theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether special advisers in her Department have had meetings with (a) representatives and (b) clients of Arden Strategies since 5 July 2024. \p Alex Norris: In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of external meetings held by Special Advisers are published in line with the requirements set out in guidance here.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 1329 on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Marketing, what the final cost of the re-branding was; and whether any transactions relating to the re-branding were published in her Departmental spending data. \p Alex Norris: Changing the name of the department did not attract a significant cost as we returned to a department name which had been previously used. Most of the work was completed internally. Details of expenditure are published on gov.uk.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Paula Barker:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) Greater Manchester Combined Authority, (b) the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and (c) the West Midlands Combined Authority on the future of the Housing First pilots. \p Rushanara Ali: My officials and advisers work closely with local and combined authorities to review and explore options to respond to homelessness and rough sleeping in their areas, including through Housing First where appropriate.

Government funding for the Housing First pilots, paid through the Rough Sleeping Initiative in 2024/25, has been consolidated into wider funding in 2025/26 through the £185.6 million Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant. Local and combined authorities have been given the flexibility to determine the most effective services, driven by local need, to be delivered to support individuals sleeping rough, at risk of sleeping rough, or at risk of returning to rough sleeping, which may include Housing First provision.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Peter Lamb:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to take steps to enable communities covered by a borough council to retain (a) mayors, (b) honorary freemen and (c) honorary aldermen; and how appointments of other local officers of dignity will be made after unitarisation. \p Jim McMahon: The Government is committed to ensuring that the treasured historic and ceremonial rights and privileges of local communities will be protected through the local government reorganisation process. General regulations governing unitarisation exercises provide that honorary freemen and aldermen of predecessor local authorities retain their status for the relevant successor unitary authorities.

After reorganisation, parish councils may make ceremonial appointments for their area. Where there is no such parish, at the request of the council involved, we can establish charter trustees for the areas of predecessor borough or city areas to preserve their historic rights and privileges, including the ability to appoint a mayor, deputy mayor, and honorary freemen and aldermen. We recognise this as an important issue for areas and if there will be a need for legislation to establish charter trustees this will be discussed with the area in advance of reorganisation.
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Mike Amesbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing grant funding for the remediation of non-cladding defects in leaseholder-owned buildings in the event of enforcement action being taken. \p Alex Norris: The Building Safety Act provides Remediation Contribution Orders for all leaseholders, including those who have exercised their right to enfranchise, allowing them to apply to the First-tier Tribunal for an order requiring developers to pay to fix unsafe buildings. A remediation contribution order can be used to require a developer or associate (as well as a former landlord or associate) to make payments for the purpose of meeting costs already incurred in remedying relevant defects (or specified relevant defects) relating to the relevant building.

Leaseholder-owned buildings are also eligible for the government’s Cladding Safety Scheme. The Responsible Actors Scheme and developer remediation contract require relevant developers to take responsibility for all necessary work to address life-critical fire safety defects arising from design and construction of buildings 11 metres and over in height that they developed or refurbished in England in the 30 years ending on 4 April 2022, including leaseholder-owned buildings.

We are committed to reviewing how to better protect leaseholders from costs.
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Anna Sabine:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to progress strategic devolution in the South West. \p Jim McMahon: We have already made progress on strategic devolution in the South West. Subject to parliamentary approval the Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority will be established in early 2025, and the Cornwall non-mayoral Devolution Agreement is largely already implemented. We encourage the authorities to continue working together and with their neighbours to explore the next steps towards deeper and wider devolution for their area.

We are launching the Devolution Priority Programme, aiming to deliver new Strategic Authorities and see a wave of Mayors elected in May 2026. Regions interested in joining the Devolution Priority Programme have written to Government to express their interest. We are now reviewing proposals, and expect to confirm places on the Programme shortly.

However, I recognise that not all areas will be ready to move at such a pace towards mayoral devolution, and I look forward to working with such areas to help them to realise the benefits of devolution in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of (a) limiting rent increases, (b) enhancing requirements for landlord entry on the Private Rented Sector Database, (c) restricting advance rent demands, (d) tightening conditions for requesting guarantors and (e) other measures to better protect renters while ensuring a balanced approach to landlord responsibilities. \p Matthew Pennycook: The Renters’ Rights Bill will transform the experience of private renting in England. It will modernise the regulation of the private rented sector, levelling decisively the playing field between landlord and tenant.

