theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of an increase in gambling levies on pools operators. \p Stephanie Peacock: As set out in the government’s consultation response, the statutory gambling levy will be charged at a set rate for all holders of a Gambling Commission licence, ranging from 1.1% to 0.1% of Gross Gambling Yield (GGY). Remote and non-remote pool betting operators will be charged the levy at the lowest rate of 0.1%. We will conduct a formal review of the statutory levy system within five years where the structure and effectiveness of the system, including levy rates, will be assessed and any necessary adjustments made to ensure we are achieving our objectives and impacts are proportionate.
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Rebecca Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when she will publish the civil society covenant. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is working closely with civil society representatives to develop a Civil Society Covenant that will act as a foundation for resetting the relationship between government and civil society. We aim to publish the final Covenant in the summer.
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Shockat Adam:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the guidance entitled Libraries as a statutory service, published on 21 February 2025, whether her Department was informed by Leicester City Council of its plans for a consultation on the future of its library service before that consultation was launched. \p Chris Bryant: Department officials have met with City Council officers on several occasions to understand their public library proposals, as well as their consultation plans and to remind the Council of its statutory duty. This included a meeting on 24th March 2025. The City Council’s consultation on ‘Proposals for Leicester city libraries and community centres’ opened on 2nd April 2025.

The guidance set out in Libraries as a Statutory Service encourages, but does not mandate, councils to inform the department when it is considering changing its library service, before public engagement or consultation.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Leader of the House, what her planned timeline is for implementing recommendations arising from the Modernisation Committees Review. \p Lucy Powell: The Modernisation Committee has not held a Review. The Modernisation Committee held a “call for views” between October and December 2024, seeking views on what it should prioritise for reform. In February 2025, it published the results of this exercise in a document entitled “Next steps for the Modernisation Committee following the Call for Views”, which is available on the Committee’s website. This document outlines the work the Committee is already undertaking.

On outside interests and employment, the Modernisation Committee has asked the Committee on Standards to undertake an inquiry, which is currently underway. The timeline for this inquiry is in the hands of the Committee on Standards.

The Modernisation Committee is also involved in discussions to take forward recommendation 3 from Paul Kernaghan’s review of the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme.

Following my request, the Procedure Committee is undertaking an inquiry on proxy voting, including on whether proxy voting arrangements for serious long-term illness and injury should be made permanent. In addition, the Procedure Committee has announced inquiries into call lists and electronic voting, both of which were frequently raised topics in the call for views. The timelines for these inquiries are in the hands of the Procedure Committee.

The next steps document also sets out three new packages of work that the Modernisation Committee is pursuing. The first is on improving accessibility for MPs, staff and the public. On 20 March 2025, the Committee launched an inquiry on this topic, which is currently taking oral evidence and which is expected to result in a report, with recommendations, in the autumn. The other two packages of work are on effective use of time in the Commons, and on creating more certainty about the timing and nature of parliamentary business. There is no fixed timeline, but work is ongoing and updates will be issued as it progresses.

The Committee continues to work closely with key stakeholders, including the Speaker and Deputy Speakers, whips, smaller parties and other committees.
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Alison Bennett:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Equality Act in protecting neurodivergent employees. \p Dame Nia Griffith: The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), which protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace. The Act prohibits direct and indirect disability discrimination and requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and applicants/candidates, to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled colleagues.

On 29 January this year, the Government launched an independent panel of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity to advise us on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work. Many of the panel are diagnosed or identify as neurodivergent and/or have familial experience alongside their professional experience and expertise. The panel will consider the reasons why neurodivergent people have poor experiences in the workplace, and a low overall employment rate.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission and Acas have also published comprehensive guidance for employers on their obligations to disabled employees and job applicants under the 2010 Act and Acas provides a helpline for people who think they have experienced discrimination at work.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has issued guidance on whether regulators should impose equality, diversity and inclusion requirements on regulated entities where such requirements are not set out in primary or secondary legislation. \p Dame Nia Griffith: The Office for Equality and Opportunity has not issued guidance on whether regulators should impose equality, diversity and inclusion requirements on regulated entities.
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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce business crime. \p Sarah Jones: We encourage retailers to join their local Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) or Business Improvement District (BID) to support local community efforts to reduce crimes, including business crime.

