theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that employers provide the support disabled people need to stay in work in (a) Lincolnshire and (b) other rural areas. \p Alison McGovern: We are delivering the biggest investment in employment support for disabled people and people with health conditions in at least a generation. We announced in the recent Pathways to Work Green Paper that we would establish a new guarantee of support for all disabled people and people with health conditions claiming out of work benefits who want help to get into or return to work. As announced in the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions’ statement on Welfare Reform, on 30 June, we are investing an additional £300m over the next 3 years. This means, our ‘Pathways to Work Guarantee’ is now backed by an investment of £2.2 billion by 2030. This brings our total investment in employment support for disabled people and those with health conditions to £3.8 billion over this Parliament.

Backed by £240m investment, the Get Britain Working White Paper launched in November 2024, will drive forward approaches to tackling economic inactivity and work toward the long-term ambition of an 80% employment rate. In recognition of the key role employers play a key role in increasing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and people with health conditions, the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Business and Trade asked Sir Charlie Mayfield to lead an independent review, considering how best to support and enable employers to recruit and retain more people with health conditions and disabilities, promote healthy workplaces, and support more people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence. Sir Charlie will deliver his final report in the autumn. Employers are crucial in enhancing employment opportunities and supporting disabled people and those with health conditions to thrive in the workforce. Our support to employers includes increasing access to Occupational Health, a digital information service for employers and the Disability Confident scheme.

In Lincolnshire, our Jobcentre Employer and Partnership Teams work with a range of employers and partners to enhance the skills and employment support available locally. An example of this includes working closely with South and East Lincolnshire Council on the commissioning of skills and employment support programmes using Shared Prosperity Funding.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to assist low-income families with living costs in Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire constituency. \p James Murray: The Plan for Change committed to improving living standards in every part of the United Kingdom. Helping people into good work and financial independence is at the heart of our approach to supporting people on the lowest incomes. This is why we increased the National Living Wage by 6.7%, are tackling poor job security and working conditions through our plan to Make Work Pay, and are investing an additional £1 billion by 2029-30 in employment, health and skills support in the Pathways to Work Green Paper.

Beyond this, the government has introduced a Fair Repayment Rate which lowers the cap on deductions in Universal Credit from April 2025, benefitting 1.2 million households by an average of £420 a year. The Warm Home Discount is also being expanded to every billpayer on means-tested benefits, meaning 2.7 million extra households will receive £150 off their energy bills next winter. Moreover, the Child Poverty Taskforce is working with the Devolved Governments to develop a comprehensive Child Poverty Strategy, which will deliver for children in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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Alex Burghart:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to (a) amend and (b) review the definitions of (i) defence and (ii) national security spending, for the purposes of (A) statistical and (B) NATO targets. \p Darren Jones: NATO has a common definition of defence expenditure which is agreed by all NATO Allies. A full definition can be found here:

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49198.htm
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Edward Morello:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of compensation provided to Equitable Life policyholders. \p Torsten Bell: The Equitable Life Payment Scheme was designed by the Coalition Government and closed in 2016. There are no plans to reopen decisions relating to the Payment Scheme. Further guidance on the status of the Payment Scheme after closure is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/equitable-life-payment-scheme#closure-of-the-scheme
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that inflation on essential food items does not disproportionately impact low and middle income households. \p Emma Reynolds: Food prices in the UK are a function of a variety of factors including international agricultural commodity prices, the exchange rate and energy prices.

The government is committed to helping those in need due to the rising cost of living. An uplift to the Universal Credit Standard Allowance will see it rise to 5% above inflation by 2029-30. The government is also investing £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact) in a multi-year settlement for crisis support, which includes funding for councils to support some of the poorest households so that their children do not go hungry outside of term time.

