theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_77
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_77

Jo Platt:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support people with (a) Long Covid and (b) ME back into the workplace. \p Alison McGovern: Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched on 26 November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.

We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible. The system must also support disabled people to live independently. It is also vital to ensure that the system is financially sustainable in the long term. We are working to develop proposals for reform in the months ahead and will set them out in a Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement later this year.

Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live.

Disabled people and people with health conditions, including those with Long Covid and/or ME, are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.

Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.

Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, to thrive as part of the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_78
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_78

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of youth employment on the mental health of young people. \p Alison McGovern: We know that quality employment contributes positively to mental health and leads to independence and a feeling of fully participating in society.

In 2023, one in five 16–24-year-olds who were not in education, employment, or training in England reported a mental health condition, a significant increase from 2012 figures. In addition, a growing number of young people report that their mental health is a barrier to finding work.

Addressing the rising number of young people who are not in education, employment, or training is a priority for the Government and ensuring young people can get clinical support where they need it is a vital part of our response. As part of this the government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school through expanding Mental Health Support Teams. The government also announced in the Great Britain Working White Paper that it will establish a Youth Guarantee, in England, so that every young person aged 18 to 21 has access to further learning, help to get a job or an apprenticeship.

This will build on the many existing interventions to help people overcome the barriers of mental and physical ill health and get into or stay in work, with the positive health benefits this brings. This includes Connect to Work, a supported employment programme that joins up work skills and health support for disabled people, those with health conditions and people with complex barriers to employment; and Employment Advisers in NHS Talking Therapies where people experiencing mental health issues can access employment support as part of their therapy journey.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_79
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_79

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support young people aged 16-24 who are not in education, employment or training. \p Alison McGovern: As part of our plan to Get Britain Working, we will launch a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Youth Guarantee will build upon and enhance existing entitlements and provisions with the aim of tackling the rising number of young people who are not participating in education, employment or training.

The Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education are working closely with the eight Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England set to receive grant funding to deliver the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper from Spring 2025. We will use the learning from these Trailblazers to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee as it rolls-out across the rest of England.

DWP currently provides young people aged 16-24 with labour market support through an extensive range of interventions at a national and local level. This includes flexible provision driven by local need, nationwide employment programmes and support delivered by work coaches based in our Jobcentres and in local communities working alongside partners.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_80
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_80

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make a comparative assessment of the rates of youth unemployment in (a) the UK and (b) other OECD countries. \p Alison McGovern: OECD youth unemployment rate data is available at: OECD Data Explorer • Infra-annual labour statistics
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_81
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_81

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the level of unemployment in young people aged 16-24 in the latest period for which data is available. \p Alison McGovern: The latest 16-24 UK unemployment level is published and available at: A01: Summary of labour market statistics - Office for National Statistics
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_82
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_82

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to encourage employers to hire young people. \p Alison McGovern: As part of the “Get Britain Working” White Paper the government announced that we will launch a new Youth Guarantee for all young people in England aged 18-21 to ensure that they have access to further learning, help to get a job or an apprenticeship. As a first step from spring 2025, the government will launch Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in eight mayoral authorities across England. We will work closely with mayoral authorities to support the design of the Trailblazers, including engagement with local employers. We will use the learning from these Trailblazers to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee as it rolls-out across the rest of England.

The Youth Guarantee is part of the UK Government’s Back to Work Plan alongside a new national jobs and careers service to help get more people into work, work, health and skills plans for the economically inactive, and the launch of Skills England to open new opportunities for young people. We will work in partnership with organisations and businesses at the national and local level to offer exciting and engaging opportunities to young people. This could include apprenticeships, work experience, training courses or employability programmes.

The Government is also reforming the apprenticeships offer into a more flexible growth and skills offer, aligned to the industrial strategy. The Department for Education is working to introduce new foundation apprenticeships for young people, as well as shorter duration apprenticeships, in targeted sectors. These will help more people learn new high-quality skills at work, fuel innovation in businesses across the country, and provide high-quality entry pathways for young people.