We are providing over £7 million over the next three years to support the police and retailers tackle retail crime, £2 million of which has been specifically allocated to the police-led National Business Crime Centre (NBCC). NBCC provide a valuable resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime. This funding will help tackle the crimes most affecting businesses today.

We also supported the recent Safer Business Action week (SaBA) organised by the NBCC. SaBA weeks are a joint initiative by police, business, private security, Business Crime Reduction Partnerships and Business Improvement Districts, who work in together and focus resources into a designated location, creating a significant impact to reduce crime.

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will also ensure that every community in England and Wales will have named and contactable officers dealing with local issues, and that neighbourhood teams spend the majority of their time in their communities providing visible patrols and engaging with local communities and businesses. This will be supported by the delivery of up to an additional 3000 officers into neighbourhood teams by Spring next year, as part of our ambition to deliver 13,000 neighbourhood officers into police forces across England and Wales by the end of this parliament.

Additionally, the Home Secretary recently announced a “Winter of Action”, building on the success of our Safer Streets Summer campaign to tackle town centre crime including shop theft and anti-social behaviour.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation has taken place with (a) Police and Crime Commissioners and (b) police staff associations on the establishment of the proposed National Centre of Policing. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office has been working with policing partners on police reform, including through the Joint Police Reform Team.

This has included engagement with local police chiefs, police and crime commissioners and staff associations. We will publish the White Paper later this year.
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Jen Craft:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps (a) her Department and (b) its public bodies are taking to (i) develop and (ii) use artificial intelligence approaches to British Sign Language. \p Sarah Jones: Providing BSL translations of pre-recorded audio and video content on public services is a legislative Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AAA criterion. As outlined in the Government Service Standard, all digital government services must as a minimum meet Level AA. AAA is best practice.

Through the Service Standard and Service Assessments, the Government Digital Service encourages departments to incorporate BSL into service design. In May this year DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) launched the UK Government’s first British Sign Language (BSL) online translation service for candidates booking their theory test online. DVSA held a series of user research session with BSL users, with one participant calling the service ‘life-changing’.

There are opportunities to use AI to accelerate the creation of accessible content across public services. If public bodies trial the use of AI in approaches to BSL, they would be required to conform with both WCAG and the Service Standard, and must conduct research with disabled people, including Deaf users and where appropriate to the service provision, those who use sign language or a sign language interpreter to interact with the service.

Regardless of if AI generated, services must also make sure any BSL video is culturally appropriate by working with the BSL community, testing it, or getting feedback.
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Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the names of (a) banks and (b) other organisations that fail to (i) prevent fraud and (ii) reimburse victims of fraud. \p Dan Jarvis: We work closely with the financial sector to disrupt fraud at its source and prevent financial exploitation. We welcome the actions of the financial services industry in helping to prevent authorised push payment (APP) fraud. Data has also shown that banks are increasingly compensating victims following the introduction of mandatory reimbursement through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023 (APP scams reimbursement dashboard for Q2 2025 | Payment Systems Regulator).

The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) oversees banks’ compliance with regards to mandatory reimbursement, and they will publish their third APP scams performance report, covering 2024, in December. The reports show the sending fraud rates and reimbursement rates of the 14 biggest banks in the UK, putting a spotlight on firms that are the highest receivers of fraud. Previous reports for 2023 and 2022 can be found here: APP fraud performance data | Payment Systems Regulator.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has engaged in (a) data-sharing, (b) surveillance coordination and (c) technology interoperability projects with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency since the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. \p Alex Norris: The Home Office strengthened cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency through the agreement of the UK-Frontex Working Arrangement in 2024. It would not be appropriate to disclose specific operational details of this framework as this could prejudice operational effectiveness. More information on the UK-Frontex Working Arrangement can found here.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there has been any cost to the public purse of the (a) construction and (b) maintenance of (i) fencing, (ii) other physical barriers and (iii) surveillance infrastructure in northern France, including (A) Calais, (B) Grande-Synthe and (C) Dunkirk related to immigration since 1 January 2023. \p Alex Norris: The Home Office cannot comment on the specifics of French activity, but the Sandhurst agreement and related finances are referred to in this Press release from the beginning of the year - New UK-French action to go after smuggler gangs - GOV.UK

We continue close cooperation with France to strengthen border security and disrupt criminal gangs.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to help support the road haulage of meat products following the implementation of the EU Entry-Exit System. \p Alex Norris: The government continue to engage the European Commission and member states, and have been working particularly closely with France, to understand their plans for the progressive rollout of EES and to ask for flexible and pragmatic implementation to minimise delays for passengers and freight.

