theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increasing funding to newly formed combined authorities on public services. \p Jim McMahon: Combined authorities have limited involvement in the day-to-day running of most public services but are able to use their convening powers to bring partners together to improve delivery across public services in their area.

The majority of combined authority funds are devolved from central government, transferred from Police and Crime Commissioners or pooled from local authorities in the area, so do not change the amount of funding provided locally. Additional funding for newly formed combined authorities includes Investment Funds and Mayoral Capacity Funding. Full details of the funding allocated to each area can be found in their individual devolution agreements, published on gov.uk.

For these reasons no assessment has been done on the impact of funding combined authorities on public services.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54904 on Tony Blair, whether she has held any discussions on government policy with Tony Blair. \p Alex Norris: As per Question UIN 54904 answered on 9 June 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister attended a Q&A event with Tony Blair. There have been no further official engagements between the Deputy Prime Minister and Tony Blair.
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Mike Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating more supported living accommodation for autistic adults. \p Rushanara Ali: The government recognises the important role played by supported housing in helping disabled, older and other vulnerable people to live safely, well and independently, including autistic adults. The 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme includes delivery of supported housing. Through the Spending Review announced on 11 June, we are providing the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation, confirming £39 billion for a successor to the Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36. We are also announcing a 10-year social housing rent settlement from 2026 at Consumer Price Index + 1%, alongside a consultation to follow shortly on how to implement social rent convergence.
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Tony Vaughan:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support firefighters suffering from long-term health effects caused by their work. \p Alex Norris: The health and safety of firefighters is of paramount importance. Fire and rescue authorities, as employers, must take action to protect firefighter physical and mental health, this includes ensuring that firefighters receive the appropriate equipment and training they need. The Government continues to work closely with key partners, including the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and Health and Safety executive (HSE), to monitor emerging risks, share best practice, and advocate for the highest standards in firefighter health and wellbeing.
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Golden Valley development in Cheltenham on growth in the defence sector in the industrial strategy. \p Sarah Jones: The Government’s Industrial Strategy will be published shortly. Defence has been identified as a priority growth-driving sector within the Industrial Strategy and the Ministry of Defence is developing a sector plan - the Defence Industrial Strategy - to ensure we seize the opportunities.

The Golden Valley Development in Cheltenham is a nationally significant, £1billion investment in the UK’s cyber security sector. By co-locating industry, innovators, academia, and government agencies adjacent to GCHQ, it will accelerate the development of sovereign cyber capabilities, supporting national security and economic growth and resilience. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology continues to work to encourage further growth in the sector.
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Sir Julian Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what his Department's planned timetable is for publishing its Review of the Whistleblowing Framework. \p Justin Madders: The previous Government commissioned a review of the UK’s whistleblowing framework. This report, conducted by Grant Thornton LLP, is currently being reviewed by the Department of Business and Trade and will be published in due course.
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David Chadwick:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage (a) domestic and (b) international investment in green hydrogen. \p Sarah Jones: The UK is well placed to support a thriving hydrogen economy, with a robust and growing pipeline of production projects in development in the coming decade, providing an opportunity for domestic and international investors. My department has been working closely with the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero to showcase the opportunities for investment in the UK hydrogen sector.

We recently announced 27 shortlisted green hydrogen projects across the UK for the second Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR2), marking a key milestone and reaffirming the Government’s commitment to the sector. Our upcoming industrial strategy will provide support for global investors.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 December 2024 to Question 18502 on Consumer Goods: Safety specifically that his Department is supporting businesses to trade freely across the UK, if he will make it his policy that free movement of goods without bureaucratic requirements is applied across the UK. \p Justin Madders: The Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework and protecting the UK internal market.

With respect to the updated General Product Safety Regulation, as referenced in Question [18502], I understand that, for some businesses, the regulation has required changes. The Department has issued guidance for businesses selling to Northern Ireland and has continued to engage businesses directly to ensure that they understand the obligations.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the number of workers who have been underpaid in the last 12 months. \p Justin Madders: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data suggests that 371,000 employee jobs were underpaid the National Minimum Wage (NMW) / National Living Wage (NLW) in April 2024. This represents approximately 1.3% of the total number of employee jobs: Low and high pay in the UK - Office for National Statistics.
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the role of the hospitality industry in the upcoming industrial strategy. \p Gareth Thomas: The Industrial Strategy Green Paper identified eight growth-driving sectors: Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy Industries, Creative Industries, Defence, Digital and Technologies, Financial Services, Life Sciences and Professional and Business Services. All sectors will benefit from wider policy reform through the Industrial Strategy’s cross-cutting policies alongside the broader Growth Mission. This will help create the pro-business environment for all businesses to invest and employ, and consumers to spend with confidence.