It will empower renters by providing them with greater security, rights and protections so that they can stay in their homes for longer, build lives in their communities and avoid the risk of homelessness. It will ensure that we can drive up the quality of privately rented housing so that renters have access to good-quality and safe homes as a matter of course. It will also allow us to crack down on the minority of unscrupulous landlords who exploit, mistreat or discriminate against renters.

The Bill will also provide tangible benefits for responsible landlords who provide high-quality homes and a good service to their tenants, ensuring they enjoy simpler regulation and clear and expanded possession grounds, so that they can regain their properties quickly when necessary.

The Bill will empower private rented sector tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases. This will prevent unscrupulous landlords using rent increases as a backdoor means of eviction, while ensuring landlords can increase rents to reflect market rates.

Measures in the Bill mean a landlord will only be able to require up to one month's rent between a tenancy agreement being signed and that tenancy beginning. This will end an unfair practice which can place considerable financial strain on tenants and excludes some from renting altogether.

It will also require all private landlords letting residential property in England to register with the Private Rented Sector Database. We expect these landlords will include data about the ownership and standard of their properties as part of their entries, and we are exploring the feasibility of collecting a wider range of more tenancy-focused information. We will stipulate the specific requirements in regulations.

The Bill does not limit the ability of landlords to request a guarantor. The use of guarantors can support people renting for the first time to access the private rented sector. We will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders about any barriers to entering the private rented sector.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answers of 19 December 2024 to Question 20231 and HL3240, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of involvement of the United Front Work Department in the planning process for the called-in Chinese Embassy planning application. \p Matthew Pennycook: An appointed Inspector will hold a public inquiry which will hear a range of evidence for and against the proposals, after which a decision will be made by MHCLG ministers. As this case will come before ministers in MHCLG to determine, it would not be appropriate to comment further. Decisions on planning applications are based on material planning considerations.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when she plans to answer Questions 23789, 23790 and 23791 on Eden Project: Morecambe, tabled on 14 January 2025. \p Alex Norris: I responded to the Hon Member on 23 January 2024.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department prepared an impact assessment on the restructuring of local government proposed in the Devolution White Paper (CP 1218), published on 16 December 2024. \p Jim McMahon: The case for unitarisation in the English Devolution White Paper set out the opportunities available to areas for local government reorganisation. The potential impact of local government reorganisation on individual areas will be a matter for local councils to consider as they develop their proposals for reorganisation.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to (a) consult and (b) integrate Dartmoor National Park Authority into future local government reorganisation around Devon. \p Jim McMahon: We will invite councils to prepare proposals for reorganisation and when developing these proposals it will be essential for councils to work with local partners, including National Park Authorities, to develop plans for sustainable unitary structures capable of delivering the high-quality public services that residents need and deserve. We will consult a range of stakeholders in areas where we receive proposals for reorganisation as required by statute.
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Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the oral answer of 20 January 2025 from the Minister for Local Government and English Devolution on Local Government Reorganisation: Devon, Official Report columns 720-721, whether (a) the reorganisation of district councils and (b) other local government reorganisation is optional. \p Jim McMahon: The question in the House was taken in relation to the current applications to join the Devolution Priority Programme. As stated in the House this allows for areas to put forward locally led proposals on both devolution and local government reorganisation. We are very pleased with the level of interest and can confirm again that no area was required to submit proposals by government.

Beyond the Devolution Priority Programme the English Devolution White Paper sets out our priorities in reorganisation where we believe there are clear efficiencies which can redirect resources to frontline services, and this will need to align to the reforms to local government funding. We will expect all two tier areas and smaller or failing unitaries to develop proposals for reorganisation.

We will take a phased approach to delivery, taking into account where reorganisation can unlock devolution, where areas are keen to proceed at pace or where it can help address wider failings. However, we are clear that reorganisation should not slow down devolution, and plans for both should be complementary. We will deliver this process as quickly as possible including through legislation where it becomes necessary to ensure progress.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the projected cost to the public purse is of implementing the measures on local government within the the Devolution White Paper (CP 1218), published on 16 December 2024. \p Jim McMahon: The English Devolution White Paper published on 16th December set out measures to support local government and drive the government’s ambitious agenda on devolution. Where these require legislative changes, the government will bring these forward in the English Devolution Bill. Future funding is a matter for the Spending Review.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to devolve further powers to (a) town and (b) parish councils. \p Alex Norris: Local authorities act independently of central government. Town and parish councils can work with other tiers of local government to determine how they can best serve their communities in their area. The English Devolution White Paper was clear that we know people value the role of governance at the community scale, and that this can be a concern when local government is reorganised. We will therefore want to see stronger community arrangements when reorganisation happens in the way councils engage at a neighbourhood or area level.
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Dr Marie Tidball:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent progress his Department has made on strengthening national resilience. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: As my Rt. Hon friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster set out in his statement in the House last week, the Government continues to make improvements to strengthen our national resilience.

