Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has her Department made as to the impact of having to sit SATS on SEND children.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Statutory tests and assessments at primary school help measure the attainment of pupils in relation to the standards set out in the national curriculum and help teachers and parents identify where pupils may need additional support in a certain subject area.

The key stage 2 tests are subject to robust test development processes, which include reviews involving serving teachers and experts in special educational needs (SEN) and trials with hundreds of Year 6 pupils. Children with SEN have a range of needs and abilities, and it is important they are able to participate in assessments to demonstrate their achievements. Schools are able to utilise a range of access arrangements where appropriate, while for any children with SEN and others who are working below the standards of the national curriculum assessments there are alternative teacher assessments.

Primary assessments were reviewed as part of the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, led by Professor Becky Francis. The review panel, which included an expert in SEN, published their final report in November, concluding that the primary assessment system is generally working well and that the assessments are important for evaluating pupils’ progress.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median salary of secondary school deputy head teachers in England in each year since 1996–97 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation.

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

The tables attached reflect median pay for classroom teachers, headteachers and ‘other leadership’ teachers. Deputy heads are grouped into the ‘other leadership’ category, alongside assistant heads. Median pay is not published for deputy heads separately but has been produced for this response and included.

Statistics for median teacher pay extending back to 1996/97 are not readily available. The available time series goes back to 2010/11, the first year of the School Workforce Census.

These figures are adjusted for inflation by using the Consumer Price Index from Office for Budget Responsibility Economic and Fiscal Outlook from March 2026, on a financial year basis.

Headteacher pay in maintained schools is determined by a calculation set out in the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document. Once the school has been allocated to one of eight headteacher groups, largely based on size of school by pupil numbers, the individual salary range of the headteacher is determined by the governing body within the minimum and maximum of the respective headteacher group range. The salary range of any deputy or assistant headteachers is then determined in the context of the headteachers salary.

In exceptional circumstances, schools can pay their headteachers up to 25% above the maximum of their headteacher group or go beyond 25% if supported by an independently-assessed and approved business case.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median salary of primary school deputy head teachers in England in each year since 1996–97 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation.

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

The tables attached reflect median pay for classroom teachers, headteachers and ‘other leadership’ teachers. Deputy heads are grouped into the ‘other leadership’ category, alongside assistant heads. Median pay is not published for deputy heads separately but has been produced for this response and included.

Statistics for median teacher pay extending back to 1996/97 are not readily available. The available time series goes back to 2010/11, the first year of the School Workforce Census.

These figures are adjusted for inflation by using the Consumer Price Index from Office for Budget Responsibility Economic and Fiscal Outlook from March 2026, on a financial year basis.

Headteacher pay in maintained schools is determined by a calculation set out in the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document. Once the school has been allocated to one of eight headteacher groups, largely based on size of school by pupil numbers, the individual salary range of the headteacher is determined by the governing body within the minimum and maximum of the respective headteacher group range. The salary range of any deputy or assistant headteachers is then determined in the context of the headteachers salary.

In exceptional circumstances, schools can pay their headteachers up to 25% above the maximum of their headteacher group or go beyond 25% if supported by an independently-assessed and approved business case.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median salary of secondary school head teachers in England in each year since 1996–97 in (1) cash terms, and (2) real terms adjusted for inflation.

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

The tables attached reflect median pay for classroom teachers, headteachers and ‘other leadership’ teachers. Deputy heads are grouped into the ‘other leadership’ category, alongside assistant heads. Median pay is not published for deputy heads separately but has been produced for this response and included.

Statistics for median teacher pay extending back to 1996/97 are not readily available. The available time series goes back to 2010/11, the first year of the School Workforce Census.

These figures are adjusted for inflation by using the Consumer Price Index from Office for Budget Responsibility Economic and Fiscal Outlook from March 2026, on a financial year basis.

Headteacher pay in maintained schools is determined by a calculation set out in the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document. Once the school has been allocated to one of eight headteacher groups, largely based on size of school by pupil numbers, the individual salary range of the headteacher is determined by the governing body within the minimum and maximum of the respective headteacher group range. The salary range of any deputy or assistant headteachers is then determined in the context of the headteachers salary.

In exceptional circumstances, schools can pay their headteachers up to 25% above the maximum of their headteacher group or go beyond 25% if supported by an independently-assessed and approved business case.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what rationale does her Department use to support the use of SATS for SEND children.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Statutory tests and assessments at primary school help measure the attainment of pupils in relation to the standards set out in the national curriculum and help teachers and parents identify where pupils may need additional support in a certain subject area.

The key stage 2 tests are subject to robust test development processes, which include reviews involving serving teachers and experts in special educational needs (SEN) and trials with hundreds of Year 6 pupils. Children with SEN have a range of needs and abilities, and it is important they are able to participate in assessments to demonstrate their achievements. Schools are able to utilise a range of access arrangements where appropriate, while for any children with SEN and others who are working below the standards of the national curriculum assessments there are alternative teacher assessments.

Primary assessments were reviewed as part of the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, led by Professor Becky Francis. The review panel, which included an expert in SEN, published their final report in November, concluding that the primary assessment system is generally working well and that the assessments are important for evaluating pupils’ progress.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to Answer of 12 January 2026 to Question 102600, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of those funded qualifications on employment rates in the logistics sector.

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

The Further Education Outcomes statistics publication provides data on the progression from further education courses to sustained employment in the following academic year. It is published annually each November, with the most recent edition available at:

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-outcomes/2022-23#explore-data-and-files.

Note this does not show the logistics sector specifically or assess the impact of funded qualifications on employment rates.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure free speech is maintained on university campuses.

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

This government is absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom. We commenced provisions from the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 on 1 August 2025 that strengthen provider duties on free speech, including a requirement to put in place free speech codes of practice, and require the Office for Students (OfS) to promote free speech, while banning non-disclosure agreements on complaints about bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct.

The OfS has also issued extensive guidance to higher education (HE) providers on commencement of their duties. The OfS’ Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom continues to work with the HE sector to offer advice and share best practice, so HE providers themselves are more effectively protecting free speech and academic freedom.

The department is seeking a suitable legislative vehicle to amend and repeal elements of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, further to the Cabinet Office press release, Young people from all backgrounds to get opportunity to study abroad as UK-EU deal unlocks Erasmus+, of 17 December 2025, whether the 30 per cent discount will apply after the 2027-28 academic year.

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

We have successfully negotiated fair terms for the UK’s association to Erasmus+ in 2027, the final year of the EU’s 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework.

