theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that men at highest risk of prostate cancer take part in screening trials. \p Ashley Dalton: The Government and Prostate Cancer UK (PCUK) have partnered together on the £42 million TRANSFORM screening trial to find the best way to screen men for prostate cancer, to find it before it becomes advanced and harder to treat. PCUK is leading the development of the trial, with the Government contributing £16 million through the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

The TRANSFORM trial will aim to address some of the inequalities that exist in prostate cancer diagnosis. For example, one in four black men will develop prostate cancer, double the risk of other men, and often at a younger age. The trial will ensure that at least 10% of the men who are invited to participate in the trial are black.
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Ian Sollom:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has given to integrated care boards on covering redundancy programme costs. \p Karin Smyth: Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of the abolition of NHS England, we are clear on the need for a smaller centre, as well as scaling back integrated care board (ICB) running costs and NHS provider corporate cost reductions in order to reduce waste and bureaucracy.

Funding agreements have been agreed with His Majesty’s Treasury to enable redundancies to be funded within the Department for Health and Social Care’s (DHSC’s) Spending Review settlement. In 2025/26 and beyond, DHSC will continue to operate within its funding settlement and will not overspend its budget in order to fund redundancies, nor cut any investment to the frontline. The precise split between financial years and organisations is being worked through as operational delivery planning progresses.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many visas a) his Department, b) the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, c) the UK Health Security Agency, d) the Care Quality Commission, e) the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, f) NHS England, g) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, h) NHS Blood and Transplant, i) NHS Business Services Authority, and j) NHS Resolution have sponsored since 4 July 2024. \p Karin Smyth: The requested data is not held centrally in a reportable format.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 3 December 2025 to Question 94188, what steps has he put in place to improve the speed of answering written parliamentary questions. \p Karin Smyth: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Slough on 1 December 2025 to Question 92737.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of winter capacity in (a) all Greater Manchester hospitals and (b) Royal Oldham Hospital. \p Karin Smyth: We continue to monitor the impact of winter pressures on the National Health Service over the winter months.

The Department is continuing to take key steps to ensure the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try and reduce demand pressure on accident and emergency departments, increasing vaccination rates, and offering health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing integrated care boards and trust winter plans to ensure they include a focus on reducing bed occupancy ahead of Christmas, creating additional capacity and improving patient flow.
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Dr Danny Chambers:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of an independent national review into the use and oversight of ventricular assist devices in the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: Guidance on the use of medical devices is a matter for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which has existing guidance on the use of left ventricular assistance devices available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg516
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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answered of 22 October 2025 to question 81944 on Perinatal Mortality, which four trusts have not fully implemented version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care bundle. \p Karin Smyth: The four trusts that are not fully compliant with version three of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle are the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, and the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Implementation is overseen through NHS Resolution’s Maternity Incentive Scheme, a financial incentive to encourage trusts to implement safety actions to improve maternity safety. Trusts are required to demonstrate that they are on track to comply with all elements of the care bundle.
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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of care for patients with endometriosis. \p Karin Smyth: The Government recognises the challenges faced by women with endometriosis and the impact it has on their lives, their relationships, and their participation in education and the workforce.

In November 2024, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated their guideline on endometriosis to makes firmer recommendations for healthcare professionals on referral and investigations for women with a suspected diagnosis and will help the estimated one in ten women with endometriosis to receive a diagnosis faster. Over the next year, NICE will be working with National Health Service systems to ensure adoption of this best practice endometriosis care, including access to approved medicines.

Through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), we have commissioned a number of studies focused on endometriosis diagnosis, treatment, and patient experience. At present, the NIHR is funding six research awards totalling an investment of approximately £5.8 million.

Alongside the updated guidelines and research investment, two new treatments have been approved, and we are taking action to cut gynaecology waiting lists through our Elective Reform Plan.

But we know there is more to do. That is why we are renewing the Women’s Health Strategy, to update on delivery and set out how the Government is taking further steps to improve women’s health as we deliver the 10-Year Health Plan. It will also address gaps from the 2022 strategy and drive further changes on enduring challenges such as creating a system that listens to women, and tackling health inequalities.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many officials are working on the independent investigation into NHS maternity and neonatal care. \p Karin Smyth: There are 31 officials currently working on the Independent Investigation into Maternity and Neonatal care. The full time equivalent (FTE) for the investigation team is approximately 28 FTE, taking into account individuals working part-time and in job-shares. This excludes the independent chair and expert advisors.

