theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he has taken to (a) facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and (b) ensure the safety of aid workers in Gaza. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: We call on the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under International Humanitarian Law (IHL) to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this in his meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 15 April. On 23 April, we issued a statement, together with France and Germany, calling for Israel to immediately re-start a rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza and expressed our outrage at recent strikes on humanitarian personnel, infrastructure, premises and healthcare facilities. We continue to make representations to the Government of Israel to ensure aid workers are protected and able to carry out their lifesaving work, to urgently restore deconfliction systems, and to call for full and transparent investigations and accountability for attacks on humanitarian workers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Sorcha Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of whether the delivery of aid to Gaza compiles with the UNHCR's Humanitarian principles, as endorsed UN General Assembly resolutions 46/182 and 58/114; and whether he has made representations to his international counterparts that such aid is delivered only through (a) UN and (b) international humanitarian agencies. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: As I told the House on 14 May, Israel's denial of aid is appalling. Israel must lift the block on aid entering Gaza now and enable the UN and all humanitarians to save lives. In our statement to the UN Security Council on 13 May, we made clear that the UK will not support any aid mechanism that seeks to deliver political or military objectives or puts vulnerable civilians at risk. Humanitarian partners such as the UN and humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisations must be allowed to operate in line with their principles. Baroness Chapman met with the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini on 12 May where she reiterated our support for the organisation and its critical role in delivering desperately needed aid and services to Palestinians.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has provided guidance to the Inter-American Development Bank on the financing of infrastructure in Caribbean nations as an alternative to Chinese state-backed loans. \p Stephen Doughty: The UK recognises the benefit of cooperating with a range of partners to support the interests of individual countries in the Caribbean. We encourage partners in the Caribbean to weigh up the risks and opportunities that investment opportunities might present, including from China.