Government launched a licensing taskforce to reduce red tape and barriers that too often hold businesses back and we intend to introduce permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value less than £500,000.

Additionally, we’ve announced a £1.5 million Hospitality Support Scheme to co-fund projects that align with Department for Business and Trade and Hospitality Sector Council Priorities, this will include helping those furthest from the jobs market into work and improving business productivity.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of limited capital access on scale-up firms outside of (a) London and (b) the South East. \p Gareth Thomas: Businesses in shallower finance markets outside London and the South East are less likely to be able to access growth capital, meaning high-potential businesses may be forced to relocate or else accept slower growth. The British Business Bank’s Nations and Regions Investment Funds help close the gap by providing finance for businesses to invest and grow across the UK, meaning the growth and jobs created by businesses benefit local communities. In the longer term, the Funds will create more dynamic ecosystems made up of investment-savvy business owners and private investors who know there are good investment propositions available.
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Callum Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate his Department has made of the number of companies requiring additional funding to help scale-up. \p Gareth Thomas: The estimated equity finance gap (the difference between actual equity investment and potential equity investment) for all but established companies was £7.5 billion in 2021. [1] There is an equity finance gap in every region and nation of the UK; London has the largest absolute equity finance gap, while Yorkshire and Humber has the largest relative gap. [2] The British Business Bank is helping to close that gap through its Nations and Regions Investment Funds and the Regional Angels Programme, which also attract additional private investment for businesses outside London and the South East.

[1] Supporting Innovative Start-Up and Growing Businesses: Equity Finance Provision through the Pandemic: Interim Report by Marek Kacer, Nick Wilson :: SSRN (DBT commissioned and funded)

[2] Equity Finance and the UK Regions (BEIS research paper)
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK support for the Mozambique liquefied natural gas project on the global clean energy transition. \p Gareth Thomas: UK Export Finance is currently in talks with project sponsors and other lenders, including export credit agencies, and other stakeholders, regarding the latest status of the Mozambique LNG project. At present, UKEF is engaged in conducting relevant due diligence which has yet to conclude.

UK Export Finance follows internationally recognised frameworks for managing environmental, social & human rights risks and impacts of relevant projects. UKEF will take proper account of relevant factors, including international climate change and human rights issues.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of UK support for the Mozambique Liquefied natural gas project on the UK's international climate commitments. \p Gareth Thomas: UK Export Finance is currently in talks with project sponsors and other lenders, including export credit agencies, and other stakeholders, regarding the latest status of the Mozambique LNG project. At present, UKEF is engaged in conducting relevant due diligence which has yet to conclude.

UK Export Finance follows internationally recognised frameworks for managing environmental, social & human rights risks and impacts of relevant projects. UKEF will take proper account of relevant factors, including international climate change issues.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate she has made of the number of County Court Judgments entered by default as a result of claimants using incorrect addresses for service of court documents. \p Sarah Sackman: The information requested is not held centrally.
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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has considered the merits of expanding the functions of the Public Guardian to include responsibility for appropriate discharge of mental capacity assessments. \p Sarah Sackman: The Ministry of Justice has responsibility for the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, which provides a framework for making decisions on behalf of adults who are unable to do so for themselves. The statutory Code of Practice issued under the Act provides guidance to practitioners on the conduct of capacity assessments in keeping with the principles of the MCA.

The Public Guardian is the statutory office holder created by the Act whose core functions relate primarily to registering lasting powers of attorney and supervising court appointed deputies. We have no current plans to expand these functions.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will introduce a minimum 5-year mandatory sentence for adults convicted of carrying a knife. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: Tackling knife crime is a priority and this Government is determined to do all it can to break the deadly cycle of violence that devastates the lives of individuals, families, and communities. It is important that those who commit violent crimes receive appropriate, proportionate and robust sentences.