In April the UK Resilience Academy will be launched and will train over 4000 people a year and later this year we will undertake a full national pandemic response exercise.

The review of national resilience continues. Updates will be given in due course.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2025 to Question 21396 on Government Departments: Internet, if he will publish the inclusion list of websites for programmatic advertising that meet the acceptable standards. \p Georgia Gould: As was the case under the previous administration, there are currently no plans to publish the inclusion list.
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Kirsty Blackman:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the transparency data entitled Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and Peers in 2023, published on 23 May 2024, how his Department obtained the raw data on correspondence received from MPs by Government (a) Department and (b) agency. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The Cabinet Office commissions each Government department and agency individually to request data to be included in the reports titled ‘Data on responses to correspondence from MPs and Peers’ that are published on GOV.UK.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the civil service. \p Georgia Gould: The Cabinet Office and HM Treasury are continuing to work with departments on plans to improve effectiveness and efficiency in the Civil Service, including bold options to improve skills, harness digital technology and drive better outcomes for public services. Further detail on this work will be provided at Spending Review, due to conclude in Spring 2025.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2024 to Question 14969 on Public Appointments, whether direct Ministerial appointments require the consent of the Prime Minister. \p Georgia Gould: In line with Cabinet Office guidance, the Prime Minister’s Office are consulted on all direct ministerial appointments.
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Tony Vaughan:What steps he is taking to ensure that Government procurement practices help to promote ethical supply chains. \p Georgia Gould: The Government expects the highest standards of conduct throughout public sector supply chains.

The Procurement Act will strengthen the grounds on which unethical suppliers can be excluded and introduce a new debarment list.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2024 to Question 7438 on Prime Minister: Senior Civil Servants, for what reason his Department opened a competition for a Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, reference 378767 on the Civil Service jobs website. \p Georgia Gould: The Cabinet Office ran an open and fair recruitment campaign for the role of Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the letter from the Prime Minister to regulators on pro-growth initiatives; and whether a deadline was set for responses. \p Georgia Gould: A private letter from the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for Business and Trade was sent to economic regulators which asked for improvements to regulation to deliver on the Government's growth mission at the end of December. The Chancellor then hosted a roundtable with the CEOs of key regulators to discuss this on the 16th January. A press release of their meeting is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-calls-on-watchdog-bosses-to-tear-down-regulatory-barriers-that-hold-back-growth
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many days per week the Prime Minister has resided at Chequers since his appointment. \p Georgia Gould: As has been the practice under successive Governments, the Prime Minister uses Chequers consistent with the wishes of the donor, who gave it to the nation for the use of the Prime Minister. Chequers is available to the Prime Minister for both official and private use.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 27 December 2024 to Question 20833 on 10 Downing Street: Art Works, if he will issue a Ministerial Correction with a working weblink to the Government Art Collection works from Downing Street. \p Georgia Gould: The Government Art Collection lists artwork under the search term 'Downing Street' here: https://artcollection.dcms.gov.uk/?s=downing+street&display=artworkonly
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 3 December 2024 to Question HL2664 on 10 Downing Street: Art Works, whether the portrait of Queen Elizabeth I will be permanently installed in 11 Downing Street. \p Georgia Gould: The Government Art Collection website lists the artworks on display in Downing Street

https://artcollection.dcms.gov.uk/?s=downing+street&display=artworkonly
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Shivani Raja:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) phasing out and (b) banning cages for laying hens; and what steps he plans to take to ensure farmers are provided with support to transition to higher animal welfare systems. \p Daniel Zeichner: We are firmly committed to maintaining and improving animal welfare and want to work closely with the farming sector to deliver high standards.