From the start of the 2026 school year, the government will expand Free School Meals to all pupils with a parent receiving Universal Credit. This puts £500 back into these parents’ pockets every year. In addition, from the start of this academic term, 750 schools are receiving funding to deliver a free breakfast club as Early Adopters, reaching more than 180,000 children and 70,000 pupils from schools in the most deprived parts of the country.

The government’s top priority is to deliver strong, sustainable growth that raises living standards across the UK. A growing economy plays a key role in providing greater financial security for households and helping to make food more affordable.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Government fiscal policies on levels of food inflation. \p Emma Reynolds: HM Treasury does not produce forecasts of the UK economy. Forecasting the economy, including the impact of Government policy decisions, is the responsibility of independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The OBR does not publish estimates of the impact of policy decisions on levels of food inflation.
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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.65 of her Department's document entitled Spring Statement 2025, published on 26 March 2025, when she will publish the reforms to Individual Savings Accounts. \p Emma Reynolds: The Government is looking at options for reforms to ISAs that get the balance right between cash and equities to earn better returns for savers, boost the culture of retail investment, and support the growth mission.

The Government keeps all aspects of tax and savings policy under review.
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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to consultation outcome document entitled Summary of responses and government response, published on 12 June 2025, what his Department's timetable is for implementing mandatory method-of-production labelling for (a) eggs, (b) pork and (c) chicken. \p Daniel Zeichner: On 12 June 2025 we published the summary of responses and government response to the fairer food labelling consultation, which was undertaken last year by the previous government. The response is available here on GOV.UK.

We recognise the strong support from the public and other stakeholders for clearer information for consumers on welfare standards for their food. We have also heard and understood the views raised on the detail of the consultation proposals by the many interested parties who have responded to this consultation.

We will consider the potential role of method of production labelling reform as part of the ongoing development of the Government’s wider animal welfare and food strategies.
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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make future disease outbreak compensation payments conditional on (a) evidence of private insurance in place and (b) demonstrable compliance with specified biosecurity standards. \p Daniel Zeichner: Compensation is paid by Defra for animals culled by the Government for disease control purposes, as set out in the Animal Health Act 1981. In addition to the financial support offered to producers directly affected by outbreaks through compensation, producers can insure privately for losses not covered by Defra’s compensation scheme, this may include consequential losses including business interruption caused by control measures.

Defra continues to monitor the situation and to remind producers that they are responsible for the on-farm management of their flocks. Having strong biosecurity measures in place, and maintaining them year-round, significantly reduces the risk of infection on site.
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Llinos Medi:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the current financial value of the Holyhead Border Control Post site; what has been the cost to the public purse of the site since 2016; and whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the future of the site. \p Daniel Zeichner: The UK Government works closely with the Devolved Governments on a range of border issues, however this specific issue is a devolved matter and the responsibility of the Welsh Government.
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Sarah Gibson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of extreme heat and drought on harvest forecasts for summer 2025. \p Daniel Zeichner: Defra does not forecast harvest yields. However, the UK Agricultural Market Monitoring Group monitors, alongside other issues, the impact of heat and drought on agricultural markets across the UK, while continuing to develop our understanding and analysis of the longer term impacts of extreme weather and climate change on farming.
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Anna Gelderd:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many vessels registered to ports in South East Cornwall constituency use (a) bottom trawls and (b) other bottom towed gear. \p Daniel Zeichner: UK fishing vessels are registered by port of administration. The nearest port of administration to this constituency is Plymouth, to which 330 fishing vessels were registered as of 1 June 2025.
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Freddie van Mierlo:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to implement the Catchment Based Approached (a) Chalk Stream Restoration Strategy 2021 and (b) Chalk Stream Strategy Implementation Plan 2023. \p Emma Hardy: The Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) group has led fantastic work in developing the Chalk Stream Restoration Strategy and Implementation Plan, and I particularly want to thank them for all their great work in restoring these important habitats.