Minimum sentences are rare in England and Wales. It is the function of the independent courts to decide the sentence in each case subject to the maximum that Parliament has provided and any relevant Sentencing Guidelines published by the Sentencing Council. We have a robust legal framework in place to respond to knife crimes with the maximum penalty for carrying a knife or threatening with an offensive weapon being 4 years imprisonment.

In recognition of the seriousness of offences related to knives, the law already provides for minimum custodial sentences for repeat knife possession and offences that involve threatening with a weapon. Adults face a minimum of 6 months of imprisonment whilst young people aged 16 or 17 face a four-month Detention and Training Order. Where someone is actually harmed by a knife or offensive weapon, there are a range of offences that the offender may be charged with, such as causing grievous bodily harm. These can result in lengthy sentences, up to life imprisonment.
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Ben Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent statutory regulator for High Court enforcement officers. \p Sarah Sackman: Whilst most High Court enforcement agencies have already signed up to the Enforcement Conduct Board’s independent voluntary accreditation scheme, the Government believes that it is necessary to take action so that all High Court Enforcement Officers, enforcement agents and agencies are regulated to the same standards and overseen by the same body when using the Taking Control of Goods procedure to enforce debts. A public consultation was launched on 9 June 2025 to explore how best to achieve this. Responses to the consultation will inform legislation to be brought forward as soon as parliamentary time allows.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been spent on legal aid in the last 12 months. \p Sarah Sackman: Information about legal aid expenditure is published on a quarterly basis. The requested information can be accessed via this link. See tables 1.1 (Criminal Legal Aid) and 1.2 (Civil Legal Aid). These figures represent the closed case expenditure i.e. the total value of payments made to legal aid providers in relation to pieces of work that are completed within the specified period.

The published data covers up to financial year 2023-24.
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David Davis:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what documents provide the record of proceedings of an employment tribunal hearing for cases heard before the Presidential Practice Direction of November 2023. \p Sarah Sackman: Prior to November 2023, the record of proceedings typically consisted of the Employment Judge’s handwritten or typed notes taken during the hearing.
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John Glen:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the market costs of specialist assessments given under the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund; and whether applicants applying for an assessment of need will also receive therapy under that fund. \p Janet Daby: The department took a range of factors into account when setting the new £3,000 fair access limit for the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF). In the 2024/25 financial year, the average cost per ASGSF recipient was £3,170 for therapy and £2,399 for specialist assessments (£3,090 overall). In addition, since July 2024, the department has collected detailed data on the costs of applications for therapeutic interventions and specialist assessments funded by the ASGSF. Using this information, the department assessed that £3,000 could fund an average of 19-20 hours of therapy, on the basis of median hourly rates for contact time and allowing for additional costs.

Where ASGSF funding has been used for a specialist assessment, remaining funding up to the £3,000 fair access limit may be used for therapy, where this is assessed as being needed. If appropriate, local authorities and regional adoption agencies may use their own funding to offer extra therapy.
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John Glen:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) allocated Departmental budget, (b) amount of overspend, (c) amount of surrendered funds not used by local authorities and (d) amount of surrendered funds repurposed for other applications for the adoption and special guardianship support fund was in (i) 2023-24 and (ii) 2024-25. \p Janet Daby: The table below provides the data requested on the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF).

2023/24 financial year

2024/25 financial year

Average amount of ASGSF funding awarded per recipient (total covers therapy and specialist assessments combined)

£3,044

£3,090

Allocated departmental budget

£48,000,000

£49,000,000

Overspend

£639,996.35

£11,355,181.91

Surrendered funds

£11,268,383.37

£13,894,781.10

All surrendered funding from 2023/24 and 2024/25 was repurposed for other ASGSF applications and added to the total spend.
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Munira Wilson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the announced expansion to Free School Meals eligibility will affect eligibility for Free School Transport. \p Catherine McKinnell: 100,000 children will be lifted out of poverty by the end of this Parliament, through the extension of free school meals (FSM) to all households on Universal Credit. Children who meet the new, higher threshold for FSM from September 2026 will not automatically be entitled to ‘extended rights’ home to school travel. The government’s overriding priority is to tackle child hunger.