As the HR department for the Government’s growth mission, the Department for Work and Pensions job is to work with businesses to meet their recruitment needs. The Ministerial team and officials work closely with colleagues across government to help employers, including those in sectors crucial to growth, address their staffing needs and break down barriers to opportunity across the country.

The Secretary of State recently announced that the department is transforming its service for employers by hosting summits with employers and stakeholder representatives across sectors crucial to growth; boosting the number of training programmes in crucial sectors on offer at Jobcentres; serving employers through a dedicated team with highly experienced experts to provide recruitment support; providing an account manager for employers to get more information about how Job Centres Plus can help; and commissioning Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent review into the role of employers in reducing health-related inactivity and promoting healthy and inclusive workplaces – which is already underway.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_83
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_83

Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's proposed changes to the Work Capability Assessment on the Child Poverty Strategy. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Work Capability Assessment is not working and needs to be reformed or replaced. We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible. The system must also work to support disabled people to live independently. It is also vital to ensure that the system is financially sustainable in the long term.

We are working to develop proposals for reform in the months ahead and will set them out in a Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement later this year.

Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy which will deliver lasting change.

The Strategy will look at all available levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across Government and work underway in Devolved Governments.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_84
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_84

Sarah Olney:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the (a) benefit cap and (b) two-child limit on single parents. \p Alison McGovern: Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy which will deliver lasting change.

The Strategy will look at all available levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, including considering social security reforms, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across Government and work underway in Devolved Governments.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_85
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_85

Preet Kaur Gill:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Household Support Fund. \p Alison McGovern: The findings of an evaluation of the fourth iteration of the Household Support Fund that ran from April 2023 to March 2024 are published here: Evaluation of the Household Support Fund 4 - GOV.UK.

The evaluation ran from September 2023 to August 2024 and assessed the effectiveness of delivery by Local Authorities and the benefits of the scheme for award recipients.

In addition, management Information from the first to fourth iteration of the Household Support Fun can be found here- Household Support Fund management information - GOV.UK.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_86
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_86

Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the level of expenditure on young people who were not in education, employment or training in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) Leicestershire and (c) Mid Leicestershire constituency in the latest period for which data is available. \p Alison McGovern: The information is not collated centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

As part of the Great Britain Working plan, we will launch a new Youth Guarantee for all young people aged 18-21 in England to ensure that they can access quality training opportunities, an apprenticeship or help to find work. The Youth Guarantee will build upon and enhance existing entitlements and provisions with the aim of tackling the rising number of young people who are not participating in education, employment or training.

The East Midlands Combined Authority, which Leicestershire is a part of, is one of the eight Mayoral Strategic Authorities in England set to receive grant funding to deliver the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers announced in the Get Britain Working White Paper from Spring 2025.

We will use the learning from the Trailblazers to inform the future design and development of the Youth Guarantee as it rolls-out across the rest of England.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_87
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_87

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to encourage people on long-term sickness back to work. \p Alison McGovern: Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched on 26 November will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate.

We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible. The system must also support disabled people to live independently. It is also vital to ensure that the system is financially sustainable in the long term. We are working to develop proposals for reform in the months ahead and will set them out in a Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement later this year.

Appropriate work is generally good for health and wellbeing, so we want everyone to get work and get on in work, whoever they are and wherever they live.

Disabled people and people with health conditions are a diverse group so access to the right work and health support, in the right place, at the right time, is key. We therefore have a range of specialist initiatives to support individuals to stay in work and get back into work, including those that join up employment and health systems.

Measures include support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers in Jobcentres and Access to Work grants, as well as joining up health and employment support around the individual through Employment Advisors in NHS Talking Therapies and Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care.

Employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, to thrive as part of the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_88
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_88

Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to consult (a) disabled people and (b) relevant organisations on the future of disability benefits. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We are working to develop proposals for health and disability reform in the months ahead and will set them out in a Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement later this year. This will launch a public consultation on the proposals.

This Government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do, so we will consult on these proposals, with disabled people and representative organisations.

