Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of removing the BTEC Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care on students who do not meet the entry requirements for A Levels or T Levels.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

In October, the department published a consultation which detailed our plans to introduce V Levels, which will offer a vocational alternative to A levels and T Levels. We have proposed a range of subjects for delivery through V Levels, including Health and Care Services.

For students looking for a career in health, we would expect students to take the Health T Level. Young people with a range of prior attainment are accessing T Levels. The GCSE grade split for students receiving T Level results is very similar to those receiving results for Applied General Qualifications.

To ensure students can continue to access high quality qualifications in social care, we introduced a large Technical Occupation Qualification in Social Care (1080 GLH), which will be available for first teach from 1 August 2026. We are also exploring whether a T Level in Social Care could be viable in future.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence her Department used to determine that the BTEC Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care should no longer be funded; and whether she will publish that analysis.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

In October, the department published a consultation which detailed our plans to introduce V Levels, which will offer a vocational alternative to A levels and T Levels. We have proposed a range of subjects for delivery through V Levels, including Health and Care Services.

For students looking for a career in health, we would expect students to take the Health T Level. Young people with a range of prior attainment are accessing T Levels. The GCSE grade split for students receiving T Level results is very similar to those receiving results for Applied General Qualifications.

To ensure students can continue to access high quality qualifications in social care, we introduced a large Technical Occupation Qualification in Social Care (1080 GLH), which will be available for first teach from 1 August 2026. We are also exploring whether a T Level in Social Care could be viable in future.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of defunding the BTEC Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care on the future health and social care workforce pipeline.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

In October, the department published a consultation which detailed our plans to introduce V Levels, which will offer a vocational alternative to A levels and T Levels. We have proposed a range of subjects for delivery through V Levels, including Health and Care Services.

For students looking for a career in health, we would expect students to take the Health T Level. Young people with a range of prior attainment are accessing T Levels. The GCSE grade split for students receiving T Level results is very similar to those receiving results for Applied General Qualifications.

To ensure students can continue to access high quality qualifications in social care, we introduced a large Technical Occupation Qualification in Social Care (1080 GLH), which will be available for first teach from 1 August 2026. We are also exploring whether a T Level in Social Care could be viable in future.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the long-term economic contribution of student-loan recipients who do not remain in the UK workforce after graduation; and how this affects repayment forecasts for the loan book.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the equitability of the current student loan system, in the context of the rising value of student loans issued to applicants who may not remain in the UK long enough to repay.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As of April 2025, 6.1 million borrowers (English and EU nationals with loans from Student Finance England) are in Repayment. Of the 6.1 million, 286,000 (4.6%) reside overseas, of which 85,000 (29.7%) are EU nationals and 201,000 (70.3%) are English UK nationals. Full details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loans-in-england-2024-to-2025.

In November 2025, 60.3% of borrowers residing overseas (EU and UK nationals) were compliant, and 39.7% non-compliant. The compliance rate for UK borrowers was 62.3%, and for EU borrowers 55.4%.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) recovers approximately £10 million per month from customers residing overseas (both UK and EU nationals) at cost of approximately £339,000 per month. This is a return on investment of approximately 30:1.

In the 2024/25 financial year, SLC’s repayments evasion unit recovered £7.7 million from non-compliant overseas borrowers. If the SLC is unable to recover outstanding debt directly from borrowers overseas, the account will be referred to a Debt Collection Agency (DCA). On average, DCAs deliver a return on investment of £5 for every £1 spent. From April 2024 to March 2025, recoveries from overseas borrowers stand at £3.74 million.

A full equality impact assessment of how the student loan reforms may affect graduates, including detail on changes to average lifetime repayments under Plan 5, was produced and published in February 2022 and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the potential administrative cost associated with tracing and managing borrowers of student loans whose repayment status cannot be verified through UK tax systems.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As of April 2025, 6.1 million borrowers (English and EU nationals with loans from Student Finance England) are in Repayment. Of the 6.1 million, 286,000 (4.6%) reside overseas, of which 85,000 (29.7%) are EU nationals and 201,000 (70.3%) are English UK nationals. Full details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loans-in-england-2024-to-2025.

In November 2025, 60.3% of borrowers residing overseas (EU and UK nationals) were compliant, and 39.7% non-compliant. The compliance rate for UK borrowers was 62.3%, and for EU borrowers 55.4%.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) recovers approximately £10 million per month from customers residing overseas (both UK and EU nationals) at cost of approximately £339,000 per month. This is a return on investment of approximately 30:1.

In the 2024/25 financial year, SLC’s repayments evasion unit recovered £7.7 million from non-compliant overseas borrowers. If the SLC is unable to recover outstanding debt directly from borrowers overseas, the account will be referred to a Debt Collection Agency (DCA). On average, DCAs deliver a return on investment of £5 for every £1 spent. From April 2024 to March 2025, recoveries from overseas borrowers stand at £3.74 million.

A full equality impact assessment of how the student loan reforms may affect graduates, including detail on changes to average lifetime repayments under Plan 5, was produced and published in February 2022 and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of borrowers who leave the UK after receiving student finance maintain full repayment compliance; and what mechanisms exist to enforce repayments from those living overseas.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

As of April 2025, 6.1 million borrowers (English and EU nationals with loans from Student Finance England) are in Repayment. Of the 6.1 million, 286,000 (4.6%) reside overseas, of which 85,000 (29.7%) are EU nationals and 201,000 (70.3%) are English UK nationals. Full details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/student-loans-in-england-2024-to-2025.

In November 2025, 60.3% of borrowers residing overseas (EU and UK nationals) were compliant, and 39.7% non-compliant. The compliance rate for UK borrowers was 62.3%, and for EU borrowers 55.4%.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) recovers approximately £10 million per month from customers residing overseas (both UK and EU nationals) at cost of approximately £339,000 per month. This is a return on investment of approximately 30:1.

In the 2024/25 financial year, SLC’s repayments evasion unit recovered £7.7 million from non-compliant overseas borrowers. If the SLC is unable to recover outstanding debt directly from borrowers overseas, the account will be referred to a Debt Collection Agency (DCA). On average, DCAs deliver a return on investment of £5 for every £1 spent. From April 2024 to March 2025, recoveries from overseas borrowers stand at £3.74 million.

A full equality impact assessment of how the student loan reforms may affect graduates, including detail on changes to average lifetime repayments under Plan 5, was produced and published in February 2022 and can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the total value of student loans unlikely to be repaid by borrowers who have not established a long-term financial footprint in the UK; and what the projected cost to the public purse will be over the next decade.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The information requested is not held centrally.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of (a) national progression rates from foundation to other low-level courses in colleges and (b) employment outcomes from those rates.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Progression rates for further education achievers aged 16+ at Below Level 2 and Essential Skills into sustained further learning (by level of learning destination) between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in i) England, ii) Dorset and iii) the South West are shown in the following tables:

i) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3acffd22-b6d1-481d-b22c-08de39895a0e.

ii) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9b40b83c-6389-4dd5-b22d-08de39895a0e.

iii) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/de6ade41-7b19-4818-4a4b-08de398c3998.

The department does not publish data on employment outcomes for learners progressing to other lower-level learning from foundation courses, but it does publish sustained employment outcome rates for learners achieving at Below Level 2 and in Essential Skills between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in England, as shown in the following table: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/aa7ce8db-5a14-4898-4a4c-08de398c3998.

These statistics are available in the ‘Further education outcomes’ publication. This answer is based on the latest statistics that were released on 18 December 2025 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes/2022-23. The next update to this series will be published in November 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of progression rates from foundation to other low-level courses in colleges in the South West.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Progression rates for further education achievers aged 16+ at Below Level 2 and Essential Skills into sustained further learning (by level of learning destination) between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in i) England, ii) Dorset and iii) the South West are shown in the following tables:

i) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3acffd22-b6d1-481d-b22c-08de39895a0e.

ii) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9b40b83c-6389-4dd5-b22d-08de39895a0e.

iii) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/de6ade41-7b19-4818-4a4b-08de398c3998.

The department does not publish data on employment outcomes for learners progressing to other lower-level learning from foundation courses, but it does publish sustained employment outcome rates for learners achieving at Below Level 2 and in Essential Skills between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in England, as shown in the following table: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/aa7ce8db-5a14-4898-4a4c-08de398c3998.

