theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Sir Andrew Mitchell:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal steps her Department is taking to support pensioners with the cost of living in Sutton Coldfield. \p Torsten Bell: We’re committed to helping pensioners with the cost of living and ensuring financial security in retirement. The State Pension is the foundation of income in retirement and will remain so. At Autumn Budget 2025 we announced that, in line with the government’s commitment to the Triple Lock throughout this parliament, over 12 million pensioners will benefit from a 4.8% increase to their basic or new State Pension in April 2026, increasing their income by up to £575 a year. This follows a substantial increase in 2025/26, with those receiving a full new State Pension getting a £360 boost.

The Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will increase by 4.8% in April 2026, from £227.10 to £238 a week for a single pensioner and from £346.60 to £363.25 a week for a couple, protecting the income of the poorest pensioners. Those in receipt of Pension Credit will also automatically receive the Cold Weather Payment alongside other benefits.

The Winter Fuel Payment will benefit over three quarters of pensioners for the duration of this parliament, targeting help to those on lower and middle incomes while ensuring fairness for pensioners and taxpayers.

To help with ongoing cost of living pressures, the government will remove around £150 on average off household energy bills across Great Britain from April 2026. By ending the Energy Company Obligation, we are taking some of the expensive legacy levies off bills.

We are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households. This means that from this winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bill costs. The Warm Home Discount regulations expire in 2026, and we will want to consider all options for future bill support beyond this point.

We are also providing support for low-income households through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. At the recent Budget, we announced £1.5 billion in new funding to support households facing fuel poverty.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, under what terms was Katie Martin appointed. \p Dan Tomlinson: Katie Martin was appointed as a special adviser to the Chancellor on 5th July 2024. She has now resigned from that position, with her employment formally ending on 17th December 2025. From January 2026, she will become Business Adviser to the Chanceller. Details of that appointment will be made public in due course.
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Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the proportionality of arrests under section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018, particularly in cases involving low-level contact or where mental health or neurodivergence may be a factor. \p Sarah Jones: The information requested is not held by the Home Office.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests in England and Wales, by financial year, sex, ethnicity, age group, offence group, and Police Force Area, as part of the Police Powers and Procedures statistical series. The latest data is available here: Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025 - GOV.UK

However, data is collected by broader offence group, e.g. ‘Violence against the person’, therefore data on arrests for more specific offences such as those under section 1 of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 are not available
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's news story entitled Honour-based abuse crackdown in raft of new measures, published on the 26 August 2025, how many of the 2,755 honour-based abuse related offences recorded by police in England and Wales related to cases in which (a) men and (b) boys were victims. \p Jess Phillips: 'Honour’-based abuse is a serious form of abuse that nobody should have to experience. This is why we are tackling it through our mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade.

To prevent and respond effectively to forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) it is essential that we understand the prevalence of these crimes.

Building on the feasibility study conducted by the University of Birmingham in 2023/24, the Home Office has commissioned a pilot research project to support the development of a national prevalence estimate for forced marriage and female genital mutilation. This work is already underway.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support local enforcement action against antisocial vehicle use in Lincolnshire. \p Sarah Jones: Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

Our Crime and Policing Bill will give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles in anti-social behaviour with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.

The Government has consulted on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially quicker. The consultation closed on 8 July and we will publish the outcome in due course.

Combined, our measures will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially in Lincolnshire by sending a clear message to would be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police (a) dogs and (b) horses were injured in the course of their duties in each year since 2015. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office does not hold centrally information on the number of police dogs or horses that were injured in the course of their duties.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has she made in implementing the Police National Database programme. \p Sarah Jones: The Police National Database (PND) has been operational for almost 15 years and continues to provide vital intelligence to policing and law enforcement. The replacement of the PND remains a core consideration for the Home Office and policing.

The Home Office is currently considering a variety of options for future delivery of the PND transformation programme and further information will be issued once a decision has been taken.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide additional resource to Dorset Police to help process outstanding firearm and shotgun licence applications. \p Sarah Jones: The issuing of firearms certificates, resourcing of firearms licensing teams and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Officers of Police and Police and Crime Commissioners.

The Government has recently taken action to increase the fees for firearms and shotgun applications that can be charged by police forces. On 5 February 2025, increased fees came into effect to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications processed by police forces. The extra income from fees will help police forces to better resource and train their firearms licensing teams. This was the first increase in fees for 10 years and the Government will conduct more regular reviews of fees in the future.

