theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the decision not to automatically adjust UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) spending in line with economic conditions on ODA-funded programmes globally. \p Stephen Doughty: Official Development Assistance (ODA) budgets from 2025/26 onwards are set in cash terms based on Gross National Income (GNI) forecasts. This change means the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO's) ODA budgets will no longer be exposed to the volatility of ODA spending by other departments, including asylum costs.

As The Minister of State for International Development set out in her 27 March letter to the International Development Committee, this is a significant and positive change to the way the FCDO manages its ODA budget, increasing the predictability of our budgets and allowing us to plan with more certainty.

Departmental ODA allocations will be confirmed at the Spending Review.
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Priti Patel:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Question v of the letter of 25 March 2025 from the Minister for the Indo-Pacific to the Chair of the International Agreements Committee on Treaty scrutiny, if he will share the initial text of the Treaty with Mauritius with (a) the Foreign Affairs Committee, (b) the International Agreements Committee and (c) other parliamentarians before it is signed. \p Stephen Doughty: As we have repeatedly said, once an agreement is reached and the Treaty is signed, the Treaty will be put before both Houses for scrutiny under the CRaG process in the usual way.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to monitor the potential impact of the Mutual Security treaty between Russia and Belarus on (a) regional security and (b) human rights in Belarus. \p Stephen Doughty: Across His Majesty's Government we take steps to ensure we stay up to date on relevant developments in Belarus, including on the Russia-Belarus Treaty on Mutual Security Guarantee signed into force by Presidents Putin and Lukashenko in March. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials will continue to monitor the impacts of the Mutual Security Guarantee in all aspects, including on regional security and human rights in Belarus.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on accountability for the actions of the Lukashenko regime. \p Stephen Doughty: I condemn Belarus' relentless repression, which continues to become ever more draconian and punitive. The UK works closely with our likeminded partners on the ground in Minsk, in capitals, and in international organisations to work to hold the Lukashenko regime to account.

The UK also co-sponsors the UN's accountability mandates and works on accountability measures through the International Accountability Platform for Belarus, which the UK led in establishing in 2021, working alongside Germany, Denmark, and a range of other partners. We also coordinate with our European partners on statements, sanctions, and work in Minsk to hold the regime to account.
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Lincoln Jopp:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the sentencing powers of magistrates on court backlogs since October 2024. \p Sarah Sackman: Last November, we extended magistrates’ court sentencing powers from 6 to 12 months. It is premature to assess the impact of the policy due to the time it has been in place.

The change enables more cases to be retained in the magistrates’ courts, freeing up capacity in the Crown Court for other cases to be heard. In general, magistrates’ courts hear cases more quickly than the Crown Court, therefore these cases will be dealt with faster, helping deliver swifter access to justice for victims.

We will be able to properly assess the impacts of extending these sentencing powers once the policy has been in place for a sufficient period of time. This will allow sufficient cases to have worked through the system with outcomes and the data associated with those outcomes.
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Graeme Downie:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will conduct an audit of (a) prisons and (b) other justice-system jnfrastructure classified as critically important to national interests to identify whether they contain Chinese-made components. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The UK will not compromise on economic security and will continue to prioritise national security and resilience.

We will continue to cooperate with China on trade and investment, recognising there will also be areas where we need to challenge non-market policies and protect sensitive sectors of the economy.

We will continue to support UK business to engage with the second largest economy in the world, while being clear-eyed to any risks and ensuring security and resilience.

The National Technical Authorities (NCSC and NPSA) provide advice to CNI industry on best practice for CNI security and resilience. HMPPS follows all relevant CNI guidance.
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David Davis:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to her oral contribution of 22 April 2025, Official Report, column 911, what her Department's requisite level of accuracy is for AI transcriptions of court trials. \p Sarah Sackman: It is imperative that court transcripts are of a very high standard, and redacted as may be required, to provide an accurate record of official proceedings and in order to safeguard the interests of the parties, witnesses and victims. The production of Crown Court transcripts is currently a manual process delivered by third-party suppliers. Under the contract, suppliers are required to produce transcripts to 99.5% accuracy. We are targeting a similar level of accuracy in AI transcripts. We are actively exploring opportunities to use technology to reduce the cost of transcripts in future, but a high degree of accuracy will be of paramount importance.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of halal food served in prisons. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: Information on the quantity and proportion of halal food served in prisons is not collected centrally. To obtain the requested information, it would therefore be necessary to consult each of the 122 prisons in England and Wales individually, and this could not be done without incurring disproportionate cost.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to lay the legislative reform order consulted on by the previous government on allowing faith groups to hold outdoor religious weddings. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Law Commission’s 2022 report on weddings raises a number of issues around weddings law, including giving greater choice in how and where individuals can get married.