In addition to officials, there are eight expert advisers supporting the chair, Baroness Amos.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what criteria was used to determine which conditions should receive a modern service framework under the NHS 10-year health plan; and whether respiratory health meets these criteria. \p Karin Smyth: As announced in the 10-Year Health Plan, as well as an overall quality strategy, the National Quality Board is overseeing the development of a new series of service frameworks to accelerate progress in conditions where there is potential for rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity.

Early priorities include cardiovascular disease, severe mental illness, and the first ever service framework for frailty and dementia. The Government will consider other long-term conditions with significant health and economic impacts for future waves of modern service frameworks.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with NHS trusts on the provision of (a) anti-racism and (b) unconscious bias training for NHS staff. \p Karin Smyth: The Department and NHS England have been working together to announce a series of measures to tackle antisemitism and racism across the National Health Service, which includes the introduction of mandatory antisemitism and anti-racism training for all NHS staff.

In terms of unconscious bias training, there is no national NHS-wide policy on this training in the NHS. Individual NHS organisations have responsibility for training their own staff and provide relevant training where appropriate.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential impact on in-patients of charging in hospitals for TV, WiFi and telephone services. \p Karin Smyth: No assessment has been made centrally of the potential impact on in-patients of charging in hospitals for television, WiFi, and telephone services.

National Health Service providers are locally responsible for the provision of bedside television and similar services, including the charges for them. If patients do not wish to or are unable to afford the cost of the bedside television, they should still be able to watch the free to view television via their own devices and local hospital Wi-Fi, or in the hospital day rooms or communal areas.
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Alex Brewer:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether processes are in place to ensure (a) that hospitals within the New Hospital Programme are continually assessed and (B) that the prioritisation queue can be adjusted if circumstances change, such as structural safety concerns or urgent capacity needs. \p Karin Smyth: On 20 January 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced a new, realistic plan to deliver the New Hospital Programme (NHP) and we continue to work to these timelines. As set out in the Plan for Implementation, delivery expectations may be subject to change depending on local and national factors and the programme reserves the right to adjust the delivery plan as schemes develop in the future.

We are prioritising the seven hospitals built wholly or primarily from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), as part of Wave 1, with ongoing mitigations in place to ensure patient and staff safety. Priority will be given to the most affected buildings and services.

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has commissioned a comprehensive site-by-site report into these seven hospitals, which will help inform individual development plans, which continue to progress at pace.

£1.6 billion will be provided to continue supporting NHS England’s national RAAC programme across the 2025 Spending Review period. The seven NHP RAAC replacement hospitals continue to receive funding and support from NHS England’s national RAAC programme ahead of the delivery of replacement hospitals.
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Marie Goldman:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of socioeconomic inequality on (a) stillbirth and (b) neonatal mortality rates; and what cross-government action is being taken to address this. \p Karin Smyth: The Department recognises that there are stark inequalities for women and babies, and that they should receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity. Stillbirth and neonatal mortality rates remain higher for mothers in more deprived areas.

A number of interventions specifically aimed at addressing maternal and neonatal inequalities are underway. These include the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme, delivery of an inequalities dashboard, and projects on removing racial bias from clinical education and embedding genetic risk equity. Additionally, all local areas have published Equity and Equality action plans to tackle inequalities for women and babies from ethnic minorities and those living in the most deprived areas.

We are putting in place immediate actions to improve safety across maternity and neonatal care, which includes the implementation of the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle. This bundle is a package of evidence-based interventions to support staff to reduce stillbirth, neonatal brain injury, neonatal death, and pre-term births. It includes guidance on managing multiple pregnancies to ensure optimal care for the woman and baby.

NHS England is also introducing a Maternal Mortality Care Bundle to set clear standards across all services and address the leading causes of maternal mortality. Women from black and Asian backgrounds are more at risk of specific clinical conditions that are the leading causes of death. This bundle will target these conditions, and we expect a decline in deaths and harm.

To further target disparities in maternal care, Baroness Amos is chairing the National Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. The investigation aims to identify the drivers and impact of inequalities faced by women, babies, and families from black and Asian backgrounds, those from deprived groups, and those from other marginalised groups when receiving maternity and neonatal care.