Ahead of the formal consultation for the Green Paper, we have already started to explore ways of engaging with disabled people and their representatives, including through stakeholder roundtables and public visits. We look forward to progressing these initiatives over the coming months.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_89
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_89

Ian Byrne:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason has the Department's Decision Maker's Guide downgraded Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit applications for asbestos (PD1 pneumoconiosis) and asbestos-related pleural thickening (PD9) to non-urgent. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Guidance on how the law is interpreted for DWP decision makers is contained in the Decision Makers' Guide (DMG). The DMG is also published on GOV.UK.

In December 2024, the DMG - Volume 11, Chapter 67 - was updated to remove references to ‘urgent processing criteria’ for some Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) prescribed diseases. This included: D1 (pneumoconiosis), D9 (unilateral or bilateral diffuse pleural thickening) and D12 (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – COPD). This is because ‘urgent processing criteria’ is not set out in IIDB legislation for these conditions. Urgent processing for these conditions is an internal operational procedure only, therefore these references should not have been included in the DMG.

Removing references to urgent processing in the DMG has had no impact on IIDB processing instructions. Claims for D1, D9 and D12 continue to be processed urgently and there are no plans for any future changes to this process. IIDB operational guidance continues to specify that:
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_90
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_90

Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to reduce the time it takes for Personal Independence (a) claims and (b) re-applications to be processed by her Department. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Managing customer journey times for PIP claimants is a priority for the department and we are working constantly to improve our service.

Our aim is to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all the available evidence including that from the claimant.

However, we have been seeing continuing high levels of new claims which has impacted our capacity to carry out award reviews as quickly as we would like.

In order to deal with this demand, we have been prioritising new claims, to ensure new claimants are paid as soon as possible whilst safeguarding claimants awaiting award reviews, who have returned their information as required, to ensure their payments continue until their review can be completed.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_91
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_91

Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps are being taken to expedite responses to claimants with (a) terminal cancer and (b) other life-limiting conditions. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The primary way the Department supports people nearing the end of life is through special benefit rules which are known as the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL). These enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to certain benefits, without needing to attend a medical assessment or serve waiting periods and in most cases, receive the highest rate of benefit.

For many years, the Special Rules applied to people who have 6 months or less to live, they have now been changed so they apply to people who have 12 months or less to live. Changes to the Special Rules mean that thousands of people nearing the end of life are now able to claim fast-tracked financial support from the benefits system six months earlier than they were able to previously.

The Department is committed to processing all benefit claims as quickly as possible. For PIP, Special Rules claims in England and Wales currently take 3 working days to clear for new claims and 2 working days for a reassessment on average – this compares to the current average end-to-end claim process for new normal rules PIP claims of 14 weeks.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_92
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_92

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that any proposed changes to PIP do not lead to financial hardship or reduced quality of life for recipients. \p Sir Stephen Timms: This Government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do.

We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible. The system must also work to support disabled people to live independently. It is also vital to ensure that the system is financially sustainable in the long term.

We are working to develop proposals for reform in the months ahead and will set them out in a Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement later this year.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_93
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_93

Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of treating savings in lifetime ISAs in the same way as pension funds when calculating savings limits for means tested benefits. \p Sir Stephen Timms: There are no plans to change the way savings held in a Lifetime ISA are treated in the assessment of means-tested benefits including Universal Credit. The value of the pension fund that someone and their employer pays into protects that person for retirement, and it is right whilst they remain below state pension credit age, that the value of that fund is disregarded when assessing entitlement to means-tested benefits.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_94
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_94

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to lift the 2011 cap on the amount of Local Housing Allowance that can be reclaimed by local authorities to cover the cost of temporary accommodation. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We continue to keep the subsidy paid to local authorities under review and appreciate that local authorities are subject to many funding pressures. However, any increases to the subsidy paid to local authorities would require a Budget (rather than as part of a Spending Review) and would need to be taken in the context of the government’s missions, goals on housing and the broader fiscal position.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_95
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_95