These statistics are available in the ‘Further education outcomes’ publication. This answer is based on the latest statistics that were released on 18 December 2025 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes/2022-23. The next update to this series will be published in November 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of students progress from foundation to other low-level courses in colleges in Dorset.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Progression rates for further education achievers aged 16+ at Below Level 2 and Essential Skills into sustained further learning (by level of learning destination) between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in i) England, ii) Dorset and iii) the South West are shown in the following tables:

i) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/3acffd22-b6d1-481d-b22c-08de39895a0e.

ii) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9b40b83c-6389-4dd5-b22d-08de39895a0e.

iii) https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/de6ade41-7b19-4818-4a4b-08de398c3998.

The department does not publish data on employment outcomes for learners progressing to other lower-level learning from foundation courses, but it does publish sustained employment outcome rates for learners achieving at Below Level 2 and in Essential Skills between 2018/19 and 2022/23 in England, as shown in the following table: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/aa7ce8db-5a14-4898-4a4c-08de398c3998.

These statistics are available in the ‘Further education outcomes’ publication. This answer is based on the latest statistics that were released on 18 December 2025 and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes/2022-23. The next update to this series will be published in November 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with her Chinese counterpart on (a) student numbers and (b) research funding in the UK higher education sector.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has not had discussions with a Chinese counterpart on student numbers in UK higher education (HE). Policy for HE research funding for England is the responsibility of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). UK Research and Innovation, which falls under DSIT's remit, is the biggest public funder of research.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of the indicative early years funding allocations on workforce recruitment and retention in early years settings.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The early years workforce is at the heart of the government’s mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver our Plan for Change. Our Best Start in Life strategy sets out how we are improving the quality of early education by investing in training and qualifications, increasing understanding of high quality practice and providing more access to proven, evidence-based early years programmes. The latest early years census data reports a 7.2% increase in the number of workers between 2024 and 2025, to 272,500 staff. This represents an increase of 18,200 workers and is the biggest increase we have seen since the data became available in 2018, likely driven by the expanded entitlements.

We know from listening to the sector and our own regular research, that the cost of delivery is highest for younger children due to tighter staffing ratios and, consequently, higher staff costs, as staffing makes up the most significant proportion of provider costs. Our funding rates are set to reflect this with government funding rates for younger children remaining significantly higher than typical parent-paid fees.

For 2026/27, the national average funding rate is £12.04 for under twos, £8.90 for two-year-olds, and £6.42 for three to four-year-olds, compared to average parent-paid fees from last year of £7.18, £7.09, and £6.78 respectively. Combined with the increase in hours through the expansion, these higher funding rates for younger children mean substantially more investment is flowing into the early years sector with an expected £9.5 billion being provide for the early years in 2026-27.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the new V Levels will have equivalent entry requirements to A Levels, and what steps her Department will take to ensure students who do not meet those requirements are not excluded from Level 3 study.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We have set out plans to reform qualification pathways at level 3 and level 2. At level 3, this includes a third, vocational pathway, V Levels. V Levels will blend applied learning with practical assessment, and their content will be linked to occupational standards set by Skills England. It is intended that students can study English and maths alongside V Levels where appropriate.

We set out plans to introduce two new pathways at level 2, the Further Study pathway and Occupational pathway. The Further Study pathway is designed to help students to progress to level 3 study where they cannot access it straight away, for example if they do not have the prior attainment that they need to study what they wish to.

The department does not set entry requirements for post-16 study, these decisions are made by individual providers. Young people with a range of prior attainment are accessing T Levels, the GCSE grade split for students receiving T Level results is very similar to those receiving results for Applied General Qualifications.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what provision is being made for students achieving predominantly grade 4s at GCSE who are unable to access A Level or T Level courses.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We have set out plans to reform qualification pathways at level 3 and level 2. At level 3, this includes a third, vocational pathway, V Levels. V Levels will blend applied learning with practical assessment, and their content will be linked to occupational standards set by Skills England. It is intended that students can study English and maths alongside V Levels where appropriate.

We set out plans to introduce two new pathways at level 2, the Further Study pathway and Occupational pathway. The Further Study pathway is designed to help students to progress to level 3 study where they cannot access it straight away, for example if they do not have the prior attainment that they need to study what they wish to.

The department does not set entry requirements for post-16 study, these decisions are made by individual providers. Young people with a range of prior attainment are accessing T Levels, the GCSE grade split for students receiving T Level results is very similar to those receiving results for Applied General Qualifications.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 3 October 2025 to written question 74972, if she will list the eleven schools in Bedfordshire.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has published details of successful projects and applicants to the Condition Improvement Fund for the 2025/26 financial year, including the local authority and constituency. This list can be found on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/condition-improvement-fund-2025-to-2026-outcome.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the details of the review the Department is undertaking regarding assistive technologies for disabled students provided through the Disabled Students’ Allowances grant.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department keeps all support funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance under regular review to ensure that it continues to meets the needs of disabled students. Any future proposals will be communicated publicly.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what analysis her Department has undertaken on the relationship between early years entitlement funding rates and levels of parental fees charged above entitlement hours.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The early years workforce is at the heart of the government’s mission to give every child the best start in life and deliver our Plan for Change. Our Best Start in Life strategy sets out how we are improving the quality of early education by investing in training and qualifications, increasing understanding of high quality practice and providing more access to proven, evidence-based early years programmes. The latest early years census data reports a 7.2% increase in the number of workers between 2024 and 2025, to 272,500 staff. This represents an increase of 18,200 workers and is the biggest increase we have seen since the data became available in 2018, likely driven by the expanded entitlements.

We know from listening to the sector and our own regular research, that the cost of delivery is highest for younger children due to tighter staffing ratios and, consequently, higher staff costs, as staffing makes up the most significant proportion of provider costs. Our funding rates are set to reflect this with government funding rates for younger children remaining significantly higher than typical parent-paid fees.

For 2026/27, the national average funding rate is £12.04 for under twos, £8.90 for two-year-olds, and £6.42 for three to four-year-olds, compared to average parent-paid fees from last year of £7.18, £7.09, and £6.78 respectively. Combined with the increase in hours through the expansion, these higher funding rates for younger children mean substantially more investment is flowing into the early years sector with an expected £9.5 billion being provide for the early years in 2026-27.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department holds on (a) the number of people aged 60 and over currently enrolled in further education, (b) the number of people aged 60 and over currently undertaking postgraduate study, and (c) the number of people aged 60 and over who have completed a PhD in each of the last ten years.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Adult further education and skills learner participation by age is published in the further education and skills statistics publication which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-and-skills/2024-25. However, participation figures for the 60+ age group specifically are not published

In 2024/25, there were 307,750 further education and skills learners aged 50 and above. The following table presents numbers of further education and skills learners by age for academic years between 2019/20 and 2024/25: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/dc701901-2aeb-421f-4a31-08de398c3998.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is responsible for collecting and publishing data on the UK higher education (HE) sector. In the academic year 2023/24, across all modes of study, there were 7,415 postgraduate student enrolments aged 60+ across all UK HE providers. The following table presents numbers of HE students by age and permanent address for academic years between 2019/20 and 2023/24: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-58.

Data on the number of people aged 60 and over who have completed a PhD in each of the last ten years is not published, but has been produced using unpublished HESA data and, for qualifiers across all UK HE providers, is shown in the table below:

Note - Age taken at start of final year of study

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to (a) encourage people into the educational psychologist profession and (b) retain educational psychologists in the profession.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. That is why the department is already investing more than £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists over two cohorts, starting their studies in 2024 and 2025. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of more than 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.

As these trainees complete their studies, they will join the workforce to support local authority educational psychology services, including contributing to statutory assessments. Trainees who have had their training funded by the department are required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period. For trainees beginning their course in September 2024, this period is three years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children taking up early years entitlements in 2026-27 in Buckingham and Bletchley constituency are projected to be from households in the bottom two deciles of income distribution.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The latest January 2025 statistics on Funded early education and childcare were published in July here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/funded-early-education-and-childcare/2025.

Figures on the number of children registered for government funded entitlements in Buckinghamshire can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/8be865c0-9f87-475e-9475-08de4155ee12.

Statistics from households in the bottom two deciles of income distribution are not readily available, nor are figures at parliamentary constituency level. Statistics for January 2026 have a provisional release date on GOV.UK of July 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to encourage exam boards to offer the British Sign Language GCSE.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government, working with the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), has developed the content and assessment arrangements for a new British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE.

