Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's press release entitled More girls to study maths under plans to improve pathway into AI careers, published on 6 May 2025, how much funding will be allocated in (a) 2025 and (b) subsequent years; and how that funding will be allocated between students and teachers.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

The Advanced Maths Support programme funding for April 2025 to March 2026 will be £8,200,000. Funding from April 2026 will be subject to the spending review.

There is no direct split between funding for students and teachers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support Designated Safeguarding Leads in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department recognises the incredibly important role designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) play in keeping children and young people safe in schools. We support them to do this through our robust safeguarding framework, ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), the statutory guidance that all schools and colleges, including schools in Surrey Heath constituency, must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children.

KCSIE is clear that every school must have a DSL who should take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection. Annex C of the guidance supports DSLs to understand the role and expectations placed on them.

The department regularly reviews KCSIE to see where it needs to be strengthened to ensure it continues to provide the support that DSLs need.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to take steps to (a) help reduce the pay-gap for supply teachers in comparison to full-time teachers and (b) create a pathway for supply teachers to access the Teachers' pension scheme.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

Supply teachers make a valuable contribution to our schools.

A supply teacher’s pay and working conditions will depend on who employs them. Supply teachers employed directly by a state maintained school or local authority must be paid in accordance with the statutory arrangements for teachers laid down in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document. If a supply teacher is employed by a private agency or non-maintained school, the employer can set the rate of pay and conditions of employment.

The Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) Regulations 2014, which set out the rules for the TPS, determine that for teachers to be eligible, their employment must be with an accepted employer, usually a school.

Where a supply teacher is employed directly by an accepted school, they will have the same participation rights as a permanent teacher and are eligible to participate in the scheme. Where supply teachers are self-employed, or employed by a supply agency and their services are provided under a contract for services, it is not possible for them to participate in the TPS. This is because there is no organisation to pay both member and employer contributions to the scheme in these circumstances.

The department does not have plans currently to revisit these positions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of safeguarding legislation in ensuring that organisations outside of formal education settings comply with statutory guidance.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government is committed to safeguarding children. We believe the majority of the out-of-school settings sector does a good job, providing safe and enriching education and activities for children.

Providers have a legal duty of care to ensure the safety of children who attend their setting and protect them from harm. Local authorities are also legally responsible for safeguarding children in their areas and, when there are concerns, the department expects them to intervene using the wide range of powers available to them.

In December 2023, the department updated the statutory safeguarding guidance 'Working together to safeguard children' to strengthen multi-agency working across the whole system of help, support and protection.

We have already acted to improve sector safety by updating the safeguarding code of practice for out-of-school setting providers and accompanying guidance for parents and carers, both in September 2023. We will also publish new e-learning for out-of-school providers and strengthened guidance for local authorities.

In addition, the department will publish a call for evidence in due course to help us improve our understanding of safeguarding in out-of-school settings and to gather information on potential approaches to enhance the safety of these settings.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have been lost by their Department since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The following table includes the number of lost department-issued devices by the department since 5 July 2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they still intend to meet targets for (1) international student recruitment, and (2) education export value, set out in the International Education Strategy, published in March 2019.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department, along with the Department for Business and Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, is currently conducting a review of the international education strategy to ensure that it continues to be an effective tool in increasing the value of education exports and reflects the priorities of education stakeholders, businesses and Ministers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the UK education system remains globally competitive.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The UK remains a highly attractive study destination for international students, with four universities in the top 10 and 15 universities in the top 100, alongside a wide array of high quality institutions which offer a fulfilling and enjoyable experience to international students from around the world.

As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education made clear in her video message last year, this government welcomes international students who enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK.

The immigration white paper, published on 12 May, confirmed that we will retain the graduate visa, but reduce its duration from two years to 18 months. This will maintain our competitive post-study offer whilst ensuring individuals on this route obtain employment in graduate level roles and contribute to the country’s skills needs more quickly. The department will issue further details on implementation of the white paper measures in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the white paper published on 12 May, Restoring control over the immigration system, whether the policy priorities for the proposed levy on tuition fees for international students who attend Scottish higher education institutions will be set by the Scottish Government.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The immigration white paper sets out a series of measures that will achieve a reduction in net migration, while maintaining the UK’s globally competitive offer to international students and making a significant contribution to growth by boosting our skills base. This includes the commitment to explore the introduction of a levy on higher education (HE) provider income from international students, with proceeds to be reinvested in the domestic HE and skills system. We will set out more details around the levy in the Autumn Budget.

Analysis of the potential impacts is based on the levy applying to English HE providers only. We will fully consult all the devolved governments on the implementation of the international student levy.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the benefits of school uniform.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department strongly encourages schools to have a uniform as it can play a key role in promoting the ethos of a school, provide a sense of belonging and identity and setting an appropriate tone for education.

By creating a common identity amongst all pupils, regardless of background, a school uniform can act as a social leveller. If, however, the uniform is too expensive it can place a financial burden on families. This is why the department has introduced legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require. The measure will help to bring down costs for parents and remove barriers from children accessing sport and other school activities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to meet university vice-chancellors to discuss how they are dealing with the rising incidence of antisemitism on campuses.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

My right hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Education is due to host a roundtable shortly with leading vice chancellors to discuss what more can be done collectively, and at all levels, to make our universities safe and inclusive environments for all.

Departmental officials continue to liaise closely with Universities UK and with key Jewish community stakeholders, to remain appraised of issues and how they are being handled by universities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many organisations were consulted on the decision to cut funding for specialist software from the Disabled Student's Allowance.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department engaged with disability experts who support disabled students to gather their feedback and insights on the decision to remove non-specialist spelling and grammar software from Disabled Students’ Allowance funding. These persons contributed in a personal capacity.