Perran Moon:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to amend the chemical classification assessments for (a) lithium carbonate, (b) lithium hydroxide, and (c) lithium chloride products. \p Sir Stephen Timms: These three lithium substances (lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide and lithium chloride) do not currently have mandatory classification and labelling in Great Britain (GB). Health and Safety Executive (HSE) specialists are considering the need to evaluate the available data using the Article 37A process under the GB Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation following publication of the Agency Opinion by HSE in August 2023 to determine whether mandatory classification and labelling is warranted.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_96
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_96

Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of rolling out Universal Basic Income pilots. \p Sir Stephen Timms: We are not considering rolling out Universal Basic Income pilots.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_98
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_98

Adam Thompson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the financial support available through University Credit for students in full-time higher education with dependents. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Whilst students are not normally entitled to Universal Credit (UC), if they are responsible for a child, either as a single person or as a couple there is an exception. Depending on their circumstances, they may also be eligible for additional Universal Credit elements, including for children.

Special Support Loans or Grants may be awarded to lone parent students who are in receipt of benefits, this is disregarded in calculations for UC.  Where a student receives a grant only, some of the income may be disregarded over and above the £110 limit in each assessment period if the payment is for childcare costs.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_99
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_99

Danny Kruger:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of abolishing the Work Capability Assessment. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Work Capability Assessment is not working and needs to be reformed or replaced. We are committed to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible. The system must also work to support disabled people to live independently. It is also vital to ensure that the system is financially sustainable in the long term.

We are working to develop proposals for reform in the months ahead and will set them out in a Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement later this year.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_100
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_100

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the proportion of families who received state support in the 2022-23 financial year. \p Alison McGovern: DWP publish information on households in receipt of Universal Credit and other benefits. Ministers consider all the relevant statistics when making policy decisions.

The latest available data can be found on Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/). Figures on both the 2022 and 2023 financial year are available here.

Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: Getting Started (dwp.gov.uk). An account is not required to use Stat- Xplore, the ‘Guest Login’ feature gives instant access to the main functions.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_101
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_101

Will Stone:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) progress she has made and (b) steps she plans to take with the Secretary of State for Transport on the HGV skills bootcamp programme. \p Janet Daby: Skills Bootcamps are an important offer in the skills landscape, supporting the development of crucial skills such as HGV driving.

Published statistics show that across the 2021/22 and 2022/23 financial years, there were 10,545 starts on HGV Skills Bootcamps, with 6,500 completions and almost 5,000 positive employment outcomes representing new jobs, promotions or increased responsibilities.

In line with our commitment to devolution, we will fund Skills Bootcamps through funding Mayoral Combined Authorities and local areas directly, supporting the government’s commitment to empower local leaders to have greater control of skills development, alongside an increased role in supporting people into work.

The department continues to support learners and employers in the HGV sector to benefit from a range of high quality skills training, including through apprenticeships such as the Urban Driver and Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) driver C + E apprenticeship standards.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_102
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_102

Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of cooperation between state and independent schools on state schools. \p Stephen Morgan: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education does not plan to make an assessment of the potential impact of cooperation between state and private schools on state schools.

Many of the schools involved in cross sector partnership working carry out their own impact assessments of the activities they are involved in, though the department does not endorse or assure such assessments.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_103
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_103

Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on the (a) proportion of, (b) extent of and (c) reasons for schools deviating from the National Curriculum. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department does not wish to create significant additional burdens on schools by trying to collect detailed information on compliance with the national curriculum, which is not always straightforward to assess, and therefore does not hold data on schools’ curriculum provision.

A recent external survey indicates that 8 in 10 Multi-Academy Trust Chief Executives believe that this change will have no impact or could have a positive impact for their schools.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_104
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_104

Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of abolishing the notion of reasonable chastisement. \p Stephen Morgan: Violence towards children and abuse of children are never acceptable. There are laws in place to protect children against this.