The Government is also setting up a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, chaired by my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, to address inequalities in maternal and neonatal care and to promote health equity in the delivery of those services.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to review how information on potentially hazardous medicinal products is shared across the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring the safety of medicines and medical devices, and it continually reviews product safety.

When a safety issue is identified, the MHRA communicates with healthcare professionals and stakeholders through various channels, such as the GOV.UK website, direct emails, and safety alerts, and may use different methods depending on the urgency and impact of the issue.

The MHRA’s three-year Strategy for Improving Communications aims to deliver more coordinated, targeted, and effective safety communications to healthcare professionals and patients using the best available channels.

NHS England has stipulated that all large providers of National Health Services must designate a Medication Safety Officer. They are mandated to implement medication safety within their organisations and are updated regularly on current issues and learning.

NHS England is also reducing risk to staff by increasing the availability of ready to administer products through its Transforming Aseptic Services Programme, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transforming-nhs-pharmacy-aseptic-services-in-england/transforming-nhs-pharmacy-aseptic-services-in-england

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Medicines Optimisation Quality Statement, a copy of which is attached, is focused on ensuring that patients are able to access their medicines safely. The CQC would therefore expect providers to be following their organisations processes and national guidance, where relevant, to ensure that this happens. Organisations providing care need to ensure that staff have the relevant information available to them to keep patients safe through appropriate medicines use, as well as supporting them to undertake their roles safely.

Additional document (pdf, 33.6KB)
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Ian Roome:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential severity of winter pressures on the NHS during winter 2025-2026. \p Karin Smyth: We continue to monitor the impact of winter pressures on the National Health Service over the winter months.

The Department is continuing to take key steps to ensure the health service is prepared for the colder months. This includes taking actions to try and reduce demand pressure on accident and emergency departments, increasing vaccination rates, and offering health checks to the most vulnerable, as well as stress-testing integrated care boards and trust winter plans to ensure they are able to meet demand and ensure patient flow.

Flu is a recurring pressure that the NHS faces every winter. There is particular risk of severe illness for older people, the very young, pregnant people, and those with certain underlying health conditions. The flu vaccine remains the best form of defense against influenza, particularly for the most vulnerable, and continues to be highly effective at preventing severe disease and hospitalisation.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support is being provided to NHS organisations to improve safety measures for staff involved in the (a) preparation or (b) administration of higher-risk medicines. \p Karin Smyth: All medicines, including higher-risk ones, are potentially hazardous and should be handled with care during preparation to avoid unnecessary exposure. National Health Service providers are required to follow health and safety legislation and COSHH regulations at all stages.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s guidance, Professional guidance in the safe and secure handling of medicine, includes specific recommendations for the safe preparation of higher-risk medicines. NHS providers are expected to adhere to these standards as part of their statutory and professional obligations under the NHS Standard Contract.

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Medicines Optimisation Quality Statement, along with statements on Safe Environments and Safe and Effective Staffing, also set out requirements for appropriate training, equipment, and policies to ensure staff safety during preparation.

The same principles of safety and regulatory compliance apply during the administration of higher-risk medicines. Staff must follow established protocols to minimise risk and ensure safe handling.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring the safety of medicines and medical devices. When a safety issue is identified, the MHRA communicates with healthcare professionals and stakeholders through channels such as the GOV.UK website, direct emails, and safety alerts, using different methods depending on urgency and impact.

The MHRA’s three-year Strategy for Improving Communications aims to deliver more coordinated, targeted, and effective safety communications to healthcare professionals and patients, supporting safe administration practices.

The CQC’s quality statements also require providers to have appropriate policies and procedures in place to support both patient and staff safety during the administration of medicines.
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much his Department has spent on software licences from Microsoft in the last 12 months; and what proportion this represents of his Department’s total technology spend. \p Karin Smyth: For the period 4 December 2024 to 5 December 2025, the Department spent £4.8 million on Microsoft Software licenses and services. During this period this spend accounted for 25.2% of the overall internal technology spend.
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Melanie Onn:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Integrated Care Boards can continue to provide consistent care and support to service users while restructuring processes are ongoing. \p Karin Smyth: As part of our 10-Year Health Plan, integrated care boards (ICBs) will become strategic commissioners with responsibility for using multi-year budgets to enhance local population health while achieving efficiencies. This will help to support the delivery of the three shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention, that are needed to build a health service fit for the future.

