theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what eligibility criteria her Department is using to choose successful schools for Great British Energy's rooftop solar panels project. \p Stephen Morgan: The department recently announced, in partnership with Great British (GB) Energy, an £80 million (£40 million from the department and £40 million from GB Energy) initiative to install solar and other technologies such as electric vehicle chargers in 200 schools and colleges, prioritising those in areas of deprivation, to start in 2025/26.

This programme is targeting 200 schools and colleges in this first year 2025/26, so the department is not proposing a bidding round to select the schools and colleges to avoid burden on the system.

There will be a cluster of about 45 schools in each of the North West, North East and West Midlands, selected based on deprivation levels and other factors such as roof capacity. These schools have not yet been selected. Each cluster will also include a further education college which will work with the contractors appointed to promote careers in renewables to support growth in the construction and clean energy workforce. There will also be a minimum of 10 schools in each of the 9 government office regions to ensure regional spread.

Once we have appointed delivery partners, they will work through a department-supplied list of possible schools. The list will be based on specific criteria including deprivation, roof condition and location and this data set, combined with local data sets, will ultimately determine a long list of possible projects. Only once feasibility studies have been undertaken on each of the possible schools, will we be able to confirm which schools have been selected and what interventions have been determined as appropriate.
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Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to extend the breakfast clubs initiative to state-funded early childhood education institutions. \p Stephen Morgan: The department is committed to delivering on our pledge to provide free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children, starting with more than 750 early adopter schools from April 2025.

The aim of the breakfast clubs policy includes ensuring children are settled and ready to learn at the start of the school day. This is why we are committed to rolling out breakfast clubs in all state-funded primary schools, helping to build strong foundations in the first years of school, impacting children’s behaviour, concentration, attendance and attainment, alongside supporting parents with costs of childcare.

The department is working to test how this is best implemented and work is already underway with 750 early adopter schools. Early adopters are just the first step in delivering on our steadfast commitment to introducing breakfast clubs in every primary school. Early adopters will not only help us to test and learn how every primary school in the future can deliver these new breakfast clubs, they will also give us important insights into how schools with different age ranges, such as all through schools or those with onsite nurseries, implement the policy.
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Patrick Spencer:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many private schools Ministers in her Department have visited since 5 July 2024; and which schools they have visited. \p Stephen Morgan: I refer the hon. Member for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich to the answer of 06 May 2025 to Question 46839.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of undergraduates using generative artificial intelligence for completing assignments. \p Stephen Morgan: Universities are independent and autonomous bodies responsible for decisions including course content and teaching and assessment. As such, they are responsible for designing and implementing their own policies and approaches to the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Universities and colleges rightly have policies in place to identify and respond to cheating in assessment. The consequences for students can be severe, including removal from their course. With the support of the Academic Integrity Advisory Group, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education has developed an Academic Integrity Charter, which sets out key guiding principles to support academic integrity policy development and practice in UK higher education. Over 200 institutions have pledged to implement the Charter’s principles and commitments, working with staff and students to promote academic integrity and take action against academic misconduct.

The sector is developing guidelines for ethical and responsible use of generative AI for staff and students. In July 2023 the Russell Group published a set of principles, developed in partnership with educational experts, recognising the risks of AI and committing its members to helping staff and students become leaders in an increasingly AI-enabled world.
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Rebecca Paul:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason Hatchlands Primary School in Redhill has withdrawn from the breakfast club trial. \p Stephen Morgan: Schools were able to apply to join the breakfast clubs early adopter scheme in November and December last year. The department published an updated list of successful schools on 22 April.

The department has been working closely with schools on the scheme to ensure their plans are deliverable to have breakfast clubs up and running from the first day of summer term. The department will not be discussing the circumstances and decisions of any individual school.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to (a) school leaders and (b) teachers on how to counter inappropriate use of Generative AI by pupils. \p Stephen Morgan: Generative artificial intelligence (AI) presents a number of risks which need to be managed carefully. The department is developing online training resources and guidance materials for teachers and leaders. The resources will help with the risks and opportunities of AI across settings as part of a wider digital strategy. We expect the resources to be published in summer 2025.

In January 2025, to ensure the safety of our children, the department announced that leading global tech firms had jointly committed to making AI tools for education safer by design. Google, Microsoft, Adobe and Amazon Web Services are amongst the firms who have helped develop a set of expectations, AI tools should meet to be considered safe for classroom use. The 'Generative AI: product safety expectations' framework was published in January 2025.