Any participation in Erasmus+ into the next Multiannual Financial Framework will need to be agreed in the future and be based on a fair and balanced contribution.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of effective marginal deduction rates exceeding 50 per cent on Plan 2 student loan borrowers’ labour supply, including decisions on a) overtime, b) hours worked and c) promotions.

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

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by the previous government and, given the inherited fiscal situation, the department is making tough but necessary decisions.

Graduates only begin repaying their student loan once earnings exceed the earnings threshold, after which they pay 9% of income above that level. At the end of the tax year, a borrower with total earnings below the annual student loan repayment threshold, may reclaim any repayments made where a pay period threshold was exceeded.

If earnings fall below the repayment threshold, borrowers are not required to make repayments, regardless of their plan. Any outstanding loan, including interest accrued, will be cancelled after the loan term ends, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the (a) average repayment duration and (b) total interest paid over the life of the loan for (i) male and (ii) female Plan 2 student loan borrowers.

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

The median repayment duration of loans for students in the final cohort of Plan 2 borrowers, those who commenced study in the 2022/23 academic year, is 30 years. This is consistent with the average borrower in this cohort not being forecast to fully repay their loan and instead have some loan debt written off after 30 years. Information on repayment behaviour for this cohort is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/student-loan-forecasts-for-england/2022-23.

The department does not hold figures comparing the lifetime repayment duration for male and female Plan 2 borrowers or the total interest paid over the life of the loan.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will assess the potential merits of using the Turing scheme to enhance reciprocal cooperation with other European countries so it is aligned with the Erasmus+ scheme.

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

There are no plans to change the scope of the Turing Scheme, including the sectors in which it operates. The Turing Scheme is global by design and has supported placements in over 160 countries. The Turing Scheme already provides inclusion support through extra funding for students with special educational needs and disabilities, additional support needs (in Scotland) and additional learning needs (in Wales). The government keeps the scope of the Turing Scheme under review, and decisions on the Turing Scheme for future years will be shared in due course.

Our association to Erasmus+ will open up opportunities for learners, educators, young people and communities. It is an investment in opportunity for our young people, our workforce and our future, opening doors for tens of thousands across the UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to help ensure the Turing scheme funds cooperation, research, tool-building and shared training systems across countries in Europe.

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

There are no plans to change the scope of the Turing Scheme, including the sectors in which it operates. The Turing Scheme is global by design and has supported placements in over 160 countries. The Turing Scheme already provides inclusion support through extra funding for students with special educational needs and disabilities, additional support needs (in Scotland) and additional learning needs (in Wales). The government keeps the scope of the Turing Scheme under review, and decisions on the Turing Scheme for future years will be shared in due course.

Our association to Erasmus+ will open up opportunities for learners, educators, young people and communities. It is an investment in opportunity for our young people, our workforce and our future, opening doors for tens of thousands across the UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for extending Turing funding to youth work, adult learning, community development and sport in line with the Erasmus+ scheme.

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

There are no plans to change the scope of the Turing Scheme, including the sectors in which it operates. The Turing Scheme is global by design and has supported placements in over 160 countries. The Turing Scheme already provides inclusion support through extra funding for students with special educational needs and disabilities, additional support needs (in Scotland) and additional learning needs (in Wales). The government keeps the scope of the Turing Scheme under review, and decisions on the Turing Scheme for future years will be shared in due course.

Our association to Erasmus+ will open up opportunities for learners, educators, young people and communities. It is an investment in opportunity for our young people, our workforce and our future, opening doors for tens of thousands across the UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has considered adding funding rules, inclusion support and non-formal learning approaches to the Turing scheme.

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

There are no plans to change the scope of the Turing Scheme, including the sectors in which it operates. The Turing Scheme is global by design and has supported placements in over 160 countries. The Turing Scheme already provides inclusion support through extra funding for students with special educational needs and disabilities, additional support needs (in Scotland) and additional learning needs (in Wales). The government keeps the scope of the Turing Scheme under review, and decisions on the Turing Scheme for future years will be shared in due course.

Our association to Erasmus+ will open up opportunities for learners, educators, young people and communities. It is an investment in opportunity for our young people, our workforce and our future, opening doors for tens of thousands across the UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the legislative provisions of the European Commission, Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a budget expenditure tracking and performance framework and other horizontal rules for the Union programmes and activities, COM/2025/545 final, July 2025, Article 18, will apply to UK participation in the Erasmus+ programme as a third country.

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

The document referred to is a proposal and is not currently law.

The UK will be utilising EU funds, and so EU legislation relating to their use may apply in certain circumstances.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the long-term fiscal impact of replacing RPI with CPI for Plan 2 student loan interest.

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

Interest rates on student loans have been consistently linked to a widely recognised and adopted measure of inflation. Interest rates are set in legislation in reference to the Retail Price Index (RPI) (from the previous March) and are applied annually on 1 September until 31 August.

The Office for National Statistics has undertaken a substantial programme of work over the past two years to enhance how inflation is measured and this will be carried over into student loans. The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed that from 2030 (at the earliest), movements in RPI will be aligned with Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs as viewed here: https://obr.uk/box/the-long-run-difference-between-rpi-and-cpi-inflation/.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has had recent correspondence with universities on the enforcement of freedom of speech guidelines.

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

The department has not had recent correspondence with universities on the enforcement of the free speech duties. This answer does not cover any correspondence which the Office for Students may have had with universities on enforcement of freedom of speech.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how UK institutions will be able to participate in Erasmus+ if they do not get accredited by the deadline of 24 March 2026.

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

Higher education (HE) institutions must successfully apply for the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) before applying for funding for any project, whether they are applying for mobilities or partnerships, or as an individual organisation or consortium. Signing the charter means committing to providing participants with all the necessary support for their placements, including linguistic preparation.

The deadline for submitting applications for the ECHE has been extended to 24 March 2026 for HE institutions intending to participate in the 2027 funding call.

The ECHE is a mandatory prerequisite for participating in Erasmus+ activities related to HE, so any HE institutions wishing to participate in Erasmus+ in 2027 must ensure they meet the 24 March deadline. Applications can be made on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the national UK agency for Erasmus+ will be in place and where it will be hosted.

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

The department has commenced discussions with the British Council with a view to them being appointed as the National Agency for Erasmus+.

The National Agency will be set up in time to accept bids for the 2027 Erasmus+ funding call which opens in November 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of setting the annual level of student maintenance support at a level equivalent to a year's salary paid at the National Living Wage for a 36 hour week.

