theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-03-22 conversation_3
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-03-22 conversation_3

Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring that parents have a legal right to appeal decisions by their local authority to refuse to assess their child for an EHCP. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.

Parents have a legal right of appeal if a local authority decides not to assess their child for an education, health and care (EHC) plan. The first-tier SEND Tribunal hears appeals against local authority decisions in relation to EHC assessments and plans for children and young people. Parents and carers can appeal to the Tribunal about local authority refusal to assess a child or young person’s EHC needs, reassess their EHC needs, issue an EHC plan, update what is in an EHC plan, or maintain an EHC plan.

Most EHC plans and assessments are concluded without a Tribunal hearing. Nationally, in the 2023 calendar year, there were 15,600 appeals to the Tribunal, equating to 2.5% of all appealable decisions subsequently resulting in Tribunal appeals.

The department is exploring what more we can do to work with local authorities, particularly those with high appeal rates, to understand the reasons for and to address these issues. As an initial step, we jointly delivered with the Independent Provider of Special Educational Advice and the Council for Disabled Children, eight training sessions on 'SEND and the law' for local authority SEND caseworkers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Clive Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 32022 on Schools: Pay, whether the new productivity initiatives include consideration of the use of AI technology to reduce the employment of (a) teaching and (b) teaching assistant staff. \p Catherine McKinnell: High quality teaching is the within-school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcomes. This is why the department will recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.

The department is committed to supporting schools in driving high standards for every child and addressing workload challenges. Our productivity initiatives include the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other evidence-based technology to reduce the time teachers spend marking, planning and form filling so that their drive, energy and passion is fully focused on delivering change for children.

AI, when made safe and reliable, represents an exciting opportunity to give our schools leaders and teachers a helping hand with classroom life. The department wants our teachers and support staff to not only stay in our classrooms, but to thrive in them.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of creating a new funding stream for students who have been educated in registered alternative provision to continue in that setting after the age of 16. \p Catherine McKinnell: The statutory duty on local authorities to provide alternative provision applies to children of compulsory school age. If any alternative provision schools would like to offer post-16 placements, they should approach the department to discuss this. Funded post-16 education has a variety of different provider types which deliver different provision, relevant to the different aspirations and needs of post-16 students. In addition, 16-19 study programmes should be tailored to meet the individual needs of the young person.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of mandating CitizenAID training within the national curriculum. \p Catherine McKinnell: All state-funded schools are required to teach about first aid as part of the statutory health education set out within the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance. Independent schools are required to cover health education as part of their responsibility to provide personal, social, health and economic education.

The statutory guidance includes basic first aid for primary school children. For example, dealing with common injuries, such as head injuries. Pupils in secondary schools will be taught further first aid. For example, how to administer CPR and the purpose of defibrillators.

Schools also have the autonomy to decide how they teach first aid and which resources to use, so schools are free to incorporate citizenAID’s materials into their lessons if they choose to.

The department is currently reviewing the statutory RSHE curriculum, which includes considering whether any additional content is needed, including first aid and life-saving skills.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Helen Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for future teacher pay increases. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government is committed to supporting schools to deliver on the opportunity mission, as shown by the funding increases seen in the core schools budget grant for 2024/25 and at the Autumn Budget 2024, in the context of a challenging fiscal picture. Planning for the multi-year spending review is taking place across government, and the department will provide further updates on funding for schools in due course.

Pay for teachers and leaders in maintained schools is set through an annual statutory process with independent recommendations made by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB). Each year the STRB recommends a pay award based on different factors, including the economy, school workforce data and evidence from organisations including the department, employers and the teaching unions. The government then considers the recommendations in depth and decides on the pay award teachers receive for the coming year.

Final decisions on the teacher’s pay award for 2025 will be made following recommendations from the independent pay review body process.
wrans/answers2025-03-22 conversation_8
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of local authority employees working with home educating families that are only employed during school term time; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on the working hours these staff will need to undertake in the future. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department does not hold information on the number of local authority employees working with home-educating families that are only employed during term time. Local authorities determine their own approaches to staffing.

Additional local authority resource will be required to undertake the new duties created by the Children Not in School measures detailed in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. We are considering these additional requirements and will conduct a full new burdens assessment as is required.
wrans/answers2025-03-22 conversation_9
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with relevant authorities to support the education of dyslexic children in (a) Romford constituency and b) England. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.