Wales is in the process of reviewing the impact of removing the defence of reasonable chastisement and the UK Government expects that the Welsh Government will publish their findings by the end of this year. Ministers in the department will want to consider this evidence, with other government ministers, ahead of deciding whether a change to the law is required.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_105
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_105

Andy McDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional funding will be made available for the schools supported by a regional improvement for standards and excellence team. \p Catherine McKinnell: Support delivered by regional improvement for standards and excellence teams has been backed by an over £20 million investment. They will draw up, working with high quality organisations, bespoke improvement plans with eligible schools, with the department making up to £100,000 available initially to each school for specialist support. This compares to a £6,000 grant that was available previously for similar schools.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_106
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_106

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what purposes Ofsted has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months. \p Catherine McKinnell: This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the right hon. Member for South Holland and the Deepings directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_107
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_107

Andy McDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools she plans for each regional improvement for standards and excellence team to support in (a) the North East and (b) each region, per year. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department expects regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams to have worked with around 600 schools by March 2026. RISE teams will focus their efforts on schools which are stuck and have not had a change of structure since their last inspection.

Based on the latest published Ofsted inspection data, at the end of December 2024, there were 664 “stuck schools” in England and 31 “stuck schools” in the North East.

Across the other regions there were:

Following last week’s announcement, the department is contacting all responsible bodies with schools that currently meet the eligibility criteria.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_108
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_108

Andy McDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria will be used by regional improvement for standards and excellence teams to identify the schools it will be engaging with to deliver improvement in standards. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department has introduced its new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams to help drive high and rising standards. In advance of Ofsted school report cards being introduced later this year, schools will be eligible to receive bespoke RISE interventions if they have not had a change of structure since their last inspection, and:

The department is consulting on future eligibility criteria for targeted RISE intervention following the introduction of new Ofsted school report cards.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_109
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_109

Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure parents have (a) access to upcoming internally-prepared educational materials and (b) a mechanism to oppose the use of internally-prepared materials they do not want their children to be exposed to. \p Catherine McKinnell: I refer the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth to the answer of 13 November 2024 to Question 12852.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_110
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_110

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what purposes the Education and Skills Funding Agency has used artificial intelligence in the last 12 months. \p Catherine McKinnell: Artificial intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.

The Education and Skills Finding Agency (ESFA) has aligned to the wider departmental approach in this area. Specifically, the department has been using Microsoft Copilot, an AI-based web chat with commercial protection, for various means, including:

​

In addition, 150 people across the department are piloting Microsoft 365 Copilot, which leverages AI to automate and accelerate tasks in Microsoft Products. This work included people from the ESFA. The department is tracking the benefits of this pilot, which currently include:

​Since summer 2023, the department has created a secure Microsoft Azure Open AI sandbox environment. The ESFA has also utilised this facility. This allows limited groups of users to build and test AI models based on specific uses cases, in a safe and secure environment. Use cases including those from the ESFA are approved by a technology-led steering group, and this group will ultimately decide on which applications could potentially be moved into production for use more broadly across the organisation.

The department draws on a range of resources, published on GOV.UK, to inform our AI usage. For example, the Generative AI Framework, the Ethics, Transparency and Accountability Framework, the Data Ethics Framework, the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard. ​

The department has also had access to the Central Digital and Data Office, based in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, for expert advice.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_112
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_112

Charlotte Nichols:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to increase funding for wraparound care. \p Stephen Morgan: Any future decisions on departmental spending are subject to the spending review process.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_113
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_113

Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending free school meal provision to include children enrolled in maintained nursery schools. \p Stephen Morgan: Under current programmes, 2.1 million disadvantaged pupils are registered to receive benefits-based free school meals (FSM). This includes pupils attending a local authority maintained, academy or free school nursery who are entitled to FSM, as long as they either are in full-time education or receive education both before and after lunch and meet the benefits-based FSM eligibility criteria.