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

The government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university. However, it is essential we keep our higher education system financially sustainable.

To help students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds progress and excel in higher education, we are future proofing our maintenance offer by increasing loans for living costs in line with forecast inflation every academic year. This approach ensures that students from the lowest income families receive the largest year-on-year cash increases in support and provides long term certainty on the financial support students will receive while studying.

The department will also provide extra support for care leavers, who will automatically become eligible to receive the maximum rate of loan from the 2026/27 academic year.

Additionally, we are reintroducing targeted, means-tested maintenance grants, providing disadvantaged students with up to £1,000 extra per year on top of existing loans for living costs from the 2028/29 academic year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2026, to Question 107710, Erasmus+ Programme: Flags, whether UK (a) schools, (b) teacher training and (c) universities will participate in Jean Monnet Actions programme, including (i) learning about the history of the European Union, (ii) promoting a shared EU identity and (iii) the 2026 thematic theme of "A resilient Single Market to boost EU enlargement as a catalyst for progress competitiveness”.

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

Under the Erasmus+ Regulation, and as set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide, the same EU communication and visibility requirements apply to Jean Monnet Actions. Jean Monnet Actions are open to any eligible institution that chooses to apply for a Jean Monnet project and is successful in securing funding.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of teachers' wellbeing on their ability to deliver high quality teaching.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115068.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2026, to Question 107710, Erasmus+ Programme: Flags, whether separate EU communication and visibility rules apply to the Jean Monnet Actions programme.

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

Under the Erasmus+ Regulation, and as set out in the Erasmus+ Programme Guide, the same EU communication and visibility requirements apply to Jean Monnet Actions. Jean Monnet Actions are open to any eligible institution that chooses to apply for a Jean Monnet project and is successful in securing funding.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help support mature students in universities.

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

As autonomous institutions, higher education (HE) providers are responsible for setting their own timetabling and student support arrangements and in doing so, must take the needs of all students including mature learners, into account.

In January 2027 the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will launch and transform the HE student finance system. The LLE will give adults, up to the age of 60, access to a flexible, four year loan entitlement to use over their working lives to study full courses and individual modules. The LLE will broaden access at levels 4 to 6 for a range of learners, including those returning to education later in life or studying whilst working.

We are also reintroducing targeted, means-tested maintenance grants, providing disadvantaged students with up to £1,000 extra per year on top of existing loans for living costs from academic year 2028/29.

Together, these reforms modernise the student finance system and ensure that mature students can access the support they need to participate and succeed in HE.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question 112455 on Teachers: Workplace Pensions from the Rt hon. Member for Burton and Uttoxeter.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The response to Written Parliamentary Question 112455 was published on 20 March 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve teachers' (a) wellbeing and (b) working conditions to support them to deliver consistent high quality teaching.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 115068.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help support students to challenge issues of free speech on university campuses.

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

Higher education (HE) must be a space for robust discussion, intellectual rigour and exposure to new ideas. These expectations on our universities are long standing and not negotiable.

There are already routes of redress for students where they believe that a HE provider has breached its duties under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023. As we have previously set out, students can already make complaints relating to free speech to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, whose service is free at the point of use.

The Office for Students (OfS) already regulates providers in relation to free speech and academic freedom through their existing conditions of registration. The OfS has also issued extensive guidance to HE providers on commencement of their duties, which supports students navigating these issues.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which types of UK institutions and organisations will be eligible to participate in the Erasmus+ programme.

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

Erasmus+ is open to learners, trainees and staff in higher education, further education, vocational education and training, schools and adult education. It is also open to young people and youth workers in the youth sector, as well as staff in sports organisations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the rates of teacher retention in further education.

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

Having sufficient and skilled further education (FE) teachers is key to deliver on the government’s skills missions and help learners achieve good outcomes. The department continues to assess retention in the FE workforce based on available data and sector engagement.

The most recent published figures indicate that for FE teachers starting in 2016, 51% were still in post by 2019. For those starting in 2014, 39% were still in post by 2019. The department also collects workforce data through the annual Further Education Workforce Data Collection.

To improve retention, the department is delivering several programmes, including the targeted retention incentive for teachers in priority shortage subjects, reforms to initial teacher education and a strengthened professional development pathway with additional support for special educational needs and disabilities training.

We will also continue to work closely with the sector, including through the Improving Education Together group, to understand drivers of retention and support meaningful improvement in teacher experience.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evaluation has been undertaken to ensure the reintroduced maintenance grants will reach the students who need them most and what steps are being taken to ensure high take-up rates among students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds in Northumberland.

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

This government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to attend higher education.

Targeted maintenance grants from the academic year 2028/29 onwards will provide up to £1,000 extra support per year to students from low income households studying courses aligned with the government’s missions and Industrial Strategy. It will be crucial that the subject list is informed by the best and most up-to-date evidence on skills needs, and we will confirm which subjects will be eligible for grants closer to launch. The grants will be available to new and continuing students undertaking full-time courses at levels 4 to 6, including technical qualifications and degrees, at university or college.

In parallel, we have established a Task and Finish Group to tackle regional disparities in access and the most systemic barriers across the journey into higher education for disadvantaged students.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made on the potential impact of changes to Part 2 student loan repayments and the freezing of interest thresholds on the (a) degree and (b) course choices of young people.

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

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements. As these loans are not available for prospective students in England, there is no impact on degree and course choices.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of interest rates on student loans on graduates’ likelihood of becoming home owners.

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

Interest rates do not impact monthly repayments made by student loan borrowers as repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold, repayments are made at a constant rate of 9%. This rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. For example, someone earning £30,000 will repay around £4 per month in the 2026/27 financial year under the repayment threshold of £29,385.

Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

Having an outstanding student loan is not a barrier to accessing a mortgage, however regular student loan repayments will be considered alongside other living costs as part of the affordability check for mortgage applications.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of the freeze to the repayment threshold from April 2027 on average annual repayments for Plan 2 student loan borrowers.

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

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold and their income stays the same, then their repayments will remain the same. If a borrower is not earning above the repayment threshold and their income remains the same, they will continue to not be required to make any repayments.

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 freezing the Plan 2 student loan repayment threshold from April 2027 on existing student loan borrowers.