The department is funding Ofsted to conduct research into how early adopter schools and further education colleges are using AI to support teaching and learning and manage administrative systems and processes. This research will provide an up-to-date assessment of what emerging practices are developing in the education sector's use of AI and the role that school and college leaders are playing in supporting innovation through embedding AI and managing associated risks.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46070 on Schools: Domestic Visits, how many private schools she has visited since 5 July 2025. \p Stephen Morgan: I refer the hon. Member for Huntingdon to the answer of 06 May 2025 to Question 46839.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of school pupils using generative artificial intelligence for completing homework. \p Stephen Morgan: While no formal assessment has been made of trends in using artificial intelligence (AI) for homework, the department is working to ensure teachers are equipped and supported to promote safe and appropriate use of AI.

The National Centre for Computing Education provides support. Their course ‘AI in key stage 3 computing’ supports teacher AI understanding and how to promote effective and safe use.

A new departmental group will advise on AI and technology to increase the future pipeline of talent and prepare children and young people for an AI and tech-enabled world, as well as promoting the use of AI and educational technology for better teaching and learning. Expert and evidence-informed recommendations will be produced.

Where pupils complete coursework as part of their homework, guidance on the use of AI is available to teachers via the Joint Council for Qualifications. Schools, colleges and awarding organisations need to continue taking reasonable steps to prevent malpractice involving the use of generative AI. The guidance includes:
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John McDonnell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of planned disability benefit changes on rates of school readiness. \p Stephen Morgan: The ‘Pathways to Work’ green paper, published in March 2025, sets out plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. The reforms will ensure the most vulnerable and severely disabled people are protected while ensuring everyone who can work receives the active support they need. This includes an extra £1 billion for personalised health, skills and employment support for sick and disabled people. The department knows that good work brings higher incomes, dignity and can significantly reduce the chances of falling into poverty.

The reforms to disability benefit were part of a wider range of reforms, and so the specific impact on school readiness has not been assessed.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to work with the relevant authorities to ensure food hygiene standards are (a) maintained and (b) improved in cafeterias in state education facilities. \p Stephen Morgan: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is the government body with policy responsibility for food safety. All supply of food is required by law to be safe. School cafeterias that provide food on a regular basis are registered food businesses and inspected periodically by the local authority environmental health service to ensure hygiene procedures are compliant with the food hygiene regulations. Departmental officials engage with the FSA on a range of topics.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to work with relevant authorities to ensure that the nutritional value of food served in cafeterias in state education facilities is (a) maintained and (b) improved. \p Stephen Morgan: It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating. The school food standards regulate the food and drink provided at school. School governors and trustees have a responsibility to ensure compliance with the school food standards and should work with the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.

To support governors and trustees, the department, along with National Governance Association, are running a pilot online training course on school food.
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Luke Murphy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of training available to school and children's social care staff on (a) recognising and (b) responding to anxiety-led behaviour in children. \p Stephen Morgan: This government is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. This is critical to breaking down barriers to opportunity and helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education.

Support from the department includes an online resource hub that hosts practical and evidence-informed resources to support the delivery of a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing. The hub includes support for responding to anxiety-related issues and can be found here: https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/.

Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) continue to roll out in schools and colleges across the country, delivering evidence-based interventions for early mental health issues and supporting mental health leads with their whole school approach. As of April 2024, MHSTs covered 44% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England and the department expects coverage to have reached at least 50% of pupils and learners this year. Through expanding MHSTs, the government will make sure that every young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.

Statutory guidance for virtual school heads sets out that they should, where possible, work with designated teachers to ensure that schools are able to identify signs of potential mental health issues and know how to access further assessment and support where necessary. This includes ensuring that schools understand the impact that issues such as trauma and attachment difficulties can have on looked-after and previously looked-after children.

Provision of continuing professional development for employed social workers is a matter for their employer. The regulator for the social work profession, Social Work England, sets the professional standards which all social workers must meet. These require social workers to promote the strength and wellbeing of people, including children, and provide or support people to access advice and services tailored to meet their needs.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending free childcare funded hours to people undertaking accredited professional healthcare courses in (a) nursing and (b) other subjects. \p Stephen Morgan: From September 2025, the government will expand government-funded childcare so eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of funded 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, equivalent to £195 per week or £10,158 per year in 2025/26, and under £100,000 adjusted net income per year, may be eligible for this offer. If they 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.