The department does not expect that students will be negatively impacted by the changes, because specific technology packages will no longer be funded where free-to-access versions, with the required functionality, are available to meet students’ disability-related support needs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support pastoral teams in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Schools have a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of their pupils and are best placed to decide what pastoral support to provide based on the needs of their pupils, making the best use of their funding and taking the best available evidence-based advice. The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed an additional £2.3 billion for the core schools budget for 2025/26 compared to 2024/25. This means that overall core schools funding will reach over £63.9 billion in 2025/26.

Good pastoral support is important to achieving high and rising standards in schools and breaking down barriers to opportunity, helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education.

Specifically in relation to pupil’s mental health and wellbeing, the government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by 2029/30 by expanding NHS-funded Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs). Expansion will be overseen by Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and these teams currently cover 26% of pupils and learners in schools and colleges in Surrey Heartlands ICB, compared to 52% coverage nationally. ​

The government will also recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.

To support education staff, the department provides guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing in schools. For example, a resources hub and a toolkit to help choose evidence-based early support for pupils. These can be found here: https://mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/whole-school-or-college-resources/.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the problems affecting poorer students in accessing A level computer science, as identified by Teach First on 8 May.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

All children and young people should have every opportunity to succeed, no matter their background. However, the department knows that disadvantaged pupils are more likely to face barriers which hold them back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve.

Whilst it is ultimately for individual schools to decide which courses to offer their students, the best way of supporting schools to offer A level computer science, including those in deprived areas, is to ensure high-quality computing teaching by helping schools to recruit and retain good teachers.

For the 2024/25 and 2025/26 academic years, the department is offering a targeted retention incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools. This will support the recruitment and retention of specialist computing teachers in the schools and areas that need them most. There are also bursaries worth £29,000 tax-free and scholarships worth £31,000 tax-free, to encourage talented trainees to teach computing.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 496 new postgraduate entrants to computing initial teacher training (ITT), a 21% increase on the number of entrants in the 2023/24 academic year (411). The number of postgraduate entrants in 2024/25 was broadly in line with the average across the last ten years.

As of April 2025, we are seeing positive recruitment trends regarding postgraduate ITT recruitment in computing. So far, there have been more candidate submissions (+10%), offers (+42%) and acceptances (+47%) compared to the same point in the previous recruitment cycle.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to ensure that home educators' right to privacy is protected, in the context of the proposed home schooling register.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department takes its data protection obligations seriously and is committed to high standards of information security, privacy and transparency. All data received by the department, including as part of the children not in school (CNIS) registers, will be processed in accordance with UK-GDPR principles. No individual personal data from CNIS registers will be published by the department.

The department is conducting a Data Protection Impact Assessment and are consulting with the Information Commissioner’s Office to ensure all data protection risks have been considered and appropriate mitigation are in place before any processing of data has begun. The Data Protection Impact Assessment will be reviewed on a regular basis and updated as required.

Parents have the right under UK-GDPR to object to how their data is used. However, this right is not absolute. If the department or other agencies outlined in the Bill have compelling, legitimate grounds to continue using the parent’s data that outweigh the parent’s rights, they can refuse the parent’s request.

We will outline in future statutory guidance to local authorities how they should inform parents about their rights around data sharing and processing at the point of registration and/or providing updates for the registers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what are the names of the further education providers who have been subject to a concluded financial investigation since 2017; when each of those investigations was opened; what was the nature of the concerns raised in each investigation; and when each investigation concluded.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department holds the data to enable a response to this question. However, putting into the public domain the details of all providers who have been subject to investigations over the previous 8+ years has the potential to harm the department’s relationships with providers, and could result in the effective conduct of public affairs being compromised. Similarly, release of this information without consultation could be prejudicial to the commercial interests of further education providers.

The department does have a policy in relation to the publication of reports relating to its investigations, in that we now publish reports for completed investigations which began in or after December 2023. This policy can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/efa-investigation-publishing-policy/efa-investigation-publishing-policy.

Prior to December 2023, there are commercial issues with releasing information in respect of providers subject to investigations. This government has recently updated the House on action taken.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's transparency data entitled Breakfast clubs early adopters: schools in the scheme, published on 24 February 2025 and updated on 22 April 2025, for what reason 79 schools are no longer taking part in the scheme.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston to the answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 47782.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of violent and intimidating disruptions of Jewish student events at universities, as featured in the report by StandWithUs UK, Voice of students 2024/25.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

I was grateful to attend a roundtable organised by StandWithUs UK in this House on 11 March 2025. At that event, I heard directly from students about their horrifying experiences of antisemitic abuse, many of which are captured in the StandWIthUs UK Voice of Students report.

The antisemitic incidents detailed in the report are wholly unacceptable and the wellbeing and safety of Jewish students remains a government priority.

I recognise the efforts that university Vice Chancellors and their staff are making to foster cohesion on campuses across the country. However, the StandWithUs UK report highlights that there is still more to do. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will soon host a roundtable, to which she has invited Vice Chancellors representing many of the institutions featured in the report. This will be an opportunity to discuss what more can be done collectively, and at all levels, to make universities a safe and inclusive environment for all.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with StandWithUs UK about taking action to combat antisemitism on university campuses.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

I was grateful to attend a roundtable organised by StandWithUs UK in this House on 11 March 2025. At that event, I heard directly from students about their horrifying experiences of antisemitic abuse, many of which are captured in the StandWIthUs UK Voice of Students report.

The antisemitic incidents detailed in the report are wholly unacceptable and the wellbeing and safety of Jewish students remains a government priority.