Restoring our chalk streams to better ecological health is a core ambition of our overall programme of work to clean up rivers, lakes and seas for good. Alongside our programme of reforms, Water companies will invest £2 billion over the next 5 years to deliver more than 1,000 targeted actions for chalk stream restoration as part of our Plan for Change. The government is investing £1.8 million through the Water Restoration Fund and Water Environment Improvement Fund for locally led chalk stream clean-up projects across affected regions.

Our Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan ensures chalk streams are prioritised for improvement as part of the record £11 billion investment to improve nearly 3,000 storm overflows nationwide.
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Esther McVey:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025. \p Daniel Zeichner: We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much has been spent on the Hello Lamp Post community engagement project (a) since January 2024, (b) by financial year and (c) by delivery phase. \p Emma Hardy: The Government recognises the value of engaging with citizens to collect and share the latest scientific data about the environment. The Environment Agency (EA) has joined forces with Hello Lamp Post to enable residents and visitors of communities across England to interact with them about key environmental issues and risks.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many permanent civil servants in his Department had their contract of employment terminated as a result of poor performance in the (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25 financial years. \p Daniel Zeichner: We have, after careful consideration, withheld Defra, Animal and Plant Health Agency and Rural Payment Agency data for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 financial years. This is because the numbers of employees are low, and the information constitutes personal data making it possible to identify these individuals if the information was released.
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Dr Neil Hudson:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent the collapse of Thames Water. \p Emma Hardy: The Government and Ofwat – the financial regulator for the water sector – are carefully monitoring the situation at Thames Water, and Ofwat is working closely with the company to strengthen its long-term financial resilience within the context of its licence and broader statutory obligations. Thames Water is running an equity raise and has indicated that it will need a new capital structure requiring both more equity and a significant reduction in the level of debt and we are monitoring this process closely.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 51132 on Water Charges, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the rollout of (a) progressive water metering or rising block tariffs and (b) seasonal water metering in addition to the planned trials on its guidance entitled Charging guidance to Ofwat, published in January 2016. \p Emma Hardy: The Government supports innovative approaches aiming to make bills more affordable for their customers.

Defra are not conducting separate assessments.

Ofwat regulates the trials by requiring companies to ensure all trials are consistent with good practice principles. Companies must also consult with the Consumer Council for Water to protect or exclude vulnerable customers, which ensures customers are protected while these important trials take place.
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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what data his Department holds on the change in the quantity of sheep meat imports from Ireland between 2022 and 2024. \p Daniel Zeichner: Data held by the UK Government shows the net mass (kg) of sheep meat moving from Ireland to Great Britain dropped from 9.4kt in 2022 to 6.9kt in 2024. This data is published at: Overseas trade data table.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the devolved Administrations on measures to protect red squirrel populations. \p Mary Creagh: The UK Squirrel Accord, to which Defra is a signatory, is working to better understand the appropriate strategies for conserving the red squirrel. The Accord is UK-wide, and signatories include Scottish Government, Natural England, Forestry England as well as other nature conservation organisations.

This work includes identifying, protecting, and strengthening existing red squirrel populations, expanding their current range, and promoting better understanding and support for their conservation. Future conservation actions will be informed by this work.
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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is funding UK-wide research into red squirrel conservation. \p Mary Creagh: The UK Squirrel Accord, to which Defra, Natural England, and the Forestry Commission are signatories, is working to better understand the appropriate strategies for conserving the red squirrel. This work includes identifying, protecting, and strengthening existing red squirrel populations, expanding their current range, and promoting better understanding and support for their conservation. Future conservation actions will be informed by this work.

Defra also continues to support the development of novel control methods for grey squirrel such as the fertility control research led by APHA and the UK Squirrel Accord.
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Chris Hinchliff:To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Nature Restoration Fund proposed by the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the Marine Recovery Fund. \p Mary Creagh: The Marine Recovery Fund is being established as a voluntary mechanism to deliver strategic compensation for offshore wind developers.

The Nature Restoration Fund will offer a new way for developers to discharge existing environmental obligations related to protected sites and species, using resources strategically to maximise positive outcomes for nature.