Children will continue to be eligible for ‘extended rights’ home to school transport if they live in a household with an income below the existing FSM threshold and meet the eligibility criteria relating to the distance between their home and school. Further information about a new mechanism for assessing eligibility for ‘extended rights’ home to school travel will be available shortly.
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Phil Brickell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what forms of approved training will be covered by Growth and Skills levy funds, in the context of the changes made in April 2025. \p Janet Daby: This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners and support the industrial strategy.

From August 2025, we will be introducing new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors, as well as shorter duration apprenticeships. This will help more people learn new high quality skills at work and fuel innovation in businesses across England.

The first seven foundation apprenticeships will be focused on industrial strategy and priority areas including construction, engineering, health and social care and digital. We expect this to drive up to 30,000 starts on foundation apprenticeships across this Parliament. We are also reducing the minimum duration in legislation to eight months so that shorter apprenticeships are possible from August. Apprentices in green energy, healthcare, film/TV production and teaching will be among the first set to benefit from shorter duration apprenticeships. The development of the growth and skills offer will be informed by the work of Skills England and its engagement with employers, training providers and others to identify priority skills gaps and how these can be addressed.
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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many allergy 'near miss' incidents took place in schools in England in each year since 2016. \p Catherine McKinnell: The information requested is not held centrally.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Safety Valve Agreement signed with Surrey County Council in 2021, whether her Department has disbursed the full funding allocated to support the delivery of three new SEND schools in Surrey. \p Catherine McKinnell: Funding for free school projects is provided at different stages of project development, in line with key delivery milestones.

The department provides capital funding for the acquisition of sites, land and construction. For centrally delivered free school projects, a contractor is appointed from the department’s framework and construction costs are paid directly by the department.

The department recognises the financial pressures on local authorities in providing suitable specialist places and will continue to support Surrey Council to implement its Safety Valve agreement.
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Leigh Ingham:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of male GCSE attainment in Stafford constituency. \p Catherine McKinnell: Data is available at Staffordshire local authority level, and shows that 36.3% of boys achieved grade 5 or above in English and mathematics GCSE in 2024, down from 37.2% in 2023. Attainment 8 for boys in 2024 was 41.0, down from 41.9 in 2023.

Through the department’s work to deliver the Opportunity Mission, we will improve opportunities and life chances across the country for all children and young people.

High and rising standards are the key to strengthening outcomes and closing gaps for every child and young person no matter who they are or their background, helping them to achieve and thrive.

The department will deliver this through excellent teaching and leaders, a high quality curriculum, strong accountability with faster school improvement and an inclusive system which removes the barriers to learning.

The department’s new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams are designed to accelerate improvement in education standards across England by providing targeted interventions as well as universal support to all schools. RISE teams will be working with Staffordshire County Council and local multi-academy trusts in the county to develop the RISE Regional Plan to address gaps in attainment.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that levels of funding do not adversely impact inclusive education practices in mainstream schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: In the 2025/26 financial year, 17.8% (£8.6 billion) of the schools national funding formula (NFF) has been allocated for additional needs, including factors that correlate with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This supports schools with the costs of inclusion. The most deprived schools, on average, attracted the largest per pupil funding amounts through the schools NFF, reflecting the greater challenges that they will face in fully meeting the needs of their pupils.

Local authorities can also make funding transfers from the mainstream schools’ block of their dedicated schools grant to their high needs budget. Essex County Council made a 1% block transfer in the 2025/26 financial year, after an approved disapplication request. As part of that, the Council provided a detailed plan for the proposed use of the transfer of funds, which set out proposals to target early intervention and prevention, aiming to support schools’ SEND provision and inclusive practice.
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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to support children with dyslexia to achieve grade 5 or above in English and Maths GCSEs. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department is committed to improving outcomes for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia.

On 5 February 2025, the government announced a £2 million investment to drive high and rising standards in reading and writing. In secondary school, teachers are being offered new training and resources this year to help them support readers at all levels, and next academic year the department will deliver further training that will be focused specifically on struggling readers in secondary school who are at risk of falling behind. The English Hubs programme is also 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 in primary who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND.