I recognise the efforts that university Vice Chancellors and their staff are making to foster cohesion on campuses across the country. However, the StandWithUs UK report highlights that there is still more to do. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will soon host a roundtable, to which she has invited Vice Chancellors representing many of the institutions featured in the report. This will be an opportunity to discuss what more can be done collectively, and at all levels, to make universities a safe and inclusive environment for all.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with StandWithUs UK about the report Voice of Students 2024/25, published on 7 May.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

I was grateful to attend a roundtable organised by StandWithUs UK in this House on 11 March 2025. At that event, I heard directly from students about their horrifying experiences of antisemitic abuse, many of which are captured in the StandWIthUs UK Voice of Students report.

The antisemitic incidents detailed in the report are wholly unacceptable and the wellbeing and safety of Jewish students remains a government priority.

I recognise the efforts that university Vice Chancellors and their staff are making to foster cohesion on campuses across the country. However, the StandWithUs UK report highlights that there is still more to do. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will soon host a roundtable, to which she has invited Vice Chancellors representing many of the institutions featured in the report. This will be an opportunity to discuss what more can be done collectively, and at all levels, to make universities a safe and inclusive environment for all.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16, what plans they have to ensure that state schools provide same-sex toilets and changing facilities for (1) pupils, and (2) staff.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

Single-sex spaces based on biological sex are protected in law and will always be protected by this government.

Under the Premises Regulations (2012) and Independent School Standards (2014) which apply to all maintained schools, academies and free schools, responsible bodies (such as school governing bodies, academy trusts or local authorities) are required to ensure that suitable toilet and changing facilities are provided. Regulation 4 states “separate toilet facilities for boys and girls aged 8 years or over must be provided except where the toilet facility is provided in a room that can be secured from the inside and that is intended for use by one pupil at a time”.

The responsibility for complying with the standards and regulations lies with the appropriate responsible body for the school.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the appropriateness of gambling-related content on the online programming platform Scratch which is used by children in schools.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department does not support or mandate individual products. Schools should follow the statutory guidance ‘Keeping children safe in education’, supported by the department’s filtering and monitoring standards. Schools should monitor pupils’ use of devices whilst in school.

The relationships, sex and health education statutory guidance states that young people should be taught the risks of online gambling and how to seek help if they have concerns. The computing curriculum supports pupils to make informed decisions whilst online or using other technologies.

The department-funded National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) provides training and resources to improve computing provision, including support for teaching programming concepts through languages such as Scratch.

The NCCE is reviewing all teacher resources that include Scratch content. Guidance for keeping children safe when using Scratch will be included in all relevant content by June 2025. NCCE materials do not use gambling as a programming exercise for pupils. None of the NCCE’s lessons or courses recommend pupils use the search function or engage with other people's content on Scratch. Teachers are advised to use the offline version of the platform to prevent pupils from searching ready-made code.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish (1) an updated impact assessment for the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that includes specific assessment of Clause 22, and (2) an equality impact assessment for the whole of the Children's Wellbeing and School Bill, including Clause 22.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The government is committed to supporting children in care and care leavers through the introduction of corporate parenting responsibilities for government departments and relevant public bodies. The measures will require Secretaries of State and relevant public bodies to be alert to matters which might adversely affect the wellbeing of children in care and care leavers.

The impact of all of the measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on business, equalities and human rights has been evaluated and is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childrens-wellbeing-and-schools-bill-impact-assessments.

We will continue to review and update these documents, when the Bill has completed its passage through the House of Lords.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to tackle antisemitism in universities.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government is deeply concerned about the continued, unacceptably high, prevalence of antisemitism in universities. We have confirmed £7 million in funding to address antisemitism in education, and the Office for Students will be introducing a new registration condition from August that will require universities to act against all forms of harassment, including antisemitism.

Furthermore, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will soon host a round table with leading vice-chancellors from across the country to discuss what more can be done collectively, and at all levels, to make our universities a safe and inclusive environment for all.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the importance of the adoption and special guardianship support fund.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

This government fully recognises the importance of support for adoptive and kinship children and families. The Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) has been a valuable part of the support landscape for ten years. This is why we have provided £50 million of funding for the ASGSF for 2025/26, alongside £8.8 million for Adoption England, to complement the range of support available in local areas.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to introduce provisions to allow British National (Overseas) visa holders access to home-rate university tuition fees prior to obtaining settled status.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire to the answer of 29 May 2025 to Question 52277.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with university leaders on tackling antisemitism.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will shortly convene a roundtable discussion on antisemitism with a group of Vice Chancellors. This will be an opportunity to discuss what more can be done collectively, and at all levels, to make our universities a safe and inclusive environment for all.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing monitoring compliance with School Food Standards.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Liverpool West Derby to the answer of 9 May 2025 to Question 48872.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will include within the remit of Skills England a requirement to help support (a) British National (Overseas) visa holders and (b) other migrants to access (i) training and (ii) employment.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Skills England will play a critical part in the government’s mission to drive growth across the country, support people to get better jobs and improve their standard of living.

Skills England will join the Labour Market Evidence (LME) Group to support a coherent approach to skills, migration and labour market policy. It will also shape technical education and apprenticeships to respond to skills needs.

It remains the case that eligible visa holders, including Hong Kong British National (Overseas) status holders, may be able to take an apprenticeship but must be able to complete the apprenticeship within the time they have available on their visa, including the end-point assessment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is available to promote (a) lifelong learning and (b) digital inclusion for older people.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is investing in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Skills Fund, which fully funds or co-funds education and skills training for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.