In the interests of consistency and transparency, the National Policing Chiefs Council (NPCC) Lead for Firearms Licensing has also for the first time published performance data for firearms licensing teams in all police forces. This includes the performance target for forces to complete applications for the grant or renewal of firearm and shotgun certificates within four months. This data is now being published by the NPCC on a quarterly basis.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Law Enforcement Data Service programme products are. \p Sarah Jones: Further to my answer (20 October 2025) on the delivery progress made on the Law Enforcement Data Service (LEDS); there are five products within LEDS. There are Person, Vehicles, Drivers, Property and Audit.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of stop and searches resulted in the seizure of (a) Class A drugs and (b) Class B drugs in each of the last three years. \p Sarah Jones: The data requested is not held centrally.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of stop and searches for drugs. The latest data is available here: Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025 - GOV.UK

However, data on the class of drug searched for is not collected, nor is information on the type of drugs seized following a stop and search.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increases in the cost of shotgun licences on funding for youth activities. \p Sarah Jones: On 5 February 2025, increased fees came into effect to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications processed by police forces. This was the first increase in fees for 10 years and we intend to undertake more regular reviews in the future.

The need to increase firearms licensing fees to help address shortcomings in firearms licensing was highlighted by the Senior Coroner in his Preventing Future Deaths reports into the fatal shootings in Plymouth in August 2021.

It is important that the additional revenue from firearms licensing fees is used to support improvements in police force firearms licensing teams, and my predecessor, Dame Diana Johnson MP, wrote to all Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to make clear that the increased fees must be used for this purpose.

Whilst the Government’s manifesto commitment referred to the money raised by full cost recovery fees being used to support youth interventions to prevent serious violence, it was decided instead ahead of the February 2025 increase to fees, that firearms fees income must be retained by police forces to support improvements in police firearms licensing.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will ensure that a national day to remember victims and survivors of terrorism is specifically for innocent victims. \p Sarah Jones: This Government is committed to recognising and supporting victims and survivors of terrorism.

That is why, on 24 November, the Government announced plans to introduce a National Day for Victims and Survivors of Terrorism to pay tribute to those whose lives have been lost or forever changed by terrorist attacks.

This followed a public consultation on these proposals from 19 March to 11 June which identified strong support for a national day.

The Government will continue to work with victims and survivors ahead of an inaugural event in 2026, to shape the format of the national day for future years.
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Sarah Olney:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Settlement Pathway announced on 20 November 2025, if she will define the requirement for indefinite leave to remain applicants to have no debt in the UK, specifically in relation to mortgages, student loans and business loans. \p Mike Tapp: A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, the statement accompanying our current public consultation on earned settlement, sets out that applicants seeking to settle in the UK should have no current litigation, NHS, tax or other government debt.

Further detail on the earned settlement model will be finalised following the conclusion of that public consultation.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in parcel theft from goods left outside homes by delivery companies. \p Sarah Jones: The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) provides estimates on the proportion of theft from outside dwellings by the type of item stolen. It is not possible to separately identify all incidents where parcels left outside by delivery companies were stolen.

Everyone should have confidence in the law and should feel protected. That is why the Home Office works closely with the police, industry, and other government departments to ensure we are collectively doing everything we can to cut crime and prevent it from happening in the first place.

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will ensure that every community in England and Wales will have named and contactable officers dealing with local issues.

This will be supported by the delivery of up to an additional 3000 officers into neighbourhood teams by spring next year.
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Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessments she has made of trends in the levels of recruitment and retention in Cheshire Police; and how many officers have (a) left and (b) joined the force since July 2024. \p Sarah Jones: Forces are expected to manage their recruitment and retention activities to ensure that they meet officer headcount targets linked to funding arrangements set out in the Police Funding Settlement.

Data on joiners and leavers is published annually in July, including data for the previous year to 31 March. For the last full year that data is available (April 2024 to March 2025) Cheshire Police saw an increase in joiners of 17.1% (178 full time equivalents) alongside an increase in leavers of 4.5% (7 full time equivalents).
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Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reducing the number of police community support officers in Cheshire on levels of crime in that area. \p Sarah Jones: The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. An effective, well-supported police service is central to achieving this.