We are also supporting ports and carriers to make sure they have the right technology and processes in place to make EES registration as smooth as possible.

The government have been assured by Kent and Medway Resilience Forum that comprehensive traffic management plans are in place to monitor and respond to any disruption caused by EES registrations at the juxtaposed ports in Kent.
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Sir Oliver Dowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of asylum accommodation contracts on the private rented housing market in Hertsmere constituency. \p Alex Norris: We are working towards a more fair and equitable spread of asylum accommodation across the UK, working in partnership with Local Government through our Place Based engagement structures and asylum accommodation plans.

Under those plans and through that engagement structure, we consider a range of local factors including the housing market. Additionally, accommodation sourced through the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts has set requirements for providers to consult with local authorities before procuring each individual property. This consultation process allows local authorities to raise concerns about potential impacts of accommodation.

The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated by local authority area, not constituency. These statistics can be found in the Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab).
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department maintains (a) internal statistical summaries and (b) dashboards recording the (i) number and (ii) cost of legal challenges to the one-in, one-out migrant returns scheme. \p Alex Norris: The UK-France Treaty is an innovative pilot designed to deter illegal migration across the Channel. Litigation related to this pilot was anticipated and we are concentrating resources on robustly defending this so that removals can continue as planned. As of 7 November, 94 individuals have been returned to France through this agreement.

The Home Office maintains records on legal challenges. Operational details on the pilot are sensitive, and we will not be disclosing such information as it could inadvertently assist the organised immigration crime gangs that are behind small boats crossings.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has undertaken a cross-Government assessment of the potential implications of a US government shutdown on border security at UK airports. \p Alex Norris: Our priority is to maintain a secure border. We will not compromise on this. Border Force performs checks on all passengers arriving at the UK border on scheduled services to identify individuals who pose, or are suspected to pose, a risk to the national interest.

Border Force checks all passengers arriving at the UK border on scheduled services to identify individuals who pose, or are suspected to pose, a risk to the national interest.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures the government is taking to develop a culture of reading for pleasure in schools as part of the new curriculum. \p Josh MacAlister: I refer to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire to the answer of 19 November 2025 to Question 88744.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much Ofsted has spent on translation and interpretation services in each of the last five years. \p Georgia Gould: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training is available for teachers on supporting neurodivergent children in the classroom. \p Georgia Gould: The department is committed to supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

From September 2025, the department implemented the revised initial teacher training and early career framework, adding more content related to adaptive teaching and improving inclusivity for SEND pupils. The department also enhanced the requirement on providers to develop SEND training materials.

Beyond the first few years of teaching, national professional qualifications (NPQs) are available to education professionals at all levels. In 2024 we began delivery of the NPQ for special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs). This is the mandatory qualification for SENCOs in mainstream schools. Participants will develop the knowledge and skills needed to set the strategic direction of special educational needs policy and the conditions for pupils with SEND to thrive.

The department has committed to a full review of both NPQs and early career teacher training, which will include a focus on SEND.

The Universal SEND Services programme helps the school and further education workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND earlier and more effectively. It also helps them to successfully prepare children and young people for adulthood, including employment.

The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme backed by £22 million of investment. It is a cross-government collaboration between the department, the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, supported by the National Network of Parent Carer Forums. PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children in mainstream primary schools.
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Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish guidance for schools on (a) responding to parental requests for the withdrawal of books from recommended reading lists and (b) the circumstances under which schools can remove books from those lists. \p Georgia Gould: The current National Curriculum requires teachers to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. Following the publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review on 5 November 2025, the department will continue to emphasise the importance of pupils listening to, discussing, and reading for themselves a wide range of stories, poems, plays and non-fiction books.