Given marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, it is right that we take the time to carefully consider this report before we set out our position on weddings reform in the coming months.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults on prison staff there have been in each of the last five years, by religion of the prisoner. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The number of individuals involved in incidents of an assault on staff within prisons in England and Wales, by religion, for 2020 to 2024, can be found in the accompanying table.

Table (xlsx, 16.7KB)
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Henry Tufnell:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average appeal waiting times are for legal aid cases by (a) represented and (b) unrepresented cases. \p Sarah Sackman: The information requested is not held centrally.

The unit cost of processing an application is not specifically tracked or recorded by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA), nor is the operating expenditure relating to exceptional case funding (ECF) recorded separately to general legal aid operating expenditure. Information about the operational costs of administering the legal aid scheme is set out in the LAA’s Annual Report and Accounts.

It is not possible to provide costs relating to, or to make an estimate of the costs relating to, processing an application or any part of the application process or overall operational costs associated with the ECF scheme.

Although the LAA records some information about appeal processing times, it does not distinguish between appeals submitted by clients with legal representatives and those without. Information relating to civil legal aid processing times can be found here and criminal legal aid processing times can be found here.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025, to Question 41312 on Empty Dwelling Management Orders, what information HM Courts and Tribunals Services holds on the issuing of Empty Dwelling Management Orders. \p Sarah Sackman: The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) Residential Property division compiles only aggregated statistics for receipts of interim Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMO) approved and final EDMO appeals.

Over the last five years EDMO receipts were as follows:

Year

Receipts

23/24

0

22/23

0

21/22

3

20/21

5

19/20

10*

*The data recorded is unpublished management information and has not been subject to the same quality checks as Official Statistics, which are published by the Ministry of Justice.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what exemptions from security measures on religious grounds exist in prisons. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: No prisoners are exempt from searches by sniffer dogs.

During a cell search, care must be taken when handling religious artefacts, and search dogs must not come into contact with religious artefacts or holy books. Prisoners must be asked to point these out before the search, so that staff can search them by hand before the dog enters the cell.

Any request by a prisoner in the men’s estate for exemption from being searched by a female member of staff, on religious or philosophical grounds, must be made formally and considered as quickly as possible. The prisoner should not be searched by female staff in the intervening period.
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Melanie Onn:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps her Department has taken to help ensure that individuals carrying out jury duty do not experience financial hardship. \p Sarah Sackman: Jury service is a vital civic duty, and the Government is committed to ensuring jurors feel supported throughout their service. Jurors can claim subsistence and travel expenses, as well as a loss of earnings allowance from the court. The jury summoning process provides for applications for deferral or excusal from service based upon financial hardship.
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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what is her Department's policy on the renewal of the holiday activities food programme beyond the 2025-26 financial year. \p Stephen Morgan: The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme supports disadvantaged children and their families with enriching activities, providing them with healthy food, helping them to learn new things, improving socialisation and benefitting their health and wellbeing during school holidays.

The HAF programme, although aimed at those children in receipt of benefits related free school meals (FSM), is not exclusively for them. As set out in the HAF guidance, while the majority of funding that local authorities receive should be used for holiday club places for children in receipt of FSM, local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related FSM, but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF provision. Local authorities are responsible for understanding the needs of the children and families in their area and ensuring that the programme reaches those who need it.

Funding beyond March 2026 will be determined in the next government spending review.
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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of reductions in the level of funding for holiday activities and food programmes on children from lower-income backgrounds. \p Stephen Morgan: The department invests in free holiday club places for children in low-income families, with all 153 local authorities in England delivering in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays.

The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme is delivered by local authorities to provide healthy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning.

As well as food provision, HAF lets children and young people continue their development outside of term time in a safe environment and opens opportunities for parents on low incomes to work extra shifts and support their families.