Now that Ofqual’s final qualification rules have been published, exam boards are able to develop detailed specifications which will form the basis of course content to be taught in schools and colleges.

Decisions on whether to develop qualification specifications are for exam boards, and any specifications developed by exam boards will need to be accredited by Ofqual before they are available to schools.

I have written to the exam boards to encourage them to seize the opportunity to offer this important qualification.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the total lifetime cost is of Private Finance Initiative contracts relating to school and college buildings in (a) Essex, and (b) the UK.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

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

The department directly manages the PF2 contracts for the Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP) projects that were entered into by the Secretary of State for Education. All other schools’ PFI contracts were entered into by the relevant contracting counterparty, which is the relevant local authority.

The cost information requested on PFI projects in Essex and England is published annually by HMT at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pfi-and-pf2-projects-2024-summary-data.

Please note that, with the exception of the department’s PF2 projects, all information on PFI contracts is collated from local authorities and the department is unable to guarantee the accuracy of this information. Further details are available from the local authorities.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that schools have an active travel plan to increase the number of children who walk or cycle to school (including those who walk the last half-mile).

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Education Act 1996 places a duty on local authorities to promote sustainable travel on journeys to and from places of education in their area. Sustainable travel in this context is that which improves the physical wellbeing of users, the environmental wellbeing of the area, or both.

On 12 December, Active Travel England announced £626 million of funding for local authorities from 2026/27 to 2029/30 to deliver walking, wheeling and cycling schemes. This will enable more children to walk and cycle to school. It is in addition to almost £300 million funding for active travel in 2024/25 and 2025/26 announced in February. This includes £30 million to provide Bikeability cycle training to children and £8.5 million for Cycling UK, Living Streets and Modeshift to deliver walking, wheeling and cycling initiatives in schools and communities. The Modeshift STARS Education scheme supports schools and local authorities to develop and monitor school travel plans.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that 16 to 18-year-olds leave school with access to employment, apprenticeships or training opportunities.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are supporting young people to stay on and succeed in education and training until at least age 18, and ensure they can take up opportunities to move into work and/or further study. For example, eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers, backed by £90 million, are helping young people access support for training, apprenticeships or work.

We have introduced foundation apprenticeships and are expanding them into more sectors, like hospitality and retail.

We will ensure that a post-16 destination is identified for every year 11 pupil, and those most at risk of becoming NEET receive personalised transition support

We are piloting the automatic allocation of a place at a further education (FE) provider for anyone aged 16-17 who doesn’t already have one.

We are also investing in improved Risk of NEET Indicator tools and attendance tracking in FE, so that young people at risk of falling out of education are identified and supported.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of careers advice and post-16 employment support provided by secondary schools to pupils who do not intend to follow a further education or college route.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Through our commitments to improve careers advice in schools and to deliver two weeks’ worth of work experience for every young person, we are bridging the gap between the curriculum and the world of work.

The updated Gatsby Benchmarks have been adopted into statutory guidance. The benchmarks provide a framework for good career guidance, tailored to meet each pupil’s needs, with insights into a broad range of career pathways.

Our ambition for a minimum of two week’s worth of work experience by year 11 will further improve employability. Pupils from all backgrounds will be given access to progressive, high quality workplace experiences throughout their education journey.

Evidence shows that these measures will support pupils to make successful transitions from education into training or employment. There is an established link between schools that achieve higher Gatsby Benchmark scores and improved education, employment and training rates for their pupils at post-16 and post-18.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the take up rate is amongst targeted pupils for free breakfast clubs.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Free Breakfast Clubs are for all pupils to give children life chances and parents work choices. Through our free breakfast club early adopter schools, we have served more than 5 million meals, and we are expanding the programme by further funding an additional 2,000 schools this year, benefitting half a million more children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of funding SEND provision from within her Department’s existing RDEL core budget of £69 billion in 2028-29 on provision of existing Educational resources.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government has set out its position on page 105 of the budget document, confirming that special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) pressure will be absorbed within the overall government departmental expenditure limits (DEL) budget from the financial year 2028/29 onwards such that we would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2025 to Question 85962 on Special Educational Needs: Hearing Impairment, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making support for families available from birth.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department is committed to ensuring that all children, including deaf and hard of hearing children, have the best possible start in life. The NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme aims to identify permanent moderate, severe, and profound deafness and hearing impairment in newborn babies. Screening is offered to all babies in England.

Funding is available to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including deaf and hard of hearing children, to access early education and childcare. This includes special educational needs inclusion funding and disability access funding.

Further, in December 2025, the department announced access to early SEND support across the country through Best Start Family Hubs. In every local authority next year, councils are being tasked with recruiting a dedicated SEND practitioner for every hub to provide direct, family-facing support. The new offer will help parents identify emerging needs sooner, and support vital join-up between early years settings, health visitors and SEND teams, including for young children with hearing impairments.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the annual cost to the public purse of putting a child through secondary state school education.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Annually, the department publishes the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), which includes information on the amount of core schools funding allocated by the department nationally as well as to each local authority. This includes the amount of funding allocated in respect of secondary pupils in mainstream schools, the ‘secondary schools unit of funding’. The DSG for financial year 2026/27 has now been published and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dedicated-schools-grant-dsg-2026-to-2027.

In addition to the funding from the DSG, schools also receive additional school funding annually, for example through the Pupil Premium grant (in respect of pupils eligible for free school meals in the last six years), and capital funding.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the press release entitled Schools to save millions as Government launches agency profit cap, published on 4 December 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that policy on the availability of agency staff for schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Supply teachers and supply staff perform a valuable role, and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools across the country.

Schools, academies and local authorities are responsible for the recruitment of their supply staff, which includes deciding whether to use private supply agencies to fill temporary posts or cover teacher absence.

The measure will cap profits of private agencies and does not affect supply teacher pay. Therefore, we should not see any negative impact on the availability and number of supply teachers as a direct result of this policy.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the conclusions of the local child safeguarding practice review of Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy will inform their advice to schools in England on behaviour management; and, if so, how.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines effective strategies that will encourage good behaviour.

The Behaviour in Schools guidance is clear that any policy must be lawful, proportionate, and reasonable and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

The report recommends that the federation should consult its communities on its behaviour policy, including how best to reflect the government’s expectations on proportionality, dignity and reasonable adjustments. The department continues to engage with Mossbourne Federation to ensure that it implements any changes needed in response to the review’s findings and those from its own review, led by Anne Whyte KC.

The Behaviour in Schools guidance is kept under regular review and will be updated as necessary.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 15 December (HL12482), when they expect to publish their response to their consultation, Post-16 level 3 and below pathways, closing on 12 January 2026.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The results of the consultation on Post-16 Level 3 and Below Pathways and the department's response will be published on GOV.UK in spring 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of the reduction in the number of exams on school standards.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review acknowledged that young people in England sit more hours of exams than their peers in many other countries. As GCSEs are reformed, the department will work closely with Ofqual and exam boards to reduce exam time by 2.5 to 3 hours for the average student. In analysis submitted to the Review, Ofqual considered that a reduction of 10% is feasible with current content levels whilst balancing reliability and effects on teaching and learning. We will ensure that any amendments maintain high standards and protect the integrity and validity of the assessment system.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reductions to exam times on students.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review acknowledged that young people in England sit more hours of exams than their peers in many other countries. As GCSEs are reformed, the department will work closely with Ofqual and exam boards to reduce exam time by 2.5 to 3 hours for the average student. In analysis submitted to the Review, Ofqual considered that a reduction of 10% is feasible with current content levels whilst balancing reliability and effects on teaching and learning. We will ensure that any amendments maintain high standards and protect the integrity and validity of the assessment system.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many placements British individuals will have through rejoining the Erasmus scheme in 2027 in (1) universities, (2) schools, (3) adult learning, and (4) sports opportunities.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The government remains committed to providing opportunities to study and work abroad, especially for those participants from disadvantaged backgrounds. We expect that over 100,000 people could benefit from mobility and partnership opportunities from Erasmus+ participation in 2027/28. Placement totals will depend on the length of each placement and grant rates. The Erasmus+ Work Programme sets out budget thresholds for education by sector. Thresholds for 2027 will be published in the 2027 Erasmus+ Work Programme.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of education in schools relating to toxic masculinity and misogyny; and what steps her Department is taking to improve culture and behaviours and to promote positive male role models.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Every parent should be able to trust that their child is safe at school, online and in their relationships. But too often toxic ideas are taking hold early and going unchallenged. In December 2025, this government published a new strategy to tackle violence against women and girls. We want to protect young people and drive forward education on healthy relationships, and we will be investing £11 million to pilot the best interventions in schools over the next three years.