This also funds the department’s Essential Skills entitlements, which provide the opportunity for fully-funded study for eligible adults who do not have essential literacy and numeracy skills up to and including level 2, and digital skills up to and including level 1. Essential Digital Skills Qualifications and digital Functional Skills qualifications up to level 1 are available for free under the digital entitlement for adults with low digital skills.

Where qualifications are not appropriate for a learner, more flexible provision is available through ‘Tailored Learning’, which offers bespoke courses in essential digital skills at a pace that works for them, supporting their journey to get online.

The ‘Free Courses for Jobs’ offer gives eligible adults the chance to access high value Level 3 qualification for free, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job.

Skills Bootcamps give adults the chance to build sector-specific skills, including in digital, with a job interview on completion for eligible learners.

In January 2027, the department will introduce the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, which will broaden access to high-quality, flexible education and training. It will support individuals to learn, upskill and retrain across their working lives, up to the age of 60.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of promoting workplace apprenticeships as an alternative to sixth form or college education.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Too many young people are struggling to access high quality opportunities, and this government wants to ensure that more young people can undertake apprenticeships.

The department is widening the apprenticeships offer into a growth and skills offer, to deliver greater flexibility and choice for learners and employers, including through new foundation apprenticeships for young people.

Foundation apprenticeships will be a work-based training offer that will provide young people with clear progression pathways into further work-based training and employment. Construction will be one of the key sectors that will benefit from new foundation apprenticeships. This will inspire more young people into the construction industry and give them the tools they need for a sustained and rewarding career. As part of this new offer, employers will be provided with £2,000 for every foundation apprentice they take on and retain in construction.

The department continues to promote apprenticeships to young people through the Skills for Life campaign and the apprenticeship ambassador network (AAN). The AAN, which has around 2,000 volunteers, aims to champion apprenticeships for young people by aligning an ambassador to every state-funded secondary school by March 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the construction skills package creates (a) apprenticeships, (b) Technical Excellence Colleges and (c) Skills Bootcamps in (i) all parts of the UK and (ii) Cornwall.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

On 23 March 2025, the government announced a construction support package worth over £600 million to tackle the acute shortage of skilled workers in the construction sector. This investment is a key part of our wider strategy to support national infrastructure projects, meet ambitious housing targets, and enable the transition to a clean energy economy.

The package includes funding for a range of initiatives, such as expanding construction courses, launching additional skills bootcamps and foundation apprenticeships, providing more industry placements, and establishing ten new Technical Excellence Colleges.

Skills England will engage and work closely with the devolved administrations to ensure alignment and coherence in addressing skills needs across the UK.

The department are keen to work closely with Mayoral Combined Authorities and local leaders who will be essential to delivering the devolved elements of this package, including adult skills funding.

Additional information regarding allocations at regional and provider level will be shared in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds have equal access to digital learning resources and technology.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

The department recently launched a public consultation on narrowing the digital divide between schools and colleges, so we can bring together the sector’s expertise to embed effective technology use, harness the opportunities that technology can offer, and ensure all students have access to it.

Through the proposals and investment set out in this consultation, the department wants to set milestones to break down the barriers to opportunity to ensure every child and young person has access to the best possible education. To support this ambition, we are investing another £25 million to upgrade wireless networks in schools this year, on top of £20 million to complete delivery of fibre internet upgrades to 833 schools.

Furthermore, the Child Poverty Taskforce is progressing urgent work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy. The Strategy will tackle overall child poverty, as well as going beyond that to focus on children in the deepest poverty lacking essentials and what is needed to give every child the best start in life.

The department is also working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) on their ambitious national plans for digital inclusion. DSIT published their Digital Inclusion Action Plan: First Steps in February 2025. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-inclusion-action-plan-first-steps/digital-inclusion-action-plan-first-steps#chapter-6---next-steps.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the status is of each of the 19 special free schools that have been in pre-opening phase since 2021 or prior.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

For those schools that have been in the pre-opening phase since 2021 or prior, the department is engaging with local authorities and trusts in the usual way and progressing work in line with our vision for the special educational needs (SEN) system.

As the hon. Member for Twickenham will appreciate, pipeline projects are at different stages of development and the department is prioritising operational decisions on those that are due to open in the shorter term. The department is, however, pleased to note that one of those 19 schools, Carew Academy, has recently officially opened and pupils have moved in as of April 2025.

The government is clear it wants to make sure all children with special educational needs and disabilities receive the support they need to achieve and thrive. The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need.

As with all government investment, special and alternative provision free school projects will be subject to value for money consideration through their development, in line with the government’s vision for the SEN system.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the number of local authority funded early years places for children with SEND under the age of 9 months.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department does not fund places for children under the age of nine months. This is because the earliest a child can take up their government-funded place is the term after a child turns nine months old.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with the Office for Students on antisemitism at universities.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will shortly convene a roundtable discussion on antisemitism with several Vice Chancellors. The Office for Students (OfS) will be represented at this roundtable. This will be an opportunity to discuss what more can be done collectively, and at all levels, to make our universities a safe and inclusive environment for all.

Departmental officials meet regularly with the OfS and have discussed campus antisemitism with them in the context of the implementation of the new E6 condition, and when considering how best to uphold the rights of minority groups alongside freedom of speech.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a Skills Bootcamp course to support the attainment of Category D coach licences.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is giving local areas greater control of Skills Bootcamps in line with its commitment to devolution.

As national contracts come to an end, the government will fund Skills Bootcamps entirely through funding Mayoral Strategic Authorities and local areas directly.