The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in further or higher education to support them with childcare. Support available to full-time students with dependent children includes the Childcare Grant and Parents’ Learning Allowance. Entitlement to these grants is based on a student’s household income. Healthcare students may also be entitled to the NHS Learning Support Fund. Information on eligibility and how to apply can be found at: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learning-support-fund-lsf.

Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
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Layla Moran:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the proportion of schools that have asbestos present; and what steps she is taking to reduce levels of asbestos in schools. \p Stephen Morgan: The department takes the safety of children, and those who work with them, incredibly seriously which is why we expect all local authorities, governing bodies and academy trusts as responsible bodies to have robust plans in place to manage asbestos in school buildings effectively, in line with their legal duties, drawing on appropriate professional advice.

As the regulator for asbestos, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) undertook inspections of a number of schools across the UK between September 2022 and April 2023 to look at compliance under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. The inspections showed that most schools were complying with the legal duties, and effective management systems are in place to manage and monitor the condition of asbestos-contained materials onsite.

The department is collecting data on the condition of school buildings in England as part of the Condition Data Collection 2 (CDC2) programme. To date, we have visited 18,029 schools and 13,592 (75.4%) have reported they have asbestos. The department follows the advice of the HSE as regulator that, as long as asbestos-containing materials are undamaged, and not in locations where they are vulnerable to damage, they should be left undisturbed, and their condition monitored.

The department has been clear, however, that when asbestos does pose a risk to safety and cannot be effectively managed in place, it should be removed. The decision to remove asbestos should be considered on a case-by-case basis and, annual condition funding provided by the department can be used for this purpose.

As part of the 2025/26 budget, we have increased capital allocations to improve the condition of school buildings to £2.1 billion, which represents £300 million more than this financial year. This is on top of the School Rebuilding Programme and targeted support for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average cost of constructing a new (a) primary and (b) secondary school was in each year since 2015. \p Stephen Morgan: New school buildings are delivered by local authorities, the department and other bodies.

The average cost of constructing new primary and secondary schools can be found in the national cost benchmarking study, published at: https://documents.hants.gov.uk/property-services/NationalSchoolDeliveryBenchmarkingreport.pdf. This report contains cost information on local authority delivered schools and department delivered schools, which are broken down each year from 2012 onwards. The primary school section can be found on page 10.

Standards for new school buildings change over time, for example, to increase sustainability requirements, so care should be taken in comparing costs directly year to year.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken to assess the consistency of SEND policy implementation in secondary schools; and what mechanisms exist to hold schools accountable where legal duties towards neurodivergent pupils are not being met. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department’s expectations for high quality, inclusive education are enforced through inspection by Ofsted. Ofsted’s proposed new framework for inspection of education settings will be informed by their public consultation, which closed on 28 April and includes a stronger focus on children with additional needs including neurodiverse children. We will continue to work with Ofsted to consider how their framework can best ensure continuous improvement in outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision. The framework is scheduled for implementation from autumn 2025.

There are several routes of redress available to parents, or children and young people with SEND, who disagree with a decision made by a school. First, they can complain informally or formally to the school. If they remain unhappy, they can complain to their local authority or multi-academy trust. They can also request to use their local authority’s dispute resolution service or lodge an appeal with the First Tier SEND Tribunal, if they feel that their child has been discriminated against on grounds of their disability.

We continue to ensure that local and regional delivery includes the voice of children and young people, parents/carers and the SEND sector. We are funding 153 local authority Parent Carer Forums, helping families to navigate the SEND system through the Contact national helpline support and advice service, and funding the training and support of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information and Advice Support Service (SENDIASS) staff.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to introduce mandatory training on (a) ADHD and (b) other neurodevelopmental conditions within initial teacher training and ongoing professional development frameworks; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of training gaps on pupil outcomes. \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 ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions.

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.

The department also offers the Universal Services programme which helps the school workforce identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, including those with neurodiversity. This includes a range of continuing profession development such as bespoke professional development groups and autism training. Alongside this, the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £13 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children in mainstream primary schools.