There are currently no plans to combine the two funds.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will take steps to improve access to legal aid for residential park home residents involved in disputes with site owners. \p Sarah Sackman: The statutory framework governing the provision of legal aid is set out in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, and its supporting secondary legislation.

Legal aid is available for possession, homelessness and disrepair claims (when there is a serious risk of illness or injury) subject to a financial means and a merits test. Legal aid is additionally available for people facing the loss of their home on a non-means tested basis through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service. Legal aid is also generally in scope for judicial reviews that have the potential to produce a benefit for the individual, a member of their family, or the environment. Proceedings related to consumer law are not in scope of legal aid.

Where an issue falls outside the scope of legal aid, individuals can apply for Exceptional Case Funding (ECF), which will be granted where they can show that failure to provide legal aid will risk breaching their human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. ECF applications are considered by the Legal Aid Agency on an individual basis and are subject to the individual qualifying on means and merits testing.
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Andy Slaughter:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the timely ratification and implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, signed by the UK in May 2025; and what assessment she has made of the legislative or regulatory measures required to ensure full domestic compliance with its provisions. \p Sarah Sackman: I am delighted that the UK was an early signatory to the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, which was signed in Luxembourg on 14 May 2025. Throughout the Convention’s development, the Ministry of Justice worked closely with the profession and the UK representative appointed to the drafting panel, to ensure the UK’s interests were effectively represented on key issues. The Department is conducting the necessary due diligence ahead of ratification including an assessment of whether any legislative or regulatory measures are required.

Once this is complete, the Convention and its accompanying Explanatory Memorandum will be laid before both Houses of Parliament for scrutiny, in accordance with the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. The Convention enters into force on the expiry of a period of 3 months after the date on which eight signatories, including at least six member States of the Council of Europe, have expressed their consent to be bound by it.
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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing funding for specialist advice services. \p Sarah Sackman: We recognise the importance of access to justice and the key role that legal advice and support services play in helping people resolve their legal issues.

This year we have invested over £6 million of grant funding to 60 organisations in 2025-26, via the Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support Grant and the Online Support and Advice Grant, to support the delivery of essential advice and support services.

We are also working with the advice sector to co-develop and implement a long-term strategy to make the legal support system more sustainable, effective and efficient. We have established the Legal Support Strategy Delivery Group, comprised of key stakeholders from across the advice sector, to support this work. The workplan focuses on three key themes: service delivery, data and evidence, and funding. The funding theme is exploring options for unlocking more sustainable and consistent funding streams for advice services, as well as how to drive more collaborative and joined-up funding of the advice sector across funders.
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Sir Mark Hendrick:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many court cases listed for trial in a Crown Court were (a) cancelled and (b) rescheduled in (i) Lancashire, (ii) Cumbia and (iii) Greater Manchester in the last three years. \p Sarah Sackman: The Ministry of Justice publishes information concerning trials which are rescheduled (ineffective) but does not have a measure of trials “cancelled” - rather we publish information concerning trials which are cracked.

A cracked trial is a trial that does not go ahead on the day as an outcome is reached and so does not need to be re-scheduled. This occurs when an acceptable plea is offered by the defendant, or the prosecution offers no evidence against the defendant.

This data regarding trial effectiveness at the Crown Court including cracked and ineffective trials by LCJB area is published in the “Trial effectiveness in the courts” data tool (latest to March 2025). This can be downloaded from the Criminal Court Statistics landing page here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-court-statistics.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will commission research on the potential impact of (a) first and (b) second cousin marriage on local communities. \p Alex Davies-Jones: We are aware that all aspects of weddings law, including first cousin marriage, are important. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is the Department responsible for community cohesion, including policy on faith, belief, and diasporic communities, and regularly undertakes work to understand and support local communities.