Local areas will be able to choose which Skills Bootcamps they offer based on the needs of their local employers and economy. This could include Skills Bootcamps to support the attainment of Category D coach licences.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for School Standards of 28 April 2025, Official Report, column 7, if she will make an estimate of the proportionate pay rise that could be provided to teachers with the additional £400 million of funding.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

On 18 March, the department published the Schools’ Costs Technical Note, which forecast the headroom in schools’ budgets in the 2025/26 financial year, and set out what pay rise, for both teachers and support staff, would be affordable on that basis.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to negotiate rejoining the Erasmus+ Programme.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The government has agreed to work towards the association of the UK to the EU Erasmus+ programme. The specific terms of this association, including mutually agreed financial terms, should be determined as part of that process in order to ensure a fair balance as regards the contributions of and benefits to the United Kingdom.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of planned changes to international student recruitment on the financial sustainability of universities.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

This government’s position on international students has been clear. We are committed to a United Kingdom that is outward looking and welcomes international students who make a positive impact on the UK’s higher education (HE) sector, our economy and society as a whole.

The government expects the UK to remain a highly attractive study destination. The UK has a world class HE sector with 4 universities in the top 10 and 15 in the top 100 worldwide, according to the latest QS World University Rankings, alongside a wide array of high-quality institutions which can offer a fulfilling and enjoyable experience to international students from around the world.

In order to put the sector on a firmer financial footing, Professor Edward Peck has been appointed as substantive Chair of the Office for Students to continue its focus on financial sustainability and increasing opportunities in HE. We have also taken the difficult decision to increase tuition fee limits by 3.1% in the 2025/26 academic year, in line with inflation.

The department will publish its plans for HE reform as part of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper this summer.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the scale of antisemitic activity and incidents on university campuses.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

Since the terrorist attacks of 7 October 2023, there has been an unprecedented increase in antisemitic incidents on university campuses.

The Community Security Trust report ‘Campus Antisemitism in Britain 2022-2024', published on 9 December 2024, states that in the two academic years 2022/2024, 325 university-related antisemitic incidents were recorded: 53 incidents in 2022/23 and 272 incidents in 2023/24. This is a 117% increase from the 150 incidents recorded between academic years 2020/2022.

Within the period covered by the report, there was an increase of 413% from academic year 2022/23 to academic year 2023/24, which clearly demonstrates the impact of the 7 October attacks.

Officials and Ministers continue to liaise closely with Universities UK and with key Jewish Community stakeholders, including the Community Security Trust and the Union of Jewish Students, to remain appraised of issues and how they are being handled by universities.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will soon host a roundtable with Vice Chancellors to discuss what more can be done collectively, and at all levels, to make our universities a safe and inclusive environment for all.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16, what plans they have to issue guidance to schools about single-sex spaces, sports and activities for pupils and staff of the same biological sex.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The government has set out its expectation that organisations follow the clarity the ruling provides. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has already committed to supporting organisations with its updated statutory code of practice. We will engage them as necessary as they progress this work.

For children in schools, the department are currently reviewing the draft statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance and the draft non-statutory guidance on gender questioning children, ensuring that children’s wellbeing is at the heart of both. Departmental officials are analysing consultation responses, talking to stakeholders and considering the evidence, including the Cass Review, before deciding next steps.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16, what plans they have to issue guidance to organisations and other stakeholders that interact with the Department for Education about implementing the Supreme Court ruling.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The government has set out its expectation that organisations follow the clarity the ruling provides. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has already committed to supporting organisations with its updated statutory code of practice. We will engage them as necessary as they progress this work.

For children in schools, the department are currently reviewing the draft statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance and the draft non-statutory guidance on gender questioning children, ensuring that children’s wellbeing is at the heart of both. Departmental officials are analysing consultation responses, talking to stakeholders and considering the evidence, including the Cass Review, before deciding next steps.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what ministerial meetings have been held in relation to (1) school library funding, and (2) school libraries as mechanisms for critical literacy development.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. The national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information, as part of developing their literacy skills.

There are a number of strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment, as well as other positive effects, such as improved text comprehension and grammar, increased general knowledge and character development.

It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils. Headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by the department. The Autumn Budget 2024 announced an additional £2.3 billion for schools for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25, bringing the total core schools budget to almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26.

The government’s reading framework offers non-statutory guidance for teachers and school leaders, including helpful guidance for schools on how to organise their school library, book corner or book stock to make reading accessible and attractive to readers.

My hon. Friend, the Minister for School Standards, meets with a wide range of individuals and organisations to discuss matters within her portfolio, including English and literacy in schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to improve training for disabled children’s social care professionals in local authorities.

Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Every day, children’s social care professionals provide a vital service to children in need of support, including disabled children. Whilst it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that their social care workforces are well-equipped for the roles they perform, the department is focused on supporting continued improvements in practice. All qualified children’s social workers must register with the professional regulator Social Work England and meet the professional standards. These include practising in line with the requirements of the Equality Act, which includes disability as a protected characteristic.

The department sets the professional standards that new children’s social workers should attain through the post-qualifying standards. The department is currently consulting on a new set of standards which include a greater focus on disability. Subject to the spending review, the department plans to introduce a new two-year social worker induction programme based on the new standards, to strengthen support for new children’s social workers.

In addition, the Law Commission are currently undertaking an independent review of social care legislation relating to disabled children. They are due to report their final recommendations to government in summer 2025, at which point the department will consider proposals for reforms to the disabled children’s social care system.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the campaign by pupils of Meath School in Ottershaw, Surrey, to ensure that UNICEF UK's "Rights Respecting Schools Award" scheme is available to all schools in England; and whether they will provide funding along similar lines to the provision in Scotland.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

Education plays a vital role in promoting integration and ensuring children and young people are prepared for life, including learning about the values that underpin and unite our society. All schools in England have a duty to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of their pupils and to prepare them for the opportunities and responsibilities of adult life. It is up to schools to decide whether to join UNICEF’s Rights Respecting School programme.