Based on their £3,009,490 allocation from the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, Cheshire Police is projected to grow by 48 FTE neighbourhood police officers in 2025-26.

It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions, to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. This includes how best to allocate the resources at their disposal to provide an effective service to local communities.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress has she made in delivering the Emergency Services Mobile Communications programme. \p Sarah Jones: Following the completion of two major re-procurements, the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP) awarded the Mobile Services contract to BT/EE and the User Services contract to IBM in November and December 2024 respectively.

The programme has completed a revised Programme Business Case which has been endorsed by the Senior Users of the 3 Emergency Services and those of the devolved nations. The Programme Business Case is expected to complete departmental and treasury approvals in early 2026. Our user community continues to be closely engaged in planning the deployment and rollout of the service and the safe transition from Airwave to ESN. Early adoption of a service ready solution is on track for early 2028 with a further target for complete transition from Airwave by the end of 2029.

The main build of ESN masts to provide mobile coverage is largely complete - of a total of the extra 1047 masts due to be built, 987 are completed and operationally live. This is already providing a benefit to the public by enabling over one thousand additional 999 calls every month to be made in areas where previously there was no coverage. Work continues at pace to provide network access in areas where localised coverage is needed; these include densely populated communities, as well as sports stadiums, and shopping centres.

The programme’s priority is to achieve the right balance between credible plans that ensures user confidence and the need to deliver ESN as quickly and safely as possible to enable the shutdown of Airwave.
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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether B1 English-language qualifications will remain valid for current BNO visa holders approaching eligibility for Indefinite Leave to Remain; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of raising the requirement to B2 on carers, older applicants, and lower-income households. \p Mike Tapp: The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

The new mandatory requirements for settlement are basic requirements that we think are reasonable for people to meet if they want to settle here. However, we are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation. An impact assessment will be developed alongside the finalised policy.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply, including the B1 English language requirement from which applicants aged 65 or over are exempt.
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Mr Joshua Reynolds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of naturalisation fees on UK residents with Indefinite Leave to Remain who have not applied for British citizenship; and if she will reduce citizenship application fees to administration costs only. \p Mike Tapp: No specific assessment has been made on the impact of naturalisation fees on those who are resident in the UK with Indefinite Leave to Remain and have not applied for British Citizenship. However, where changes to fee legislation are made, Impact Assessments are produced which identify potential impacts resulting from the changes. When fees for naturalisation applications were increased on 09 April 2025, an Equalities Impact Assessment was published, which can be viewed through this link: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/363/pdfs/uksiod_20250363_en_001.pdf.

The Home Office acknowledges that whilst some individuals may wish to apply to become a British citizen, it is not mandatory, and many choose not to do so. This is because, in addition to lawful permanent residence in the UK, a person with Indefinite Leave to Remain enjoys the benefit of access to the UK labour market, state education and healthcare and the ability to sponsor family members’ residence in the UK.

The Home Office keeps fees for immigration and nationality applications under review. However, the Home Office does not make a profit from fees and any income from fees set above the cost of processing is utilised for the purpose of running the Migration and Borders system, reducing reliance of taxpayer funding.
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to extend arrangements allowing UK-bound group travellers to use national identity cards to other major sending countries such as Italy, Spain and Switzerland. \p Mike Tapp: EU national children are permitted to use their national identity cards instead of a passport when travelling to the UK as part of an organised French school group accompanied by documentation which has been authenticated by the relevant French authorities. This scheme has been in operation since 10 March 2023. A similar scheme is planned for German school groups.

The UK currently has no plans to extend the current arrangements allowing French and German groups to use national identity cards to other countries.
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Cat Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether registered social workers will be eligible for the 5 year pathway to settlement for skilled frontline public service workers. \p Mike Tapp: In May 2025, the Immigration White Paper set out an increase in the baseline qualification period for settlement from five years to ten, which was collectively agreed across government.

A Fairer Pathway to Settlement sets out the Government’s proposed model for earned settlement and accompanies the current public consultation on settlement reform, which is open until 12 February 2026.

The consultation seeks views on the proposal that there should be a shorter pathway to settlement for those working in vital public services, particularly where earnings are based on national pay scales and may not meet the proposed threshold for an income-based reduction in the qualifying period. This might include, for example, medical and teaching professionals working in public services. However, it is envisaged that the above reduction in the qualifying period for public service roles would apply only to those working in skilled occupations (at RQF Level 6 or above).

