theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Tracy Gilbert:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the reasons why over 4,100 women from the most deprived deciles of multiple deprivation have donated their eggs in return for payment of £750 since 2011. \p Karin Smyth: The Department does not plan to undertake an assessment, however, academic research in the United Kingdom has consistently found that donating eggs and sperm is driven by altruism.

The compensation rate for egg donation is set by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), as provided for in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. The HFEA has advised that the donor compensation levels originally set in 2011 followed a thorough ethical review, which identified a set of principles that ensured altruism remained at the heart of donation and that there weren’t any unjustifiable barriers to donation.

HFEA published data shows that egg and sperm donors in England from 2011 to 2020 lived in similar or more affluent socio-economic areas than the general population.

The HFEA’s Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee recently reviewed the published evidence of health outcomes for those having fertility treatment, including egg donors. The last 10 years of evidence were reviewed and the HFEA will update the relevant information on its website as needed.
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Sonia Kumar:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review the guidance on Section 251 of the NHS Act 2006 to ensure clarity and consistency for NHS Trusts engaged in developing digital health initiatives; and if he will take steps to engage citizens and stakeholders on this matter to enhance transparency and trust in NHS data practices. \p Karin Smyth: Since May 2024, the Department and NHS England have been delivering a national programme of public engagement on health and social care data. To date, over 8,600 members of the public have been engaged. The aim is to understand people’s views on how their data is used and improve trust in NHS uses of data.

The reports from the first two cohorts are available at the following link: https://transform.england.nhs.uk/key-tools-and-info/data-saves-lives/national-public-engagement-on-the-use-of-health-data/

The recommendations from this public engagement are being used to shape a planned public consultation with a view to making new regulations under section 251 of the NHS Act 2006, on the control of patient information.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many (a) births and (b) elective c-sections occurred in each NHS trust in England in 2024. \p Karin Smyth: The National Health Service routinely publishes data on maternity activity for NHS hospitals, including data relating to the number of births, the method of onset of labour, delivery methods, and places of delivery. An annual publication for this data, covering the financial year ending March 2024, is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-maternity-statistics/2023-24

A monthly breakdown of statistics is also available, at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/maternity-services-monthly-statistics/final-may-2025-provisional-june-2025-official-statistics
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Maya Ellis:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to review the medical conditions on the list of exemptions for prescription charges. \p Karin Smyth: There are no plans to review the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate.

There are extensive arrangements in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England, and there is a wide range of exemptions from prescription charges already in place for which those with chronic illnesses may be eligible. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a qualifying medical condition or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

People on low incomes can apply for help with their health costs through the NHS Low Income Scheme. People who need to pay and need many prescription items could save money with a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC). PPCs allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost, with 3-month and 12-month certificates available. The 12-month PPC can be paid for in direct debit instalments.
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Patricia Ferguson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to prevent UK-based charities from transferring funds to entities operating in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government and the Charity Commission for England and Wales (the Commission) expect charities to act lawfully, in line with the charity’s purpose, and in the charity’s best interest.

The Commission provides guidance to help charity trustees understand their legal duties and requirements, as well as how to make decisions in their charity’s best interests.

The Commission’s role as independent registrar and regulator of charities is to ensure that trustees comply with their duties as set out in charity law. If the trustees are acting within the law, fulfilling their duties and furthering their charitable purpose, the Commission cannot become involved in a charity’s internal decision making. Any concerns about charities engaging in inappropriate activity should be referred to the Commission.
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Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of full-time equivalent staff in her Department work on the (a) promotion and (b) preservation of industrial heritage; whether industrial heritage sites are eligible to apply for funding through Historic England; what criteria are used to assess such applications; and what proportion of the (i) £15 million allocated to the Heritage at Risk Fund and the (ii) £4.85 million allocated to the Heritage Revival Fund in 2025–26 will be directed towards industrial heritage projects. \p Ian Murray: Within the Department for Culture, Media & Sport there is a small team that oversees Historic England, a team delivering heritage policy, and a team leading on the designation of listed buildings and monuments. Whilst it does not have dedicated staff dealing specifically with industrial heritage, it is part of a wider workstream.

Historic England, the government's statutory adviser on the historic environment, is responsible for managing and protecting heritage, including industrial heritage.