In November 2024, the department established a neurodivergence task and finish group, which includes a range of experts from clinicians, scientists and academics, as well as education experts and third sector organisations. This group is chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg from the University of Birmingham and aims to work closely with the department to help improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream settings in a way that works for neurodivergent children and young people.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2025 to Question 36463 on Free School Meals, what arrangements are in place for transitional protections on free school meal entitlements for the 2025-26 financial year. \p Stephen Morgan: As with all government programmes, including free school meals, we keep our approach under continued review. Support for children to access free school meals, has additionally been considered as part of the Child Poverty Taskforce’s consideration of how to:

1. Support households to increase their income including considering social security reforms that support people into work and alleviate poverty.

2. Help to bring down essential household costs, build savings and tackle problem debt.

3. Alleviate the negative experience of living in poverty, including through supporting families and the role of public services.

No pupil will see any change because of changes to traditional protections until after the summer and the department will communicate further with schools before that time.
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Jenny Riddell-Carpenter:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the educational support system for post-16 students who missed GCSE examinations due to unforeseen circumstances. \p Janet Daby: If a student is unable to sit an exam or assessment for a qualification for an acceptable reason, but has completed at least one other exam or assessment in that subject, schools and colleges may be able to apply for special consideration.

When in post-16 education, students can agree a study programme with their institution that meets their needs. 16 to 19 funding is flexible in supporting a wide range of study programmes, though these need to include English and mathematics if students have not yet achieved a GCSE grade 4 in these subjects.

The 16 to 19 funding formula allocates additional funding to support students who need to continue with English and mathematics, and funding to help with the more general additional costs incurred for teaching and supporting students who have low prior attainment.

When learning programmes are designed to enable students to re-sit or retake examinations and assessments these are not generally eligible for funding as the activity has already been funded. However, when there are exceptional circumstances outside the control of the student or institution then the retake delivery hours for individual students may be included in the funded study programme hours.

In the guidance ‘16 to 19 funding: information for 2025 to 2026’, published 5 March 2025, the department announced additional 16 to 19 education funding in the 2025/26 financial year on top of the £300 million announced at the Autumn Budget 2024. This guidance can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-funding-information-for-2025-to-2026. This means that we will be spending over £400 million more to ensure enough funding is available given the very significant increase in student numbers and other pressures on the system.
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Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of reductions in the level of funding for the Adult Skills Fund to mayoral combined authorities on (a) Courses for Jobs and (b) tailored learning; and whether her Department has completed a related equality impact assessment. \p Janet Daby: This government is currently facing a challenging fiscal context. Fixing the foundations of the economy will take time, and tough decisions are needed across the public sector to get our finances back under control and ensure that we deliver on our priorities through our Plan for Change. In this challenging context, the government carefully considers the impacts of its decisions, including public sector equality duty.

The department will provide approximately £1.4 billion in funding for the adult skills fund (ASF) in the 2025/26 academic year to ensure that adult learners can access the education and training they need to get into employment or progress in work.

As of August 2025, the department will have devolved 68% of the ASF to mayoral strategic authorities, who are now responsible for adult skills provision in their areas. These authorities have autonomy in deciding how to use their funding and are responsible for the allocation of the ASF to learning providers. The department is responsible for allocating the remaining ASF budget in non-devolved areas.

In non-devolved areas, our allocation methodology for the 2025/26 academic year recognises priority courses, as well as providers with a strong track record of delivering above their allocations and providing for more learners. As a result, there will be a significant number of providers who will see their allocations increase in the 2025/26 academic year.
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Daniel Francis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of funding allocated to the Support for Families with Disabled Children programme; and what her planned timeline is for reopening the programme. \p Catherine McKinnell: Each year, the Support for Families with Disabled Children (SFDC) programme provides individual grants to approximately 60,000 low-income families raising a disabled or seriously ill child. The department is pleased to support the SFDC programme, and we expect applications to the scheme to re-open shortly.

Future funding decisions beyond this financial year are subject to the ongoing spending review.
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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve the mental health of (a) teachers and (b) support staff. \p Catherine McKinnell: High-quality teaching is the biggest in-school factor that makes a difference to a child’s education. Being taught by a good teacher can add almost half a GCSE grade per subject to a given pupil’s results. That is why, as well as working to recruit additional teachers, the department is working hard to retain our experienced teachers.

The department is working in partnership with the sector and mental health experts to improve staff mental health and wellbeing. Steps taken include continued promotion of the education staff wellbeing charter, which sets out shared commitments to protect and promote the wellbeing of staff in schools and colleges. More than 4,000 schools and colleges have signed up to the charter so far, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-staff-wellbeing-charter.