ICBs must continue to deliver their statutory responsibilities and will work with NHS England to ensure this is done effectively within the running costs allowance with savings reinvested in frontline services to deliver better care for patients.
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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to enable working parents to access healthcare without adversely impacting (a) work and (b) childcare commitments. \p Stephen Kinnock: Core opening hours for general practices (GPs) run from 8:00am to 6:30pm on weekdays, beyond typical school or nursery hours. In addition, primary care networks provide extended access to GP appointments on evenings and Saturdays.

As of 1 October, patients are now able to get in touch with their GP via an online form at any time during core hours to request an appointment or to raise a query, as well as calling or visiting in person. This means working parents can easily schedule convenient appointments without waiting on the phone.
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Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider introducing a more centralised process for Freedom of Information requests concerning surgeons across England. \p Karin Smyth: A Freedom of Information (FOI) request is a request for recorded information held by that public authority. The Department is only able to respond to requests for information that it holds at the time of the request, and interaction with other public authorities on FOIs is therefore limited. All requests must be handled in line with the principles of the FOI Act and the guidance issued by the Information Commissioner's Office, as the FOI regulator. There is therefore no ability at present for the Department to operate a separate process for any specific topics or areas of interest.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to continue the Mental Health Investment Standard. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many bed clerks are employed in (a) England and (b) A&E departments. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many ward clerks are employed (a) in England and (b) in A&E departments. \p Karin Smyth: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of NHS hospitals have 24 hours pharmacy dispensing for patients being discharged. \p Stephen Kinnock: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Julia Lopez:To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the capped VPAG rate referred to in the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal will only apply to pharmaceutical products of US origin. \p Dr Zubir Ahmed: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
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Charlotte Cane:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the document entitled School level underlying data 2025, published on 5 June 2025, what assessment she has conducted on the reasons why 625 pupils in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency who are eligible for free school meals are not accessing them. \p Olivia Bailey: ​This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty which is why we are introducing a new eligibility threshold for free school meals ensuring all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will be eligible from September 2026. This will lift 100,000 children across England out of poverty and put £500 back in families’ pockets, supporting parents in decisive action to improve lives of as part of the Child Poverty Strategy published on 5 December. Under the expansion, over half a million additional pupils will become eligible for free school meals.

The department has not made a formal assessment of the situation in Ely, however, specific factors such as lack of knowledge, stigma, and language barriers may impact take-up of free school meals.

The department wants to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming their free school meals. Introducing a new eligibility threshold for free school meals so that all children from households in receipt of universal credit will be eligible for free school meals from September 2026 will make it easier for parents to know whether they are entitled to receive free meals.

To support take-up, we are also rolling out improvements to the checking system that is available to all local authorities to help verify eligibility for free meals.

We welcome local authorities taking action to ensure government support reaches families, subject to them meeting legal and data protection requirements.
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Dr Caroline Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of (a) named day questions and (b) ordinary written questions were responded to by her Department within the required timescale in (i) May 2025, (ii) June 2025, (iii) July 2025, (iv) August 2025, (v) September 2025, (vi) October 2025 and (vii) November 2025. \p Olivia Bailey: The department attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of questions from Members of Parliament. Between April and December 2025, the department has received 100% more written parliamentary questions (WPQs) versus the same period last year.

The below table provides the proportion of (a) named day and (b) ordinary written parliamentary questions answered with the required timescales for the months requested.

Named Day questions answered on time (%)

Ordinary questions answered on time (%)

May-25

35.6

67.3

Jun-25

56.9

77.0

Jul-25

48.5

70.9

Aug-25

-

-

Sep-25

45.1

42.9

Oct-25

38.8

52.1

Nov-25

47.6

58.0

Notes on the data:

The House of Commons Procedure Committee monitors departmental PQ performance and publishes a report of the government’s consolidated PQ data following the end of each session.
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to include education on suicide and suicide prevention as a mandatory topic within the national curriculum. \p Georgia Gould: The statutory guidance relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education already applies to all schools, including academies and independent schools. The updated guidance, published on 15 July 2025, will be implemented in schools from September 2026. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.

The guidance strengthens content on mental health and wellbeing, and requires that all secondary schools should consider how to safely teach about suicide prevention.