The updated relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) guidance, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education, significantly strengthens content including an emphasis on building healthy relationships skills from the start of primary school, focusing on kindness and respect. Pupils are expected to develop an understanding of the concepts and laws around misogyny, sexual harassment and sexual violence, including recognising sexism and misogyny and how to report abuse.

It emphasises opening conversations with young people about positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, including how to identify and learn from positive male role models.

Through a whole school approach, positive action should be taken to build a culture where misogynistic attitudes and behaviour are not tolerated, and any occurrences are identified and tackled.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the number of children in South Cambridgeshire constituency waiting more than 20 weeks for an EHCP assessment.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department does not hold information on the length of time that children and young people wait for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment to be carried out.

The department does publish information on the number of EHC plans that are issued within the statutory 20-week timeframe. The number and percentage of plans issued within this timeframe (excluding cases where exceptions apply) for both Cambridgeshire and England are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b46a4968-aafd-4bd6-948a-08de4155ee12.

Information at constituency level is not available.

Information on EHC plans maintained by local authorities, including requests for an EHC needs assessment, the number of assessments carried out, the number where a decision is made to assess, and the number of plans issued within 20 weeks, are included in the annual statistical release. The latest January 2025 statistics were published in June 2025 here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the number of children waiting more than 20 weeks for an EHCP assessment.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department does not hold information on the length of time that children and young people wait for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment to be carried out.

The department does publish information on the number of EHC plans that are issued within the statutory 20-week timeframe. The number and percentage of plans issued within this timeframe (excluding cases where exceptions apply) for both Cambridgeshire and England are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b46a4968-aafd-4bd6-948a-08de4155ee12.

Information at constituency level is not available.

Information on EHC plans maintained by local authorities, including requests for an EHC needs assessment, the number of assessments carried out, the number where a decision is made to assess, and the number of plans issued within 20 weeks, are included in the annual statistical release. The latest January 2025 statistics were published in June 2025 here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools are not required to subsidise EHCP provision from their core budgets.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Since 2014, local authorities are have been required to allocate funding to their local mainstream schools according to a formula that includes factors relating to the likely incidence of special educational needs (SEN) amongst their pupils, and to identify an amount within each school’s overall budget as a guide to what they might need to spend on supporting those pupils, including those with education, health and care plans. Schools are then expected to cover additional costs in respect of SEN pupils up to £6,000 per pupil. For annual costs in excess of £6,000, the local authority should allocate top-up funding from their high needs budgets. The government is providing over £12 billion high needs funding to local authorities in the 2025/26 financial year.

Mainstream school funding is increasing by 2.6% per pupil in the 2026/27 financial year compared to 2025/26. This will support mainstream schools with ongoing costs, including the costs of SEN support. When the Schools White Paper is published later this year, it will set out additional funding for both schools and local authorities to drive forward much needed reform of the SEN and disability system.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 on Free Schools: Witham, UIN 101355, if she will publish a breakdown of the (a) details and (b) scoring of each school project evaluated; and if she will publish the evidence considered as part of her review into Lodge Farm Primary and Nursery.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is progressing projects that will meet the needs of communities and provide a unique offer for students who would otherwise not have access, without damaging the viability of existing local schools and colleges.

We have written to trusts, local authorities and MPs setting out the position on individual projects as well as offering more detailed feedback.

All projects were evaluated in line with consistent criteria set out in a Written Ministerial Statement in October 2024, including published school capacity data (SCAP24), in line with the department’s longstanding approach to assessing pipeline projects, as well as other data from local authorities, such as plans for future housing developments.

Final decisions on projects where a ‘minded to cancel’ letter was issued will be made once trusts and local authorities have had the opportunity to submit any new evidence. Representations should be made by 30 January 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Government's SEND reforms on children and young people in South Cambridgeshire.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department will set out the full Schools White Paper later in the new year, building on the work we have already done to create a system that is rooted in inclusion, where children receive high quality support early on and can thrive at their local school. Impact assessments will be produced alongside final reform proposals when published in the Schools White Paper.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to ensure schools are up to date with fire safety guidance.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Each school’s responsible body, usually an academy trust or local authority, are responsible for ensuring that their schools comply with Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

This means they must have an up-to-date fire risk assessment, appropriate fire alarms and regular fire drills, to ensure they are as safe as possible and well prepared in the event of a fire.

The department supports schools by providing guidance on estates management and responsibility in the Good Estates Guide for Schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will update guidance titled ‘BB101: Ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality 2018’ for the latest available technical standards.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

All new department-delivered schools are designed and constructed to the department’s own school building standards. These standards include ventilation, thermal comfort and air quality and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employers-requirements-part-b-generic-design-brief.

The standards are reviewed regularly and updated when necessary to meet industry best practice and any relevant legislation. An updated set of standards will be published in early 2026.

The department’s publication, ‘Building Bulletin 101: Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools’ (BB101), provides non-statutory guidance, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/building-bulletin-101-ventilation-for-school-buildings.

The department reviews non-statutory guidance regularly and publishes updates only when necessary.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many retired teachers in the East of England are waiting to receive their Teacher's Pension Scheme Remediable Service Statement.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The information is not readily available or held centrally, and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

The department is working closely with the scheme administrator to process Remediable Service Statements (RSSs) as quickly and efficiently as possible. Several factors have affected the original delivery timeline, including technical dependencies, regulatory requirements, and coordination with external partners.

The administrator will keep affected members informed of revised timelines through established channels, including My Pension Online and its website. The latest update is available here: https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/news/public-news/2025/11/timeline-for-sending-out-remediable-service-statements-rss.aspx. As responsibility for this work transitions to the new administrator of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in Summer 2026, the department is working with Tata Consultancy Services to finalise the timeline for issuing all RSSs. Once the timeline is confirmed, it will be communicated to relevant members.

The department continues to monitor progress and is working closely with the scheme administrator to streamline processes and introduce automation where possible. Any pension adjustments arising from members’ choices will be backdated with interest to ensure members are not financially disadvantaged.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of administrative and bureaucratic barriers within local authorities on the timeliness of EHCP assessments.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department understands that some families face challenges with securing education, health and care (EHC) plans in a timely way. We are committed to restoring confidence in the system of support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) so that they all get the opportunities they need to achieve and thrive in their education.

The department publishes annual SEN2 data on EHC plans and assessments, including timeliness. This informs performance monitoring and targeted support. Local authorities performing poorly receive additional oversight and specialist advice.

The department continues to monitor and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plans timeliness. This includes, where needed, providing specialist SEND Adviser support to help identify the barriers to carrying out the EHC plan process in a timely way and to put in place practical plans for recovery.

A new SEND inspection framework launched in January 2023, with all local areas to be inspected by 2027, to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will publish guidance on recruiting impartial school governors.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government’s guidance on the constitution of school governing bodies explains that the most robust governing bodies welcome and thrive on diversity of viewpoints, skills, experiences and backgrounds. This ensures open debate, effective decision-making, and prevents dominance by a single perspective. It promotes inclusivity, strategic challenge, and decisions in the best interests of the school community. As public officeholders, governors must uphold the seven Nolan principles of public life. Additionally, governors must ensure compliance with the law on political impartiality in schools.

Governors, associate members and governance professionals must declare their interests to ensure that transparent strategic decision-making can take place.

Schools should publish governors’ relevant business, financial and pecuniary interests on their website.

There are comparable expectations for academy trusts.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her department has to support wards receiving funding through the Pride in Place programme in a) Telford, b) West Midlands and c) England.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The Pride in Place Programme is being led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and is the government’s flagship communities programme, which empowers local people to shape the future of their neighbourhood. Supported by up to £5 billion in funding over ten years, this programme represents a long-term strategy to fix the foundations in hundreds of communities across the country.