The department has also funded mental health and wellbeing support for school and college leaders, which includes professional supervision and counselling. More than 2,600 leaders have benefitted from this support so far. This support can be accessed at: https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/get-help/help-for-your-staff/wellbeing-services/professional-supervision/.

Furthermore, a range of resources have been made available to help schools prioritise staff wellbeing. For example, the department’s ‘Improve workload and wellbeing for school staff’ service, developed alongside school leaders, provides tools to support schools to identify opportunities to cut excessive workload and improve staff wellbeing. This service can be accessed at: https://improve-workload-and-wellbeing-for-school-staff.education.gov.uk/.

Finally, guidance is available to support school leaders and staff to help manage behaviour in schools, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-in-schools--2.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28734 on Prisoners: Parents, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of having a parent in prison on SAT performances; and whether she plans to adopt moderated teacher assessments. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department does not hold information on the impact of having a parent in prison on end of key stage 2 attainment nor does it carry out such analysis.

The purpose of the end of key stage 2 assessments is to understand pupils' attainment, including areas where they may need more support in order to support their transition into secondary school. Schools can use the assessment in this way to support pupils who may be experiencing an impact in attainment due to having a parent or primary carer in prison.

Statutory teacher assessment judgments take place at the end of key stage 2 for writing and science. Local authorities are required to externally moderate the teacher assessment of writing within at least 25% of maintained schools and 25% of academies and participating independent schools that opt into local authorities’ external moderation provisions. External moderation aims to give confidence that schools’ judgements are accurate and consistent with national standards.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review panel have been clear that SATs are an important part of assessing children’s progress throughout primary school, and that the system of primary assessment is currently working well. As the Review continues its second phase, it will consider how to build on effective systems to support the attainment of all children.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to collaborate with training providers to increase skills levels in high voltage dynamic cables. \p Janet Daby: The skills system is designed to enable close collaboration between government, employers and training providers to equip learners with the skills they need. We encourage employers to work with providers and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and, in time, Skills England, to develop the necessary training to meet the needs of crucial clean energy sectors like floating offshore wind.

Training providers collaborate with IfATE and employers to ensure the training they deliver meets labour market needs. IfATE develops and maintains occupational standards which outline the skills and knowledge required for roles. Employers provide input on these standards, ensuring they reflect current industry requirements. The department supports these partnerships through its policy direction and funding.

Skills England will provide an authoritative assessment of national and regional skills needs in the economy now and in the future. It will also ensure that there is a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications for individuals and employers to access, and which are aligned with skills gaps and the needs of employers.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ringfencing funding for small and specialist Higher Education Institutions. \p Janet Daby: Small and specialist higher education (HE) institutions provide a highly valuable role in nurturing talent and contributing to the UK’s academic, cultural and economic landscape.

The Office for Students (OfS) provides targeted funding to twenty small and specialist providers that they assessed as world leading. This is delivered through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG), which is funding that the government provides on an annual basis to support teaching and students in HE, including expensive-to-deliver subjects, such as science and engineering, and for students at risk of discontinuing their studies.

For this 2024/25 academic year, funding from the SPG for these small and specialist providers was maintained at £58 million. Funding for the 2025/26 academic year will be announced by the OfS, following government guidance, later this year.
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Mary Kelly Foy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support post-92 institutions to (a) improve the educational experience and (b) widen participation of disadvantaged students. \p Janet Daby: All higher education (HE) providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an access and participation plan approved by the OfS. Access and participation plans articulate how HE providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups.

The department wants providers to be more ambitious and play a stronger role in improving the access and outcomes for disadvantaged students.

The department made £281 million of funding available to providers for the 2024/25 academic year via the recurrent element of the Strategic Priorities Grant. This was in the form of student premiums and mental health support to support successful outcomes for students, including for disadvantaged students. Funding arrangements for the next academic year will be announced in due course.
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Navendu Mishra:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) initiatives and (b) retraining opportunities are available for people returning to work after a career break for caring responsibilities. \p Janet Daby: The government will provide approximately £1.4 billion in funding for the adult skills fund in the 2025/26 academic year. This includes funding the ‘Free courses for jobs’ offer, which gives eligible adults the chance to access high value level 3 qualifications for free, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job.

The government will also support learners through our technical education offer, including through a range of apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps. Our new levy-funded growth and skills offer will introduce greater flexibility to employers and learners in England.