The £15 million Heritage at Risk Capital Fund and the £4.85 million Heritage Revival Fund do not have a pre-allocated proportion for industrial heritage. Funding decisions are based on criteria including Heritage Significance, Level of Risk, Community Benefit, Financial Need, Project Viability.

Industrial heritage sites can apply for Historic England funding, with sites such as Woodhorn’s Iconic Mining Heritage which received £997,265 Heritage at Risk Capital Funding and the Pump House, Ellesmere Port, which received £252,282 Heritage at Risk Capital Funding.
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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with Historic Royal Palaces on improving the (a) visibility and (b) marketing of categories of discounted tickets. \p Ian Murray: Accessibility is a key priority for the Secretary of State, and we are committed to ensuring access for everyone, no matter their background or where they come from.

Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) has a range of programmes designed to drive accessibility of the collection. One of their notable schemes is the £1 ticket programme, which allows individuals receiving certain benefits, such as Universal Credit or Pension Credit, to purchase up to six tickets for £1 each per household. Last year, this initiative sold 218,000 tickets. HRP markets its schemes in several ways. Information is available on its website, at ticket offices on site, and through direct communication with community groups, charities, and organisations that support those in receipt of benefits.

DCMS officials meet regularly with HRP to discuss its engagement strategy and other operational matters. As an independent charity, HRP can implement its own marketing plans.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reduction in the annual claim cap under the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme on (a) listed churches and (b) other listed places of worship. \p Ian Murray: DCMS Ministers received advice on changes to the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, including consideration of the potential impact on introducing an annual cap of £25,000 per place of worship for the 2025/26 financial year. Churches are the primary users of the scheme, with 97% of applications coming from Christian denominations in 2024/25, and are therefore the most impacted by any changes.

The changes to the scheme were necessary given the level of fiscal challenges we inherited, a number of unfunded commitments made by the previous government and the pressures on other parts of the heritage and cultural sectors. Based on the Department’s analysis of previous data, 94% of applications will be unaffected by the change, and most claims are under £5,000.
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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will have discussions with Historic Royal Palaces on discounted tickets for UK nationals. \p Ian Murray: The Secretary of State has delegated management of historic unoccupied royal palaces to Historic Royal Palaces (HRP). DCMS officials meet regularly with HRP to discuss its engagement strategy and other operational matters. However, as an independent charity and in accordance with the 1998 Royal Charter, HRP can generate its own income and set its own ticket prices.

HRP currently offers a range of discounted tickets such as;

Disabled concession and carer tickets - HRP offers discounted tickets for visitors with a disability and a free ticket for an accompanying carer or companion.

Student and senior discounts - HRP offers concession tickets for full time students (aged 18+) and seniors ages (65+).

Young person and child tickets - HRP has a tiered pricing structure for younger visitors.

Group discounts - HRP offers discounts for pre-booked groups of 15 or more people.

Discounts for local residents - HRP offers residents of Tower Hamlets borough tickets for £1

Discount for benefit recipients - HRP offers £1 tickets to its Palaces H for those in receipt of Universal Credit and other named benefits
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Andy MacNae:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of OpenActive on (a) Sport England's uniting the movement strategy and (b) reducing physical inactivity. \p Stephanie Peacock: Award agreements for organisations that receive Lottery funding from Sport England contain a clause that states they should implement relevant open data standards - this includes OpenActive, Active Places, Open Referral and other open standards relevant to the outcomes they are delivering.

Over 120 organisations are now publishing their opportunity data and are active members of the OpenActive community.More than 4,000 organisers of physical activity opportunities are currently featured in OpenActive data.
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Laura Kyrke-Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Statutory levy and online slot stake limits to be introduced to tackle gambling harm, published on 27 November 2024, what steps she is taking to ensure gambling companies accurately verify gamblers’ ages when enforcing stake limits for online slots. \p Stephanie Peacock: Online stake limits have been set at £5 per spin for adults aged 25 and over since April of this year, and £2 per spin for 18-24 year olds since May.