Based on reporting from local authorities, over Summer 2024, local authorities reported that over 628,000 children and young people attended the HAF programme. Of these participating children, over 511,000 were funded directly by the HAF programme and over 433,000 were receiving benefits-related free school meals.

Over Easter 2024, local authorities reported that over 377,000 children attended the programme, of which over 324,000 were funded directly by the HAF programme and over 276,000 were receiving benefits-related free school meals.

Over Christmas 2024, local authorities reported that over 270,000 children attended the programme, of which over 250,000 were funded directly by the HAF programme and over 215,000 were receiving benefits-related free school meals.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve recruitment in the early years sector. \p Stephen Morgan: The early years workforce is at the heart of the government’s mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver the Plan for Change. The department is determined to create change in the approach to early years, focusing on high-quality early education, celebrating early years careers and embedding the sector into the wider education system. Later this year, we will publish a strategy to reform early years education, including the workforce.

The government is supporting the sector to attract talented staff and childminders by creating conditions for improved recruitment and new routes into the workforce. Our national recruitment campaign is encouraging the public to ‘Do something BIG’ and start a career working with small children, and a dedicated campaign website is helping people to find out more about gaining qualifications and to search existing job vacancies. We are also piloting whether £1,000 financial incentives will boost recruitment in early years and have been running a childminder start-up grant scheme. Finally, we have introduced new routes into the workforce including Skills Bootcamps, which are free, flexible, employer-led courses that lead to accelerated apprenticeships.

Retaining and maximising the staff already in the workforce is also of vital importance. Through the experience-based route, providers will be able to maximise the potential of their staff who have the right skills and experience but do not hold an approved qualification. We have also taken steps to increase the graduate workforce via the early years teacher degree apprenticeship, providing a new undergraduate route to gaining early years teacher status.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of levels of breakfast club funding. \p Stephen Morgan: Over 750 early adopter schools are now delivering free breakfast clubs across the country as part of a test and learn phase before further rollout of the programme. The department has used existing programmes and costs to determine the funding rates for early adopter schools, which have been tested and refined with a number of schools. An average school with 50% take up on the early adopter scheme would receive around £23,000 for a full year.

We will be working closely with the early adopter schools to test how they utilise the funding, which includes food, delivery and staffing costs. The department has a robust strategy in place to capture and analyse this data.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the extent to which standardised behaviour policies in schools reflect evidence on (a) executive dysfunction and (b) other traits associated with ADHD. \p Catherine McKinnell: All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines effective strategies that will encourage good behaviour and the sanctions that will be imposed for misbehaviour.

Any policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable, and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006. This includes taking account of pupils’ special educational needs and disabilities.

The ’Behaviour in schools’ guidance provides support for schools on developing and implementing a behaviour policy which outlines effective strategies that will encourage good behaviour. This guidance is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-in-schools--2.
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Gareth Snell:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will ensure that media literacy becomes a core component of the Curriculum and Assessment Review in the context of generative AI. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central to the answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 47184 .
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she taking to ensure that children receive sex and relationship education. \p Catherine McKinnell: Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

It is compulsory for schools to teach relationships education for primary school pupils, relationships and sex education for secondary school pupils, and health education for all pupils in state-funded schools, in line with the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance, which has been in place since September 2020.

Oak National Academy are developing new resources to support schools with the delivery of RSHE, which will start to become available later this year.
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Lizzi Collinge:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve retention rates among Design and Technology teachers. \p Catherine McKinnell: High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor to a child’s educational outcomes. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child. This is why the department will recruit 6,500 new expert teachers.

The 2024/25 initial teacher training (ITT) census reported 618 trainees had begun courses in design technology, up from 334 trainees in 2021/22. The department offered a £25,000 tax-free bursary for design technology teacher training in 2024/25 and increased this to £26,000 for courses starting in 2025/26.

A successful recruitment strategy starts with a strong retention strategy, and we want to ensure teachers of all subjects and phases stay and thrive in this profession. The department agreed a 5.5% pay award for teachers in the 2024/25 academic year and has taken steps to improve teachers’ workload and wellbeing, and enable greater flexible working, to support retention and help re-establish teaching as an attractive profession.