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

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold and their income stays the same, then their repayments will remain the same. If a borrower is not earning above the repayment threshold and their income remains the same, they will continue to not be required to make any repayments.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Collins of Highbury on 16 March (HL Deb col 668), how they will improve the oversight of compliance with the Prevent Duty as a measure to tackle extremism on college and university campuses in the light of the recommendation to reform the Prevent Strategy in Report of the Independent Commission on UK Counter-Terrorism Law, Policy and Practice, published November 2025.

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

The Office for Students is updating its Prevent monitoring framework in line with the 2023 Prevent statutory guidance. It will publish a new framework and guidance in September, which will come into force at the start of 2027, where they will make greater use of Prevent review meetings to target areas of concern and gather more detailed evidence where necessary.

The department will, where required, use its enforcement powers under section 30 of the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015, including issuing directions enforceable by court order, to secure full compliance with the Prevent duty.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to create a single national mandatory register of all children, including both those in, and not in, the school system.

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

The government has no current plans to create a national register of all children.

Using data to improve school attendance is central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Thanks to our world-leading data collection, the department has access to near real-time attendance data for mainstream schools, including academies.

As part of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, the department is also introducing a requirement for every local authority in England and Wales to hold compulsory Children Not in School registers, and accompanying duties on parents to provide information for these registers. This will support local authorities to identify all children not in school in their areas.

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 the student loan repayment threshold remaining at its current level on (a) graduates in lower-paid or insecure employment, (b) social mobility and (c) students from lower-income backgrounds.

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

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold and their income stays the same, then their repayments will remain the same. If a borrower is not earning above the repayment threshold and their income remains the same, they will continue to not be required to make any repayments.

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 gap between the introduction of increased tuition fees in 2026 and the reintroduction of maintenance grants in 2029 on students from lower-income households.

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

No assessment has been made. Tuition fees are covered by tuition fee loans, so students do not need to pay them while they study.

Regarding students from lower-income backgrounds, we are acting to support them through future proofing our maintenance loan offer by increasing maintenance loans in line with forecast inflation every academic year from 2026/27.

Additionally, from 2028/29, maintenance grants will support full-time students from low-income households studying courses aligned with the government’s missions. The grants will provide disadvantaged full-time students with up to £1,000 extra per year, on top of existing maintenance loans, increasing cash in students’ pockets without increasing their debt.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has conducted an equality impact assessment on the freeze to the Plan 2 student loan repayment threshold due to take effect in April 2027.

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

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation.

The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze announced at the Autumn Budget.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the interest charged on Plan 2 student loans for meeting the Government’s cost of (a) borrowing to finance those loans and (b) estimated write-offs.

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

The estimated write offs are reflected in the Resource and Accounting Budget (RAB) charge, the government subsidy anticipated on student loans issued in any particular financial year. The RAB charge is forecast at 32% of total full-time plan 2 loans issued in 2024/25.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan for the Minister for Skills to take a lead responsibility for social mobility.

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

The government’s Opportunity Mission is focused on breaking the link between a child’s background and their future success, through coordinated action to improve social and income mobility. It sets priorities to give children the best start in life, ensure they achieve and thrive at school, strengthen post‑16 skills and opportunities, and support family security. Social mobility and opportunity are shared priorities across government. As the Minister for Skills, I promote the core objectives around social mobility, by helping to expand high‑quality skills, training and progression routes so that more young people can move into good employment, education or training.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to ensure equity for children in households with no recourse to public funds in the expansion of eligibility for free school meals from September.

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

The department has permanently extended free school meal eligibility to children in all households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), provided they meet income thresholds set out in public guidance.

This ensures that children can access support regardless of their background or circumstances, including the immigration status of their parents.

The income thresholds for NRPF households were designed to account for the differences in household income between NRPF households and those with access to additional state support to ensure parity.

The government has set out plans to extend free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. We continue to keep all aspects of the free school meals system, including the guidance for families with no recourse to public funds, under review.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of student loans issued in each of last five years for which data is available were for students with settled status, expressed in (a) monetary terms and (b) number of students.

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

The department is not able to provide the requested data on settled status in the required timescale.

Settled status is a residency category, which is data held by the Student Loans Company (SLC).

However, changes in the application process over time, including the transition to electronic applications and introduction of new products, systems and processes in line with the legislation, mean that data held for earlier cohorts is held differently across multiple SLC systems.

As a result, it is not currently possible to produce robust settled status data within the required timescales. The department and the SLC are undertaking work to improve the quality and consistency of data provided.

Once this work is complete, the department expects to be able to provide information in response to such questions.

The department is not able to provide the requested data on immigration status. The SLC does not hold immigration status data. Immigration status data is held by the Home Office and is used by the SLC as part of the assessment for loan eligibility. However, as the SLC does not hold immigration status data in their own systems, this breakdown cannot be provided.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of student loans issued in each of the last five years for which data is available were for students with a non-Common Travel Area immigration status.

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

The department is not able to provide the requested data on settled status in the required timescale.

Settled status is a residency category, which is data held by the Student Loans Company (SLC).

However, changes in the application process over time, including the transition to electronic applications and introduction of new products, systems and processes in line with the legislation, mean that data held for earlier cohorts is held differently across multiple SLC systems.

As a result, it is not currently possible to produce robust settled status data within the required timescales. The department and the SLC are undertaking work to improve the quality and consistency of data provided.

Once this work is complete, the department expects to be able to provide information in response to such questions.

The department is not able to provide the requested data on immigration status. The SLC does not hold immigration status data. Immigration status data is held by the Home Office and is used by the SLC as part of the assessment for loan eligibility. However, as the SLC does not hold immigration status data in their own systems, this breakdown cannot be provided.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the student loan outlay is by immigration status of the student cohort for the last five years for which data is available.

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

The department is not able to provide the requested data on settled status in the required timescale.

Settled status is a residency category, which is data held by the Student Loans Company (SLC).

However, changes in the application process over time, including the transition to electronic applications and introduction of new products, systems and processes in line with the legislation, mean that data held for earlier cohorts is held differently across multiple SLC systems.

As a result, it is not currently possible to produce robust settled status data within the required timescales. The department and the SLC are undertaking work to improve the quality and consistency of data provided.

Once this work is complete, the department expects to be able to provide information in response to such questions.

The department is not able to provide the requested data on immigration status. The SLC does not hold immigration status data. Immigration status data is held by the Home Office and is used by the SLC as part of the assessment for loan eligibility. However, as the SLC does not hold immigration status data in their own systems, this breakdown cannot be provided.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) adding more female scientists to the National Curriculum and (b) making it mandatory for exam boards to include them in the syllabus.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government’s ambition is for every child and young person to receive a rich and broad, inclusive and innovative education, and that the whole curriculum reflects our modern society and diverse communities.