The UK itself is a shareholder of and supports the Inter-American Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the World Bank in their work in the Latin America and Caribbean regions, providing financial support for sustainable development and growth.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the black market sale of (a) kidneys and (b) other organs in other countries. \p Stephen Doughty: Gangs and criminals that exploit and traffic people are part of international organised crime networks that do immense harm. Serious and organised crime in the UK is estimated to cost at least £47 billion annually and threatens our national security and prosperity. Overseas it poses a serious threat to our international objectives, including our efforts to deliver economic development, state building and poverty reduction. The UK is committed to tackling Serious Organised Crime and the illicit financial flows that underpin it through diplomatic, programmatic and operational interventions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Emily Thornberry:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 35215 on the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, what progress he has made on securing parliamentary time to progress the ratification of the treaty. \p Stephen Doughty: The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Hamas have links with (a) other proscribed terrorist groups and (b) Lashkar-e-Taiba. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK assesses Hamas in its entirety to be concerned in terrorism and therefore as of 26 November 2021 has proscribed the organisation in full. The UK condemns Hamas' continued attacks against civilians which are unacceptable and unjustifiable. It is entirely appropriate that we take all available opportunities to strengthen the UK's response to both domestic and international threats. This includes closely monitoring groups which Hamas has close ties with. The UK has long retained a policy of no contact with Hamas and an asset freeze against the entirety of the group.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Alex Sobel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 27839 on Western Sahara: Politics and Government, whether he supports a referendum on self-determination for the people of Western Sahara. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: The UK supports UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. The UK also supports the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara. Officials regularly discuss Western Sahara with international partners, the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara and civil societies. We will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Alex Sobel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with the Moroccan Ambassador on the recent occupation of further territory in Western Sahara. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Officials regularly meet and discuss with our Moroccan partners, in addition to regional and international partners, on the issue of Western Sahara. The UK continues to support the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara and the UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law, and we will continue to encourage constructive engagement with the political process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help support civil society organisations working on (a) human rights and (b) democratic freedoms in Venezuela. \p Catherine West: The UK firmly supports the right of civil society to operate freely in all countries, including Venezuela. We remain deeply concerned by restrictive legislation brought into law last year and publicly raised our concerns about the bill. We actively engage with civil society and human rights defenders in Venezuela, and run local projects to deliver UK objectives. We repeatedly call for human rights to be protected and for the cooperation of the Venezuelan authorities in bringing about a democratic transition, most recently at the Human Rights Council on 18 March 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Andrew Gwynne:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the (a) Pakistani and (b) Indian authorities to encourage de-escalation of military tensions along the line of control. \p Catherine West: The UK Government is taking all the steps we can to ensure that recent developments do not lead to uncontrolled escalation. We encourage India and Pakistan to commit to effective channels of engagement to safeguard stability in the region.   Alongside international partners, the UK will continue to engage in dialogue in pursuit of long-term regional stability. The Foreign Secretary is in regular dialogue with his Indian and Pakistani counterparts to encourage all parties to take a measured approach.  He is also in contact with US Secretary Rubio, French Foreign Minister Barrot and Gulf Partners to discuss the situation.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the role of Venezuela as a transit hub for cocaine shipments to Europe; and whether his Department is taking steps to help tackle such shipments. \p Catherine West: There are credible reports that local conditions have allowed criminal enterprises to substantially increase illicit activities in Venezuela, which has likely resulted in increases in cocaine trafficked through the country. The UK collaborates with regional partners to fight such organised crime, including drug trafficking.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2024 to Question 20252 on Universities: China, what the terms of reference are of the audit of the UK’s interests with regards to China; and whether he plans to publish a report at the end of the exercise. \p Catherine West: The China Audit will improve the UK's ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses. The widespread consultation process, within and beyond government, has already informed the government's approach to and engagement with China. The audit will set out a long-term, consistent approach to our relationship. Its findings, which will also inform other important developments such as the forthcoming National Security Strategy and Industrial Strategy, will be shared with Parliament and other stakeholders in due course.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2025 to Question 23482 on 11 Downing Street: Council Tax, whether he pays council tax on his official Ministerial residence in Carlton Gardens as a (a) sole or main residence, (b) single person discount and (c) second homes premium in 2025-26. \p Catherine West: The Foreign Secretary pays the necessary council tax on 1 Carlton Gardens.
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Josh Newbury:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what proportion of vehicles rented by his Department are electric vehicles. \p Georgia Gould: Departments are allocated a combination of electric and hybrid vehicles which are owned by the Government Car Service based on operational and security requirements. However, details of the specific vehicles allocated to individual Ministers are not disclosed. Sharing this information, particularly when combined with other publicly available details, could compromise the security of Ministers and their transport arrangements.

For travel by civil servants, the Cabinet Office does not rent a fleet of vehicles. It does have a contract in place for the provision of hire vehicles. These are for short term vehicle hire and used for official travel. In 24/25 (the latest period where information is available), the Cabinet Office had 1,504 individual hires, covering 3,175 days of hire. Of these, 14 vehicles were fully electric, with a hire period of 29 days.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 41640 on Government Departments: Electronic Purchasing Card Solution, if he will make it his policy to publish all Government Procurement Card transactions above £0 made by his Department. \p Georgia Gould: All central Government departments are required to publish Government Procurement Card transactions of £500 and over in line with the guidance available to all government departments on gov.uk at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e8b402686650c18ce2cb541/Procurement_Cards_-_Pan_Government_Policy_V4_xx-xxxx-xxxx.pdf.

The Cabinet Office is compliant with this guidance and there are no current plans to change this approach.

Following tough action from the Cabinet Office, all Government Procurement Cards have been frozen and only been re-issued where it is clear that these are business critical.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many small and medium-sized enterprises (a) were trading and (b) ceased trading in each of the past 5 years. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 28th April is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 116.6KB)
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Anna Sabine:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the number and proportion of adults who lived with their parents in each year between 2019 and 2024. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 25th April is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 96.4KB)
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have been reappointed to public appointments since 4 July 2024;, who they were; and what the bodies were. \p Georgia Gould: There have been 194 reappointments to regulated public appointment roles recorded on the Cabinet Office’s public appointments digital service since 4 July 2024.