Full details on earned settlement will be finalised following the conclusion of the public consultation.
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Alex Easton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether individuals currently residing on a UK Ancestry visa and working towards Indefinite Leave to Remain under the existing five-year residency requirement will be required to meet the proposed ten-year residency rule in proposed changes to immigration rules. \p Mike Tapp: We are currently holding a public consultation on new settlement rules. Following that, we will provide details of how this initiative will work, including on any transitional arrangements for people already in the UK.
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Julia Buckley:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether individuals on the Hong Kong BN(O) visa route will have to meet B2 standard of English in order to achieve Indefinite Leave to Remain. \p Mike Tapp: The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years' residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

The new mandatory requirements for settlement, including the English language requirement, are basic requirements that we think are reasonable for people to meet if they want to settle here. However, we are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.
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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether individuals from Hong Kong who have been granted asylum or refugee status will be required to meet a 20-year settlement requirement. \p Mike Tapp: The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK. We fully recognise the significant contribution that Hong Kongers have already made to the UK, and the role they will continue to play in the years ahead.

Those on the BN(O) visa route will receive a 5-year reduction under the new earned settlement model.

For those recognised as refugees, we will introduce a starting point of a 20-year qualifying period of settlement. Those who move from core protection onto the new core protection-work and study routes will be able to earn reductions.

Resettled refugees who have been granted protection and moved to the UK through official resettlement programmes are intended to start at 10 years, bringing them in line with other arrivals on planned migration routes.

Beyond this, full details of the new earned settlement model will be finalised following the currently ongoing public consultation.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of applying the (a) proposed salary threshold and (b) RQF Level 6 requirements for Skilled Worker visas retrospectively to individuals already in the UK under existing visa conditions when they apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. \p Mike Tapp: A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, sets out the Government’s proposed model for earned settlement, and accompanies the current public consultation on settlement reform, which is open until 12 February 2026.

This proposes a qualification period for settlement of 15 years for Skilled Workers in professions below RQF Level 6.

It is also proposed that paying income tax on per annum earnings above £50,217 or £125,140 might be rewarded with reductions to that qualification period of five and seven years, respectively.

Further detail on earned settlement will be finalised following the conclusion of the public consultation. This will include detail on any transitional arrangements for people already in the UK.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many civil society organisations received Prevent funding in the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 financial years; what the cost of that funding was; and what her Department's budget is for Prevent funding for civil society organisations in the 2025-26 financial year. \p Dan Jarvis: It is vital that Prevent is well-equipped to counter the threats that we face and the ideologies that underpin them.

Prevent provides funding for all local authorities in England, Wales and Scotland to address radicalisation risks through targeted projects

In the financial year 2023-24, the Home Office provided £26,294,582.59 in Prevent funding. This includes £2,790,047.15 in project delivery funding to a total of 63 Civil Society Organisations under the Prevent programme.

In the financial year 2024-25, the Home Office provided £27,769,727.44 in Prevent funding. This includes £2,365,309.72 in project delivery funding to a total of 52 Civil Society Organisations under the Prevent programme.

In the financial year April 2025 – March 2026, the Home Office is projected to provide £28,758,000 in Prevent funding. This includes a projected spend of £1,877,378.99 in project delivery funding to a total of 30 Civil Society Organisations under the Prevent programme.

This financial year, we have an allocated budget of £2 million for project funding. The anticipated expenditure for this financial year was £1.8 million, based on the funding bids received from local authorities.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what action is being taken to increase scam awareness in rural communities. \p Dan Jarvis: Whilst it is vital we continue to target the criminals behind fraud and make it harder for them to operate, we want to increase awareness across all communities to help people.

We are working with City of London Police (CoLP) to support their coordination of the Fraud Protect Network. The network is made up of local, regional and national law enforcement officers and is designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent protect messaging and safeguarding advice to the public, including those in rural communities.