The science curriculum provides a broad and flexible framework that allows schools to choose how they teach topics across the key stages, and this can include the study of female scientists. We are in the process of refreshing the national curriculum, including the sciences. We will consult on the curriculum from early summer, and we will fully implement the new full national curriculum for teaching from September 2028.

Exam boards are responsible for developing qualification specifications that meet the subject content requirements set by the department and are accredited by Ofqual. While the department is responsible for decisions that relate to the scope of the subject content to be taught and assessed, exam boards are responsible for their own specifications.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to make enrichment activities, including residential trips, (a) affordable and (b) accessible for children on free school meals in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people across England can access a variety of enrichment opportunities at school as part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity.

A new Enrichment Framework will be published this academic year. It will set out benchmarks to help schools and colleges plan high-quality enrichment more strategically, with case studies and signposting to tools and resources. The framework will support schools to provide accessible and inclusive enrichment opportunities to those less likely to participate, such as pupils on free school meals.

We are also working with the Department of Culture Media and Sport to deliver a £22.5 million programme to create tailored enrichment offers in up to 400 schools over 3 years, with a particular focus on underserved pupils, and will confirm the schools which will be involved in due course.

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 maintaining thresholds for repayment of student loans between 2027-28 and 2029-30 for Plan 2 students who started their course between 2012 and 2023 on fair access to higher education for disabled students.

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

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.

Lower earning graduates remain protected by this change. Graduates only begin repaying once their earnings exceed the threshold, paying 9% of income above that level. As repayments remain income-contingent, if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Outstanding loans, including interest accrued, are cancelled at the end of the loan term, or in case of death or permanent disability, with no detriment to the borrower.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the lifetime impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze, as announced at the Autumn Budget. Published results may differ from those provided due to model and data updates.

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 freezing the Plan 2 repayment threshold on (a) nursing students with Plan 2 loans and (b) nursing students with Plan 2 loans who started their courses between August 2017 and September 2020.

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

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.

Lower earning graduates remain protected by this change. Graduates only begin repaying once their earnings exceed the threshold, paying 9% of income above that level. As repayments remain income-contingent, if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Outstanding loans, including interest accrued, are cancelled at the end of the loan term, or in case of death or permanent disability, with no detriment to the borrower.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the lifetime impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze, as announced at the Autumn Budget. Published results may differ from those provided due to model and data updates.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she will publish the equalities impact assessment on the student loan repayment changes announced in Autumn Budget 2025.

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

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements.

Lower earning graduates remain protected by this change. Graduates only begin repaying once their earnings exceed the threshold, paying 9% of income above that level. As repayments remain income-contingent, if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Outstanding loans, including interest accrued, are cancelled at the end of the loan term, or in case of death or permanent disability, with no detriment to the borrower.

The department has produced the attached analysis regarding the lifetime impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds.

The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze, as announced at the Autumn Budget. Published results may differ from those provided due to model and data updates.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the recommendation on the competitiveness of teachers’ pay in The National Foundation for Educational Research report entitled The School Teacher Labour Market in England Annual Report 2026 published on 19 March 2026.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department notes the recent National Foundation for Educational Research report, which highlights some improvement in the competitiveness of teachers’ pay.

The department values all teachers, which is why we have delivered two above inflation awards that, combined, will mean all schoolteachers will have seen an increase in their pay of almost 10% over the last two years.

In making their recommendations on teacher pay in maintained schools each year, the School Teachers’ Review Body carries out rigorous assessments as part of its reports and considers a range of evidence, including key indicators for pay competitiveness.

We are already seeing positive signs that our investment is delivering. The workforce has grown by 2,346 full-time equivalent between 2023/24 and 2024/25 in secondary and special schools, and our teacher pipeline is growing, with just under 32,600 new entrants to initial teacher training in autumn 2025, up 13% on the previous year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to Answer of 14 January 2026 to Question 104334, how many students with settled status obtained a student loan in 2024-25; and how much was spent on repaying these loans in the same time period.

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

The department is not able to provide the requested data on settled status in the required timescale.

Settled status is a residency category, which is data held by the Student Loans Company (SLC).

However, changes in the application process over time, including the transition to electronic applications and introduction of new products, systems and processes in line with the legislation, mean that data held for earlier cohorts is held differently across multiple SLC systems.

As a result, it is not currently possible to produce robust settled status data within the required timescales. The department and the SLC are undertaking work to improve the quality and consistency of data provided.

Once this work is complete, the department expects to be able to provide information in response to such questions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students were entered for (a) French, (b) German, (c) Spanish and (d) other modern foreign languages at (i) GCSE and (ii) A Level by local education authority in the East of England in each year for which the data is available.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Information regarding GCSE and A level student counts by local authority is published by the department in the ‘Key stage 4 performance’ and ‘A level and other 16 to 18 results’ statistical releases. Data is published from 2018/19 to 2024/25.

The requested data for GCSE students in 2018/19 to 2024/25 can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/0272ce41-9736-47f9-abc5-08de834ce335.

The requested data for A level students in 2020/21 to 2024/25 is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9e636057-8448-4e04-f84b-08de834d471d.

The data for A level students in 2017/18 to 2019/20 can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/eee0c01a-c6b4-4f22-f84d-08de834d471d.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report entitled Evaluation of pupil attainment and progression in Maths Schools, published in October 2025 by The Observatory for Mathematical Education.

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

When forming maths policy, the department considers a broad range of evidence. The department is aware of this report and will consider it alongside evidence from a range of other stakeholders, as well as internal analysis, when designing future policy.

The government recognises the valuable contribution that maths schools make towards high-quality maths and further maths provision across the country, including in the Torbay constituency which is served by the Exeter Maths School. The department will open new maths schools in Durham and Nottingham, ensuring talented students in every region gain a chance to pursue advanced mathematics.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the extent to which foster carers approved by independent fostering agencies receive equivalent support from local authorities compared with in house foster carers.

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

Fostering is a challenging role that requires skills and dedication from those who foster, and it is crucial that foster carers receive the support they need to enable them to fulfil this role.

The National Minimum Standards (NMS) for fostering sets out the minimum expectations for the support, supervision and training that all fostering services must provide to foster carers, ensuring consistently high quality care for children. The NMS sets out the expectation that each foster carer receives at least the national minimum allowance for the child in their care.