Within the framework of the National Curriculum, schools make their own choices about which specific books or other resources they use. Teachers have flexibility in their choice of books to teach within the context of the curriculum.  Any sensitive issues should be covered by the school’s own policy, and in consultation with parents.
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Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is available to help students in Knowsley access A-levels in other local authority areas. \p Georgia Gould: The department remains committed to ensuring that young people have access to an inclusive and extensive educational offer that adds value and helps them to achieve their long-term career aspirations.

Students from Knowsley can, and do, study A level provision in surrounding local authority areas. For example, Carmel and Riverside Colleges, both graded Ofsted Outstanding, are based in the surrounding boroughs of St Helens and Halton, and both provide subsidised transport for Knowsley students that reside more than 1.5 miles away from the college campuses.

All schools, academies, further education colleges, sixth-form colleges and other institutions that deliver 16 to 19 education are provided with 16 to 19 bursary funding, to deliver financial support to help students who could not otherwise afford to take part in education to overcome specific barriers to participation, including cost travel costs.

Additionally, through devolution, the government has given Mayoral Strategic Authorities the powers to set local transport priorities and ensure services meet residents’ needs, including support for young people’s access to education.
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Dr Rosena Allin-Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's timetable is for publishing the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper. \p Josh MacAlister: The department published the Post-16 education and skills white paper on 20 October 2025.

The white paper sets out comprehensive reforms to build a world-leading skills system that break down barriers to opportunity, meets student and employers’ needs, widens access to high quality education and training, supports innovation, research and development, and improves people’s lives.
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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) training and (b) support will be given to (i) teachers and (ii) education staff to support the delivery of stronger literacy in schools. \p Josh MacAlister: The government has committed £27.7 million this financial year to support and drive high and rising standards in reading. This includes supporting the teaching of phonics, early language and reading for pleasure via the English Hubs programme.

We will also build secondary schools' capacity to support students with reading needs by providing new training from January 2026. This training should reach 75% of secondary schools this academic year.

Following the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review published on 5 November 2025, we will also introduce new frameworks on primary oracy and combined secondary oracy, reading and writing.

Additionally, on 7 July 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced that 2026 will be the National Year of Reading. The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people, and adults.
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Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures her Department is implementing to improve support for children in mainstream schools who have special educational needs and disabilities. \p Georgia Gould: The government has been clear that a more inclusive education system is needed to give children and young people opportunities they need to achieve and thrive. All schools have a duty to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Our new RISE teams will work with mainstream schools to help them become more inclusive places as one of four priority areas for improvement. Settings will be held to account for their support for pupils with SEND through Ofsted, who are focusing on inclusion in their new approach to inspection. Their renewed education inspection framework sets out how leaders should be aware of and responsive to some pupils’ increased likelihood of needing help, including those with SEND, and should ensure appropriate reasonable adjustments for pupils with disabilities.
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Mohammad Yasin:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what performance monitoring and enforcement mechanisms are in place to ensure that the administrative provider of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme delivers services to the agreed standard, and what recourse is available to members should those standards not be met. \p Georgia Gould: Details of how personal data is processed and stored are outlined in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) privacy notice which is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/-/media/documents/member/factsheets/gdpr/dfe-privacy-notice-gdpr-v12-march-2023-for-web.ashx?rev=a6788c6aa67e4ac7b3d3f4df74462add&hash=ACAAEF10BB57B5814744376B519FABA1.

The TPS complies fully with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018 and the Data Protection Act 2018.

For members requiring additional communication support, the contact us page provides alternative communication options. The scheme also meets the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and is committed to ensuring accessibility for all members and employers. The accessibility statement on the TPS website explains how the site is designed to be inclusive and is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/public/accessibility.aspx.

To maintain service standards, the department monitors the administrator against agreed performance metrics, set out in the TPS administration contract, through established governance arrangements. If contract administration fails to meet established standards and performance metrics, the department can impose financial penalties on the administrator.

Where members believe service standards have not been met, they can use a dispute resolution process to raise this. If dissatisfied with the outcome, they may escalate their complaint to the Pensions Ombudsman for independent review.
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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve funding for speech and language (a) support and (b) specialists for children in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools. \p Georgia Gould: The department, in collaboration with NHS England, has extended the Early Language and Support for Every Child (ELSEC) programme, to strengthen early identification and intervention for children with speech, language and communication needs in early years settings and primary schools.

Under the Best Start in Life strategy, the department continues to invest in evidence-based initiatives such as the Nuffield Early Language Intervention, which has demonstrated significant impact on oral language and early literacy, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.