The department is providing £1 billion more for high needs budgets in 2025/26, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.

Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.

Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high quality phonics programmes for schools.

The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading. As part of the continuous professional development provided by the English Hubs, the Reading Ambition for All programme has been launched to improve outcomes for children who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND.

Romford’s local English Hub is New Vision. Further information is available here: https://newvisionenglishhub.co.uk/.
wrans/answers2025-03-22 conversation_10
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the introduction of menstrual well-being education in the statutory guidance entitled Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, published on 9 July 2020, on school leavers' knowledge of endometriosis. \p Catherine McKinnell: While the department has not made an assessment of the impact of learning about menstrual wellbeing as part of statutory health education, it is beneficial for pupils to understand the features of a healthy menstrual cycle, be able to recognise when things are not right and know when to seek help.

The department is currently reviewing the relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance and is looking carefully at the consultation responses, considering the relevant evidence and engaging with stakeholders before setting out next steps. This includes considering whether any additional content is needed, including on menstrual wellbeing and endometriosis.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Grahame Morris:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with public sector pension scheme boards on ensuring that public sector workers who transfer to a private sector prison education provider retain access to their teachers’ pensions. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department has been consulting on proposed changes to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) regulations in view of the recent reclassification of further education colleges as public sector by the Office for National Statistics. The extension of the Fair Deal provisions will allow those workers who are covered by the regulations to retain access to the TPS where that work is transferred to a private sector provider. That may include prison education providers. The consultation process involved discussion with the TPS Advisory Board.
wrans/answers2025-03-22 conversation_12
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill will apply to armed forces initial training establishments that accept under-18-year-olds. \p Catherine McKinnell: The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will strengthen multi-agency working between local authorities, health, police and education and childcare settings, and those settings will be designated in regulations. The department expects safeguarding partners to work together with relevant agencies to promote the welfare of children in their local area regardless of what type of education or training establishment they are attending.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Vikki Slade:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential benefits of creating an agency for supply teachers to standardise pay and conditions. \p Catherine McKinnell: Supply teachers perform a valuable role and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools across the country.

Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers and are best placed to make decisions on their approach to recruitment.

A supply teacher’s pay and working conditions will depend on who employs the supply teacher.

Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document.

If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay and conditions of employment.

The department does not have plans at this time to assess the potential benefits of creating an agency for supply teachers to standardise pay and conditions. Instead, we are focused on our central mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost life chances for every child by recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this parliament.

The department is already making progress towards this key pledge, including by accepting a 5.5% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools, announcing a £233 million Initial Teacher Training financial incentives package for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle, and confirming targeted retention incentives for shortage subjects worth up to £6,000 after tax. We will continue to work alongside the sector as we seek to re-establish teaching as an attractive profession that existing teachers want to remain in, former teachers want to return to, and new graduates wish to join.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a public inquiry into the policy of so-called educationally subnormal schools in the 1960s and 1970s and (a) the number and proportion of Black children placed in such schools and (b) the impact on them. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department does not currently plan to establish a public inquiry into the policy framework surrounding placement of children in schools for the so-called “educationally subnormal” in the 1960s and 1970s, but is keen to ensure that the mistakes made in that time are never repeated, and that no children or young people today suffer from the structural barriers and entrenched racism that held too many of our young people back in previous generations.

The government wants to ensure that whoever you are, wherever you come from, Britain is a country that will respect your contribution and give you a fair chance to get on in life.

We want every child and young person to achieve and thrive in education, work, and life, regardless of their background. All children and young people must be treated fairly. There is no place for hate or prejudice in our education system.

Additionally, under the Equality Act 2010, schools must not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act.

The Public Sector Equality Duty also requires public bodies, including maintained schools and academies to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the Act; advance equality of opportunity for people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it; and foster good relations across all characteristics.

The department is also focused on driving high and rising standards in every school, helping every child to achieve and thrive. We aim to deliver improvements though excellent teaching and leadership, a high-quality curriculum and a system which removes the barriers to learning that holds too many children back.
wrans/answers2025-03-22 conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Anna Sabine:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support she is providing to families requiring services under the adoption and special guardian support fund. \p Janet Daby: The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) provides trauma and attachment related therapy and specialist assessments for children and families where the child has previously been in local authority care and has been adopted or is under a special guardianship order. The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on the allocation of the department’s budget for the next financial year.