We have been clear that schools should consult mental health professionals and put in place high quality, evidence-based staff training before addressing suicide directly with secondary aged pupils, to ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to do it safely.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he will require the Department for Education or newly responsible central government bodies to publish borough-level data on SEND provision, EHCP timeliness and outcomes once funding is centralised, to ensure regional transparency for areas such as Walsall and the Black Country. \p Georgia Gould: Information on the number of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) is published in the statistical release, Special educational needs in England, accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2024-25. This includes information for each local authority on the number of pupils with SEN, their type of need, type of school attended and characteristics such as ethnicity, age sex, and free school meal eligibility.

Information on the number of education, health and care (EHC) plans maintained by each local authority is published in the statistical release, accessible at:https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025. This includes information for each local authority on the number of plans maintained for all children and young people aged 0 to 25, including those educated other than in schools. It also covers the timeliness for issuing EHC plans, the number of requests for and number of EHC needs assessments carried out, the placement of children and young people with an EHC plan, and the number of plans which cease and the reasons why they cease.
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Anneliese Midgley:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department holds data on the distribution of young people of A-level-studying age across different neighbourhoods in Knowsley. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested is not held centrally by the department.

The Office for National Statistics produce annual population estimates for England at lower level geographies, broken down by age, and will likely hold the relevant information.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools without libraries in England. \p Georgia Gould: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton to the answer of 22 October 2025 to question ​​81502​.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_111

Mr Louie French:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to combat antisemitism (a) in secondary schools, (b) in colleges, and (c) on university campuses. \p Georgia Gould: We must tackle antisemitism in every form to root this hatred out of our society. Education is critical to this.

The department has committed £7 million to fund projects and programmes to improve confidence and resilience in tackling antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities.

Universities should have robust processes in place to deal with acts of harassment and abuse on campus. We have called on universities to use every tool available to protect Jewish students from antisemitism.

The department is providing £2 million to the Holocaust Educational Trust to deliver the ‘Supporting Holocaust Survivor Testimony in Teaching’ programme. Teaching about antisemitism is integral to teaching this event.

The department supports teachers through our Educate Against Hate website, which provides teachers with a range of free, quality-assured resources, including on building resilience to antisemitism, teaching about tolerance and rejecting discrimination.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_112

Graham Stuart:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to introduce interim measures to ensure that learners have access to suitable vocational pathways during the transition period between the withdrawal of BTECs in 2026 and the introduction of V-Levels in 2027. \p Josh MacAlister: To support the transition to V Levels, the government will retain the majority of existing vocational qualifications to minimise disruption for learners and providers. This includes Applied General Qualifications under 720 guided learning hours in T Level areas, as well as smaller reformed qualifications such as Alternative Academic Qualifications and Technical Occupational Qualifications. In non-T Level areas, all current qualifications will continue to be funded until V Levels or T Levels are introduced. Qualifications that have already been defunded will remain so.

The department is consulting with the sector on the introduction of V Levels, including transitional arrangements to achieve the qualifications landscape set out in the Post-16 Skills White Paper.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_113

Dan Norris:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made on increasing skills via apprenticeships, technical colleges and regional training programmes. \p Josh MacAlister: The government is transforming apprenticeships into a new growth and skills offer, providing greater flexibility for employers and learners while supporting the industrial strategy. In August, new foundation apprenticeships for young people in targeted sectors and shorter-duration options were introduced to help more people gain high-quality skills and drive business innovation.

The government has also launched 10 construction technical excellence colleges (TECs) and will expand the programme to clean energy, advanced manufacturing, digital technologies, and defence. Selection for these TECs begins by the end of 2025, with delivery from April 2026.

Providers nationwide are funded to develop training aligned with local needs. In 2025/26, 67% of the £1.44 billion adult skills fund was devolved to 13 strategic authorities for locally tailored provision.

Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) unite employers, educators, and leaders to match local skills provision to demand. The Business West Chamber of Commerce leads the West of England and North Somerset LSIP.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_114

Tom Gordon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of local authorities' ability to deal with increased levels of demand for therapy above the Adoption Support and Special Guardianship Support Fund fair access limit. \p Josh MacAlister: The department continues to monitor and assess the impact of the changes to the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) and is engaging with stakeholders.

In the current financial year, the department has invested £50 million in the ASGSF, ensuring that adopted and kinship children may have access to therapeutic services designed to stabilise placements and address complex needs.