The department funds the Maths Hubs programme, a school-led network aimed at improving the teaching of mathematics for all pupils in publicly funded schools. The programme covers primary, secondary and special schools and uses a mastery-based teaching approach which aims to secure understanding of key concepts. This includes training for teachers on techniques such as avoiding cognitive overload by breaking learning down into small manageable steps, using representations to expose mathematical structure and ensuring that learning is sequenced in a coherent manner so it makes sense to pupils.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to (a) support and (b) protect inclusive education strategies for high needs pupils. \p Catherine McKinnell: The recent funding settlement means a significant investment in the support available for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) pupils within mainstream schools, as well as protecting support currently in place. It will enable us to transform the SEND system to make mainstream more inclusive, improve outcomes and stop parents having to fight for support.

To support this, we have created an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) for inclusion, led by Tom Rees, to provide advice and expertise to the department on how to improve the mainstream education experiences for children and young people with special educational needs.

In developing advice, the EAG have drawn from a wide range of inputs from across the sector, including a survey which has now closed, to gather insights from teachers and school leaders on best practices for inclusion in mainstream education.

Additionally, the department has established a neurodivergence task and finish group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg from Birmingham University, to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations on staff training made in Prevention of Future Deaths reports in the case of (a) Mohammed Ismaeel Ashraf, (b) Karanbir Cheema and (c) Nasar Ahmed. \p Catherine McKinnell: In these three tragic cases the coroners found that a lack of understanding of the pupils’ allergies and the correct way to respond to an allergic reaction may have contributed to their deaths. Governing bodies must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions, and the duties under the Equality Act 2010.

The department has included reminders to schools of these duties in its regular schools’ email bulletin, including issues in March 2024, September 2024 and March 2025. We have also recently alerted schools to external resources from trusted allergy organisations. This includes the Schools Allergy Code, which was developed by the Allergy Team, Independent Schools’ Bursars Association (ISBA) and the Benedict Blythe Foundation, and Allergy School created by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to support the expansion of academic Sixth Form provision in Basildon. \p Catherine McKinnell: Proposed changes to mainstream sixth form provision need to improve choice and attainment for all pupils and be able to demonstrate a clear need for additional post-16 places. Academies wishing to expand their sixth forms can do so by applying to the department to make a significant change. Maintained schools must follow the statutory process for making prescribed alterations. The department is not currently aware of any plans to expand academic sixth form provision in Basildon and has received no applications.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a progress report on the (a) delivery of specialist school places and (b) other outcomes by all local authorities that entered into safety valve agreements. \p Catherine McKinnell: The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities.

The department provides local authorities with annual High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA) to support them to meet this duty.

Local authorities with Safety Valve agreements have previously received additional high needs capital funding where they were able to demonstrate that investment in local infrastructure would result in the availability of more appropriate provision and subsequent revenue savings.

This additional capital funding was paid to local authorities as a top-up to their HNPCA funding, and local authorities are responsible for prioritising this funding to create places and address local issues. The department continues to work with local authorities with Safety Valve agreements to deliver their plans.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will establish a statutory mechanism to (a) identify and (b) support children with a parent in prison. \p Janet Daby: The department knows growing up with a parent in prison can have a devastating impact on a child’s life chances. The government has a key mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child, which is why we have committed to identifying children affected by parental imprisonment and ensuring they get the support they need to thrive.

The department is working closely with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to deliver the government’s manifesto commitment. MoJ is leading on the work to better identify children affected by parental imprisonment. The department is working alongside the MoJ to determine how best to effectively identify and support this cohort.

We are clear that our approach to identification must be a sensitive one and link to a consistent nationwide support offer, so that children affected by this issue receive swift, appropriate support that meets their individual needs.

We are engaging with a range of stakeholders and experts to support the development of our proposals and delivery plans.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_131

Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to support medical students with the cost of living. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for Hazel Grove to the answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54621.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_132

Mr Richard Quigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take legislative steps to allow people over 18 to be formally adopted by their families. \p Janet Daby: The adoption of a child is about ensuring that a child has a permanent family, with the adopter taking legal and parental responsibility for them. At the age of 18, parental responsibility is no longer relevant, as an adult assumes responsibility for themselves. Introducing adoption for over 18s is not a priority as there is no legal imperative to introduce adult adoption. Legal processes, such as the making of a will, already enable individuals to pass on inheritance or financial rights without adoption being necessary. Similarly, the ability to legally change names through deed poll means that adoption is not the only way to share a family name.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_133

Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to funding for level seven apprenticeships on cyber skills in the workforce. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for Cheltenham to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57098.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_134

Anna Dixon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many claims to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund were rejected as a result of the total fund limit being reached in 2024-2025; and how many claims made in 2024-25 exceeded the new limits for individual claims in 2025-26. \p Janet Daby: No claims to the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) were rejected as a result of the total fund limit being reached in 2024/25.