Recognising the critical role of speech and language therapists, the department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of feeder schools taking priority in school admissions on the average distance that pupils have to travel to school. \p Georgia Gould: It is for admission authorities to set the oversubscription criteria which are most suitable for their schools according to their local circumstances. The School Admissions Code allows admission authorities to give priority within their oversubscription criteria to pupils attending a named feeder school. The selection of a feeder school or schools as an oversubscription criterion must be transparent and made on reasonable grounds.

Admission authorities must consult on any change to their admissions arrangements, including introducing a new feeder school, to ensure that any local impacts are considered. Once set, anyone who believes a school's admission arrangements are unfair or unlawful can object to the Independent Schools Adjudicator.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure teachers in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools remain politically neutral when teaching. \p Georgia Gould: I refer the hon. Member for Ashfield to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43267.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will commission data on the number of school-age pupils with dyslexia. \p Georgia Gould: The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia. The SEND code of practice makes it clear that meeting the needs of a child with SEN does not require a diagnostic label. Instead, we expect teachers to monitor the progress of all pupils and put support in place where needed.

Currently, the department commissions data on the number of school-age pupils whose primary SEN is Specific Learning Disabilities, which includes dyslexia.

There are several assessments in place which measure progress and help teachers identify where pupils may require additional support with literacy. These include the Phonics Screening Check and end of KS1 non-statutory and KS2 statutory assessments.

The department will introduce a mandatory reading test for all pupils in Year 8 so we can ensure children who are struggling do not fall through the cracks, or that those doing well at the end of primary maintain their standard.
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Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department will introduce its proposed changes to the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023. \p Josh MacAlister: This government’s changes to the 2023 Free Speech Act will create a more proportionate, balanced and less burdensome approach to protecting free speech and academic freedom in higher education. Strengthened free speech duties on higher education (HE) providers and the Office for Students (OfS) came into force on 1 August 2025, including requirements to promote freedom of speech and academic freedom and, for HE providers only, to put in place enhanced codes of practice. We will also seek to repeal and amend elements of the Act where necessary to ensure it is fit for purpose. This includes seeking to repeal the tort and duties on students’ unions, and to amend the OfS’ free speech complaints scheme and mandatory condition of registration. Making these changes will require primary legislation.

In the meantime, as well as the new provider duties in place, the OfS’ director for freedom of speech and academic freedom continues to work with the sector to offer advice and share best practice, so providers themselves are more effectively protecting free speech and academic freedom.
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Nigel Huddleston:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking with (a) specialist and (b) independent providers to ensure that reforms to the (i) SEND and (ii) schools system improves outcomes for children requiring specialist care. \p Georgia Gould: The department engages regularly with special schools and their representative organisations. Their views play an important part in shaping policy development. We will continue to listen directly to those working within the system, ensuring that our policy development is grounded in lived experience and fosters a culture of shared learning and constructive challenge.

While the department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, there remains a crucial role for special schools, not only in supporting children and young people with particularly complex needs, but also in building capability across the system. Details of the government's intended approach to special educational needs and disabilities reform will be set out in a Schools White Paper in the new year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

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Dr Allison Gardner:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the National Curriculum adequately covers a) practical skills related to basic food preparation and nutrition and b) education on the origins of food and agricultural production. \p Georgia Gould: Food education is covered primarily within design and technology, and elements of food education can also be covered across biology, geography and relationships, sex and health education in the national curriculum. The curriculum requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. Schools also have flexibility within the broad framework of the national curriculum to tailor curriculum subjects to meet the needs of their pupils.

Additional resources are available from Oak National Academy, who have recently developed a new cooking and nutrition curriculum package. This has been designed by experts to give access to practical, engaging lessons covering food preparation, cooking techniques and healthy eating.

In the recent response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the department has set out that we will be ensuring that the programmes of study for cooking and nutrition, which will be renamed food and nutrition, are more specific and prepare pupils for life and potential future careers in the food sector.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much Ofqual has spent on translation and interpretation services in each of the last five years. \p Georgia Gould: This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

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Sir Ashley Fox:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to include neurodiversity awareness on the curriculum at (a) primary and (b) secondary schools. \p Georgia Gould: The Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report and the government’s response were published on 5 November. The Review sought to identify and focus on addressing the most significant and pressing issues facing curriculum and assessment without destabilising the system.