All gambling operators offering gambling services to people in Great Britain must have a licence from the Gambling Commission, the independent regulator for gambling in Great Britain. The Gambling Commission requires all operators to complete age and identity verification before a customer can deposit money and gamble. As such, the Gambling Commission is responsible for verifying that operators are applying online slot stake limits correctly.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of gambling legislation in protecting young people from gambling-related harm. \p Stephanie Peacock: We are committed to implementing gambling white paper legislative measures and to evaluating these measures effectively. As part of this, we introduced a £2 online slots stake limit for 18-24 year olds in May this year, a targeted-harm reduction measure for a high risk product. We have committed to review these measures within five years, or earlier if there is evidence to do so.

We have also introduced a statutory gambling levy. 30% of levy funding will be allocated to prevention activity, including education and early intervention to help protect young people from gambling-related harm.

We are also assessing white paper measures through an ongoing evaluation, and will publish the final report on the impact of these measures in due course. In parallel we will continue to monitor the best available evidence to inform how we protect young people from gambling harm amongst children and young people.
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Marsha De Cordova:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to ensure that the Charity Commission requires that charities do not invest in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government and the Charity Commission for England and Wales (the Commission) expect charities to act lawfully, in line with the charity’s purpose, and in the charity’s best interest.

The Commission provides guidance to help charity trustees understand their legal duties and requirements, as well as how to make decisions in their charity’s best interests.

The Commission’s role as independent registrar and regulator of charities is to ensure that trustees comply with their duties as set out in charity law. If the trustees are acting within the law, fulfilling their duties and furthering their charitable purpose, the Commission cannot become involved in a charity’s internal decision making. Any concerns about charities engaging in inappropriate activity should be referred to the Commission.
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Andrew Ranger:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to protect vulnerable individuals from the potential harms caused by frequent charity advertising. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is clear that it is never acceptable to use undue pressure in order to solicit a donation and that the public should be treated with respect at all times.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK across traditional forms of media (print, radio, TV) and online and is independent of the Government. The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP), sister organisations to the ASA, are responsible for codifying the standards for advertising to the marketing industry as part of their Broadcast Advertising Code (BCAP Code) and UK Non-Broadcast Advertising Code (CAP Code).

The CAP and BCAP Codes contain specific rules specifying that advertising must not cause serious or widespread harm or offence. In addition, the BCAP Code has a dedicated section on charities, with rules intended to prevent the abuse of people’s charitable impulses. Charities must comply with all relevant sections of the Codes when advertising. A complaint can be made to the ASA if someone believes an advert breaks these rules.

The public can also make a complaint to the charity and to the Fundraising Regulator if they believe a charity has made misleading or excessive requests for donations.
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Cameron Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the appropriateness of her Department contacting teaching staff during the summer holiday. \p Georgia Gould: The department is committed to engaging positively with school staff and ensuring they receive information to support them in carrying out their roles. However, they are only contacted during the summer holidays where there is a need to share important, time-sensitive information.
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if a refreshed mathematics curriculum designed to ensure that as many learners as possible can achieve positive outcomes will form part of the Curriculum and Assessment Review. \p Georgia Gould: High and rising standards are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best life chances.

A high-quality curriculum and assessment system is key to ensuring that every child receives an excellent education, which includes providing a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative mathematics curriculum.

The Review is specifically considering how to remove existing blocks to progress and ensure good outcomes for children and young people, including those who are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, and those who have a special educational need or disability.

During its ongoing work, the Review Group are seeking to address the challenges in particular subjects, including the mathematics curriculum, enabling all students to master high-quality content.

The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn.
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Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to consult (a) disabled children, (b) young people and (c) families on SEND reforms under development. \p Georgia Gould: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education is engaging with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) charities, stakeholders, young people and parents and carers on a wide variety of issues, including through weekly engagement sessions via webinars, meetings and visits. She also conducts roundtables with charities and campaigners, the most recent of which was in June.

As a new Minister, I am committed to engagement with young people, families, teachers and experts in SEND. These engagements will carry on throughout the White Paper consultation period into the autumn and beyond, including consulting with disabled children, young people and families on SEND issues.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with (a) teachers and (b) head teachers on teaching pupils who have English as a second language. \p Georgia Gould: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not recently met with teachers or headteachers to discuss teaching pupils whose first language is other than English.
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Lisa Smart:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that per pupil school funding is spread evenly across (a) Greater Manchester and (b) other regional areas. \p Georgia Gould: The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes core funding for 5 to 16-year-old pupils in mainstream state-funded schools in England.