At the Ministry of Justice, we are taking the time to properly consider weddings law, before publicly setting out our position.
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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the cost of the new prison at Gartree in Leicestershire. \p Sir Nicholas Dakin: The value of the main works for the new prison next to HMP Gartree is planned to be published later this year.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps she is taking to ensure that victims of (a) spiking and (b) prank spiking have adequate access to justice. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Government committed, in its manifesto, to create a new offence covering spiking. Our aim is to create a clear and modern offence that covers the wide range of behaviours currently associated with spiking, encourage victims to report such incidents and help the police respond effectively. In developing this new offence, included in the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government listened to the views of stakeholders, such as Spike Aware and Stamp Out Spiking, survivors and worked with other organisations, such as law enforcement and the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Government has designed the new offence to capture all incidents of spiking, including drink spiking, and where the substance is administered by other methods, such as by needle, food, vape etc.

Whilst every case will turn on its facts, if someone administers a harmful substance as a prank, they would likely be found to have intent to “injure, aggrieve or annoy” the other person. This offence is part of a package of measures designed to tackle spiking and ensure victims can receive justice.
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions her Department has had with the devolved Administrations on support for victims of (a) stalking and (b) coercive control. \p Alex Davies-Jones: This Department regularly engages with the devolved administrations regarding support for victims.

Section 16 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 applies to England and to reserved matters in Wales. It is important that victims can expect as consistent support as possible in both nations and when engaging with agencies across the border. Ministry of Justice officials have worked with relevant officials in the Welsh Government in developing the guidance on the Independent Domestic Violence Adviser and Independent Sexual Violence Adviser roles published in May 2025. We will continue to engage with them on the Independent Stalking Advocate guidance which we will publish next year.

Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in Wales receive funding from the Ministry of Justice to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services in their areas for victims of all crime types including stalking and coercive control. Additional ringfenced funding is also provided for domestic abuse and sexual violence support services. The Department routinely engages with Welsh PCCs to monitor and understand the commissioning landscape.  The Inter-Ministerial Group for Justice (IMGJ) is a forum for ministers from all four UK governments to discuss priority justice matters and exchange best practice approaches. We anticipate that victims’ issues will be discussed at future IMGJ meetings.
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Alex Sobel:To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support her Department provides to victims of violent crimes who have been waiting more than twelve months for a decision on their Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority claim. \p Alex Davies-Jones: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the 2012 Scheme) does not prescribe a time limit for applications to be decided.

The majority of applications are decided within 12 months. Each case must be considered on its own facts and assessed based on the information available. In almost all cases, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) needs to get information from third parties such as the police and medical authorities to help assess applications.

Some applications will by necessity take longer to decide. This could be where information is not available due to ongoing court proceedings, CICA needs time to assess the long-term impacts of complex injuries (e.g. brain injuries), or where there is an application for loss of earnings where the 2012 Scheme requires at least 28 weeks of loss.
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Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the fall in the number of children at independent schools was in line with her Department’s projections. \p Stephen Morgan: Pupil numbers remain firmly within expectations and higher than 2021/22. As a percentage of the overall school population, private school pupils have remained the same, at 6.5%. It has been between 6% and 7% for the last two decades.
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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of AI companion software on (a) children's mental health, (b) children's social skills and (c) trends in the level of children's loneliness. \p Stephen Morgan: The department is working to build evidence of the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for education, both on the opportunities and the risks. We are supporting the sector to use AI safely.

We are funding the development of global guidelines for the safe and effective use of generative AI in education, in partnership with the OECD and, in January 2025, we announced that leading global tech firms had committed to making AI tools for education safer by design. Google, Microsoft, Adobe and Amazon Web Services have helped develop a set of expectations AI tools should meet to be considered safe for classroom use. These are accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-ai-product-safety-expectations/generative-ai-product-safety-expectations.

The Generative AI product Safety Expectations framework was announced on 22 January 2025 and we have published online materials to help all educators. These materials can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/using-ai-in-education-settings-support-materials.