A key focus of the Review was inclusion and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), explored through dedicated inclusion work strands that were embedded across all areas of the panel’s work. Throughout the Review, the experiences and outcomes of children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and with special educational needs were considered to ensure the reformed curriculum works for every child.

In 2025 the department invested in multi-million-pound programmes, such as Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) and Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC), that bring together central and local government, schools and parents to test and learn new ways to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2025 to Question 82927 on Special Educational Needs, what steps she is taking to ensure that the outcomes of the Curriculum and Assessment Review feed into the forthcoming White Paper on SEND provision. \p Georgia Gould: The Curriculum and Assessment Review looked closely at how to break down the barriers that hold back children and young people, especially those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

We have already accepted the Review’s recommendation to develop new evidence-based resources to support curriculum adaptation for all children and young people.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

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Tom Tugendhat:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many new (a) permanent and (b) fixed-term teachers have been appointed since 1 January 2025. \p Georgia Gould: Information on the school workforce, including the number of teachers in state-funded schools, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024.

41,736 qualified teachers joined state-funded schools in England for the 2024/25 academic year, the latest date for which data is available: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3d4415a2-a099-427d-d209-08de2129b4fd. This has been available since 5 June 2025.

School workforce statistics for the 2025/26 academic year will be published in summer 2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has commissioned research into the (a) underlying causes of trends in the number of children with special educational needs and (b) adequacy of funding to local authorities for supporting such children. \p Georgia Gould: International evidence indicates that the number of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is also increasing in comparable countries. Although definitions and systems vary considerably, the key drivers include improved understanding and diagnosis of need, as well as social and medical factors.

The department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings, for example through our recently published evidence reviews, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/identifying-and-supporting-the-needs-of-children-with-send-in-mainstream-settings.

The department also funds a What Works in SEND programme, which is delivered by Research and Improvement for SEND Excellence Partnership. This programme produces research and local area case studies that harness best practice from practitioners and partner organisations on local area SEND service delivery.

The department is providing over £12 billion in the current 2025/26 financial year for supporting children and young people with complex SEND. This will help with the financial pressures that local authorities and schools are facing. The Schools White Paper, due to be published in the new year, will set out how we plan to move forward with reforms to improve the SEND system in future years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on multi-academy trusts. \p Georgia Gould: I refer the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills to the answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 903828.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) Surrey County Council and (b) local police authorities on child safeguarding in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Josh MacAlister: The department works closely with local authorities to help ensure robust child safeguarding practices are in place. Officials hold regular meetings with Surrey County Council to discuss a range of topics including child protection and safeguarding.

The department does not directly engage with local police authorities, but as part of engagement with Surrey County Council, officials discuss the quality and effectiveness of multi-agency arrangements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to support independent specialist education colleges. \p Josh MacAlister: The department recognises the role special post-16 institutions play in providing specialist education in the further education (FE) sector, catering for young people whose needs cannot be met in general FE colleges.

We have been clear that a more inclusive education system is needed to give children and young people the opportunities they need to achieve and thrive. There remains a crucial role for specialist providers, not only in supporting children and young people with particularly complex needs, but also in building capability across the system.

The department supports independent specialist education colleges through regulatory approval, funding and guidance. Colleges can apply to join the Section 41 approved list, giving families the right to request them in an education, health and care plan and ensuring compliance with the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice.

The department also provides high-needs funding for eligible institutions, alongside local authority contributions, and issues guidance on safeguarding, governance and curriculum standards.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-21)

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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the suitability of the examination system for dyslexic pupils. \p Georgia Gould: Ofqual, as independent regulator of qualifications, is responsible for ensuring the exams system is fair and accessible for all students. Under the Equality Act 2010, awarding organisations are required to make reasonable adjustments where a disabled person would be at a substantial disadvantage in undertaking exams and assessments. A range of access arrangements are also available for all national curriculum tests, and guidance is provided by the Standards and Testing Agency.

In line with the recommendations made by the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, we will work with Ofqual and awarding organisations to ensure that accessibility implications are fully considered for all young people throughout the qualification development process, including for those with special educational needs and disabilities, such as dyslexia.