The NFF allocates funding to local authority areas, based on schools’ and pupils’ characteristics. In the current NFF, the vast majority of funding is allocated based on pupil numbers and characteristics. The funding that individual schools actually receive is then based on their local authority’s funding formula.

The purpose of the NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with lots of pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation or low prior attainment, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of their pupils.
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Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will work with the Secretary of State for Education to embed food, farming and sustainability education in the national curriculum. \p Georgia Gould: I refer the hon. Member for South Cotswolds to the response of 8 September 2025 to Question 72659.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to (a) improve the (i) timeliness and (ii) depth of educational psychology assessments and (b) end the use of short virtual consultations for children with complex needs. \p Georgia Gould: Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, including providing statutory input into education, health and care assessments. We know that current workforce shortages can be a barrier to timely input, which is why we are investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists from September 2024. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.

The special educational needs and disabilities code of practice does not stipulate the methodology that any of the professionals involved in assessments should use. We regard this as a matter for the respective professional bodies.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Education on teaching the importance of early detection of testicular cancer to young people. \p Georgia Gould: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

It is important to educate people about the causes and symptoms of cancer and the department is supportive of efforts to do this at an early age.

The revised relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance was published on 15 July. Cancer awareness and other specific cancer-related content is included. At secondary school, as part of the ‘Health protection and prevention, and understanding the healthcare system’ topic, pupils are taught the importance of taking responsibility for their own health and the benefits of regular self-examination and screening.

Schools may also teach about cancer awareness in other areas of the national curriculum. For example, the secondary science curriculum ensures pupils are taught about non-communicable diseases, such as cancer, and the impact of lifestyle factors on the incidence of these diseases. Furthermore, in design and food technology, schools highlight the importance of nutrition and a healthy diet.
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Adam Jogee:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she will take to reintroduce citizenship education to schools in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England. \p Georgia Gould: Citizenship education provides a framework to prepare pupils to be active, informed and responsible citizens. The national curriculum for citizenship is mandatory at key stages 3 and 4 and primary schools can choose to teach it. In secondary citizenship, pupils learn about democracy, politics, parliament and voting, as well as human rights, justice, media literacy, the law, and the need for mutual respect.

The Oak National Academy (Oak) is providing optional, free, adaptable digital curriculum resources. Oak launched its curriculum sequences for secondary citizenship in November 2024, with the full package of curriculum resources expected by autumn 2025.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that equips young people with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to thrive in life and work. The Review will publish its final report in autumn 2025.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Education and Skills Funding Agency monitors academy trust compliance with health and safety standards for school playgrounds. \p Georgia Gould: It is the responsibility of those who manage our schools (local authorities, diocesan bodies and academy trusts) to ensure their premises operate in accordance with relevant standards and legislation. The department provides guidance on how health and safety standards should be met for their premises, including the publication titled ‘Advice on standards for school premises’, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/standards-for-school-premises. The department does not monitor compliance.

The recently published ‘School estate management standards’, gathers in one place links to key policies, processes and guidance to support schools to manage their estates effectively and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-estate-management-standards. It signposts users to expert advice and good practice, including more extensive guidance and tools from the department’s ‘Good estate management for schools’ manual, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-estate-management-for-schools, and the Health and Safety Executive here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/education/index.htm.

To note, the Education and Skills Funding Agency became part of the Department for Education in April 2025.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues to local authorities on verifying the (a) staffing, (b) space and (c) specialist-expertise capacity of schools before naming them in education, health and care plans. \p Georgia Gould: When preparing a new education, health and care (EHC) plan, or amending the setting named on an existing plan, a local authority must consult with any school or other setting it may name in the plan. The special educational needs and disability (SEND) code of practice: 0 to 25 years is statutory guidance that sets out how this should be done, and it stresses that a local authority must consider the comments of a setting very carefully before deciding whether to name it in an EHC plan. This consultation process allows the setting to voice any concerns, for example in relation to its capacity or ability to meet the needs of the child or young person. Advice from the setting will also contribute to the local authority’s development of the plan to ensure that it meets the child or young person’s needs, the outcomes they want to achieve and the aspirations they are aiming for. Informed by the response to its consultation, the local authority then decides which setting to name, following the statutory procedure for doing so. The local authority is the body best placed to gather the necessary advice and information and then weigh up all the relevant considerations in finalising an EHC plan.