Applications exceeding £3,000 were made for 4,832 children in 2024/25. This figure may include some double counting, if more than one application exceeding £3,000 was made for the same child, as could be the case if an application for match-funding was being made.

However, the department’s systems do not enable it to make an accurate calculation of the number of children for whom two or more separate applications under £3,000 were made, but which together totalled more than £3,000. This could, as a result, lead to some under-counting of children in this category.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_135

Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve training opportunities in (a) construction and (b) healthcare for people in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency. \p Janet Daby: The government is reforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, providing greater flexibility for employers and learners.

From August, the offer will include new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter-duration apprenticeships, helping more individuals gain high quality skills. Construction and social care will be among the first sectors to benefit, with the introduction of four new apprenticeship standards, as well as shorter apprenticeships, including the level 2 healthcare support worker and level 2 smart meter installer. These measures, backed by a record £3 billion English apprenticeship budget for 2025/26, will open up opportunities for careers the country vitally needs to prosper.

Recently, the government launched the 'Next Generation' campaign to inspire more pupils to pursue careers in high-demand sectors like construction and healthcare. This consists of targeted communications, school engagement, and promotion of technical education pathways.

In March, the government also announced the £625 million skills package for the construction sector. These measures are designed to raise awareness, boost access and improve the quality of training available, ensuring that more young people are equipped with the skills the construction sector urgently needs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_136

Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support routes into vocational education pathways for people over the age of 22. \p Janet Daby: The government supports learners through technical education, including apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps. We are transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners and support the industrial strategy.

From August, the department is reducing the apprenticeship minimum duration to eight months. This will enable learners to achieve occupational competence more quickly.

We have confirmed £136 million for Skills Bootcamps across a range of priority sectors in 2025/26 to fund training for over 40,000 learners.

In the 2025/26 academic year, the government will invest around £1.4 billion in the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), including the Free Courses for Jobs Offer. This provides eligible adults with access to high value level 3 qualifications to improve job prospects and earnings.

Currently 62% of the ASF is devolved to nine Mayoral Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority who can decide how to make best use of the ASF to meet their local needs.

From September 2026, learners can apply for funding from the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), a new student finance system for courses and modules starting from January 2027. The LLE will help adults upskill or retrain, at a time that is right for them, such as those returning from career breaks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_137

Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve access to apprenticeships in North East Somerset and Hanham constituency. \p Janet Daby: This government is transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners across the country, including in North East Somerset and Hanham, and support the industrial strategy.

From August, the department will be introducing seven new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors, including construction and the built environment, digital, and health and social care. We are also reducing the apprenticeship minimum duration to eight months so that shorter apprenticeships are possible from August. These flexibilities will help more people learn new high quality skills at work and fuel innovation in businesses across the country.

To support employers to access apprenticeships, the government pays £1,000 to employers when they take on apprentices aged 16 to 18 years old, and for apprentices aged 19 to 24 years old who have an education, health and care plan or have been in local authority care. We will also provide £2,000 payments to employers for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain. Employers also benefit from not being required to pay anything towards employees’ National Insurance for all apprentices aged up to 25 when they earn less than £50,270 a year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_138

Adam Dance:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing public funding for level 7 apprenticeships for people aged 22 and older on people in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) the South West. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for Yeovil to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57098.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-06-18)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-06-18 conversation_139

Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential use of disused school buildings to increase SEND specialist school capacity in (a) Surrey and (b) Hampshire. \p Stephen Morgan: The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision sits with local authorities.

The department provides local authorities with capital funding to support them to meet this duty and has published allocations for £740 million in High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2025/26 financial year.

Of this £740 million, Surrey has been allocated £16.1 million. Hampshire has been allocated £22.8 million.

This funding can be used to adapt schools to be more accessible, to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs. This includes utilising spare capacity in mainstream schools where appropriate.

When considering options for the reutilisation of space, local factors should be carefully weighed up, along with considerations of quality, diversity, and accessibility of local provision and the forecast demand for places, to determine the most appropriate approach in each area.