We have committed to reviewing and updating the NMS as part of our wider programme of reforms. The government’s action plan published in February 2026, ‘Renewing Fostering: Homes for 10,000 More Children’, sets out our approach to recruiting more foster carers, and strengthening support for foster families. This includes the development of an enhanced training and support package for foster carers, which will be rolled out from 2026/27.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what mechanisms are in place to ensure accountability for public sector bodies and organisations carrying out safeguarding functions on behalf of local authorities; and whether her Department plans to introduce new measures to improve transparency, oversight and consequences for procedural failures.

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

‘Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026’ sets clear expectations for how organisations must safeguard children. Inspectorates and regulators are key to ensuring organisations follow their statutory duties. Ofsted inspects early years provision, schools, further education and skills providers, and all children’s social care services including children’s homes, fostering agencies and adoption services.

Joint Targeted Area Inspections are multi-agency inspections carried out by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services and HM Inspectorate Probation.

Out-of-school settings have a common law duty of care to take reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harm, alongside other statutory obligations relating to Disclosure and Barring Service requirements and health and safety legislation.

DfE will provide a formal response to the call for evidence on safeguarding in these settings in due course, following ongoing stakeholder engagement.

The department is establishing a Child Protection Authority to strengthen the child protection response regardless of where harm takes place.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether student loan repayments made under the Plan 2 student loan scheme align with the levels originally expected when the plan was introduced; and what assessment they have made of the stability of the student loan scheme and the sustainability of this funding arrangement for higher education in the UK.

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

We inherited the student loans system, including Plan 2, which was devised by the previous government. Threshold freezes have been introduced to protect taxpayers and students now, alongside future generations of learners and workers.

It is reasonable to ask those graduates who do benefit financially from higher education to contribute towards the cost of their studies. Graduates generally benefit from higher earnings, and ensuring they repay more of their loan is fair for those workers who have not gone to university or graduates on lower salaries.

There is precedent for multi-year threshold freezes. Plan 2 was held at £21,000 from its introduction until 2018 and was subsequently frozen for three years from financial years 2022/23 to 2024/25.

The student finance system is heavily subsidised by government, and lower-earning graduates will always be protected. Any outstanding loan, including interest, is cancelled at the end of the repayment term and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants. In financial year 2025/26 34% of loan debt for full-time Plan 2 graduates was forecast not to be repaid. We have to make the choices required to manage spend and the impact of these legacy loans.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the policy paper Giving every child the best start in life, published on 7 July 2025, what is the timeline for the procurement and delivery of the national Best Start digital service.

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

The Best Start in Life website launched on 1 September 2025, bringing together information and support from across government in one place. The content has been shaped by user research with parents, and serves as a key access point for online support and guidance.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many care leavers did not have their immigration status resolved before reaching the age of 18 in each of the last five years.

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

Information on the immigration status of care leavers is not held centrally by the department.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 27 January (HL13548), what assessment they have made of the causes of the increase in the (1) proportion, and (2) number, of school children educated in special schools in the past ten years.

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

Assessments by the Education Select Committee, Public Accounts Committee and National Audit Office highlight common challenges across the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system that mean children and young people do not get the effective early intervention they need and leave parents struggling to secure appropriate support.

As set out in our ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper, the government is seeking to reshape the SEND system to make all mainstream early years settings, schools and colleges truly inclusive. We are also investing billions of pounds to adapt classrooms and corridors, train teachers, educators and assistants, and bring experts like speech and language therapists into settings.

We are consulting on these proposals and will continue to work with a wide range of partners to refine them and deliver them.

The department collects and publishes figures on the number and proportion of pupils in special schools. The number of pupils in special schools (State-funded and non-maintained) has increased from 109,177 in 2015/16 to 169,630 in 2024/25. This is an increase of 60,453. The proportion of pupils in special schools was 1.3% in 2015/16 and 1.9% in 2024/25, an increase of 0.6 percentage points.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the command paper, Protecting What Matters, CP 1540, 9 March 2026, page 40, in what manner will the new guidance on External Speakers differ to that published by the (a) Charity Commission and (b) Office for Students.

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

The department will publish new guidance in the spring to support higher education (HE) providers in understanding their responsibilities under the Prevent Duty. This will include advice on assessing whether external speech may be unlawful or linked to terrorism, and on carrying out due diligence for invited speakers.

The Prevent Duty does not apply to all charities, and not all HE providers have charity status. The planned guidance will therefore offer more detailed, sector-specific advice on managing risks associated with external speakers in HE settings than guidance intended for the wider charity sector.

The planned guidance will work alongside guidance issued by the Office for Students which supports providers in meeting duties under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will commission an independent review into how student finance products, including Plan 2 loans, are communicated to prospective students, with particular regard to transparency and informed consent.

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

Plan 2 student loans were devised by previous administrations and students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements. Since the 2023/24 academic year, new students in England receive their loans on Plan 5 terms and conditions, not on Plan 2 terms. As Plan 2 loans are not available for prospective students in England, there is no impact on existing borrowers.

Students sign the terms and conditions of student loans before any money is paid to them. Student loans already contain borrower protections. For example, repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold. Borrowers earning under the earnings threshold are not required to make repayments. Any outstanding loan, including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

Student finance and higher education funding is a complex, interconnected system, and we are considering a range of options to make the system fairer. However, funding arrangements must be considered to ensure they are fiscally responsible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government plans to introduce any additional safeguards to ensure that changes to student loan repayment terms do not have retrospective adverse impacts on existing borrowers.

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

Plan 2 student loans were devised by previous administrations and students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements. Since the 2023/24 academic year, new students in England receive their loans on Plan 5 terms and conditions, not on Plan 2 terms. As Plan 2 loans are not available for prospective students in England, there is no impact on existing borrowers.

Students sign the terms and conditions of student loans before any money is paid to them. Student loans already contain borrower protections. For example, repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold. Borrowers earning under the earnings threshold are not required to make repayments. Any outstanding loan, including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

Student finance and higher education funding is a complex, interconnected system, and we are considering a range of options to make the system fairer. However, funding arrangements must be considered to ensure they are fiscally responsible.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Plan 2 student loan interest rates on borrowers, particularly in relation to (a) long-term debt balances and (b) the ability of borrowers to (i) access mortgages and (ii) manage the cost of living.

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

The size of outstanding student loans does not prevent access to a mortgage, and student loan balances do not appear on borrower credit records, therefore the total size of a student’s debt is not considered in a mortgage application.