These reappointments are published on the announcement page of the public appointments website.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will list all of the (a) special representatives, (b) envoys and (c) special envoys in post on 25 April 2025, broken down by whether they are (i) special advisers, (ii) civil servants, (iii) public appointments and (iv) direct ministerial appointments. \p Georgia Gould: The Cabinet Office did not have any special representatives, envoys or special envoys in post on 25 April 2025. Other government departments are responsible for their own appointments and representatives.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the UK Statistics Authority plans to implement recommendation 56 of the Sullivan Review of Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender, published on 19 March 2025. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 22nd April is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 102.2KB)
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2024 to Question 10991 on Civil Service: Zero Hours Contracts, how many Cabinet Office (a) staff and (b) contractors are on zero hour contracts in the most recent period for which data is available. \p Georgia Gould: Cabinet Office has 423 Contingent Labour workers on zero hour contracts as at 28 April 2025 via the contract Cabinet Office has with Alexander Mann Solutions Ltd.

Cabinet Office uses zero hours contracts to selectively manage temporary demand. To end exploitative zero hours contracts, under the government’s plans to Make Work Pay legislation will be brought in to give workers on zero hours contracts and workers with a ‘low’ number of guaranteed hours, who regularly work more than these hours, the ability to move to guaranteed hours contracts which reflect the hours they regularly work over a 12-week reference period.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what (a) countries and (b) international organisations the (i) Office for National Statistics and (ii) UK Statistics Authority has (A) signed and (B) planned to sign co-operation agreements or treaties with. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 22nd April is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 120.5KB)
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13326, on Government Departments: Flags, if he will publish a list of the flags purchased by the Government Property Agency since 4 July 2024; how much each cost; and the purpose for which each flag was bought. \p Georgia Gould: Since 4th July 2024 the Government Property Agency has purchased two flags:

Pride Flag - Darlington - Purchased for flying during events - Cost: £674.17

Flag of Ukraine - London - Purchased to show solidarity with Ukraine - Cost: £104.60

All costs include supplier fees and exclude VAT. There have been no changes to the range of flags held by the department since the election.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Department is responsible for paying the council tax bill for the empty Ministerial residences in Admiralty House. \p Georgia Gould: The payment of Council Tax (Domestic Rates) costs relating to Admiralty House is the responsibility of the Cabinet Office.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of civil servants have received formal performance ratings of underperforming or equivalent in each department in each of the last five years. \p Georgia Gould: Departments have delegated responsibility for monitoring and reporting on civil servants performance ratings via their internal governance arrangements.

Information on how many civil servants in departments have received formal performance ratings of underperforming is therefore not held centrally.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an estimate of the number of businesses that have ceased trading in Mid-Bedfordshire constituency since the Autumn Budget 2024. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 7th May is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 131.9KB)
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many roles in his Department were (a) externally advertised and (b) subject to open competition since 30 May 2024; and how many senior civil servants have been appointed without external advertisement and open competition in that time. \p Georgia Gould: Substantive appointments and promotions to or within Senior Civil Service (SCS) grades at Cabinet Office have to be through fair and open competition. Between 30 May 2024 and 30 April 2025, the Cabinet Office advertised 19 SCS roles through fair and open competition, of which 12 were advertised externally. SCS roles can also be appointed outside of fair and open competition through routes that include temporary promotions, level moves, secondments and identifying roles for returners.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 April 2025 to Question 46095 on Mortality Rates: Huntingdon, whether the Office for National Statistics plans to repeat the special exercise to calculate the standardised mortality ratio for people aged under 65 years old using current data. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 7th May is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 97.6KB)
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Civil Service Commission's publication entitled How Departments are doing on fair and open recruitment: what the Commission’s audits found, published in April 2025, in which departments audits found errors on the management of appointments by exception. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The Civil Service Commission is operationally independent of the Government. The Commission reports on its audit activity each year in its Annual Report but does not publish individual departmental audits. The Commission additionally published a review into appointments by exception in November 2024.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions the Permanent Secretary to her Department has had with Mr David Kogan on his donations to the Labour Party. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Independent Football Regulator Chair process has been run in accordance with the Governance Code on appointments, including the declaration of significant political activity at application and interview.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will place in the Library a copy of the declaration of interests made by Mr David Kogan in his application for the role of independent football regulator chair. \p Stephanie Peacock: Mr Kogan’s declaration of interests was provided to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee prior to his pre-appointment scrutiny hearing in May. The Committee published this alongside their report, which endorsed his appointment.
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Michael Wheeler:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential contribution of grassroots sports clubs in preventative healthcare. \p Stephanie Peacock: Sport and physical activity including grassroots sports clubs play a vital role in preventing, and helping to treat and manage, a wide range of health conditions and in delivering the Government’s Health Mission.