The department’s contributions to educational improvements in Telford and Wrekin include:

• Telford was chosen as the lead local authority for the West Midlands under the department’s £70 million Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Change Programme Partnership. Key reforms include: ‘Early Language Support for Every Child‘, which focuses on speech, language, and communication needs in early years and primary schools; and ‘Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision’, which strengthens inclusive practices in mainstream schools.
• Improvements to Education, including a secondary school in Telford that is eligible for the targeted regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) program, and receives school improvement support from sector leaders with a proven track record.
• To ensure all schools deliver high quality teaching and learning, the department is utilising universal RISE to stimulate interest from high attaining schools to support others, bringing in teaching schools, maths, English, Behaviour and attendance hubs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is considering changes to postgraduate research funding eligibility for older learners as part of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) will deliver transformational change to the current student finance system by broadening access to high quality, flexible education and training.

From January 2027, all undergraduate higher education courses, including integrated master’s courses, will be funded through the LLE. Tuition fee loans will be available for people up to the age of 60.

The government will continue to provide a dedicated loan package for postgraduate study. The postgraduate master’s loan, administered by Student Finance England, currently provides up to £12,858 for tuition fees and living costs for eligible students.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will extend funding for BTEC Extended Diplomas until the full rollout of V Levels to prevent a gap in post-16 qualification options.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is currently consulting with the sector on the introduction of V Levels, including transitional arrangements to achieve the qualifications landscape set out in the Post-16 Skills White Paper. We will confirm the expected implementation timetable in due course.

The first V Level subjects are planned for teaching in 2027, with further batches of qualifications planned between then and by the 2030/31 academic year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a timetable for the introduction of V Levels and the overlap period with existing qualifications, including BTECs, to allow schools and colleges to plan effectively.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is currently consulting with the sector on the introduction of V Levels, including transitional arrangements to achieve the qualifications landscape set out in the Post-16 Skills White Paper. We will confirm the expected implementation timetable in due course.

The first V Level subjects are planned for teaching in 2027, with further batches of qualifications planned between then and by the 2030/31 academic year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support schools and colleges in the transition to V Levels.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are currently consulting on post-16 pathways, including the introduction of V Levels. The consultation closes on 12 January 2026.

Schools and colleges can expect to be supported with the transition to V Levels through access to a comprehensive package of guidance and resources. Dedicated online information will provide timely updates and practical materials to help prepare for delivery. Clear guidance will set out the structure and requirements of the new qualifications, supporting staff understanding and effective implementation. Exemplar pathway documents will assist providers in planning learner routes, while study programme guidance will explain how V Levels can be used to develop meaningful programmes of study.

In addition, we expect awarding organisations to supply specifications, sample assessments and training materials to support accurate delivery and assessment. Together, these measures will provide schools and colleges with the clarity and confidence needed for the successful implementation of V Levels.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of rejoining the Erasmus student exchange scheme on (a) society and (b) culture.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Erasmus+ opens up high quality international opportunities for learners and educators, helping to build skills, confidence, and global outlook while strengthening UK institutions through partnerships and innovation.

It supports inclusion and economic growth by developing a globally aware, highly skilled workforce and fostering cultural exchange that benefits communities and the wider education system.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that child welfare and education charities receive timely and clear information on Government grants and funding.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

All department competed and criteria-based general grants, except those identified as highly sensitive or which are Grant in Aid, are advertised centrally online using the Cabinet Office's Find a Grant advertising service. This process ensures that information on government grants and funding is made available in a single location for all applicants, including civil society organisations, and is free to access on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Department is taking to ensure that families who cannot afford private dyslexia assessments have access to timely diagnosis and support.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, including those with dyslexia.

The department is supporting settings to identify needs early by strengthening the evidence base of what works. Recently published evidence reviews from University College London will help to drive inclusive practices, as they highlight the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.

We also recently announced new government-backed research into special educational needs identification, which will be delivered by UK Research Innovation in partnership with the department. This will aim to develop and test trusted and effective approaches to help the early identification of children needing targeted educational support.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to ensure that children and young people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, b) Staffordshire and c) England learn about farming, agriculture and food at school.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Food education is covered primarily within Design and Technology, and elements of food education, farming and agriculture can also be covered across Biology, Geography and RSHE in the national curriculum.

The curriculum requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. Schools also have flexibility within the broad framework of the national curriculum to tailor curriculum subjects to meet the needs of their pupils.

Additional resources are available from Oak National Academy, who have recently developed a new cooking and nutrition curriculum package. This has been designed by experts to give access to practical, engaging lessons covering food preparation, cooking techniques, and healthy eating.

In the recent response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the department set out that it will be ensuring that the programmes of study for cooking and nutrition, which will be renamed food and nutrition, are more specific and prepare pupils for life and potential future careers in the food sector.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to strengthen guidance for schools in (a) Yeovil Constituency and (b) England on Individual Healthcare Plans for children with Epilepsy.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Governing bodies must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities, and that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions and the duties under the Equality Act 2010.

The statutory guidance, ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’, recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice. They can help schools support pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom. The school, healthcare professionals and parents should agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan would be appropriate. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf.

The government has committed to reviewing this statutory guidance. Our aim is to ensure that schools are better equipped to support all pupils with medical conditions as part of our wider ambition to create more inclusive schools through the forthcoming Schools White Paper.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of different rates of change in the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage between 2023 and 2024 compared to changes in the student loan repayment threshold on people who have graduated in the last five years.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Changes to student loan repayment thresholds are not linked to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage.

Borrowers are liable to repay a fixed percentage of earnings only when earning above the applicable student loan repayment threshold. Those earning below the student loan repayment threshold repay nothing. Any outstanding debt, including interest built up, is written off after the loan term ends (or in case of death or disability) at no detriment to the borrower.

A full equality impact assessment of how the student loan reforms may affect graduates, including detail on changes to average lifetime repayments under Plan 5, was produced and published in February 2022, and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to support the provision of (a) apprenticeships, (b) higher education courses and (c) other educational courses to assist recruitment to the logistics industry.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government offers a range of education and training which can be used to support the logistics sector. This includes apprenticeships, such as the Urban Driver and Large Goods Vehicle driver C + E standards, Skills Bootcamps, sector-based work academy programmes and a range of funded qualifications including 26 in logistics and 30 in warehousing and distribution.

The Adult Skills Fund also funds a range of courses to support entry into or progression in the logistics industry. In addition to the costs of training provision, learners can be funded to complete the medical and attain the licence required to become an heavy goods vehicle driver. In areas where the fund has been devolved, to 12 Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority, they are responsible for the provision of adult education in their areas.

Higher education institutions are autonomous and responsible for determining the provision they deliver.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evaluation her Department has undertaken of the effectiveness of Pupil Premium Plus funding in improving educational and wellbeing outcomes for adopted children.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The pupil premium grant provides funding to schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. ‘Pupil premium plus’ (PP+) refers to the portion of the grant for children who are looked-after by the local authority or were previously looked-after by a local authority or other state care.

The pupil premium Conditions of Grant set out that maintained schools and academies must publish annual strategy statements setting out their planned use of pupil premium. Governors and trustees should scrutinise schools’ strategy statements, including their plans for and use of their pupil premium grant and the outcomes achieved in the previous academic year.

Pupil premium funding, including PP+, is not a personal budget for individual pupils. It is for schools to decide how to allocate the funding, after assessing the needs of their disadvantaged cohort, including looked after and previously looked after children. Pupil premium guidance supports school leaders to use their funding effectively. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2025-to-2026/pupil-premium-conditions-of-grant-for-the-2025-to-2026-financial-year.

Designated teachers statutory guidance is clear that the school’s designated teacher should ensure the specific needs of the PP+ cohort are understood by the school’s staff and reflected in how the school uses PP+ to support these children. They should use parents and guardians’ insights to support decisions on how the PP+ is used. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-teacher-for-looked-after-children.

An evaluation of pupil premium was published in March 2025. This included findings that 58% of schools and 70% of trusts identify looked-after children as one of the groups who most benefit from pupil premium funding. This evaluation can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dd5b7f0114b0b86e59f42b/Pupil_premium_and_recovery_premium_evaluation.pdf.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an estimate of the cost to the public purse of re-introducing maintenance grants.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Targeted, means-tested maintenance grants will be funded by a new International Student Levy, with both being introduced in the 2028/29 academic year.