Screens are prevalent in children's lives at home and in education. It is crucial to have protections like the Online Safety Act, while using technology to benefit children. Schools play a key role in promoting balanced technology use, minimising harmful content, and teaching online safety.

The department is working across government to implement the Online Safety Act and address technology-related risks, including AI in education, while maximising opportunities for these technologies to support education.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-03 conversation_122

Damian Hinds:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54726 on Schools: internet, what steps she is taking to ensure blocks on illegal content are (a) technically enforced and (b) cannot be overridden in all education settings. \p Stephen Morgan: Keeping children safe is an absolute priority for this government and schools play a critical role in this.

In England, schools must procure their own technology, including filtering and monitoring systems, and ensure they meet the statutory safeguarding requirements set out in the ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE) statutory guidance and in the filtering and monitoring standards, in order to protect students from harmful and/or illegal content. Both are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2 and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-digital-and-technology-standards-in-schools-and-colleges/filtering-and-monitoring-standards-for-schools-and-colleges.

The standards require filtering systems to effectively block harmful and inappropriate content using regularly updated blocklists from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and the Counter-Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU). Schools cannot alter or disable these lists. Additionally, filtering providers must be members of the IWF, signed up to CTIRU, and committed to maintaining updates.

KCSIE signposts to resources to help schools make informed decisions to support safeguarding which, amongst others, includes a tool from South West Grid for Learning that allows schools to check whether their filtering provider is aligned with the necessary blocklists. This resource is available here: https://swgfl.org.uk/services/test-filtering/. We also funded the UK Safer Internet Centre to produce a series of webinars, which are available at: https://saferinternet.org.uk/blog/filtering-and-monitoring-webinars-available. We have also recently launched the plan technology for your school service which helps schools understand how to meet the standards. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/plan-technology-for-your-school.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-03 conversation_123

Sir Christopher Chope:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his Department's planned timetable is for the replacement of defective temporary buildings at Highcliffe School to be completed; and what guidance her Department has issued on the removal from use of life-expired temporary buildings. \p Stephen Morgan: School buildings are integral to high and rising standards and need to be fit for the future. That is why the government is committed to improving the condition of the school estate, and the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) continues as part of that.

The department wrote to Patrick Earnshaw and Yvonne Dunning at HISP Multi-Academy Trust in July 2023 to inform them that Highcliffe School has been placed in group 2 of the SRP. Projects have been prioritised according to the condition of their buildings and other relevant criteria. We anticipate that Highcliffe School will commence with planning and feasibility work between January 2026 and March 2027, depending on the readiness of the school to enter the programme. SRP projects typically take between two and five years to deliver.

Specific start dates will be communicated to the school and responsible body at least a month in advance of project start and, where possible, the department will bring projects forward if we are able to do so. The scope of the works will be discussed with the school and responsible body once the project enters delivery.

Responsible bodies continue to have a responsibility for the safety and maintenance of the buildings in their care, including temporary buildings. The school will need to continue to maintain and keep buildings safe until the school enters delivery. This includes compliance with statutory duties to ensure the health and safety of building occupants.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-03 conversation_124

Noah Law:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for the roll out of free breakfast clubs to all state‑funded schools with primary‑aged children; and what support her Department plans to provide schools to facilitate implementation of that programme. \p Stephen Morgan: The government is committed to delivering on its pledge to provide a free breakfast club in every state funded school with primary-aged children. This will ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, has a supportive start to the school day.

From the start of summer term 2025, the department has funded 750 schools to deliver a free breakfast club to early adopters.

We are currently working through the outcomes of the latest spending review and the departmental business planning processes. Further details will follow in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-03 conversation_125

Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of community activities to support families with children in the early years. \p Stephen Morgan: The government is committed to giving every child the best start in life by strengthening early intervention, supporting families to engage in play and communication, and enhancing the home learning environment. Our Plan for Change includes a national target for 75% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development by 2028 and increase school readiness.