The use of cages for laying hens is an issue we are currently considering very carefully. The Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare Grant was recently offered to commercial laying hen and pullet keepers in England. It supports these farmers to improve the health, welfare, and productivity of their flocks through access to grants toward the cost of upgrading their housing. Applications closed on the 18 September 2024 and we will be writing to all applicants shortly to notify them of next steps.
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is providing to (a) poultry farmers and (b) wildlife conservation groups to help contain the spread of avian influenza. \p Daniel Zeichner: Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency have stood up their well-established outbreak structures to control and eradicate highly pathogenic avian influenza, restore normal trade, and assist local communities’ recovery as set out in the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain and the Mitigation Strategy for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in England and Wales.

All registered bird keepers receive regular updates and guidance to help protect their birds from avian influenza. Biosecurity guidance and self-assessment checklists are available on each of the UK administration’s websites to assist bird keepers in maintaining good biosecurity and complying with the requirements of disease control and preventions zones.

The Mitigation Strategy provides guidance to wildlife trusts, conservation charities and other organisations on how to respond to findings of avian influenza in wild birds. It sets out how these groups, together with the government and its delivery partners, can mitigate the impact of avian influenza on wild bird populations whilst protecting public health, the wider environment and the rural economy.

Whilst disease control is a devolved matter, Defra and the Devolved Governments work closely together with the aim of providing, where possible, a consistent and coordinated response to disease threats.
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the protection of assistance animals from abuse and neglect; and what additional steps he plans to take to improve safeguards for these animals. \p Daniel Zeichner: Causing unnecessary suffering to an animal, including assistance animals, is an offence under section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. In 2021, the maximum sentence for this offence was increased to five years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Those convicted of an offence may also be disqualified from owning or keeping animals.

The 2006 Act is backed up by the statutory Code of Practice for the Welfare of Dogs which provides owners and keepers with general welfare information including a specific section on how to provide the correct environment for their dog and protect them from pain, suffering, injury and disease: Code of practice for the welfare of dogs - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to publish an anti-littering strategy. \p Mary Creagh: Littering is a crime that blights communities and the environment. This Government is considering what further steps are needed to help local authorities reduce litter and keep their streets clean.

In the meantime, we are introducing a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers which is planned to launch in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland in October 2027.

DRS introduces a redeemable deposit on single-use in-scope drinks containers which can be claimed back by customers when returned. This will reduce litter, increase recycling rates, create high quality recycled materials for producers and promote a circular economy.

This Government has also introduced legislation banning the supply of single use vapes in England from 1 June 2025. A ban on these throwaway items will help to protect our environment and future generations from the harmful effects of single use vapes, whilst reducing litter.
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James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to her oral contribution of 5 November 2024, Official Report column 164, and to the oral contribution of 14 January 2025 by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice, Official Report column 170, what steps the (a) Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending and (b) Governor of HMP Garth have taken to tackle drone issues at that prison. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the illegal use of drones to deliver contraband into prisons. HM Prison & Probation Service uses targeted countermeasures such as improvements to windows, netting and grills to stop drones delivering contraband such as drugs, mobile telephones and weapons.

A vulnerability assessment has been conducted to assess the risk of drone incursions at HMP Garth, and an action plan has been developed and implemented to manage and mitigate this threat. Owing to the operational sensitivity, it would not be appropriate to disclose the exact countermeasures that have been put in place.
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Helena Dollimore:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much her Department spent on (a) media and (b) voice training for Ministers between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The Department carries out media training in-house and so did not spend any money on media or voice training for Ministers in this period.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2025 to Question 23229, on Teachers: Pay, if she will provide the same data for newly qualified teachers. \p Catherine McKinnell: Information on the school workforce is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

The attached table provides the full-time equivalent median average salary for newly qualified teachers in academy schools, free schools, local authority maintained schools and all state-funded schools in England, as at November 2023.

25523_table (xlsx, 24.0KB)
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Mr Luke Charters:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of auto-enrolment schemes for free school meals. \p Stephen Morgan: There are currently around 2.1 million pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals (FSM). The department recognises the vital role played by FSM and encourages all eligible families to take up their entitlement. To make this as easy as possible the department provides the Eligibility Checking System, which allows local authorities to quickly verify eligibility for FSM.

Further to this, the department is aware of a range of measures aimed at maximising take up of FSM, including through approaches being trialled by local authorities. We welcome local authorities taking action to ensure government support reaches families, subject to them meeting legal and data protections requirements.

The department is working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to develop a child poverty strategy to reduce child poverty by tackling its root causes and giving every child the best start in life.