This government shares the widespread view that improvements to the SEND system are badly needed and as part of our Plan for Change we are committed to ensuring all children and young people have the support they need to develop skills for the future. Details of our intended approach to SEND reform will be set out for consultation in a Schools White Paper in the autumn.
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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to expand financial education provision to primary schools. \p Georgia Gould: I refer the hon. Member for Solihull West and Shirley to the answer of 9 April 2025 to Question 43513.
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Kevin Bonavia:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to increase the number of schools that have the recommended allergy safeguards in place. \p Georgia Gould: Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Schools should ensure that pupils with medical conditions have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. In doing so, schools must have regard to the ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ statutory guidance, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

The department intends to issue a consultation on an updated version of the current statutory guidance on ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ this autumn.
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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking alongside the Teachers' Pension Scheme to ensure retired teachers (a) receive their pensions in a timely manner and (b) are informed of the timeline for this. \p Georgia Gould: As part of the Transitional Protection (McCloud) remedy, affected members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) have the option to choose either final salary or career average benefits for the remedy period (April 2015 to March 2022). Members who had not taken TPS benefits before the remedy took effect on 1 October 2023 make that choice immediately before retirement. As calculations of the options are complex, TPS members are advised to apply six months before their intended retirement date to ensure there is sufficient time to receive and respond to their Remediable Service Statement which will set out that choice.

The need to apply six months in advance is clearly set out on the Teachers’ Pensions website and in related member guidance, which can be found here: www.teacherspensions.co.uk/members/planning-retirement/how-to-apply.aspx.
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Sarah Bool:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty on her departmental responsibilities. \p Georgia Gould: The department has a long-standing commitment to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and support the education of children and young people from military families within the state-funded education system in England.

The department is supportive of the extension of the Armed Forces Covenant, and officials have liaised with the Ministry of Defence on plans to improve and extend key policies that target support for service pupils and their families.
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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will prohibit the voluntary engagement of children as matchball assistants at grassroots football clubs. \p Georgia Gould: The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill should not prohibit the voluntary engagement of children as match ball assistants at grassroots football clubs, as it does not change the scope of what is or is not considered employment for the purposes of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of affording neurodiverse pupils frequent break periods for movement in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Georgia Gould: The department believes schools are best placed to take these decisions locally, in consultation with parents, young people and the local authority, after a thorough assessment of the child or young person’s needs and drawing on wider professional advice, as appropriate.

To support schools, the department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings and have commissioned evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London. The ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-08 conversation_402

David Williams:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to have discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the the findings of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists' report entitled, A Profession Under Pressure, published in July 2025. \p Georgia Gould: Speech and Language Therapists break down communication barriers, unlocking learning, inclusion, and opportunity for every child. They play a critical role in early intervention for children and young people. However, they have the second highest waiting list in children’s community services. I am grateful to the Royal College for highlighting these issues in their report.

The department knows that continuing to build the pipeline of speech and language therapists is essential. We are working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England to improve access to community health services, including speech and language therapy, for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-08 conversation_403

Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allocating additional funding for (a) dyslexia screening and (b) dyslexia-specific teacher training in Chichester constituency. \p Georgia Gould: ​​I refer the hon. Member for Chichester to the answer of 1 August 2025 to Question 61402.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-08 conversation_404

Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of requests for an EHCP assessment which are not decided within the 6 week deadline are subsequently approved in (a) each of the ten districts of Greater Manchester and (b) England. \p Georgia Gould: The total number of requests for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment which were not decided within six weeks can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025. This has been available since 26 June 2025.

A further breakdown of these figures showing the outcomes of requests for an EHC needs assessment, which were not decided within six weeks, is shown in the attached table.