Citizenship education provides a framework for pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and values that will prepare them to take their place in society as responsible citizens. Citizenship forms a core part of the statutory national curriculum at key stages 3 and 4 and primary schools can choose to teach citizenship at key stages 1 and 2, following the non-statutory framework for citizenship.

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Found: History and Geography, where subject-specialist teaching is more likely to be the norm according to DFE

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Found: Responses to 9&10 The Department for Education (DfE) are the lead department for family hubs.

Found: BSE0050 - Building support for the energy transition Department for Education Written Evidence

Found: There has been really proactive and collaborative work with the Department for Education.

Found: residential and other growth. 2.3 In relation to the delivery of education infrastructure, the Department for Education

Found: these only infrequently involve ‘stepping on the toes’ of other government departments such as the DfE

Found: provision of NHS registration and HC2 certificate issuance, as well as data sharing agreements with the DfE

Found: for Business and Trade—we have had these conversations—is working really closely with the Department for Education

Found: Q202 Paul Waugh: Sport England has a fraction of the money that the DFE and certainly the NHS have,

Found: We have some great examples of where we have done that: working with the Department for Education at

Found: We have some great examples of where we have done that: working with the Department for Education at

Found: The challenge there is not a single- department challenge; it is a DSIT-DBT-DfE-Home Office challenge

Found: Q202 Paul Waugh: Sport England has a fraction of the money that the DFE and certainly the NHS have,

Found: Simplicity, privacy, ease of use Moderate, with growing adoption via mobile wallets ICO, Department for Education

Found: High needs funding will also increase by almost £1bn in 2025 -26, compared to 2024 -25 and the DfE has

Found: (DfE), including Now Teach and Researchers in Schools.

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Found: Participants in our research reported that the current DfE-endorsed programmes often burden ECTs and

Found: There has been no known specific, sustained and targeted recruitment campaign by the Department for Education

Found: A recent NAO report estimated that DfE spends around £700m per annum on various initiatives designed

Found: evidence submitted by Now Teach (ITN0022)  While teacher recruitment is falling well below targets, our DfE

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Found: Questions 1-73 Witnesses I: Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary, Department for Education, Juliet

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the levels of knife crime in the West Midlands in the last five years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and driving down serious violence across the UK, including in the West Midlands, will play a key role in meeting this ambition.

In the West Midlands, the government has allocated c.£3.7m for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).

We routinely monitor police recorded crime data trends for all forces. West Midlands Police recorded 4,664 offences involving a knife or a sharp instrument in the year ending December 2024, a 12% fall compared with the previous year (5,323 offences). The fall was driven by a 14% fall in knife-enabled robbery (from 2,684 to 2,309 offences) and a 11% fall in assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm (from 1,952 to 1,730).

Through our Young Futures Programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in the West Midlands, to intervene earlier and ensure that children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands VRU this year.

This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes such as youth workers in hospital settings (A&E Navigators), social skills training, and tailored support to individuals at risk of involvement in gangs and county lines to divert young people away from crime.

A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £254k available to the West Midlands.

Additionally, we have launched the Knife Enabled Robbery (‘KER’) Taskforce, focusing on reducing KER in the highest volume police force areas, including the West Midlands. The Taskforce identified school-age KER as a specific operational challenge and has worked with the Department for Education and school leaders to tackle it by developing bespoke “KER school action plans”.

To ensure community leaders, campaign groups, families of those who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime and young people who have been impacted are involved in our plans, the Prime Minister launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime in September 2024. The Coalition contributes to policy development in key areas. I (Minister for Crime Prevention and Policing) have attended several coalition meetings since it was founded, chairing its most recent meeting. The Coalition has discussed key policy issues, including the online sale of knives, child criminal exploitation and the banning of ninja swords.

To date, we have implemented a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August. We are planning an expanded surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own dangerous weapons to hand them in safely and securely.

In the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, we are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to encourage (a) (i) community and (ii) campaign groups and (b) families affected by knife crime to participate in the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and driving down serious violence across the UK, including in the West Midlands, will play a key role in meeting this ambition.

In the West Midlands, the government has allocated c.£3.7m for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).

We routinely monitor police recorded crime data trends for all forces. West Midlands Police recorded 4,664 offences involving a knife or a sharp instrument in the year ending December 2024, a 12% fall compared with the previous year (5,323 offences). The fall was driven by a 14% fall in knife-enabled robbery (from 2,684 to 2,309 offences) and a 11% fall in assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm (from 1,952 to 1,730).

Through our Young Futures Programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in the West Midlands, to intervene earlier and ensure that children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands VRU this year.

This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes such as youth workers in hospital settings (A&E Navigators), social skills training, and tailored support to individuals at risk of involvement in gangs and county lines to divert young people away from crime.

A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £254k available to the West Midlands.

Additionally, we have launched the Knife Enabled Robbery (‘KER’) Taskforce, focusing on reducing KER in the highest volume police force areas, including the West Midlands. The Taskforce identified school-age KER as a specific operational challenge and has worked with the Department for Education and school leaders to tackle it by developing bespoke “KER school action plans”.

To ensure community leaders, campaign groups, families of those who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime and young people who have been impacted are involved in our plans, the Prime Minister launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime in September 2024. The Coalition contributes to policy development in key areas. I (Minister for Crime Prevention and Policing) have attended several coalition meetings since it was founded, chairing its most recent meeting. The Coalition has discussed key policy issues, including the online sale of knives, child criminal exploitation and the banning of ninja swords.