As with all government programmes, the department will keep its approach to FSM under continued review.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how data on suspected victims of grooming gangs in schools is (a) collected and (b) shared with (i) law enforcement and (ii) child protection services. \p Stephen Morgan: The department can confirm that the statutory safeguarding guidance, ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), provides clear and robust guidance on how schools and colleges must report all safeguarding concerns.

It covers issues such as grooming, sexual abuse, and child sexual exploitation, ensuring that schools and colleges have the tools and guidance needed to manage safeguarding effectively.

KCSIE makes clear that all concerns, discussions, decisions made, and the reasons for those decisions must be documented in writing.

Where staff have concerns about a child, they must follow their school or college’s child protection policy and report concerns to the designated safeguarding lead (DSL) without delay. Ordinarily, it is the DSL who is then responsible for referring these concerns to the relevant local authority children’s social care team and, where appropriate, the police. When such referrals are made into children's social care, and the police, data will be captured and recorded by those agencies.

KCSIE is designed to ensure that all concerns are dealt with swiftly, effectively, and in line with local safeguarding protocols. Schools and colleges must also engage with their local safeguarding partners to ensure these processes are consistently implemented.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether teachers staffing free school breakfast clubs will count as directed time. \p Stephen Morgan: From April 2025, up to 750 early adopter schools will be funded to provide access to a free, universal breakfast club lasting at least 30 minutes that includes food. The government has published guidance explaining the role of schools taking part in the breakfast clubs early adopter scheme. Through the early adopters, the department will test and learn what works to shape plans for the national rollout of free and universal breakfast clubs in every primary school. Schools will have flexibility over staffing their clubs and there is no government expectation that schools would need to direct teachers to staff breakfast clubs, decisions will be taken by schools at local level.

The guidance can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/breakfast-clubs-early-adopter-guidance-for-schools-and-trusts-in-england/breakfast-clubs-early-adopter-guidance-for-schools-and-trusts-in-england.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Darren Paffey:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of outdoor education for (a) children’s access to outdoor learning opportunities and (b) the development of skills; and the (i) adequacy and (ii) sustainability of the funding for outdoor education. \p Catherine McKinnell: All children and young people should have the opportunity to learn about and connect with nature.

Spending time in, and connecting with, nature has been linked with improved mental and physical health outcomes for children and young people. The most consistent findings point to improved resilience, decreased stress, increased levels of physical activity, and lower levels of obesity. Outdoor education specifically is also linked to improved motivation, social capital, and sense of belonging in school.

The department is supporting a 12-month project (running from July 2024 to June 2025) led by researchers at the University of Oxford. The project will assess the evidence of nature-based programmes for mental health and wellbeing in young people, delivered through schools. Evidence will help the department understand the value of nature for mental health in the school environment. We expect to receive outputs, including a peer reviewed paper and policy brief, in summer 2025. More information about the project can be found here: https://www.agile-initiative.ox.ac.uk/sprints/is-nature-a-policy-solution-to-mental-health-in-schools/.

Through the National Education Nature Park initiative, children and young people have exciting opportunities to participate in low or no cost outdoor education within the boundaries of their education setting.

Participating children and young people will also develop their scientific, analytical and digital mapping skills. This will allow them to build careers and access jobs that require a knowledge of sustainability and climate change to support the transition to net zero and nature’s recovery.

The department announced £15 million of capital funding over the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years as part of the roll out of the National Education Nature Park. This funding is available to support settings and young people that need the most help in accessing nature.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of local councils who have failed to meet the time limit of 20 weeks for the issuing of an Education, Health and Care Plan within the last year. \p Catherine McKinnell: Information on the number and percentage of education, health and care plans issued within the statutory 20 week deadline, with and without statutory exceptions to that deadline applying, is published as part of the statistical release, ‘Education, health and care plans – reporting year 2024’, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.

The figures for each local authority for the 2023 calendar year can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7b372ed7-8c76-42df-5a32-08dd3479441b.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) support and (b) guidance available to (i) parents and (ii) guardians of children who require an Education, Health and Care Plan to navigate the process. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department is aware of the challenges that families face in accessing support for children and young people through the long, difficult and adversarial education, health and care (EHC) plan process.

The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice is clear that local authorities must consult and work collaboratively with children, young people and their parents throughout the process of assessment and production of an EHC plan. This statutory guidance can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dcb85ed915d2ac884d995/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf. The department recognises that more efficient and effective communication with schools and families is pivotal to rebuilding and reforming this system. We have listened to parents, local authority colleagues, and partners across education, health and social care and are considering carefully how to address and improve the experience of the EHC plan process for families, including reflecting on what practice could or should be made consistent nationally.