The government has launched the Families First Partnership programme, providing an additional £547 million, and bringing total funding to £2.4 billion over the next three years. We are also investing nearly £1.5 billion to strengthen family services and early years education, including £500 million for Best Start Family Hubs between 2026 and 2029.

Local authorities are responsible for determining how best to deploy these resources to meet increased demand for therapeutic support beyond the fair access limit.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_115

Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of increasing the maximum age for post-foster care arrangements to age 25. \p Josh MacAlister: The government is committed to supporting care leavers as they transition to independence.

Staying Put enables care leavers to prepare for independence more gradually in a stable and secure family setting. It enables young people to continue living with their former foster carer(s) when they turn age 18, potentially up to age 21, if both parties want this.

We are committed to Staying Put arrangements but must prioritise the introduction of the Staying Close duty in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which provides support to those who cannot benefit from Staying Put.

Staying Close offers tailored support for care leavers, including help to find and keep suitable accommodation and access to wraparound services such as health and wellbeing, education, training and employment. This measure ensures that eligible care leavers can receive support up to age 25, helping them to build stability and life skills and reducing the risk of homelessness and poor outcomes. This includes young people who might have previously been in a Staying Put arrangement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_116

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate about how much a) income tax, b) National Insurance and c) student loan repayment she expects the average person turning 30 in 2025/26 with a Plan 2 Student Loan to pay by 2029/30. \p Josh MacAlister: The average Plan 2 loan borrower turning 30 years of age in the2025/26 financial year and making student loan repayments through PAYE is expected to pay £29,100 in income tax, £11,600 in employee National Insurance contributions and £5,600 in Plan 2 student loan repayments between the 2025/26 and 2029/30 financial years (figures rounded to the nearest £100).

Plan 2 borrowers turning 30 in 2025/26 are likely to be in the early stages of their careers, and many may not be earning enough to be making student loan repayment. These borrowers are not included in our average. Plan 2 borrowers may re-borrow or have borrowed on other plans. These student loan repayments have not been considered. Only PAYE student loan repayments have been considered. Note some Plan 2 borrowers will be making voluntary repayments direct to the Student Loans Company, making repayments from overseas or be on self-assessment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_117

Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department are taking to ensure universities offer adequate (a) support and (b) safety provision for visually impaired students. \p Josh MacAlister: This government is committed to ensuring that all students are well supported during their time at university.

Higher education providers have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for all their disabled students, which includes those with a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.

Wherever possible, disabled students should expect to have their needs met through inclusive learning practices and individual reasonable adjustments made by their provider. In addition to reasonable adjustments, Disabled Students’ Allowance is available for the provision of more specialist support. For visually impaired students this may include sighted guides and assistive technology.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_118

Tom Gordon:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2025 to Question 78154 on Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, what assessment her Department has been made of the potential economic impact of funding additional therapies beyond the fair access limit on local authorities; and if her Department holds data on how many families require therapy beyond the fair access limit. \p Josh MacAlister: The department continues to monitor and assess the impact of the changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) and is engaging with stakeholders. Decisions to fund additional therapy beyond the fair access limit rest with individual local authorities.

This financial year, we have invested £50 million in the ASGSF, giving adopted and kinship children access to therapeutic services that stabilise placements and address complex needs.

The government has introduced the Families First Partnership programme, with an extra £547 million, bringing total funding to £2.4 billion over the next three years. We are also investing nearly £1.5 billion to improve family services and early years education, including £500 million for Best Start Family Hubs between 2026 and 2029. Local authorities should decide how best to use these resources to support adoptive and kinship families.

The department does not collect data on how many families require therapy beyond the fair access limit.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-11)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-12-11 conversation_119

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of international educational internships on developing skills among young people. \p Josh MacAlister: The government believes that work and study placements overseas, including internships, can help students to develop their skills, gain international experience and boost their employability. That is why, in the current academic year, the department is funding over 35,200 Turing Scheme placements, an estimated 61% of which are for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

An evaluation of the Turing Scheme in its first year of operation showed that 91% of higher education and 80% of further education students on work placements believed that their Turing Scheme placement enhanced their career and prospects.

As set out at the UK-EU Summit in May, we are working towards association to Erasmus+ on mutually agreed financial terms. Erasmus+ provides opportunities for young people to study, train, or gain work experience abroad. Erasmus+ placements provide valuable international experiences, helping young people develop new skills, broaden horizons, and enhance future career prospects.