To date, we have implemented a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August. We are planning an expanded surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own dangerous weapons to hand them in safely and securely.

In the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, we are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Coalition to Fight Knife Crime on tackling knife crime.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and driving down serious violence across the UK, including in the West Midlands, will play a key role in meeting this ambition.

In the West Midlands, the government has allocated c.£3.7m for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).

We routinely monitor police recorded crime data trends for all forces. West Midlands Police recorded 4,664 offences involving a knife or a sharp instrument in the year ending December 2024, a 12% fall compared with the previous year (5,323 offences). The fall was driven by a 14% fall in knife-enabled robbery (from 2,684 to 2,309 offences) and a 11% fall in assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm (from 1,952 to 1,730).

Through our Young Futures Programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in the West Midlands, to intervene earlier and ensure that children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands VRU this year.

This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes such as youth workers in hospital settings (A&E Navigators), social skills training, and tailored support to individuals at risk of involvement in gangs and county lines to divert young people away from crime.

A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £254k available to the West Midlands.

Additionally, we have launched the Knife Enabled Robbery (‘KER’) Taskforce, focusing on reducing KER in the highest volume police force areas, including the West Midlands. The Taskforce identified school-age KER as a specific operational challenge and has worked with the Department for Education and school leaders to tackle it by developing bespoke “KER school action plans”.

To ensure community leaders, campaign groups, families of those who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime and young people who have been impacted are involved in our plans, the Prime Minister launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime in September 2024. The Coalition contributes to policy development in key areas. I (Minister for Crime Prevention and Policing) have attended several coalition meetings since it was founded, chairing its most recent meeting. The Coalition has discussed key policy issues, including the online sale of knives, child criminal exploitation and the banning of ninja swords.

To date, we have implemented a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August. We are planning an expanded surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own dangerous weapons to hand them in safely and securely.

In the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, we are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce youth-related violence in Sutton Coldfield constituency.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and we are determined to tackle the scourge of serious youth violence on our streets.

To date, we have implemented a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August. We are planning an expanded surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own dangerous weapons to hand them in safely and securely. Limiting the availability and accessibility of lethal blades is a central part of our work.

To that end, we have also announced “Ronan’s Law”, following an independent review into online knife sales by Commander Stephen Clayman, which sets out a range of measures including strengthening age verification and delivery checks and reporting bulk sales to the police. These vital changes are included in the Crime and Policing Bill currently making its way through Parliament.

We are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

The Young Futures Programme is another key part of the Safer Streets Mission and the Government’s ambition to halve knife crime over the next decade. Through this programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in the West Midlands, to intervene earlier and ensure that Children and Young People who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands VRU this year.

This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes such as youth workers in hospital settings (A&E Navigators), social skills training, and tailored support to individuals at risk of involvement in gangs and county lines to divert young people away from crime.

A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £254k available to the West Midlands.

Additionally, we have launched the Knife Enabled Robbery (‘KER’) Taskforce, focusing on reducing KER in the highest volume police force areas, including the West Midlands. The Taskforce identified school-age KER as a specific operational challenge and has worked with the Department for Education and school leaders to tackle it by developing bespoke “KER school action plans”.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, publish on 12 May 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her proposed changes to short-term study visas on language schools in the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Further details of all the measures announced in the White Paper will be set out in due course, and where necessary, subject to consultation.

Across Government, we will also make it easier for those already in the UK, working with partners in the Department for Education, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to access classes for English language lessons for those who need additional help.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to encourage medical schools to sign the NHS England sexual safety in healthcare organisational charter.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government is clear that there is no place for sexual misconduct of any kind in medical education or anywhere else. We expect university leaders, working with National Health Service organisations and all others involved in medical education, to stamp out this issue wherever it occurs.

The Department and NHS England are working with medical schools and the Medical Schools Council to improve sexual safety for medical students on placements in the NHS. This includes encouraging those medical schools who are yet to sign up to the NHS sexual safety in health charter to do so, and ensuring that they have in place robust processes and policies and appropriate support for students.

To support universities to tackle sexual misconduct, the Office for Students has also introduced new requirements for preventing, addressing, and investigating incidents to take effect in August 2025. The Department for Education is working with sector bodies to help providers prepare to implement the new measures.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help tackle poverty among parents who are carers of disabled children.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Tackling child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government. The Child Poverty Taskforce’s publication of 23 October ‘Tackling Child Poverty: Developing our Strategy’ sets out how we are developing the Strategy, exploring all available levers to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty. The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. Parental employment is a key part of the work we are doing. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments. The Child Poverty Taskforce is progressing work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy as soon as possible.

This is a cross-government effort. The Department for Education is working to provide the best start in life through high-quality early education and childcare to raise standards and help parents to work, for example through the new breakfast club programme, and expanding wraparound childcare for primary school children across England by increasing the number of places available, to support working families. We have jointly announced with DfE that we are expanding free school meals to all children in households on Universal Credit.

The Department for Business and Trade has responsibility for policy on flexible working and carer’s leave, which is another key element.

And the benefit system, in addition, makes provision for disabled children through Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and for their parents through the carer element and the disabled child addition within Universal Credit (UC).

Support is also available through Carer’s Allowance (CA). Where carers are able to work, the weekly CA earnings limit for those in receipt of CA is now pegged at 16 hours work at National Living Wage (NLW) levels, and in future it will increase when the NLW increases. The earnings limit increased to £196 a week, on 7 April 2025, compared to £151 in 24/25. This is the largest ever increase in the earnings limit since Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976 and the highest percentage increase since 2001.