To ensure there are no gaps in therapy, ASGSF applications are currently permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years. Where applications are approved, therapy which starts during March 2025 may therefore continue into the next financial year, under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will (a) extend legal protections for and (b) improve financial security available to foster carers. \p Janet Daby: The Children’s Act 1989 and subsequent statutory guidance sets out strong safeguards to protect foster carers from unfair treatment, including the requirement for fostering services to have a complaints procedure and whistle-blowing policy. The department does not plan any changes to foster carers’ legal position, but we are committed to reviewing our guidance and working with the sector to improve the support that foster carers receive.

No foster carer should be financially disadvantaged because of their fostering role. We expect all foster carers to receive at least the weekly National Minimum Allowance (NMA), in addition to any agreed expenses to cover the full cost of caring for each child placed with them, as per the National Minimum Standards (NMS, standard 28). In the 2025/26 financial year, this is being uplifted by 3.55%.

The department is concerned by reports that a minority of foster carers are not receiving the allowance in full, and the effect this can have on carer retention. Foster carers should report any underpayment to their fostering service in the first instance. If underpayment continues, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman will investigate any reports they receive on this issue.

Foster carers also benefit from reformed tax and benefit allowances which ensure they receive the best support for their individual financial circumstances, in recognition of their role.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Katie White:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of designating care leavers as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of that designation on opportunities for care leavers. \p Janet Daby: The department is committed to enabling all children and young people to achieve and thrive. To ensure we are providing the best support for children in care and care leavers we have tabled an amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which introduces corporate parenting responsibilities on government departments and relevant public bodies to ensure that services and support to children in care and care leavers better take account of the challenges these young people face.

Whilst we currently have no plans to update the Equality Act, we believe our corporate parenting proposals will serve to tackle the stigma and discrimination that we know children in care and care leavers experience.

The department knows that care leavers have some of the worst outcomes in society across all aspects of their lives and we are committed to ensuring that young people leaving care have stable homes, access to health services, support to build lifelong, loving relationships and are engaged in education, employment and training.

To support these ambitions, the department has re-established a Care Leaver Ministerial Board, chaired by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and my right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which brings together ministers from key departments to improve support for care leavers across government.

The department has also introduced the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to drive forward our reforms on children’s social care, including placing new duties on local authorities to provide ‘Staying Close’ support to care leavers up to the age of 25 and requiring each local authority to publish information about the arrangements it has in place to support care leavers in their transition to independent living.

We are determined to tackle the stigma and discrimination faced by care-experienced young people, by creating a culture where all those who play a role in the lives of children in care and care leavers are ambitious for their outcomes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve support for care leavers in rural areas. \p Janet Daby: The department knows that care leavers have some of the worst outcomes in society and we are committed to ensuring that all young people leaving care, irrespective of where they live, have stable homes, access to health services, support to build lifelong loving relationships, and are engaged in education, employment and training.

While many of the issues that care leavers face will be common to all young people leaving care, the department knows that those who live in rural areas can face additional challenges, such as fewer employment opportunities, limited public transport and increased risk of loneliness and isolation, which can make their transition to independence more difficult.

All local authorities are required to publish their ‘local offer’ for care leavers, which provides information about the statutory support that all care leavers are entitled to, and any discretionary services the local authority provides, to support care leavers in their transition to adulthood. Each local authority’s local offer should reflect the particular circumstances faced by its care leavers, including those that arise due to the fact that they live in a rural location.

The department is strengthening the local offer through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to drive forward our manifesto commitments on children’s social care. The Bill will provide ‘Staying close support’ across the country, including in rural areas, for care leavers up to the age of 25. Staying close will increase support for young people leaving residential care through move-on accommodation and ongoing support from a keyworker.

The Bill will also require each local authority to publish the arrangements it has in place to support and assist care leavers, particularly around accommodation and joint working between local authority care leaver and housing teams.