There is strong evidence that the first 1,001 days, from conception to age two, are critical for a child’s cognitive, emotional and physical development. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, we are supporting families with joined-up services across health, education and early years. This includes support for infant feeding, perinatal mental health, parenting, early language development and the home learning environment.

As announced in last month’s Spending Review, the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, ensuring more families across the country can access high quality, integrated support to give their children the best start in life.

In 2025/26, we are investing £10.7 million in home learning environment services through Family Hubs to help parents create language-rich, nurturing settings. Our Little Moments Together campaign provides free, accessible resources that encourage parents to chat, play and read with their children.

For school-age children, we continue to promote parental engagement in reading and learning at home, recognising the importance of sustained support throughout a child’s educational journey.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-03 conversation_126

Natalie Fleet:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which schools in Bolsover constituency will receive funding from the school rebuilding programme. \p Stephen Morgan: The government has given a long-term commitment for funding through to 2034-35 to improve the condition of schools and colleges across England. We are investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034-35 in capital maintenance and renewal to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025-26.

This is in addition to investment of almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034-35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing Programme and expanding the School Rebuilding Programme, with a further 250 schools to be selected within the next two years.

The department invited responsible bodies to nominate schools to be considered for the School Rebuilding Programme in early 2022. There are currently no schools in the constituency of Bolsover in the programme. We will set out further details about the selection process for the additional 250 schools to be selected for the School Rebuilding Programme later this year.

For financial year 2025/26, Derbyshire County Council has been allocated a School Condition Allocation of £10,268,315 to invest across its maintained schools, including those in Bolsover constituency. Academy trusts and voluntary aided school bodies also have access to capital funding to improve the condition of their buildings. More details can be found on GOV.UK, including capital allocations and the outcomes of the Condition Improvement Fund, in which Model Village Primary School and Whaley Thorns Primary School in Bolsover constituency were successful.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-03 conversation_127

Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the educational instability that children in care face. \p Janet Daby: The department is committed to ensuring that looked-after children are supported to succeed in education and achieve positive outcomes. We recognise the critical importance of continuity and stability throughout a looked-after child’s life.

Under the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review guidance and regulations, the child’s social worker should do everything possible to minimise disruption to their education. School changes should be minimised, and any transitions well-planned and supported. Where a change to a child’s educational arrangements is unavoidable, their personal education plan should set out arrangements to minimise disruption to education, especially during exam periods and other critical periods in their education.

The government is introducing measures, including through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, to rebalance the market, improve regulation and commissioning of placements. The department is also investing £2 billion over this parliament to give more children a safe, loving home, including expanding the children’s home estate, delivering more foster care placements and helping keep families together by providing targeted support before problems escalate.

These measures will provide greater placement availability, stability and ensure that, where it is in a child's best interests, they are placed closer to home.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-03 conversation_128

Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the challenges faced by young carers in balancing their caring responsibilities with (a) education and (b) training. \p Janet Daby: Young carers have been a hidden cohort for too long. They provide essential care and support to their loved ones, often stepping up in challenging situations at the expense of their own development and wellbeing.

The department is using school census data to shine a light on young carers’ attendance, suspensions and exclusions, and is aiming to publish data on their educational progress and attainment this autumn. This will ensure they receive tailored support and do not miss out on vital educational opportunities.

The statutory guidance ‘Keeping children safe in education’ requires designated safeguarding leads to undergo training to provide them with the knowledge and skills to carry out their role. This includes having a good understanding of, and alertness to, the needs of young carers to identify their needs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-03)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-03 conversation_129

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of reductions to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on (a) adoptive parents, (b) special guardians, (c) kinship carers and (d) the children they support. \p Janet Daby: The new criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund enable as many children and families as possible to access the available funding. The department always assesses the impact of changes on children and their families. This includes reviewing the equalities impact assessment on children, which will be made available in the House Libraries in due course.