Additionally, the Government has continued to fund the national ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ awareness campaign to equip the public with useful protective behaviours against fraud. The campaign, and supporting website, make it easier for the public to recognise fraud and take steps to protect themselves, their family and friends.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the broadcaster LuaLua TV on national security. \p Dan Jarvis: We do not routinely comment on the detail of operational matters or specific threats. But national security is the first duty of any government, and we take any malicious activity that might pose a threat to our security extremely seriously.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of dispersed accommodation procured by her Department in (a) Greater Manchester and (b) Oldham is in Selective Landlord Licensing areas. \p Alex Norris: The Home Office holds seven Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts across the UK. The Home Office has contracted Serco Ltd as the AASC Provider for the North West region, including Greater Manchester. Responsibility for the provision of all dispersal accommodation in Greater Manchester therefore lies Serco Ltd. This includes the management of all subcontractors.

The Home Office does not hold contracts with other suppliers for the direct provision of dispersal accommodation and support services in Greater Manchester.

Further information on the Home Office’s contract with Serco Ltd is available here: AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the fairness of calculating student loan interest at RPI rather than CPI. \p Josh MacAlister: Interest rates are set in legislation in reference to the Retail Price Index (RPI) from the previous March, not the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and are applied annually on 1 September until 31 August. This ensures that over a period of years, interest rates on student loans have been consistently linked to a widely recognised and adopted measure of inflation.

The Office for National Statistics has undertaken a substantial programme of work over the past two years to enhance how inflation is measured. The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed that, from 2030 at the earliest, movements in RPI will be aligned with CPI as viewed here: https://obr.uk/box/the-long-run-difference-between-rpi-and-cpi-inflation/.

A full equality impact assessment of how the student loan reforms may affect graduates, including detail on changes to average lifetime repayments under Plan 5, was produced and published in February 2022 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking with the national literacy trust to deliver the national year of reading 2026. \p Josh MacAlister: This government has committed to strong foundations in reading and writing for all children and the National Year of Reading 2026 is an important part of our strategy for delivering on this commitment.

The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults. It is a department led initiative, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust, who will lead the delivery of the campaign, working alongside a range of partners.

It includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, resources and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings throughout the year.

More information will be added to the website in the coming months. Anyone interested in the campaign can sign up to the website: www.goallin.org.uk.
wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_250
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_250

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current interventions aimed at reducing the attainment gap between boys and girls at a) primary and b) secondary school. \p Josh MacAlister: All children and young people should have every opportunity to achieve and thrive. However, the department knows that on average attainment for boys is lower than girls.

Although the gap between boys and girls at both primary and secondary has narrowed from 2024, there is more to do, and the department continues to monitor this at all key stages.

High and rising standards across education are key to strengthening outcomes and closing these gaps.

The department is driving improvements through new regional improvement for standards and excellence teams, a refreshed high quality curriculum and assessment system, and recruiting 6,500 additional teachers in schools and colleges over the course of this parliament. We have also committed £27.7 million to drive standards in reading and writing and will launch the National Year of Reading 2026 with a focus on teenage boys.

Building on this, the upcoming Schools White Paper will set out the department’s vision for a school system that drives educational excellence for every child regardless of background or circumstance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_251

Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have had with trust chief executives on the (i) recruitment and (ii) role of regional improvement for standards and excellence advisors. \p Georgia Gould: Regional improvement for standards excellence (RISE) teams have already paired over 350 schools with RISE advisers and supporting organisations, including some of our strongest trusts with a record of turning around struggling schools, to share expertise and boost standards.

Departmental officials engaged with trust chief executives during the autumn 2024 term, ahead of launching recruitment for RISE advisers in November. The department also sought views from key stakeholder groups, including representative bodies and unions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_252

Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what number students eligible for the 16-19 large programme uplift funding in the last five academic years studied the International Baccalaureate Level 3 programme and pursued STEM-related subjects. \p Josh MacAlister: The information requested is not held by the department. The department does not hold information on the constituent subjects that make up the International Baccalaureate as this information is not provided by awarding organisations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_253

Olly Glover:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in the last academic year, what (a) percentage and (b) number of pupils were eligible for the Pupil Premium and received the 16-19 large programme uplift funding for studying a T Level and at least one A Level alongside. \p Josh MacAlister: The Pupil Premium is not available for post-16 students. Therefore, no students were eligible in the last academic year for the Pupil Premium and received the Large Programme Uplift for studying four or more A levels or a T Level and at least one A level alongside.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_254

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her department has consulted with a) NSPCC, b) Women's Aid, and c) other charities, on the potential implications of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on children who have been victims of abuse from a parent. \p Georgia Gould: ​​The department has engaged with a number of charities on policies where they have a direct interest, as part of wider consideration of the Bill’s impact on children and families.