Local housing authorities owe various duties to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. In certain circumstances local housing authorities have a duty to secure settled accommodation for them, but this is only the case where, in addition to other criteria, the person is not found to have become homeless intentionally. Through the Bill, we are removing intentional homelessness decisions for eligible care leavers to further strengthen support for this vulnerable cohort.
wrans/answers2025-03-22 conversation_19
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Robbie Moore:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the private children's' care capacity of private care homes within (a) Bradford, (b) Leeds, (c) Calderdale and (d) Kirklees Council area. \p Janet Daby: The department collects data on children looked after by local authorities. The latest available information on the number of children in care by each requested local authority within private care homes on 31 March 2024 is shown below:

Local Authority

Number of Children

Bradford

193

Leeds

122

Calderdale

29

Kirklees

20

The figures include children looked after in secure children’s homes, children’s homes subject to Children’s Homes Regulations and residential care homes under private provision. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.

Ofsted’s latest annual publication of ‘Inspection and regulation of children’s social care providers’ shows the following private children’s homes and places as at 30 September 2024:

Local Authority

Children’s Homes

Places

Bradford

30

92

Leeds

16

46

Calderdale

30

86

Kirklees

34

103

This publication can be accessed in full at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inspection-and-regulation-of-childrens-social-care-providers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has received representations about extending the Adoption and special guardianship support fund to ensure it covers 12 months of therapeutic support. \p Janet Daby: No representations have been received on this issue. Under the current guidelines for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, applications for therapeutic support can already be submitted for up to a 12 month period. This has allowed children who start therapy at different points within the financial year to continue to receive it for 12 months. Although business planning decisions for next financial year have not yet been finalised, applications for the fund with therapy starting in this financial year are still being accepted and processed under business as usual.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Tristan Osborne:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on the construction for two special free schools in Kent, at Swanley and Whitstable that were confirmed in 2023. \p Stephen Morgan: The process to agree the heads of terms for the site for the Leigh Academy Birchwood School in Swanley are ongoing. Work to progress the site for the proposed special free school at Whitstable is awaiting the outcome of a village green application (VGA). In addition to the VGA, local residents have applied to have the site registered as an asset of community value, which Kent County Council would also like to consider.

The government wants to make sure all children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to achieve and thrive. That is why we set out a clear ambition to improve inclusivity in mainstream schools while ensuring that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

As with all government investment, special and alternative provision free-school projects will be subject to value for money consideration through their development, in line with the government’s vision for the special educational needs system.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide wage support to the lowest paid teaching (a) staff and (b) assistants in SEND schools in Devon. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government values and recognises the professionalism of the entire school workforce, which is why we are reinstating the School Support Staff Negotiating Body (SSSNB) through the Employment Rights Bill, introduced in Parliament on 10 October 2024.

The SSSNB will mean that employers and employee representatives come together to negotiate terms and conditions and pay for school support staff, to ensure that support staff are properly recognised and rewarded for the work they do. The SSSNB will also be tasked with establishing a national terms and conditions handbook and advising on suitable training and career progression routes that recognise the varied and vital roles support staff undertake.

The SSSNB will help address the recruitment and retention challenges state-funded schools are facing for support staff. This in turn will support work to drive high and rising standards in schools and ensure we give children the best possible life chances.

To support schools with overall costs, this government committed to providing almost £1.1 billion in additional funding in the 2024/25 financial year. Further to this, at the Autumn Budget 2024 the government announced an additional £2.3 billion for mainstream schools and children and young people with high needs for 2025/26, compared to 2024/25.

Most school support staff, including teaching assistants, are currently employed on National Joint Council (NJC) for local government services pay and conditions. The NJC is a negotiating body made up of representatives from trade unions and local government employers. Local government employees covered by the NJC for local government services pay and conditions were offered a flat cash uplift of £1,290 from 1 April 2024. In October 2024 an agreement was reached on the 2024/25 pay award for these employees, which covers the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.

Teaching assistants (TAs) play a vital role in children’s education. There are 282,925 full-time equivalent TAs in state-funded schools in England – up by approximately 1,800 since last year. The number of TAs has increased year on year since 2017/18.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-03-22)

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Ms Polly Billington:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timeline is for the introduction of young future hubs. \p Janet Daby: This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. Too many children and young people do not have access to the same enrichment opportunities as their peers, suffer from poor mental health and, in some cases, end up being drawn into crime rather than going on to achieve and thrive. Young Futures Hubs are just one part of addressing this, as part of a much wider youth landscape which will be brought together in the forthcoming youth strategy.