EHC Assessment Timeframes (xlsx, 23.7KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-08 conversation_405

Maya Ellis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to help support youth democracy in schools in (a) Ribble Valley constituency and (b) Lancashire. \p Georgia Gould: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Ribble Valley to the answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 55746.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-08 conversation_406

Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what measures are in place to ensure that allegations of racial bias in (a) schools and (b) academy trusts are adequately (i) investigated and (ii) monitored. \p Georgia Gould: All public bodies, including maintained schools and academies, are subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which requires them to take steps to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations across all protected characteristics, including between people of different ethnic backgrounds. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has published technical guidance for schools on the Equality Act, including the requirements of the PSED: https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/equality/equality-act-2010/technical-guidance-schools-england.

Schools should address any intolerant, racist or discriminatory views, expressed by pupils, through their wider anti-bullying and safeguarding policies. All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines measures to encourage good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying amongst pupils.

Should there be any concerns about a school meeting their duties under the Equality Act, complaints can be made to the governing body of the school or the Chair of the Academy Trust and progressed through the setting’s published complaints process.

If following the complaint, there are still concerns, then a complaint can be made to the Secretary of State for Education to be investigated further.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-08 conversation_407

Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that all new Education, Health and Care Plans are issued within the statutory 20-week timeframe. \p Georgia Gould: The department wants to ensure that education, health and care (EHC) assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, high-quality plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.

The department continues to monitor, challenge and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we ensure that the cause of these problems is identified with the local authority and that an effective recovery plan is implemented. Where needed, the department deploys specialist special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) advisors to help identify the barriers to carrying out the EHC plan process in a timely way and to address these through practical plans for recovery, alongside addressing other areas of weakness in provision.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-08 conversation_408

Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to improve the delivery of financial literacy skills in secondary schools. \p Georgia Gould: I refer the hon. Member for Solihull West and Shirley to the answer of 9 April to Question 43513.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-08 conversation_409

Dr Roz Savage:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of improving food, farming, and sustainability education on public health. \p Georgia Gould: As part of the last reform of the national curriculum, an equalities impact assessment was carried out to evaluate whether the proposed changes would impact positively or negatively on groups with protected characteristics. This equalities impact assessment is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/211061/Equalities_impact_assessment_-_FINAL_v3.pdf.

Additionally, Public Health England provided a framework that guides teachers in applying best practice for food education in secondary schools. It is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a80d9c440f0b62305b8d7ff/Foodteaching_Secondaryguidelines_FINAL.pdf.

The curriculum and assessment system in England is currently under review by an independent panel of experts. The Curriculum and Assessment Review is now carrying out further investigation into specific policy and subject issues, working closely with the sector and building on the body of evidence gathered so far. No decisions about individual subjects have yet been made. Any subject-specific findings and recommendations that come out of the Review will be included in the final report which will be published in autumn.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-08 conversation_410

Amanda Martin:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging schools to fully fund one-to-one music tuition for pupils eligible for pupil premium funding. \p Georgia Gould: Art and design, music and drama within English are important parts of the national curriculum, and the government trusts schools to determine how best to teach all arts subjects, including teaching time.

Schools are expected to fund the teaching of arts subjects from their core budget. School funding is increasing by £3.7 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, meaning that core school budgets will total £65.3 billion.

In addition, a £76 million annual core grant is provided to 43 Music Hub partnerships to provide instrument tuition, loans, and whole-class ensemble teaching alongside £25 million for instruments and technology. From September 2026, the National Centre for Arts and Music Education will also support excellent teacher training in the arts, boost partnerships between schools and arts organisations and promote arts subjects.

The department launched the four-year music opportunities pilot in September 2024 across 12 local areas, backed by £2 million and a further £3.85 million from Arts Council England and Youth Music. The pilot supports pupils eligible for the pupil premium and others to learn how to play an instrument or sing to a high standard, including fully funded one-to-one tuition. The findings from the pilot will inform future policy on widening music opportunities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-08)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-08 conversation_411

Marie Goldman:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with local authorities to help assistant educational psychologists progress their careers. \p Georgia Gould: Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people. The department is investing over £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists from September 2024. This is in addition to the £10 million currently supporting the training of over 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.

To support retention, trainees starting from 2024 who have had their training funded by the department will be required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period of three years after graduation.

The department does not hold information on what proportion of assistant educational psychologists left the profession before becoming fully qualified educational psychologists.