Further information on the number of pupils registered to receive FSM is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_114
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_114

Alex Sobel:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will renew the Adoption and special guardianship support fund for 2025. \p Janet Daby: The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how we will allocate the department’s budget for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the adoption and special guardianship support fund are being made as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

All future funding decisions will be considered as part of the next spending review.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_115
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_115

Mr Calvin Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (b) devolved administrations on the potential impact of waiting lists for medical care required in order to pass recruitment standards on the number of candidates dropping out of armed service recruitment processes; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of NHS waiting lists on household income disparities for people awaiting recruitment into the armed services. \p Luke Pollard: In the United Kingdom the provision of healthcare to the general population is devolved; however, the Ministry of Defence (MOD)/UK Departments of Health Partnership Board facilitates joint working across the UK to support recruitment to the Armed Forces and the retention of personnel in Service. Ministers from the MOD and the Department of Health and Social Care have regular discussions on wide range of issues, including those facing the Armed Forces in recruitment.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_116
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_116

Helen Grant:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an estimate of the total cost to the public purse of accessing court transcripts for each of the last five years. \p Sarah Sackman: The cost incurred by HM Courts and Tribunals Service for transcription services in the five most recent financial years (April – March) is as below:

Financial Year

Total Spend (£)

2019-20

1,252,201

2020-21

939,309

2021-22

1,258,353

2022-23

1,104,667

2023-24

1,043,971

These figures do not include transcription spend incurred by Legal Aid Agency which are covered by central funds as these are not included in the accounts for HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_117
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_117

Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2025 to Question 24854 on Sexual Offences: Crown Court, whether judges have been informed of the one-year pilot scheme. \p Sarah Sackman: Since 28 May 2024, the Ministry of Justice has been running a one-year pilot for victims of rape and sexual offences, whose cases were heard at the Crown Court, to request a copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks free of charge.

The judiciary were informed of the pilot before launch. Requests for court transcripts are considered by judges and the release of transcripts is ultimately a judicial decision in each individual case. We will continue to engage the judiciary as we assess the pilot’s impacts and determine next steps.

We recognise the importance of ensuring that eligible victims know about the pilot and how to apply. We have provided the Witness Service, whose role is to support victims and witnesses at court, with an information sheet on the pilot to distribute to any eligible victims.

On 10 February 2025, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service had received c.350 applications under the pilot.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_118
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_118

Bradley Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions (a) she, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in her Department have had on the sale of her Department's property at Tardebigge. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The Ministry of Justice is in discussions with a potential purchaser for the former HMP Hewell Grange.

We are unable to comment further on these discussions at this time due to commercial confidentiality.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_119
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_119

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will publish the Terms of Reference for the review into the handling of prison capacity. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The Terms of Reference for the review into the handling of prison capacity were published on Friday 7 February following a Written Ministerial Statement to Parliament. The Terms of Reference can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prison-capacity-review-terms-of-reference/review-into-handling-of-prison-capacity-terms-of-reference.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_120
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_120

James Wild:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking with Cabinet colleagues to (a) support prisoner rehabilitation and (b) reduce trends in the level of homelessness amongst released prisoners. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The Government is committed to improving rehabilitation services for offenders by giving them the tools to move away from crime. We work alongside other government departments investing in a wide range of interventions to directly support a prisoner’s rehabilitation journey.

This includes improving prisoners’ access to purposeful activity, such as education; delivering pre-release plans for all those leaving custody; and ensuring that ex-offenders leave prison with a job and the skills needed to lead law abiding lives. We have recently launched regional Employment Councils, which for the first time bring businesses together with probation services and the Department for Work and Pensions to support offenders in prison and the community.

We know that accommodation is key to supporting prisoner rehabilitation. Our CAS3 service provides transitional accommodation for prison leavers who are under probation supervision and at risk of homelessness for up to 12 weeks, to provide a stable base upon release. It is currently available in all probation regions, and we are further expanding provision to support more prison leavers at risk of homelessness each year. We are also working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and other departments on the development of a new cross-government strategy to put us back on track to ending homelessness.
wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_121
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-02-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-02-17 conversation_121

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the independence of the courts from external influence from (a) UN bodies and (b) non-governmental organisations when enacting immigration law. \p Alex Davies-Jones: As the Prime Minister has said, it is Parliament that enacts the law on immigration, and it is Government that makes the policy (Official Report, column 249). It is an enduring strength of our democracy that when judges apply the law, they decide cases impartially, independently, and free from any external or political influence or pressure. There is a robust appellate system to deal with matters arising from a decision.