Using evidence of what works, officials from across a range of departments are working together to shape how the Young Futures Hubs will work in practice. To roll-out Young Futures Hubs, building on the success of existing infrastructure and provision, the department will establish a number of early adopter hubs. Locations for these will be determined by where they would have the most impact. These early adopters and the work in local areas will inform the longer-term development of the programme, including how quickly we move to a greater number of hubs. More details on timelines will be set out in due course.
wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_1
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Tom Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of modelling sector coupling between electricity and hydrogen for the UKs energy system. \p Michael Shanks: The Department’s UK TIMES model captures interactions across the entire energy system, from fuel extraction to final energy demands, enabling comprehensive analysis of decarbonisation pathways and helping us explore the optimal future energy system. This model has been instrumental in developing departmental net zero strategy, including our understanding of the future power sector. Building on this, DESNZ recently invested in BID3, a new model designed to simulate a fully connected power and hydrogen market across the UK and EU. BID3 will model power generation, hydrogen production, transmission, gas transport, interconnectors, and storage, allowing comparison of whole-life system costs and cashflow, across future scenarios.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Tom Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what strategies he he is considering for decarbonising hard-to-electrify industrial processes located in towns located away from industrial clusters. \p Sarah Jones: Dispersed locations form a major part of UK industry’s pathway to Net Zero, accounting for approximately half of emissions. The £6 million Local Industrial Decarbonisation Plans competition is funding 13 decarbonisation projects in local clusters, including in areas with hard-to-electrify industrial processes, supporting dispersed industrial manufacturers not located in the UK’s existing industrial clusters to start their journey towards Net Zero.

Government is also providing decarbonisation support to dispersed sites through the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF). In the 2024 Autumn Budget, the Government committed £163 million to continue delivery for all current projects of the IETF through to completion.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Tom Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department has plans for the strategic development of hydrogen storage facilities at a sufficient scale to support (a) inter-day and (b) inter-week energy storage. \p Sarah Jones: The Government is committed to enabling the development of hydrogen storage infrastructure to meet the needs of the emerging hydrogen economy. This includes supporting the development of storage infrastructure that can operate over a range of durations and serve multiple end-users.

The Government intends to design the first Hydrogen Storage Business Model (HSBM) procurement to contribute towards an ambition to support up to two storage projects at scale to be in operation or construction by 2030.

We are continuing to develop our approach to the development of hydrogen storage infrastructure through strategic planning and the HSBM as a priority.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make a comparative assessment of the potential impact of (a) the Drax power station and (b) coal-fired power stations on UK carbon emissions in the last five years. \p Kerry McCarthy: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) publishes UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions statistics. They can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/final-uk-greenhouse-gas-emissions-statistics-1990-to-2023

DESNZ also publishes carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels reported by industrial sites, including those covered by the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion at the Drax site can be found here: https://naei.energysecurity.gov.uk/data/maps/emissions-point-sources, https://reports.view-emissions-trading-registry.service.gov.uk/ets-reports.html

UK reporting is consistent with international guidelines established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which require CO2 emissions from the combustion of biomass to be accounted for in the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector of the country in which the biomass was harvested, rather than at the point of release to the atmosphere.
wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_5
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_5

Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, for what reason advice on the potential merits of installing (a) loft, (b) wall and (c) roof insulation has been removed from his Department's pages entitled Energy efficient home on gov.uk. \p Michael Shanks: Home upgrades – including insulation – are one of the best tools to get bills down for good and we are committed to promoting properly installed loft, wall and roof insulation.

The Government is currently updating the Energy Efficient Home website as part of work to refresh our public campaigns. Additional pages will go live in the coming weeks, including a page on the benefits of cavity wall, roof and loft insulation, and one on wider energy saving tips.