High-quality continuing professional development is also key to ensuring the retention of an effective teaching workforce. The department has established teaching school hubs across the country, who play a significant role in delivering ITT, the early career framework, and national professional qualifications. Star Teaching School Hub North West Lancashire and One Cumbria Teaching School Hub are both centres of excellence supporting teacher training and development across Lancaster, Westmorland and Furness.
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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on developing a cross-departmental strategy to improve outcomes for children with ADHD in education settings. \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 in their education and as they move into adult life. We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs.

The department is working closely with other government departments and with external experts on reforms. In November 2024, we established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, which includes clinicians, scientists and academics, as well as education experts and third sector organisations. This group is chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg from Birmingham University and aims to provide an expert view and make recommendations on the best ways to support and meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people in mainstream education settings, including consideration of the types of support that should be readily available without the need for a diagnosis.

The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group includes the chair of the independent ADHD Taskforce, convened by NHS England, which provides vital co-ordination across government. My right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, have met on several occasions, including to discuss support for children with SEND.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding through the National Funding Formula for (a) small schools and (b) rural schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. This recognises that some schools are necessarily small because they are remote and do not have the same opportunities to grow or make efficiency savings as other schools, and that such schools often play a significant role in the rural communities they serve.

All small and rural schools have benefited from the increase to core factors in the NFF in 2025/26 financial year, including the NFF lump sum, which is set at £145,100. This provides a fixed amount of funding that is unrelated to pupil-led factors. The lump sum is particularly beneficial to small schools more reliant on an element of funding that is not driven by pupil numbers.

Schools can attract additional funding through the sparsity factor in the NFF if they are both small and remote. Eligible primary schools attract up to £57,400, and all other eligible schools attract up to £83,400, in sparsity funding in the 2025/26 financial year. The department is providing £100 million in total through the sparsity factor in the 2025/26 financial year.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that media literacy is included in the Curriculum and Assessment Review. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer the hon. Member for Newton Abbot to the answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 47184.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to reduce SEND funding differentials between local authorities. \p Catherine McKinnell: The government has indicated that it will take the time needed to consider changes to the high needs national funding formula (NFF) used by the department to allocate funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities.

It is important that there is a fair education funding system that reflects differences in the level of underlying need across the country and directs funding accordingly to support improved outcomes for children and young people.
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Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to increase guidance available to parents on SEND (a) provision and (b) support. \p Catherine McKinnell: The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to publish a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) local offer, setting out in one place information about provision they expect to be available across education, health and social care for children and young people in their area who have special educational needs (SEN) or are disabled, including those who do not have education, health and care (EHC) plans.

The local offer has two key purposes:

In developing and reviewing the SEND local offer, the local authority must work in collaboration with a wide range of partners. The SEND local offer must be co-produced with parents and young people, and information on their feedback and how it has been taken into account must be published. The local authority must also work with its statutory EHC partners, including schools, colleges and early years settings and the Integrated Care Service.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS) offer information, advice and support for parents, carers children and young people with SEND. Under the Children and Families Act 2014 it is a legal requirement that all local authorities have a SENDIASS.

The department additionally supports participation by parents in local and national decision making, this has included £2.66 million in grant payments direct to local parent carer forums, and funding to maintain a national helpline providing advice and support for parents and carers.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding is available to Ramsden Hall Academy to help secure the school site; and if she will meet the Rt hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay to discuss that funding. \p Stephen Morgan: The department supports academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies, who are responsible for managing the safety and maintenance of their estates, with capital funding, rebuilding programmes and extensive guidance on effective estate management.

We have recently confirmed the details of £2.1 billion of capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year to improve the condition of the school estate, up from £1.8 billion committed for the 2024/25 financial year.

For the 2025/26 financial year, Parallel Learning Trust met the eligibility criteria for the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), and its schools, including Ramsden Hall Academy, were invited to bid into CIF for capital projects. We expect to confirm outcomes of CIF later in the spring.

Capital funding to improve school buildings beyond 2025/26 will be confirmed following the next phase of the spending review.

I would be happy to meet to discuss capital funding for Ramsden Heath Academy.
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Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging local authorities to adopt the HAF Plus model of delivering the Holiday Activities and Food programme for 13-16 year olds. \p Stephen Morgan: The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme supports disadvantaged children and their families during the school holidays, offering enriching activities and healthy food to support their health, development and wellbeing. The department was very pleased to be able to make available more than £200 million for the HAF programme in 2025/26. Delivery across England has already taken place at Easter, with the summer and Christmas holidays to come.