The International Student Levy will require higher education providers to pay a flat fee of £925 per international student per year, with proceeds being fully reinvested into higher education and skills. This will make sure that revenue from international students directly benefits domestic students from low-income households.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to make adoption records available to adults who were adopted.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

I refer the hon. member for Sleaford and North Hykeham to the answer of 14 October 2025 to question 77488.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing (a) vouchers and (b) tax rebates to parents who send children to independent schools of a value less than the cost to the public purse per year of putting a pupil through a state school on (i) the cost to the public purse, (ii) class sizes in state schools, (iii) the wellbeing of state school pupils subject to bullying and (d) pupils with SEND.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department does not hold this information. Decisions on private school fees are for private schools to make as private businesses. Matters of taxation are for HMRC.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the annual impact of one child attending an independent school on the public purse.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department does not hold this information. Decisions on private school fees are for private schools to make as private businesses. Matters of taxation are for HMRC.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many primary schools do not have a library.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Bedfordshire to the answer of 22 October 2025 to Question ​​81502​.​

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of library provision in schools in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

​​​​I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme, to the answer of 22 October 2025 to Question ​​81502​.​

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what requirements are placed on schools to (a) monitor, (b) record, or (c) report how Pupil Premium Plus funding allocated for adopted children is spent.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The pupil premium grant provides funding to schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. ‘Pupil premium plus’ (PP+) refers to the portion of the grant for children who are looked-after by the local authority or were previously looked-after by a local authority or other state care.

The pupil premium Conditions of Grant set out that maintained schools and academies must publish annual strategy statements setting out their planned use of pupil premium. Governors and trustees should scrutinise schools’ strategy statements, including their plans for and use of their pupil premium grant and the outcomes achieved in the previous academic year.

Pupil premium funding, including PP+, is not a personal budget for individual pupils. It is for schools to decide how to allocate the funding, after assessing the needs of their disadvantaged cohort, including looked after and previously looked after children. Pupil premium guidance supports school leaders to use their funding effectively. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2025-to-2026/pupil-premium-conditions-of-grant-for-the-2025-to-2026-financial-year.

Designated teachers statutory guidance is clear that the school’s designated teacher should ensure the specific needs of the PP+ cohort are understood by the school’s staff and reflected in how the school uses PP+ to support these children. They should use parents and guardians’ insights to support decisions on how the PP+ is used. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-teacher-for-looked-after-children.

An evaluation of pupil premium was published in March 2025. This included findings that 58% of schools and 70% of trusts identify looked-after children as one of the groups who most benefit from pupil premium funding. This evaluation can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dd5b7f0114b0b86e59f42b/Pupil_premium_and_recovery_premium_evaluation.pdf.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance is issued to schools on engaging adoptive parents in decisions relating to the use of Pupil Premium Plus funding for their children.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The pupil premium grant provides funding to schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. ‘Pupil premium plus’ (PP+) refers to the portion of the grant for children who are looked-after by the local authority or were previously looked-after by a local authority or other state care.

The pupil premium Conditions of Grant set out that maintained schools and academies must publish annual strategy statements setting out their planned use of pupil premium. Governors and trustees should scrutinise schools’ strategy statements, including their plans for and use of their pupil premium grant and the outcomes achieved in the previous academic year.

Pupil premium funding, including PP+, is not a personal budget for individual pupils. It is for schools to decide how to allocate the funding, after assessing the needs of their disadvantaged cohort, including looked after and previously looked after children. Pupil premium guidance supports school leaders to use their funding effectively. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-allocations-and-conditions-of-grant-2025-to-2026/pupil-premium-conditions-of-grant-for-the-2025-to-2026-financial-year.

Designated teachers statutory guidance is clear that the school’s designated teacher should ensure the specific needs of the PP+ cohort are understood by the school’s staff and reflected in how the school uses PP+ to support these children. They should use parents and guardians’ insights to support decisions on how the PP+ is used. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-teacher-for-looked-after-children.

An evaluation of pupil premium was published in March 2025. This included findings that 58% of schools and 70% of trusts identify looked-after children as one of the groups who most benefit from pupil premium funding. This evaluation can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67dd5b7f0114b0b86e59f42b/Pupil_premium_and_recovery_premium_evaluation.pdf.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of encouraging educational institutions, including higher education providers, to share campuses to broaden the range of courses available.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the planned closure of the University of Essex's Southend Campus, if she will review the University of Essex's business decisions over the last 10 years.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to review the dependence of universities on income from foreign students.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the planned closure of the University of Essex's Southend Campus, what discussions her Department has had with local authorities on education provision in (a) Essex, (b) Thurrock and (c) Southend.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the planned closure of the University of Essex's Southend Campus, whether her Department has made an assessment of the reasons for the University of Essex's decision.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued guidance to Universities on voluntary severance schemes.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding has been allocated to programmes relating to the UKs relationship with Europe in the (a) 2026-7, (b) 2028-9 and (c) 2029-30 financial years.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The European Union is the UK’s largest trading partner, and cooperation with our European partners is, among other issues, central to the government’s work on trade, security, illegal migration, development and climate change, not to mention our support for Ukraine. In order to obtain an answer, the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston may therefore wish to be more specific about the aspects of the UK’s relationship with Europe that he has in mind.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of current levels of funding for music education in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As part of the national curriculum schools are expected to fund the delivery of music teaching from their schools budget. The government has committed to putting education back at the forefront of national life, with school funding increasing by £3.7 billion in financial year 2025/26, meaning that core school budgets will total £65.3 billion, compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25.

The government also invests £76 million per year through the Music Hubs grant, including this academic year. This supports 43 Music Hub partnerships across England to offer a range of services to schools, including musical instrument tuition and whole-class ensemble teaching. To widen access, the government is also investing £25 million in capital funding for musical instruments, equipment and technology.

We intend to establish the National Centre for Arts and Music Education by September 2026, and the funding will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding is planned for National Centre for Arts and Music Education beyond March 2026.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As part of the national curriculum schools are expected to fund the delivery of music teaching from their schools budget. The government has committed to putting education back at the forefront of national life, with school funding increasing by £3.7 billion in financial year 2025/26, meaning that core school budgets will total £65.3 billion, compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25.

The government also invests £76 million per year through the Music Hubs grant, including this academic year. This supports 43 Music Hub partnerships across England to offer a range of services to schools, including musical instrument tuition and whole-class ensemble teaching. To widen access, the government is also investing £25 million in capital funding for musical instruments, equipment and technology.

We intend to establish the National Centre for Arts and Music Education by September 2026, and the funding will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the planned closure of the University of Essex's Southend Campus, what steps she is taking to ensure sufficient levels of higher education provision in south Essex.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department had discussions with the University of Essex prior to its announcement to close its Southend Campus.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator of the English higher education (HE) sector, is working with the University of Essex to ensure plans are in place to protect students and maintain learning continuity following the Southend campus closure. There is further work to be done by the OfS and the University to support students less able to move to other campuses. The department is monitoring the situation and is aware of concerns about local students’ access to HE provision.

HE providers are responsible for managing their own finances and we expect them to take appropriate and necessary decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability. As we stated in the Post-16 education and skills white paper, we expect to see more consolidation and formal collaboration in the sector. This will help institutions be stronger and more financially sustainable, and provision might expand in areas currently under-served.

As HE providers are independent, the government is not involved in workforce matters in the same way that it is in other education sectors. ​While the government understands that HE providers must make difficult business decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability, we encourage providers to work with their staff and with trade unions to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

The government welcomes international students who meet the requirements to study in the UK. Indeed, UK HE providers received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2023/24 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students as well as research and development.

However, the OfS has identified reliance on international student fee income as a risk to HE providers’ sustainability. It has been clear that some providers may need to change their business models to protect their financial health, as a response to this risk and others.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of he number of UK students who will access the Erasmus scheme in 2027-28, 2028-29 and 2029-30.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The UK and European Commission have reached an agreement in principle for the UK’s association to Erasmus+ in 2027.

The department expects that over 100,000 people could benefit from mobility and partnership opportunities from participation in 2027. Our immediate focus is on realising the benefits of Erasmus+ association in 2027.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to review its policy on the Disabled Students' Allowance.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department keeps all support funded through the Disabled Students’ Allowance under regular review to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of disabled students. Any future changes will be communicated publicly.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve adoption services.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has funded Adoption England with £8.8 million in the 2025/26 financial year to help develop national approaches for adoption services. This will help ensure the consistency of high quality adoption services across the country. This includes the development of a new framework of support, ‘Becoming a Family’, for the first 12 to 18 months of placement.