Monthly student loan repayments are considered alongside other living costs as part of the affordability check for mortgage applications along with other fixed monthly outgoings, but monthly repayments are not linked to the size of the outstanding loan.

Student loan repayments are income linked, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied, and are fixed at 9% above the earnings threshold. Borrowers earning below the earnings threshold are exempt from repayments. Outstanding loans, including accrued interest, are cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance was issued to higher education institutions and the Student Loans Company on communicating to prospective students the potential for future changes to the terms and conditions of Plan 2 student loans.

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

Plan 2 student loans were designed and implemented in 2012 by previous governments, and students in England starting degrees under this government have different arrangements. This government therefore cannot comment on guidance that was provided to higher education institutions (HEIs) and Student Loans Company (SLC) regarding plan 2 loans.

However, both the SLC and HEIs had access to the terms and conditions of student loans available for prospective students prior to their application for financial support at the time of their studies.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to review cases where foster carers and children may have been adversely affected by Local Authority Designated Officer investigations; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a public inquiry into historic failures in the foster care system and related safeguarding procedures.

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

The local authority designated officer (LADO) is a local authority function. Local authorities are responsible for managing allegations against adults who work with children and the LADO plays a vital role in safeguarding children by overseeing the management of allegations made against adults who work with children in any capacity. To help ensure the LADO role is delivered consistently and effectively, we are working with the national LADO network to make operational guidance available. This guidance seeks to draw together current good practice to support a more consistent approach nationally.

The department has announced an ambitious reform programme to urgently address the sharp decline in foster carers and modernise fostering. The reforms establish a clear direction built on relationships, stability and trust, simplifying outdated rules, strengthening national recruitment, expanding regional collaboration and improving support.

Our primary metric will be the number of approved fostering places in local authorities and third sector providers, with the aim of creating an additional 10,000 fostering places by the end of this Parliament.

The fostering plan is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewing-fostering-homes-for-10000-more-children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of information provided to 17–18-year-old students entering higher education in 2012 on the interest rate structure of Plan 2 student loans, including the application of Retail Price Index plus up to 3%.

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

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments. Prospective students had wide access to information across a range of platforms before submitting their applications.

Plan 2 loans interest rates are applied at the Retail Price Index (RPI) only, then variable up to RPI +3% depending on earnings. Repayments are calculated solely on earnings, and not on the amount borrowed or the rate of interest applied. Crucially, any outstanding loan and interest is written off at the end of the loan term, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to introduce increased statutory rights and protections for foster carers, including safeguards against unsubstantiated allegations; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of such reforms on the stability and wellbeing of children in foster care.

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

The department does not hold data centrally on the number of fostering placements at constituency level. Nationally, placement sufficiency remains under strain, which is why reforms are essential to renewing fostering and improving support for carers and children.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits of a national strategy to manage financial restructuring across the higher education sector.

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

The department recognises the concerns of higher education (HE) providers and their staff around the ongoing financial stability of their institutions.

While HE providers are independent from government and are responsible for the pay and provision of staff, we are committed to working with the sector to create a secure future for our world-leading sector. Our decision to raise tuition fees annually in line with inflation, alongside refocusing the Office for Students on monitoring the sector’s financial health, demonstrates this commitment.

We encourage providers to work with their staff to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. We will continue to engage regularly with the sector, unions and the employer body to better understand issues affecting HE providers and staff.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) support access to computing and AI education for schoolchildren, and (2) address disparities in digital literacy across England.

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

The government has accepted the relevant recommendations of the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review to ensure that young people become more digitally literate through a refreshed computing curriculum, including essential AI content, that builds digital confidence from an early age. We are considering how digital content can be integrated across other subjects to build strong, transferrable digital skills, and will replace the computer science GCSE with a broader qualification reflecting the full computing curriculum.

Work is underway to develop the new curriculum, and the department will conduct a public consultation on the draft programmes of study in summer 2026. To increase the number of pupils who will benefit from the reformed national curriculum, we are legislating so that academies will be required to teach it, alongside maintained schools.

We are continuing to invest in the National Centre for Computing Education to support teachers to teach about these topics with confidence.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what lessons they have learned from the rollout of online evidence-based parenting programmes by the government of Australia in 2022.

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

In the Best Start in Life strategy, the government committed to expanding access to high-quality, evidence-based parenting and home-learning support. This ensures that families receive interventions that best promote children’s early development and help close the gap before they start school.

The department is committed to ensuring that parenting support in England is grounded in high-quality evidence and reflects the needs and circumstances of our population. As part of this commitment, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education visited Australia in December 2025, where she engaged in roundtables and met with ministers to discuss the Australian early years system.

We will continue to monitor emerging national and international practice while taking a careful and evidence-led approach to future decisions including the programmes in Australia.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the availability of post-16 provision in Lincolnshire.

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

The department works closely with the Lincolnshire councils and local further education (FE) colleges to ensure there is sufficient post-16 provision in Lincolnshire.

The department works with local authorities to assess significant change applications from schools for new post-16 provision or to close existing provision to ensure that any closure proposals do not create 16 to 19 sufficiency challenges within an area.

In October 2025, we published the ‘Post-16 education and skills white paper’, setting out reforms to the skills system. This includes the introduction of V Levels to sit alongside A and T Levels, the Further Study pathway, supported by a new Foundation Certificate, to support students to progress onto V, T or A levels and also the Occupational pathway. This is supported by a new Occupational Certificate, assisting students develop skills to go into apprenticeships or employment.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Home Office decisions on the finances of universities.

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

The new International Education Strategy reflects the positive impact of international students. It confirms our continued commitment to welcoming students who meet the requirements to study in the UK.

The system must, however, ensure that international students make a positive contribution to the communities in which they study. The ‘Restoring control over the immigration system’ White Paper contains measures that will achieve a reduction in net migration, whilst maintaining the UK’s globally competitive position and boosting our skills base.

The department expects the UK to remain an attractive study destination. The most recent data shows that applications from Sponsored Study visa main applicants in the year ending January 2026 were 2 per cent higher than the previous year. The data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/monthly-entry-clearance-visa-applications-january-2026/monthly-entry-clearance-visa-applications-january-2026.

Whilst we recognise international students’ value, reliance on international fee income is a risk to some providers' income. HE providers must ensure their business models provide long-term sustainability.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's immigration criteria on the number of international students attending universities in (a) the UK and (b) York.

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

The new International Education Strategy reflects the positive impact of international students. It confirms our continued commitment to welcoming students who meet the requirements to study in the UK.