HAF Plus has been adopted by several local authorities as a model for older children, following successful pilots. Through the department’s annual guidance to local authorities who coordinate the programme across England, we encourage flexibility to offer suitable models to older children, with careful consideration given to a different model of food and activity provision. We also strongly encourage consideration of the role that older children can have in supporting, designing and leading sessions for their peers or for younger children, in order to help them to socialise and develop leadership skills, which can be crucial for those in year 9 to 11.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 40687 on Schools: Meat, if she will take steps to ensure that parents are informed of whether meat served in school meals is halal. \p Stephen Morgan: The government respects religious freedoms and expects schools to provide parents with all the information they need to make informed choices around school meals. Headteachers, governors and their caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies, taking into account cultural, religious and special dietary needs. The department would expect any significant changes to school food to be discussed with parents.
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Dr Scott Arthur:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help tackle misogyny in schools. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Edinburgh South West, to the answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 40591.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44536 on Childcare: Finance, what role ministers played in allocation decisions; and in what way the four key criteria were (a) assessed and (b) scored. \p Stephen Morgan: The assessment process for applications to the school-based nursery capital grant was conducted in a fair and consistent manner across all schools. Awards to eligible schools were made based on application scores.

Each application was evaluated by a team of officials from the department against four established criteria, using a six-point scoring scale. Any applicant that scored less than 2 in any criterion was eliminated from the process. Assessors reviewed each project based on the information provided in the application, the required supporting documentation and relevant school performance and financial indicators available to the department.

After the initial assessment and scoring, a panel of commercial specialists conducted a moderation exercise. Applications were then ranked by total score and funding was awarded to the 300 highest-scoring projects.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_72

Sojan Joseph:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme for raising awareness of (a) apprenticeships, (b) traineeships and (c) T Levels in (i) Kent and (ii) England. \p Janet Daby: The Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme has played an important role in promoting apprenticeships and other technical education routes over the last nine academic years. Over this period there has been a significant increase in the interest and understanding of apprenticeships and technical education pathways which has been influenced by the ASK programme and other government initiatives to raise awareness of these routes.

The Careers and Enterprise Company’s Future Skills Questionnaire (FSQ) shows that in 2023/24, 88% of year 13 and 80% of year 11 were aware of and understood apprenticeship related options after their education in England. FSQ also shows that students are over twice as likely to report awareness of apprenticeships between year 7 and year 11 (from 38% to 80%, almost on a par with A levels). In Kent, 77% of year 11 students reported understanding apprenticeships compared to 79% awareness of A Levels.

FSQ data also show that since the T Level programme was launched in 2020, awareness and understanding of the T Levels has increased from 37% in 2021/22 to 47% in 2023/24.

Data from the Parent, Pupil and Learner Panel Survey also shows that awareness of T Levels is growing rapidly. 50% of students in years 9 to 11 knew about a T Level in 2023, up from 14% two years earlier.

The Traineeship programme was closed on 31 July 2023 under the previous government.
wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_73
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_73

Mary Kelly Foy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing student number controls to address competition in the sector. \p Janet Daby: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will set out a plan for reform of the higher education sector in the summer. These reforms will ensure our world-leading sector can provide the skills required to deliver economic growth through the industrial strategy and support the wider changes the country needs in the years to come.

As part of this plan, the department will focus on providers’ efficiency and effectiveness, increasing collaboration with other skills providers, strengthening the civic role of providers and ensuring the right improvement and stronger alignment of provision with the needs of students and the economy.
wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_74
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_74

Sarah Bool:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the British Hair Consortium's report entitled Securing the future of UK hairdressing and beauty: the economic, fiscal & societal case for VAT reform, published in February 2025, what steps she is taking to support apprenticeships in the hair and beauty sector. \p Janet Daby: I refer the hon. Member for South Northamptonshire to the answer of 12 March 2025 to Question 34828.
wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_75
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_75

Mary Kelly Foy:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an alternative to the fee-based funding model for higher education. \p Janet Daby: The higher education (HE) sector needs a secure financial footing to face the challenges of the next decade and to ensure that all students can be confident they will receive the world-class HE experience they deserve. This is why, after seven years of frozen fee caps under the previous government, we have taken the difficult decision to increase maximum tuition fee limits for the 2025/26 academic year by 3.1%, in line with the forecast rate of inflation.