Adoption England’s work also involves increasing awareness of trauma informed practice across its workforce and with key partners including schools. We also recently consulted on new standards for social workers, which include recognising and responding to trauma. We will respond to the consultation shortly, and the new standards will underpin a strengthened early career support training offer for newly qualified social workers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help improve levels of mandatory trauma accreditation within professionals working with adopted children.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department has funded Adoption England with £8.8 million in the 2025/26 financial year to help develop national approaches for adoption services. This will help ensure the consistency of high quality adoption services across the country. This includes the development of a new framework of support, ‘Becoming a Family’, for the first 12 to 18 months of placement.

Adoption England’s work also involves increasing awareness of trauma informed practice across its workforce and with key partners including schools. We also recently consulted on new standards for social workers, which include recognising and responding to trauma. We will respond to the consultation shortly, and the new standards will underpin a strengthened early career support training offer for newly qualified social workers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps is she taking to help improve pay and conditions in the further education sector.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Further education (FE) colleges, rather than the government, are responsible for setting and negotiating staff pay and terms and conditions within colleges.

In May 2025, the department announced a further £190 million investment for colleges and other 16 to 19 providers in addition to the £400 million of extra funding we already planned to spend on 16 to 19 education in financial year 2025/26.

Across the Spending Review period, we will provide £1.2 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028/2029.

This significant investment will ensure there is increased funding to colleges and other 16 to19 providers to enable the recruitment and retention of expert teachers in high value subject areas, and interventions to retain top teaching talent

Targeted recruitment incentives of up to £6,000 (after tax) are available for eligible early career FE teachers working in key science, technology, engineering and mathematics and technical shortage subjects, in disadvantaged schools and colleges (including in Sixth Form Colleges). This payment is separate to teachers’ usual pay.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to determine the number of educational psychologists required to meet demand as part of the Government's forthcoming plans for SEND.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. That is why we are already investing more than £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists over two cohorts, starting their studies in 2024 and 2025. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of more than 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.

As these trainees complete their studies, they will join the workforce to support local authority educational psychology services, including contributing to statutory assessments. Trainees who have had their training funded by the department are required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period. For trainees beginning their course in September 2024, this period is three years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the number of educational psychologists to respond to SEND needs.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Educational psychologists play a critical role in the support available to children and young people, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. That is why we are already investing more than £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists over two cohorts, starting their studies in 2024 and 2025. This is in addition to the £10 million currently being invested in the training of more than 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.

As these trainees complete their studies, they will join the workforce to support local authority educational psychology services, including contributing to statutory assessments. Trainees who have had their training funded by the department are required to remain in local authority employment for a minimum period. For trainees beginning their course in September 2024, this period is three years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the level of funding available through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on therapeutic support for (a) adopted children and (b) people in kinship care in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children. This included reviewing the equalities impact assessment, which was deposited in the House Libraries in July. The funding available through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) still enables children in Yeovil to access a significant package of support, tailored to meet their individual needs. The department’s delivery partner is routinely processing ASGSF applications within a few days of receipt, including those relating to children in Yeovil.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help tackle delays in funding allocated through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund to services in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children. This included reviewing the equalities impact assessment, which was deposited in the House Libraries in July. The funding available through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) still enables children in Yeovil to access a significant package of support, tailored to meet their individual needs. The department’s delivery partner is routinely processing ASGSF applications within a few days of receipt, including those relating to children in Yeovil.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for schools to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

All schools are encouraged to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education wrote to schools in 2025 highlighting the importance of commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day. The annual marking of Holocaust Memorial Day is an important moment in the calendar where we remember the six million Jewish men, women and children killed by the Nazis and the millions more murdered under Nazi persecution.

The Holocaust is the only historic event which is compulsory within the current national curriculum for history at key stage 3. The government has made a commitment that the Holocaust will remain a compulsory topic in the reformed national curriculum, which will also be required teaching in academy schools when it is implemented.

The department actively supports schools to provide high quality teaching on the Holocaust through University College London Centre for Holocaust Education’s continuous professional development work, and through the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz’s programme. In addition, the Supporting Holocaust Survivor Testimony in Teaching programme will support schools in using recorded Holocaust survivor testimony in their teaching.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether a student with settled status, who has lived in the UK for three years, can obtain a student loan.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Eligibility for student finance is determined by several criteria, including residency status, the type of course, its location, the student’s previous study history, and whether they already hold a higher education qualification.

Students residing in England who hold settled status and have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (the Channel Islands and Isle of Man) for the three years preceding the first day of the first academic year of their course will be eligible for student finance, subject to meeting all other eligibility criteria. To qualify, this period of residence must not have been wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, a) whether Voluntary Controlled schools will be eligible for nomination under the school rebuilding programme and b) which responsible body would need to nominate a Voluntary Controlled school for the next round of the school rebuilding programme.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government is investing almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) from 2025/26 through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme and expanding the SRP with a further 250 schools to be selected.

The department plans to launch a nomination process early this year to identify schools for the next 250 places. Responsible bodies will be invited to submit schools for assessment at that point. We will publish full details on GOV.UK when the process launches.

Voluntary controlled schools are eligible for consideration under the SRP, alongside other state funded schools and sixth form colleges in England. The responsible body for a voluntary controlled school is the relevant local authority.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to Written Parliamentary Questions 98665, 98666 and 98668, what recourse exists for Voluntary Controlled schools to carry out urgent repairs to the school estate when the local authority fails to provide funding.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is investing almost £3 billion per year in capital maintenance by 2034/35 to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.

As part of this, Norfolk Council received a School Condition Allocation of almost £5.5 million for the 2025/26 financial year to invest across its maintained schools, including voluntary controlled schools in South Norfolk constituency. We expect to set out allocations for the 2026/27 financial year in the spring.

The department expects local authorities to carefully prioritise investment based on evidence of need, so that school buildings remain safe, operational and compliant with relevant regulations. Voluntary controlled schools should speak to their local authority about any issues so that they are considered when prioritising current and future investment.

The department provides additional advice and support to responsible bodies on a case-by-case basis where there are significant and urgent safety issues with buildings that cannot be managed independently.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools and academy trusts comply with guidance requiring equal treatment of parents with parental responsibility.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Guidance relating to parental responsibility requires all parents to be treated equally, unless a court order limits a parent’s ability to make educational decisions, participate in school life or receive information about their child. The guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dealing-with-issues-relating-to-parental-responsibility/understanding-and-dealing-with-issues-relating-to-parental-responsibility.

The guidance referred to is non-statutory but does set out some of the duties on schools that must be complied with. Failure to comply with a duty should first be referred to the school via its complaint procedure. Once the school’s complaint procedure is completed in full, if the parent is dissatisfied with the school’s handling of their complaint, they can contact the department via the customer complaint portal, which can be accessed at: https://customerhelpportal.education.gov.uk/.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure parents with parental responsibility are consistently included in school communications and decision-making.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Anyone who is a parent, as recognised under education law, can participate in their child’s education and there is a general principle that pupils are to be educated in accordance with the wishes of their parents. Section 9 of the Education Act 1996 can be accessed here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/56/section/9.

Schools commonly communicate with the resident parent, but if a non-resident parent requests to receive communications separately, the school should provide it to that parent direct, after satisfying itself that the individual is the child’s parent. If a parent is unhappy with a school’s actions, they can complain to the school.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to update the guidance entitled Parental responsibility: guide for schools and local authorities, updated on 24 August 2023.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The non-statutory guidance, ‘Understanding and dealing with issues relating to parental responsibility’, is currently being updated to reflect changes that came into effect under the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024. The updated version will be published later this year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the provision of agricultural education in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

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

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education meets with Cabinet colleagues, including my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on the actions she is taking to secure high quality education for all pupils, but has not met to discuss agricultural education as a discrete issue.

The national curriculum is a framework designed to give teachers the flexibility to cover particular topics in greater depth if they wish. For example, giving them the freedom to teach about agriculture within the geography and science curricula.