Latest evidence provided by Sport England shows that physical activity directly prevents 3.2 million cases of long term health conditions per year, including 1.3 million cases of depression and 600,000 cases of diabetes, worth over £10 billion in healthcare savings each year.
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Laurence Turner:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 07 April 2025 to Question 43306 on Birmingham City Council: Finance, when the transparency publication referred to in that Answer will next be updated. \p Jim McMahon: The Commissioners’ fees and expenses up to and including March 2025 have now been published on Birmingham City Council’s website.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the total staff exit costs incurred in each instance of local government reorganisation since 2009. \p Jim McMahon: No estimate has been made of total staff exit costs as a result of previous local government reorganisation.
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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed transition period for moving from the BS 476-22 national fire door safety testing standard to the EN1634-1 standard on (a) the productivity of and (b) costs to timber fire door manufacturers. \p Alex Norris: On 2 September 2024, the Government announced the withdrawal of National Classes fire testing standards from Approved Document B, ending the dual classification system in favour of the European Standard (BS EN 13501). This change aimed to enhance fire protection by simplifying compliance routes within Approved Document B (ADB) and followed scrutiny during the Grenfell Tower Inquiry where the suitability of BS 476 was questioned.

The Government recognises the potential economic impact that could result from this change. The overall impact and associated benefits were carefully evaluated to inform the policy decision and are set out in the Impact Assessment that accompanied the policy announcement.

Market analysis and sector engagement showed limited impact on developers for the reaction to fire classification. Changes took effect on 2nd March 2025, with a six-month transition period provided for fire reaction.

We identified a larger impact on sectors involved in bespoke wooden fire doors, cavity barriers, smoke vents, and roofs due to re-testing requirements for the fire resistance classification. Concerns were also raised about testing site capacity. An extended transition period of 5 years was developed through discussions with the sector allowing manufacturers time to retest their products ahead of compliance with BS EN 13501 coming into force on 2nd September 2029.

We and the Building Safety Regulator will continue to support industry to develop new standards and testing capacity to minimise disruption to supply chains through the transitional period.