The government believes in the principle that a fee-based funding model and income-contingent student loan repayment system is the most equitable way of ensuring that individuals who have benefited directly from HE make a fair contribution towards its cost. Upfront tuition fee loans have allowed many more students, including disadvantaged students, to access HE through removing financial barriers so that everyone with the ability and desire to enter HE can do so.

Student loans have important protections for borrowers. Monthly repayments depend on earnings, not on interest rates or the amount borrowed, and no-one who earns under the student loan repayment threshold is required to make any repayments at all. At the end of the loan term, any outstanding loan balance, including interest built up, will be written off with no detriment to the borrower.

The department will publish its plan for broader HE reform this summer and work with the sector and the Office for Students to deliver the change that the country needs.
wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_76
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_76

Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 18 September 2023 to Question 199977 on T-levels: Expenditure and to the Answer of 23 March 2025 to Question 35993 on T-levels: Finance, how her Department has reallocated the amount of money underspent on the T Level programme. \p Janet Daby: As per the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, the usual practice is for any underspends in overall departmental budgets, including the T level programme, by the end of the financial year to be returned to HM Treasury. However, throughout each financial year, the department reviews emerging forecasts against the departmental budgets originally set, as well as reviewing any pressures across the department. Unspent funding is then reallocated to wider education priorities.
wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_77
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_77

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 2.72 of the Spring Statement 2025, whether any of the Technical Excellence Colleges will be in Bedfordshire. \p Janet Daby: The department can confirm that there will be at least one construction Technical Excellence College for the East of England region but cannot confirm exactly where in the region it will be based, at this stage. Further information on Technical Excellence Colleges will be made available in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_78

Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question 42191 on University of Sussex: Disciplinary Proceedings and with reference to her oral statement of 15 January 2025 on Higher Education Regulatory Approach, Official Report, column 379-382, when the parts of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 not being amended will come into force; and when she plans to introduce legislation to amend that Act. \p Janet Daby: On Monday 28 April, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education signed commencement regulations for the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023. These regulations commence the following provisions in the Act from 1 August 2025:

We are seeking a suitable legislative vehicle to amend and repeal the remaining elements of the Act in due course.​
wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_79
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_79

Liz Jarvis:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to visa rules for dependants of Master's students on international student recruitment. \p Janet Daby: There are many factors that influence international students when they choose to study abroad. These include the range and quality of available courses, the visa rules that apply in countries they are considering, and the appeal of living and studying in those countries.

Several changes were made to the immigration system in 2024, restricting international students from bringing family members with them to the UK unless they are studying a PhD, doctorate or research-based higher degree. These restrictions will be continued, as confirmed by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department in early February, in line with the government’s commitment to manage migration carefully.

This government has made clear its overall approach to international students. We will continue to welcome international students who enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK.
wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_80
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-02)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-02 conversation_80

Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that Skills England is subject to parliamentary scrutiny. \p Janet Daby: As an Executive Agency, Skills England will be subject to clear requirements on governance, transparency and accountability as set out by the Cabinet Office and applying across government.

A sponsor Minister within the department will be accountable to Parliament on all matters concerning Skills England, including the policy framework within which it operates, ensuring it meets its strategic objectives and, in doing so, delivers value for money.

Skills England will be led by a Chief Executive, who will be directly accountable to a relevant departmental sponsor Minister for delivery and day to day activities. They will also be accountable to the sponsor department’s Permanent Secretary for responsible use of public funds, via formal designation as Accounting Officer for the agency.

A framework document will be agreed between the department and Skills England, which will be approved by HM Treasury. This will set out the governance and accountability framework within which Skills England and the department will operate and will be publicly available.

In line with other Executive Agencies, and as set out in the Public Bodies Handbook, Skills England will regularly publish information on the execution of its functions. This will include an annual report, which sponsor ministers are required to publish to ensure Parliament is kept informed of Skills England’s activities.

The IfATE (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill also requires my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, to publish and lay before Parliament, within six months after the closure of IfATE, a report setting out which of the functions in this Bill are being exercised by Skills England and the impact of this on apprenticeships and technical education in England.