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Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the risk of using rubber crumb infill in synthetic turf pitches in schools, in light of the ban on safety grounds on disposing of shredded tyre material in landfill sites and with reference to possible (a) inhalation, (b) ingestion and (c) skin absorption of toxic particles.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Responsible bodies are responsible for managing premises, including for health and safety. They should ensure risk assessments are conducted and measures taken to minimise known critical risks, following Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance.

Guidance on promoting good hygiene when taking part in physical activity is available to schools at: https://resources.thegma.org.uk/sportshygiene.

The department’s technical guidance, due to be updated early 2026, outlines alternative pitch materials. While primarily intended for new build schools, this advice is available for wider use and outlines the merits of each material.

The department continues to work with other government departments, including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Culture Media and Sport, the UK Health Security Agency and HSE, to ensure any advice and guidance in this area aligns with best practice and the latest scientific evidence.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to a) reduce public access to and b) ensure the online security of the Children Not in School Register proposed in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Section 436C of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill prohibits information from a local authority Children Not in School register being published or made public in a way that would include the name or address of a parent or eligible child or that would identify them.

The department will highlight in statutory guidance that we expect registers to be held securely on local authority systems. Local authorities should have an appropriate data protection policy document and privacy notice regarding the processing of personal data and its secure storage and destruction. We are continuing to engage with the Information Commissioner’s office to ensure that appropriate mitigations are in place for any risks identified.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people undertook the Essential Digital Skills qualification in the past two years and how many did not complete the course.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

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

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 23,930 aim enrolments and 19,320 aim achievements on Essential Digital Skills qualifications in England by adult further education and skills learners. In the 2023/24, academic year there were 28,430 and 22,310 respectively. These figures are published in additional supporting files accompanying the ’Further education and skills’ accredited official statistics publication and have been available since November 2025. The ‘Further education and skills’ publication is available at:

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-and-skills/2024-25.

Aim enrolments and aim achievements are separate measures and should not be used to infer progress within an academic year. Additionally, learners may undertake or achieve more than one learning aim in an academic year.

Achievement rates for Essential Digital Skills qualifications are published in the national achievement rate tables in the ‘Further education and skills’ publication. The latest published data, available since March 2025, covers the 2023/24 academic year in England and is available at:

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5137b787-5c7f-41c5-9510-08de4155ee12.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to written question 100178, if she will publish the criteria used by her Department to evaluate (a) the need for places, (b) value for money, (c) whether they would provide a distinctive or innovative education offer and (d) whether they would negatively affect other local schools.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We have written to trusts, local authorities and members of Parliament setting out the position on individual projects, as well as offering more detailed feedback.

The department considered whether there was a strong need for the school in the medium term. We assessed published School Capacity data (SCAP24), in line with the department’s longstanding approach to assessing pipeline projects, as well as other data from local authorities, such as plans for future housing developments.

We also considered forecast costs of delivering each school, delivery issues such as finding a suitable site and whether projects would provide a distinctive local offer or risk negatively impacting other local schools.

Final decisions on projects where a ‘minded to cancel’ letter was issued, will be made once trusts and local authorities have had the opportunity to submit any new evidence. Representations should be made by 30 January 2026.

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Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to help ensure that UK universities remain competitive in attracting global research talent.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

To keep our world-leading universities globally competitive, the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper sets out a joint DfE–DSIT vision for a financially sustainable higher education sector that delivers better value for students, supports local growth, and meets labour market needs. This includes record DSIT R&D investment of £58.5 billion between 2026/27 and 2029/30.

The UK’s immigration offer attracts research talent through visa routes such as the fast-track Global Talent visa, complemented by funding via UKRI and National Academies fellowships and professorships, our association to Horizon Europe, and the Global Talent Fund to retain world-class researchers.

UKRI allows visa costs, including the Immigration Health Surcharge, to be claimed on grants, and many other organisations also allow these costs on their grants. Visa costs are also allowable costs for researchers on Horizon Europe grants.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to engage with road safety public awareness campaigns that educate children in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Through THINK!, the government’s flagship road safety campaign, we provide a wide range of free educational resources to help improve children's road safety. These are made available to schools and local road safety officers via the THINK! website, social channels and partnerships with organisations such as the Department for Education. https://www.think.gov.uk/education.

In 2024, THINK! launched a ‘Safe Adventures’ campaign to help parents across the country prepare their children for independent travel ahead of moving to secondary school: https://www.think.gov.uk/campaign/safe-adventures/. This activity focuses on the risky behaviours assigned to child pedestrian casualties, which includes failing to look and distractions, finding a safe place to cross and being in a hurry.

THINK! routinely engages with local authorities to assist them with using and promoting our campaigns, and we work closely with Road Safety GB who help disseminate and coordinate our outreach to their network of road safety officers and professionals.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how she will support children, parents and carers to understand the safe use and risks of generative AI tools.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Protecting children from harm online is a top priority for this government.

This year, the government will be supporting a NSPCC summit at Wilton Park on the impact of AI on childhood. This will bring together experts, technology companies, civil society and young people to explore how AI can benefit children without exposing them to harm.

Media literacy is also a key part of our approach, helping children and adults develop critical thinking skills to navigate the growing presence of AI-generated content. DSIT is working with the Department for Education to develop an online ‘parent hub’ providing guidance on media literacy and online safety.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential impact of the take-up of AI on adult education requirements.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Ministers in DSIT and DfE are working closely together to ensure adult education keeps pace with the rapid take-up of AI.

As AI is increasingly adopted across the workplace, this will create a high demand for workers to have the skills to deploy AI. This will require adult education and upskilling to evolve for the AI age, which is why we’re jointly reviewing AI skills needs, expanding lifelong learning, and rolling out new scholarships and traineeships so adults can upskill and reskill for the jobs AI is creating.

DSIT has also formed a partnership with 11 major technology companies and leading UK businesses to upskill 7.5 million workers in AI by 2030. This will ensure that UK workers benefit from the transformational impact AI will have in the workplace, including those working for small businesses and in all parts of the country.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans she has to fund (a) digital inclusion organisations and (b) community-based AI literacy programmes to support people who lack the skills or confidence to use AI-powered services; and what plans her Department has for funding lifelong learning programmes to support transitions towards increased AI use across workplaces.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world — from saving on everyday bills to finding better jobs and accessing vital services like the NHS.

That is why – as part of the First Steps confirmed in the Digital Inclusion Action Plan – we launched the £11.9 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund to help more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. This included 85 community led projects in England.

Numerous projects are supporting people to build AI skills, such as the Age UK Westminster project improving AI literacy for older people, and Aston University and FutureDotNow delivering projects that support youth employability through digital inclusion.

This Fund will conclude by 31 March 2026.

More broadly, reducing the AI skills gap is critical for increasing the UK’s productivity and delivering long-term growth. That is why we are working with DfE and Skills England to assess the AI skills gap and map pathways to fill it, and last year announced a joint commitment with industry to upskill 7.5 million workers with vital AI skills.

Alongside this, DSIT is delivering the £187 million TechFirst programme that will support over 4,000 domestic graduates, researchers and innovators and engage 1 million students in digital skills and AI learning.

Lastly, following the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report last year, national curriculum will be updated to prepare young people for life and work in a changing world. The Government will embed digital, media and AI literacy across the curriculum, introduce a refreshed, broader computing GCSE, and integrate digital content into other subjects.

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 ensure specialist emotional and practical support is available for parents caring for children with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions.

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

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of AI on digital exclusion; and what steps her Department are taking to ensure that (a) people without access to devices or data, (b) disabled people, and (c) those with limited digital literacy are not left behind as AI becomes integrated into essential services.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world — from saving on everyday bills to finding better jobs and accessing vital services like the NHS.

AI has the potential to transform the economy, how public services are delivered and people's lives, and the government is committed to ensuring people understand and benefit from this.

Last February we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, setting out the government's first steps to ensure everyone in the UK – no matter their background – can fully participate in our digital society.

Since then, we have launched the £11.7 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund, helping more people across the UK get the access, skills and confidence to get online. This supported a number of projects specifically focused on older and disabled people, and AI training and awareness.

We recognise that some people, including older or disabled people, may face barriers to building AI skills. DSIT is working with DfE and Skills England to assess the AI skills gap and map pathways to fill it. Last year we announced a joint commitment with industry to upskill 7.5 million workers with vital AI skills. We also announced the TechFirst programme, a £187m initiative to bring digital skills and AI learning into classrooms and communities to train people of all ages and backgrounds for future tech careers.

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