The Building Safety Regulator will keep these standards under review as part of their continuous review of Approved Document B, in line with their duty under the Building Safety Act to keep the safety and standard of buildings under review in England.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department collates information on individual workplace attendance in its offices outside London. \p Alex Norris: The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government collates information to support individual colleagues to meet the office attendance expectation.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether any civil servants in her Departmental claim both (a) diversity network and (b) trade union facility time. \p Alex Norris: No civil servants in the department are currently claiming for both a) diversity network and b) trade union facility time.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether additional funding has been provided to fire and rescue services for protecting (a) large-scale solar farms that are nationally significant infrastructure projects and (b) their respective battery storage infrastructure. \p Alex Norris: Decisions on how fire and rescue services’ resources are best deployed to meet their core functions based on local needs and risks are a matter for each Fire and Rescue Authority, in line with their Community Risk Management Plan. The 2025/26 Local Government Finance Settlement, published on 3 February by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, sets out funding allocations for all local authorities, including Fire and Rescue Authorities. Standalone Fire and Rescue Authorities will see an increase in core spending power of £65.5 million in 2025/26. Including the National Insurance Contribution Grant, this is an increase of 3.6 per cent in cash terms compared to 2024/25. We will continue to work closely with Fire and Rescue Services to ensure they have the resources they need to help keep their communities safe.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with Tony Blair since 1 July 2024. \p Alex Norris: The Deputy Prime Minister joined Tony Blair for a Q&A event in December 2024 at the Tony Blair Institute. They discussed delivering the government’s ambitious agenda on Housing and Devolution.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many times she has met with West Midlands Fire Service Chief Fire Officer between July 2024 and April 2025. \p Alex Norris: I am responding as the Minister now with responsibility for Fire. I can confirm that to my knowledge the Secretary of State for the Home Department did not meet with the West Midlands Fire Service Chief Fire Officer during that period. The Home Secretary decided to commission a Best value Inspection of the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service. Any further announcements will be made on this in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the guidance entitled Taxpayer funding of trade unions: Delivering sensible savings in local government, published in March 2013, remains extant guidance. \p Jim McMahon: This government recognises the vital role that trade unions have in delivering a strong economy and improved living standards. The 2013 document was produced by a previous administration. Some of its measures were then included in the 2016 Trade Union Act, which the government is repealing through the Employment Rights Bill.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-15 conversation_201

Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of education, health and care plans across different local authority areas. \p Catherine McKinnell: An education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment ensures that a child or young person’s needs are assessed in a joined-up way across education, health and social care services.

Under this assessment process, the local authority must seek information and advice from a range of partners. These include the child or young person and their parents; their school or college (if any); health and social care partners; an educational psychologist; and other relevant professionals.

If it is determined necessary for special educational provision to be made for the child or young person, the local authority must prepare an EHC plan which will say clearly what the child or young person’s needs are and what help they will be entitled to.

If a child’s parent or a young person disagrees with a decision not to assess for a plan, the decision not to issue a plan, the description of needs in the plan, the educational provision set out or the educational institution named, they are able to appeal to the First-tier special educational needs and disabilities Tribunal.

Latest data held by the department shows that 1,887 appeals were heard by the First-tier Tribunal in the 2023 calendar year that were not regarding a decision not to assess or the decision not to issue a plan. This includes appeals heard regarding disagreements over the description of needs in a plan and the educational provision set out in a plan.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-15 conversation_202

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of additional funding required for SEND support in schools in Devon. \p Catherine McKinnell: This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Overall schools funding is increasing by £3.2 billion in the 2025/26 financial year and will total over £64.8 billion, compared to almost £61.6 billion in 2024/25. Within that total there is an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion. Of that total, Devon County Council is being allocated over £125 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £8.9 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block.

Mainstream schools are expected to contribute from their budgets to the cost of supporting their pupils with SEND up to a cost threshold of £6,000 per pupil per annum. Local authorities support schools with SEND support costs in excess of that threshold, using funds from their high needs budgets. Nevertheless, the government recognises that the rising costs of SEND provision are putting a strain on local government and school finances. The government is considering, as part of the current spending review due to conclude in June, the funding and changes required in future years, to ensure that high-quality services for children and young people with SEND can be delivered in a financially sustainable way.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-15 conversation_203

Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children have applied for SENIF funding in Cambridgeshire in each of the last five academic years, broken down by constituency. \p Catherine McKinnell: All local authorities are required to have a special educational need inclusion fund (SENIF) for all eligible children for the entitlements and who have special educational needs (SEN).

Local authorities should establish their SENIFs using funding from the early years block and/or the high needs block of their dedicated schools grant, considering pressures on high needs and early years budgets locally.

