currently no automatic right for all parents to be able to home educate their children, with local authority consent currently being required for a small cohort of children.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of career changers on meeting her target of recruiting 6,500 new teachers. \p Catherine McKinnell: The factor in schools and colleges that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcomes is high-quality teaching. Ensuring a high-quality teaching workforce is therefore critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost life chances for every child. However, this government inherited shortages of qualified teachers across the country as the number of teachers has not kept pace with demographic change. That is why the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this Parliament.

The department has already made good early progress towards this key pledge, including providing a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools, announcing a £233 million initial teacher training financial incentives package for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle, and confirming targeted retention incentives for shortage subjects worth up to £6,000 after tax.

We have also taken steps to improve teachers’ workload and wellbeing, to support retention and help reestablish teaching as an attractive profession. This includes opportunities for greater flexible working, such as allowing planning, preparation and assessment time (PPA) to be undertaken remotely, and making key resources to support wellbeing, developed with school leaders, available to teachers​.

​​​​Career changers make a valuable contribution to the teaching profession and the department remains committed to recruiting and supporting them into initial teacher training, including as part of our efforts to recruit an additional 6,500 new expert teachers. Our wider offer to all potential teachers, including career changers, supports them through their journey to apply for teacher training and during the critical early years of teaching. This includes the Get Into Teaching service which offers one-to-one support and advice to all candidates, including targeted support for career changers.

We are working with the sector to develop our approach as part of the spending review.
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Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure early diagnosis of dyslexia in schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.

We are providing £1 billion more for high needs budgets in 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.

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.

Schools should apply a ‘graduated approach’ to identify a child’s needs, plan appropriate support, implement that support and review it regularly to ensure it continues to meet their identified needs. Through this, schools should develop personalised approaches to supporting the unique needs of individual pupils. Schools should involve pupils and their parents in this process, taking their views into consideration.

The core content framework and early career framework, for trainee and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025 will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of initial teacher training and those delivering training to ECTs to create their curricula. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND.

Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools.

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.

In the South West there are 6 English Hubs: Cornerstone, Ilsham, Kernow, Mangotsfield, Ramsbury and ‘Unlocking Excellence’. This academic year, they are supporting a total of 130 schools with the Reading Ambition for All programme.
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Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the pay gap between men and women working at UK Research and Innovation; and what steps he is taking to tackle that pay gap. \p Feryal Clark: UKRI published its sixth Gender Pay Gap report in March 2025. The report describes the steps that UKRI is taking across the organisation, including developing inclusive recruitment and career progression strategies.

UKRI’s mean gender pay gap has narrowed by 0.6 percentage points since 2022. However, the most recent data shows that the gender pay gap widened by 0.7 percentage points in the last year. This change is largely driven by the 2022 pay award, which increased the salaries of employees in research delivery roles to address external pay market pressures. There is a higher proportion of male staff than female staff within this cohort compared to the wider UKRI employee population. Actions to address this disparity are set out in the report; these include reviewing recruitment and selection process to eliminate biases and ensuring that UKRI’s practices are fair and inclusive for all.
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UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_409

Alicia Kearns:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to protect the UK's aviation industry from intellectual property theft by Chinese companies. \p Feryal Clark: The government takes the issue of global intellectual property crime and infringement seriously and engages with other governments, industry and law enforcement partners to tackle this issue. We also work with businesses to help them safeguard their innovations across international markets.

The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector; therefore, it is ultimately the responsibility of the industry to determine appropriate protections of intellectual property.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_410

Ann Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to support the effective delivery of the National Telecare Campaign. \p Chris Bryant: We are very focused on making sure that the transition - which is industry-led - happens safely and securely. The objective of the National Telecare Campaign is to identify vulnerable customers. The campaign is one method of identifying vulnerable customers, by raising awareness among telecare users and their family and friends. In addition, communication providers are identifying vulnerable people through data sharing agreements with local authorities, including in Ceredigion Preseli, and private telecare providers.

The Government is monitoring the development of the campaign and the number of data sharing agreements made by communication providers to identify vulnerable customers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_411

Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many (a) in person and (b) online meetings he has had with organisations representing the creative industries since July 2024. \p Feryal Clark: Ministers and officials have regular meetings with a range of stakeholders about the creative industries.