From September 2026, learners will be able to apply for funding from the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), which will be the new student finance system for courses and modules starting from January 2027 onwards. The LLE will allow people to develop new skills and gain new qualifications across their working lives, at a time that is right for them, such as those returning from a career break.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-09)

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Jo White:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has set a minimum quality threshold under the apprenticeship accountability framework for training providers to continue offering new starts on a standard in the apprenticeship programme in England for the academic year 2025-26; and when she plans to communicate information about the required threshold to providers. \p Janet Daby: The Apprenticeship Accountability Framework (AAF) is the department’s main tool for improving apprenticeship quality. The AAF evaluates Qualification Achievement Rates alongside nine other quality indicators, such as Ofsted outcomes, withdrawal rates and feedback from apprentices and employers, using updated data throughout the year.

The AAF sets minimum thresholds for each quality indicator, reflecting the department's baseline expectations for apprenticeship quality. If a provider's performance falls below these thresholds, it triggers a management conversation between the department and the provider, rather than an automatic cessation of starts on a standard.

The quality indicators and their minimum thresholds are detailed in the Apprenticeship Accountability Framework and Specification, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-training-provider-accountability-framework/apprenticeship-training-provider-accountability-framework-and-specification--2#accountability-policy-for-apprenticeship-training-providers. The department will continually review these indicators and thresholds, using the latest available data from the current and previous academic years, while considering sector consultation and feedback to ensure they are appropriately set.

Any changes to the AAF, including updates to quality indicators and their minimum thresholds, will be communicated to the sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-09)

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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with EngineeringUK on supporting engineering companies in providing T Level placements for engineering students in further education. \p Janet Daby: The department works closely with a range of colleges, schools, employers and their representative bodies to ensure the availability and quality of T Level industry placements across the country. For the engineering and manufacturing sector this includes the Gatsby Charitable Foundation’s Engineering and Manufacturing working group, made up of organisations including EngineeringUK, Enginuity (and the National Manufacturing Skills Task Force), Make UK and the Royal Academy of Engineering. The group share resources, case studies and undertake employer awareness-raising campaigns to support the delivery of industry placements.

The department also actively engages stakeholders via our T Level Ambassador Network which advocates for T Levels and plays a key role in bringing industry and education together across a range of sectors. The network has expanded to over 900 members, including large businesses, small and medium enterprises, colleges and schools, universities and students. Over 120 representatives from the engineering and manufacturing sector are part of this network.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment (a) of the potential merits of cancelling all foreign aid to Pakistan and (b) with the Secretary of State for the Home Department of the potential merits of using that funding for a national inquiry into grooming gangs. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK has transitioned from a traditional aid relationship with Pakistan to a mutually beneficial partnership which underpins UK national interests, including working with Pakistan to tackle irregular migration, terrorism and organised crime. Some of the technical assistance we provide through UK Official Development Assistance is integral to these efforts. The Home Secretary has commissioned a National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-09)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many people are employed as technical cooperation officers to support the Government of Saint Helena; and what the total cost of of those posts is. \p Stephen Doughty: The St Helena Government employs technical cooperation officers in key positions across its portfolios including health, education, legal chambers and the police where it is not possible to recruit locally. The St Helena Government has responsibility for the recruitment of its human resources and the remuneration provided.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the (a) pay and (b) benefits of (i) UK and (ii) Saint Helenian police officers of the same rank serving in Saint Helena are comparable. \p Stephen Doughty: In St Helena, a locally recruited Police Constable's starting salary is £12,049 per year, which is above the national average salary (£9,970). The St Helena Government has responsibility for setting pay and benefits levels for members of The Royal St Helena Police Service, including those appointed as technical cooperation officers.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, by what year he expects Saint Helena to become financially self-sustainable; and whether it is his policy that this will be primarily achieved through promoting tourism. \p Stephen Doughty: The St Helena Government leads on local economic development, with assistance from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which provides technical and financial support. The UK funded Tourism Development Fund is supporting the development of the island's tourism industry, which has potential to drive forward greater financial self-sufficiency as visitor numbers grow.
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Jon Pearce:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to use the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action snapback mechanism to re-impose nuclear-related UN sanctions on Iran before their expiry in October 2025. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: A diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear issue remains possible and the primary focus of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office efforts. However, if a deal is not reached there will be little choice for the E3 but to trigger the UN snapback mechanism before its expiry. Alongside E3 partners we have made this clear to Iran.