Under the Children and Families Act (2014) it is a legal requirement that all local authorities have a Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS). This is to ensure families are provided with the support necessary to enable them to participate in discussions and decisions about their support, for example through their EHC plan, and strategically, for example through SEND local offers.

The department funds training and support for SENDIASS services through a contract with specialist charities which supports parents and carers of children with SEND. This contract is led by Contact, a national charity who support families with SEND. In addition, Contact also runs a national telephone helpline which offers impartial support and advice on SEND.

The department also provides grant funding to Parent Carer Forums throughout England who provide a supportive forum for parents. They work alongside local authorities, education, health and other service providers to ensure the services they plan, commission, deliver and monitor, meet the needs of children and families locally.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Peter Lamb:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help increase the completion rates for EHCP applications within 20 weeks in West Sussex County Council. \p Catherine McKinnell: It is important that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) plan assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.

The department knows that local authorities have seen an increase in the number of assessment requests and that more needs to be done to ensure that some local areas deliver more effective and timely services. This includes better communication with schools and families.

The last local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission for West Sussex was in November 2023, which found inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. Five areas for improvement were identified in the inspection report, including an area specific to the timeliness and quality of EHC plans:

The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against these areas for improvement and the progress made by children and young people with SEND. To assist the local area, the department has deployed a SEND advisor to offer support and advice. The advisor’s work has included monthly meetings with the local authority to review their statutory progress and to discuss their action plan, analysis of EHC plan data and trends, facilitation of best practice exchange with other local areas, and providing advice and guidance to enhance the quality of EHC plans.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Matt Bishop:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to (a) renew the and (b) extend eligibility for kinship families to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund. \p Janet Daby: We will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how we will allocate the department’s budget for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the adoption and special guardianship support fund are being made as part of these discussions.

An announcement will be made as soon as possible.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to help ensure accurate representation of (a) cases involving children already known to social services and (b) other aspects of home education in (i) public statements and (ii) media coverage. \p Janet Daby: Public statements issued by the department are reviewed for accuracy by policy officials, communications specialists, special advisers and, where needed, lawyers.

The department also draws on information from external sources such as local authorities’ children’s services departments where relevant.

The department’s media team maintains a comprehensive record of all media queries and public statements made in response to journalists which can be drawn on for future enquiries. Similar processes are followed by the department’s correspondence team and ministerial private offices.

Publicly available statistics are published by the department on the GOV.UK website.

The department cannot comment on the content of external sources which are not the department’s responsibility and can only comment on information provided by the department itself.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Dame Caroline Dinenage:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will announce funding for a multi-year extension to the Holiday activities and food programme. \p Stephen Morgan: The government recently announced over £200 million funding for the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme for 2025/26.

The HAF programme has been delivered nationally by local authorities in England since 2022, to provide healthy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families, benefitting their health, wellbeing and learning.

Funding beyond March 2026 will be subject to the multi-year Spending Review taking place later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the cost to the public purse has been of the school rebuilding programme broken down by spending on (a) completed projects and (b) ongoing projects. \p Stephen Morgan: School buildings are integral to high and rising standards and need to be fit for the future.

We have committed to rebuilding or refurbishing 518 schools and sixth form colleges through the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP).

The Autumn Budget 2024 included £1.4 billion for the 2025/26 financial year to drive the ongoing delivery of the current programme. Future capital funding for schools beyond 2025/26 will be confirmed following the next multi-year phase of the Spending Review.

Annual capital budgets to date for the SRP are published within the Supplementary and Main Estimates on parliament.uk. These budgets are combined with the legacy Priority School Building Programme.

The department also publishes information on all contracts awarded over £10,000, including rebuilding projects, normally within 30 days of the contract being signed. These are published on GOV.UK at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to ensure parents maintain the right to home educate their children. \p Stephen Morgan: Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 sets out a parent’s right to educate otherwise than at school, i.e. to home educate. The department knows many parents work hard to provide a suitable education for their children in their home environment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-24)

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Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to include extra-curricular activities within her Department's curriculum and assessment review. \p Catherine McKinnell: Extracurricular activities, although not within the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s remit, clearly interact with the content of the curriculum. This government is interested in recommendations that help to deliver a rich and broad curriculum.