Ministerial meetings and engagements are published through quarterly transparency reports on GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_412

Damien Egan:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing stricter regulations on UK-licenced satellite operators to ensure the safe deorbiting of satellites at the end of their operational life. \p Chris Bryant: The Government is taking forward a wide package of space regulatory reforms to drive growth and innovation, which includes working to ensure a safe, secure and sustainable space environment. As part of this work, the UK Space Agency is undertaking research into the impact of options such as reducing post-mission disposal timelines. The timelines are currently set at 25 years in the UK. Additionally, they have commissioned studies on atmospheric ablation to understand the impact of deorbiting spacecraft on the Earth’s atmosphere. The Government will consider the outcomes of this research to determine if regulatory actions are appropriate and necessary.
wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_413
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_413

Llinos Medi:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the (a) the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, (b) Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and (c) Welsh Government on ensuring that (i) local authorities are prepared for the Public Switched Telephone Network migration and (ii) no vulnerable people are missed in that migration. \p Chris Bryant: The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) migration is industry-led. The Department works closely with other departments, including the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Welsh Government, to ensure that local authorities and vulnerable customers are protected and prepared for the migration.

On 18 November 2024, the Government published guidance for local authorities on the migration. Local authorities have been asked to sign data sharing agreements with communication providers on telecare and vulnerable customers. Over 85% of local authorities that provide telecare have an agreement with at least one communication provider.

Industry are leading and funding a National Telecare Campaign to support identifying vulnerable customers. Welsh language will be used in broadcast and printed adverts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_414

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether there is a framework agreement in place for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The Cabinet Office published the Infected Blood Compensation Authority Framework Document on 10 March 2025. The document is publicly available on gov.uk, and can be found here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67cecb66df94702964916071/IBCA_Framework_Document.pdf.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_415

Munira Wilson:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many claimants were awarded compensation by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority by 31 March 2025. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) publishes updated figures every month.

As of 14 March, IBCA had invited 255 people to start their compensation claim, and 214 of those had started the claim process. 63 offers of compensation had been made, totalling over £73 million, and so far 40 people had accepted their offers with more than £44 million paid in compensation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_416

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of the Race to the Top Grade 6/7 staff network in each year since its creation. \p Georgia Gould: The Race To The Top (RTTT) grade 6/7 Network was a collaborative volunteer network which no longer exists. The RTTT does not hold a budget, but a department can choose to provide support where there is a business case to do so. We are not aware of any such financial support. We are not aware of any cost to the public purse of the Race To The Top Grade 6/7 Network since 2020. We do not hold any records prior to this date. The RTTT network was created in 2018.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_417

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of the Civil Service LGBT+ staff network in each year since its creation. \p Georgia Gould: The Civil Service LGBT+ staff network is a volunteer collaborative group of Civil Service staff. The LGBT+ network does not hold a budget, but a department can choose to provide support where there is a business case to do so. We are not aware of any such financial support. There has been no cost to the public purse of the LGBT+ network since 2020. We do not hold any records prior to this date. The LGBT+ network was created in 2003.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_418

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Honours Committees handbook. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The Honours Committees handbook is a document used on their appointment to induct independent committee members and chairs to the honours system and the committee process.

More information on these can be found on gov.uk.
wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_419
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_419

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has issued guidance on political activity by deputy lieutenants. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The Cabinet Office does not issue guidance on the performance of their duties to deputy lieutenants. However the Association of Lord-Lieutenants provides guidance to Lord-Lieutenants on political activity for all Lieutenancy officers.
wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_420
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_420

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question HL5597 on Political Parties: Finance, if he will place in the Library an unredacted version of the guidance. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: As set out in response to question HL5597, the guidance document in question is owned by the House of Lords Appointments Commission and is an internal document for Commission members.

When ordering release of the guidance in December 2021, the Information Commissioner decided that some of the information in the document should be redacted in order to protect the integrity of the Commission's vetting process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_421

Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to paragraph 8.1 of the Civil Service Commission Framework Agreement with the Cabinet Office, published in February 2025, what his policy is on substantively answering parliamentary questions on the work of the Civil Service Commission. \p Georgia Gould: In line with paragraph 8.1 of the Framework Agreement, Cabinet Office Ministers will continue to answer parliamentary questions about the work of the Civil Service Commission, as the government department responsible for sponsoring the Commission, while respecting its operational independence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_422

Katie White:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of pursuing a new status with the European Union that would allow the United Kingdom access to the single market in exchange for providing security assurances and establishing a framework for reasonable, yet non-binding, regulatory alignment. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: We are committed to strengthening our relationship with the EU to make the UK safer, more secure and more prosperous, including through negotiating a Security and Defence Partnership with the EU. We have been clear that there will be no return to the single market, the customs union, or freedom of movement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_423

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 25447 on Propriety and Constitution Group, whether civil servants in Propriety and Constitution Group have been awarded bonuses in the last 12 months. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: A total of 97 individuals have been awarded bonuses between April 2024 and March 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-07)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-07 conversation_424

Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2025 to Question 21685 on Civil Service: Pensions, if he will publish the most recent Employer Pension Notice from the Cabinet Office to Government departments on the disclosure of Senior Civil Servants' pensions under their financial reporting requirements. \p Georgia Gould: The most recent Employer Pension Notice (EPN), EPN 727, was published on the Civil Service Pension website on 31 January 2025.