As a result, unpaid carers will be able to increase their income, and many will now have more certainty that if they are receiving the NLW (and have not done overtime or received a bonus) they will be able to work for 16 hours a week and still receive Carer’s Allowance.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on school standards in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a range of issues, including Education. In addition, officials from the Department for Education (DfE) and the Welsh Government regularly meet and share best practice as do DfE Ministers and their Welsh Government counterparts.

As Education is devolved, the Welsh Government is responsible for school standards in Wales. The UK Government delivered the biggest budget settlement in the history of devolution, with £21 billion of new money for the Welsh Government to spend on public services such as schools.

In Financial Year (FY) 2024/25, the Welsh Government provided almost £200 million to support school standards across Wales. For FY 2025/26, the Welsh Government is awarding a further almost £170 million for school standards, which the Conservative and Plaid Cymru parties in the Senedd decided to vote against.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will take steps to encourage local authorities to provide free period products in public buildings.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Government supports a number of schemes so that those in most need can access period products. All women and girls being cared for by the NHS are entitled to be given, on request, appropriate period products free of charge. Similarly, the Department for Education run a scheme to provide free period products to girls and women in their place of study; with all state-maintained primary and secondary schools, and 16-19 educational organisations, eligible.

We recognise that period poverty is a symptom of wider poverty and the wider pressures of the cost of living, which is the government is taking steps to improve the overall affordability of products.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help support people to (a) stay active and (b) live longer in (i) Sunderland Central constituency and (ii) other areas.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government and the National Health Service recognise that prevention will always be better and cheaper than a cure, and that supporting the country to be physically active is important in helping people live longer, healthier lives.

The Department of Health and Social Care co-funds the Primary School PE and Sport Premium with the Department for Education, and the School Games Organiser Network with the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, both of which enable schools across the country to support children to have fun and move more through physical education, sport, play, and other forms of physical activity. Building healthy habits early on, in and out of school, is essential to helping children thrive, develop, and stay healthy.

The NHS Better Health Campaign promotes ways for adults, families, and children to move more, and signposts to digital support like Couch to 5k and the NHS Active 10 walking app, an accessible way of building movement into everyday life. The NHS, together with local authorities, also promotes and provides services to support people in building movement into their lives, for instance through exercise on referral and social prescribing.

As part of their place expansion approach, Sport England will be meeting with the Sunderland City Council later this summer to discuss working with them on tackling inactivity and participation inequalities through a whole system, place-based approach.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within the defence sector.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is one of the largest providers of apprenticeships in the UK with over 25,000 apprenticeships across the Armed Forces and Civil Service in 2024. The MOD is working closely with the Department for Education and with the defence industry to ensure we have the skilled workforce we require across the defence sector. This is an important focus in the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy.

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Found: They are seen by many as important for the UK’s economic future.1–4 The Department for Education (DfE

Found: . • Education authorities are involved in the local plan process, and the Department for Education has

Found: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 3 0.375 0 0 7 1 0.142857142857143 0 0 8 3 0.375 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 Dept. for Education DFE

Found: 0 [X] 8 3 0.375 0 0.0 7 1 0.142857142857143 0 0.0 8 3 0.375 0 0.0 1 0 0.0 0 0.0 Dept. for Education DFE

Found: 30% by 2030 (with an ambition to reach 250,000 in the longer term) and working with the Department for Education

Found: Social Care - Ministers' Hospitality - April 2025 CSV, 540 Bytes View online Department for Education

Found: individual support from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy or the Department for Education

Found: people with SEND and their families, as well as inspectors themselves and colleagues at the Department for Education

Found: inspection handbooks to: include explicit references to the well-being support provided by the Department for Education

Found: Transport Nash, Lord - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System at the Department for Education

Found: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Minister for Women and Equalities at the Department for Education

Found: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Minister for Women and Equalities at the Department for Education

Found: The Department for Education confirmed a £2.1bn investment for the school estate for 2025-26, almost

Found: From: Regional Department for Education (DfE) Directors Published 13 May 2025 Get emails

Found: In February 2025, DfE signalled its intention to move away from mandatory end-point assessment, towards

Found: (DfE).

Found: sector and workforce in England, Skills for Care (2024) 10 Employer Skills Survey research report, DfE

Found: and the drafting of this publication, Skills England was set up in shadow form within the Department for Education

Found: and the drafting of this publication, Skills England was set up in shadow form within the Department for Education

Found: and technical roles in financial services looks set to continue: 7 Employer Skills Survey 2022, DfE

Found: (DfE).

Found: Tool, ECITB (2023) 13 CSN Industry Outlook - 2024-2028, CITB (2024) 14 Employer Skills Survey 2022, DfE

Found: Several occupations identified as being in ‘critical demand’ by the Department for Education are relevant

Found: These occupations (except for Space) were identified by relevant taskforces for the DfE jobs and skills

Found: output approach- low-level aggregates, ONS (2024) 3 LEO Graduate and Postgraduate Outcomes 2021/22, DfE

Found: and the drafting of this publication, Skills England was set up in shadow form within the Department for Education

Found: From: Department for Education and Skills England Published 2 June 2025 Get emails about

Found: Disparities guidance 'Delivering Better Oral Health' (updated 2021) ii) subject expert for the Department for Education

Found: Disparities guidance 'Delivering Better Oral Health' (updated 2021) ii) subject expert for the Department for Education

Found: qualification meets their needs providers to identify learners’ existing skills from previous learning DfE

Found: The Department for Education (DfE) will not fund apprentices to start on a new or revised apprenticeships

Found: While considering the decision, we might seek advice from the Department for Education (DfE) legal team

Found: 30% by 2030 (with an ambition to reach 250,000 in the longer term) and working with the Department for Education

Found: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Minister for Women and Equalities at the Department for Education