The Government’s ‘Find Ways to Save Energy in your Home’ service (www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency) provides tailored recommendations to increase household energy efficiency, including advice on insulation.
wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_6
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_6

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department's press release entitled UK to extend training programme for Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel throughout 2025, published on 6 September 2024, if he will make it his policy to extend Operation Interflex into 2026, subject to conflict in Ukraine continuing into that year. \p Luke Pollard: In late 2024 the Secretary of State extended Op INTERFLEX into 2025. We continually assess how we can improve our training offer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Operation INTERFLEX remains our main training effort in support of Ukraine and, together with our international partners, we have trained over 51,000 Ukrainian personnel since June 2022. The UK is committed to working with partners to meet Ukraine's training requirements now and in the future.
wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_7
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_7

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many full-time permanent MOD staff have worked on coordinating Operation Interflex in each year since 2002. \p Luke Pollard: The table below is based on those who have been involved in co-ordinating Operation INTERFLEX for each of the six Tranches, which to date have delivered more than 51,000 trained Ukrainians. The table includes those assigned to INTERFLEX HQ, the training delivery units and the logistic support element.

Please note the UK delivers Op INTERFLEX in conjunction with our partners. Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Lithuania, Australia, Romania, Netherlands, Kosovo, and Estonia are all supporting the training programme. Albania will also be joining from the end of February, so UK personnel numbers alone do not represent output of total personnel.

Tranche

Dates from

No of UK Personnel

1

Jun-22

1,389

2

Jan-23

1,270

3

Jul-23

1,270

4

Jan-24

388

5

Jul-24

428

6

Jan-25

369
wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_8
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_8

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much funding he has provided for Operation Interflex in each year since its launch in July 2022. \p Luke Pollard: The Ministry of Defence's spending figures on training in support of Ukraine are £115 million for financial year 2022-23 and £200 million for financial year 2023-24. Figures for the current financial year will be released in due course.
wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_9
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_9

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 24080 on Joint Expeditionary Force, how many full-time permanent employees are employed by the Joint Expeditionary Force HQ. \p Luke Pollard: 11 personnel are engaged on the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) on a full-time basis at the Standing Joint Force Headquarters, the JEF HQ.
wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_10
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_10

Steve Barclay:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many officials in his Department are working on issues related to the Chagos Islands. \p Luke Pollard: There are a number of officials from across the Ministry of Defence who contribute to the work in this area in partnership with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. This includes policy, legal, financial and military teams.
wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_11
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_11

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of reaching his Department's target to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence in (a) 2030 and (b) 2032 on the effectiveness of the UK's defence capabilities. \p Maria Eagle: To ensure the UK is prepared to deal with the changing threat, our Budget increased defence spending by £2.9 billion for next year and we are committed to setting a path to 2.5% of GDP on defence in the spring.

The Strategic Defence Review is wide-ranging, ensuring we look hard at the threats we face and the capabilities we need to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.
wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_12
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_12

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of GDP that will be spent on defence by 2030. \p Maria Eagle: To ensure the UK is prepared to deal with the changing threat, our Budget increased defence spending by £2.9 billion for next year. The future spending envelope for Defence will be set out in the usual way.
wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_13
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_13

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of the defence budget was allocated to the Red Arrows in the 2024-25 financial year. \p Maria Eagle: The exact annual operating budget for the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is not centrally calculated. However, the operation of both teams combined would account for less than 00.03% of the annual defence budget.
wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_15
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_15

Connor Naismith:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to support small independent SEND providers. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools to break down barriers to education whilst ensuring that all specialist settings are equipped to support children with the most complex needs. We want to drive a consistent and inclusive approach to supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve and thrive in mainstream settings through early identification, effective support, high-quality teaching and effective allocation of resources.

Independent special schools are private enterprises. Local authorities have the discretion to make support, training and resources available to them. As private enterprises, the proprietor of the school is responsible for its financial viability.

Local authorities must ensure there are sufficient school places for all pupils, including those with SEND. The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to keep the provision for children and young people with SEND under review, including its sufficiency, working with parents, young people and providers.

It is therefore for commissioning local authorities to determine how the provision offered by independent special schools fits into their range of SEND provision and which mix of schools will meet the needs of all children and young people.

The department recognises that independent special schools can play an important role in the SEND system, particularly in meeting low-incidence needs. However, independent special schools have higher costs than their maintained equivalent, and placements should be used appropriately. Independent special schools should therefore be part of the strategic planning of SEND provision.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-19)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-19 conversation_16

Graham Stuart:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children have an education, health and care plan in each local authority area. \p Stephen Morgan: Information on the number of education, health and care plans maintained by local authorities in England is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.

The number maintained by each local authority as at January 2024 is shown here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3d449b46-56a8-4404-6cee-08dd48e2728c.