We have spoken to the NSPCC on multiple occasions about the Bill and have engaged closely with the Domestic Abuse commissioner on Family Group Decision Making.

Moreover, as part of their consideration of the Bill in the House of Commons, the Public Bill Committee invited written evidence from outside organisations and members of the public and took oral evidence from relevant stakeholders. The NSPCC and a number of other charities provided evidence, which has informed Parliamentary debate and ongoing thinking on the Bill’s measures.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_255

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to carry out a data privacy impact assessment for the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. \p Georgia Gould: The department is ensuring that measures outlined in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill align with data protection principles, as set out in the Data Protection Act 2018, UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR) and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

The department has met its obligation under Article 36(4) of UK GDPR to consult with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on relevant measures involving the use of personal data, such as the Children Not in School registers.

The department is engaging with the ICO to ensure that any data protection risks identified are properly mitigated and is carrying out data protection impact assessments, where relevant.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_256

Gareth Snell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether a teacher is authorised to use a pupils' prescribed Adrenaline Auto-Injector device on a different pupil in the event of an anaphylactic emergency. \p Georgia Gould: Regulations allow, but do not mandate, schools to obtain and hold spare adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs). Since 1 October 2017, the Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2017 has allowed all schools to purchase AAI devices without a prescription, for use in an emergency situation. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published non-statutory guidance to accompany this legislative change, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/using-emergency-adrenaline-auto-injectors-in-schools. This guidance gives advice to schools on the recognition and management of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis, and outlines when and how an AAI should be administered. The guidance states that children at risk of anaphylaxis should have their prescribed AAIs at school for use in an emergency, and that any AAIs held by a school should be considered a spare device, and not a replacement for a pupil’s own AAIs.

The department is working with DHSC and NHS England to consider how we might extend the availability of adrenaline auto-injectors in schools.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_257

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the history of Britain's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism is accurately and thoroughly taught in schools. \p Georgia Gould: The history curriculum includes a statutory time period at key stage 3 titled “ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain, 1745-1901” which includes the non-statutory example of Britain’s transatlantic slave trade. Due to the flexibility of the history curriculum, these topics can also be taught, where relevant, across the three key stages.

Schools can access resources from bodies such as Oak National Academy, the Historical Association and others to ensure their teaching is accurate and thorough.

In reforming the curriculum following the Curriculum and Assessment Review, we are clear that all pupils should have a robust understanding of our nation’s history.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_258

Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many state school students took four A levels including maths, further maths, and at least one subject qualifying for the high value course premium in each of the last five years; and what proportion of those students were female. \p Josh MacAlister: The data requested is below.

Time Period

Sex

Number of Students

Proportion (%)

2023/24

Male

5,119

74.8

2023/24

Female

1,722

25.2

2022/23

Male

4,121

74.2

2022/23

Female

1,430

25.8

2021/22

Male

3,800

73.9

2021/22

Female

1,345

26.1

2020/21

Male

4,328

73.9

2020/21

Female

1,528

26.1

2019/20

Male

3,702

73.9

2019/20

Female

1,305

26.1

Notes about the data:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_259

Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the proportion of young people who wish to study A-levels and are unable to do so due to transport or distance barriers in Knowsley constituency. \p Josh MacAlister: The department does not collect this information. It is possible that some schools in Knowsley have gathered anecdotal information on this via information and guidance sessions with students. However, this is not recorded for submission to the department.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-02 conversation_260

Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding for dyscalculia. \p Georgia Gould: The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice is clear that meeting the needs of a child with special educational needs does not require a diagnostic label or test. Instead, the department expects teachers to monitor the progress of all pupils and put support in place where needed.

To support settings to identify need early, we are strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve early identification in mainstream settings.

Recently published evidence reviews from University College London will help to drive inclusive practices as they highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches.

In addition, the ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme, led by a research team from the University of Warwick and supported by SEND academics from the University of Birmingham, is researching tools that settings can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children and young people.

Both initiatives aim to strengthen teaching for children with special educational needs, including dyscalculia.

The funding announced at the 2025 Spending Review, which will provide an increase of £4.2 billion over the next three years, will help to facilitate reform of the SEND system. We are continuing to engage with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve and will be setting out more detail in the Schools White Paper in the new year.