The department gives local authorities the autonomy to set SENIF budgets and decide on eligibility criteria locally, as they are best placed to meet local need.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-15 conversation_204

Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with local authorities on reducing the time taken to appeal an EHCP decision. \p Catherine McKinnell: Whilst most education, health and care plans and assessments are agreed without recourse to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Tribunal, some families struggle to get the support they need when they need it.

The department continues to work across government, with local authorities and the Tribunal to understand why appeals may take a long time to be resolved and what support we can give local authorities to improve decision-making. As an initial step, last year we jointly delivered eight training sessions on ‘SEND and the law’ for local authority SEND caseworkers to improve their knowledge of the law and help ensure that decisions are legally compliant.

The Tribunal is taking steps to reduce the time that families wait for a decision on their appeal. It has recruited and trained over 70 new judges who are now hearing appeals. It has also expanded the remit of Judicial Alternative Dispute Resolution (JDAR) to determine all ‘Section I (name of school)’ appeals and recently announced a rule change to allow for judicial discretion to determine whether more appeals can be heard on paper. The use of JDAR and paper hearings reduces the need for full oral hearings and therefore the time families wait for decisions.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed reforms in the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan. \p Catherine McKinnell: The special educational needs and disabilities and alternative provision improvement plan was published under the previous government which did not complete a full cost-benefit analysis.

The department continues to develop and test reform proposals, including building on those in the plan, to support this government’s ambition to ensure that all children and young people can access the support they need to achieve and thrive in education and as they transition to adult life.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-15 conversation_206

Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with local authorities in (a) rural areas and (b) Devon on (i) reducing the time taken for patients to be seen by and (ii) expanding SEND hubs. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department has worked closely with statutory partners in Devon since the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection in May 2022, which found insufficient progress on four significant weaknesses identified in the previous inspection in 2018, including the timeliness and quality of education, health and care (EHC) plans. In response, an improvement notice was issued in September 2022, and an Accelerated Progress Plan was developed with Devon County Council and the integrated care board. The department and NHS England have deployed SEND advisers to support the local area.

Formal monitoring meetings are held with Devon County Council and partners, including on EHC plans and assessment timeliness. While recent monitoring meetings have shown some improvements, substantial progress is still needed to ensure all children and families receive the support they need and deserve.

Many children and young people with SEND continue to face challenges in accessing suitable school placements close to home.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has published allocations for £740 million high needs capital in the 2025/26 financial year to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision, with over £11 million high needs capital funding allocated to Devon County Council. This can be used to make classrooms more accessible and create specialist facilities in mainstream schools for intensive support, alongside continuing to provide places to support pupils in special schools with the most complex needs.

The department is working closely with Devon County Council to consider proposals for an increase resourced provision in Devon as part of the local authority’s approach to SEND sufficiency.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

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Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the accountability of local authorities in delivering high-quality SEND provision under the Children and Families Act 2014. \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 achieve and thrive including as they move into adult life. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach in collaboration with local area partnerships to improving support for all children and young people with SEND.

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) introduced a strengthened area SEND inspection framework in January 2023, leading to a greater emphasis on the outcomes being achieved for children and young people. It is the primary tool to maintain a focus on high standards in the SEND system across all partners.​

The department works to monitor, support and challenge local authorities as needed, working closely with NHS England to tackle weaknesses that sit with health partners. Where a council does not meet its duties, we can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. We offer a range of universal, targeted and intensive support through programmes such as our Sector Led Improvement Partners, which provides peer-to-peer tailored support.

The department will continue to work closely with Ofsted and CQC as they review the local area SEND inspection framework in response to feedback from the Big Listen exercise.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-15 conversation_208

Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many education, health and care plans were completed within the statutory timeframe in each of the last five years for which data is available. \p Catherine McKinnell: Information on the number of requests for an education, health and care (EHC) plan issued within the statutory timeframe of 20 weeks, for each of the last 5 years, is shown in the table linked here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/1e7dc959-f459-4ef6-ba17-08dd866b22bc.

The latest available figures cover the 2023 calendar year.