The system must, however, ensure that international students make a positive contribution to the communities in which they study. The ‘Restoring control over the immigration system’ White Paper contains measures that will achieve a reduction in net migration, whilst maintaining the UK’s globally competitive position and boosting our skills base.

The department expects the UK to remain an attractive study destination. The most recent data shows that applications from Sponsored Study visa main applicants in the year ending January 2026 were 2 per cent higher than the previous year. The data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/monthly-entry-clearance-visa-applications-january-2026/monthly-entry-clearance-visa-applications-january-2026.

Whilst we recognise international students’ value, reliance on international fee income is a risk to some providers' income. HE providers must ensure their business models provide long-term sustainability.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the impact of her policies on the supply of international students for Higher Education.

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

The new International Education Strategy reflects the positive impact of international students. It confirms our continued commitment to welcoming students who meet the requirements to study in the UK.

The system must, however, ensure that international students make a positive contribution to the communities in which they study. The ‘Restoring control over the immigration system’ White Paper contains measures that will achieve a reduction in net migration, whilst maintaining the UK’s globally competitive position and boosting our skills base.

The department expects the UK to remain an attractive study destination. The most recent data shows that applications from Sponsored Study visa main applicants in the year ending January 2026 were 2 per cent higher than the previous year. The data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/monthly-entry-clearance-visa-applications-january-2026/monthly-entry-clearance-visa-applications-january-2026.

Whilst we recognise international students’ value, reliance on international fee income is a risk to some providers' income. HE providers must ensure their business models provide long-term sustainability.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of total university fee income has been derived from international students in each of the past five years.

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

The new International Education Strategy reflects the positive impact of international students. It confirms our continued commitment to welcoming students who meet the requirements to study in the UK.

The system must, however, ensure that international students make a positive contribution to the communities in which they study. The ‘Restoring control over the immigration system’ White Paper contains measures that will achieve a reduction in net migration, whilst maintaining the UK’s globally competitive position and boosting our skills base.

The department expects the UK to remain an attractive study destination. The most recent data shows that applications from Sponsored Study visa main applicants in the year ending January 2026 were 2 per cent higher than the previous year. The data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/monthly-entry-clearance-visa-applications-january-2026/monthly-entry-clearance-visa-applications-january-2026.

Whilst we recognise international students’ value, reliance on international fee income is a risk to some providers' income. HE providers must ensure their business models provide long-term sustainability.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the financial return to the UK economy of public investment in higher education.

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

Graduates make a significant economic and financial contribution to the UK economy. A report commissioned by Universities UK and published in 2024 suggests that the UK higher education sector contributes around £265 billion to the UK economy and that every £1 of public funding invested in the sector’s teaching activities generated a total of some £13 in wider economic impact across the UK.

The Universities UK commissioned report can be found here: https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/sites/default/files/field/downloads/2024-09/LE-UUK-Impact-of-university-TL-and-RI-Final-Report.pdf.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of using timber materials in a) constructing and b) maintaining school buildings.

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

The government recognises that timber offers a solution as a renewable, low-carbon resource. It offers potential to reduce emissions and create jobs, as set out in the Timber in Construction Roadmap: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/timber-in-construction-roadmap-2025/timber-in-construction-roadmap-2025.

The department has piloted a number of projects which explore the use of timber in school construction, including three prototypes using UK timber.

Our construction specification requires that new buildings meet an embodied carbon requirement, and that designs use natural materials to create a healthy learning environment. These specifications encourage the use of timber and other natural materials to meet the needs of our low carbon future.

Timber is a commonly used material in maintaining school buildings. School responsible bodies must ensure that the correct materials are used for any works to maintain fire, safety and other critical requirements.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether higher education institutions are making adequate impact assessments of higher education institutions' proposals to cut and restructure languages provision with due regard to higher education institutions' regional, national and international roles and responsibilities.

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

The department is aware that some universities are making difficult decisions about their provision. As autonomous institutions, universities are free to choose which courses they deliver. While the government is supportive of language provision, we play no role in the delivery of these specific schemes.

As education is a devolved matter, it would not be appropriate for the government to comment on provision at Scottish universities.

We want to ensure that all children and young people have access to a high-quality language education. In response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, we set out our commitment to strengthen the languages pipeline, including at A level and degree.

Teacher recruitment in modern languages is kept under review. Incentives, bursaries and training reforms aim to support a sustainable pipeline, recognising that universities play an important but independent role in this.

The government continues to assess national capability needs in security, diplomacy, defence and trade, ensuring language skills requirements are understood across departments.

The department has published our plan for higher education reform through the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, which sets out our ambition for a world leading sector that supplies the skills our labour market needs.

Found: Gardiner of Kimble to Georgia Gould OBE MP, Minister of State (Minister for School Standards), Department for Education

Found: and Pensions Sixty-first report: Financial sustainability of Children’s care homes Department for Education

Found: and Pensions Sixty-first report: Financial sustainability of Children’s care homes Department for Education

Found: and Pensions Sixty-first report: Financial sustainability of Children’s care homes Department for Education

Found: and Pensions Sixty-first report: Financial sustainability of Children’s care homes Department for Education

Found: and Pensions Sixty-first report: Financial sustainability of Children’s care homes Department for Education

Found: and for the multi-agency taskforce to be reaching out to other departments including the Department for Education

Found: The Department for Education is also taking action to improve air quality for children and young people

Found: Finally, in April 2025, the MOD and Department for Education published non-statutory guidance to help

Found: three-month delay, controlled internally, in effect reverses that presumption. 51 Ibid. 52 Department for Education

Found: DfE – make schools streets essential.

Found: Perhaps in response to the Committee’s inquiry, the Department for Education published new guidance

Found: It is relevant for DHSC, DESNZ, MHCLG, DfE, Defra and DfT.

Found: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Transport, the Department for Education

Found: We believe that the Department for Education should support school leaders and other school staff to

Found: for clean air and carbon reduction.Written submission from City of Bradford MDC (AIR0016) Department for Education

Found: Universities told to report foreign interference on campus to MI5”, 9 February 2026 161 Department for Education

Found: from England and Wales, including that published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Department for Education

Found: From the conversations we had yesterday—we have also been talking to the Department for Education separately—it

Found: Have you thought about this, and is there any scope to work with the DfE to try to restart some of that

Found: modular housing and for modular schools, and there is quite a good relationship between the Department for Education

Found: We hope that the Home Office takes this forward along with groups like the DFE and DWP as well.

Found: We hope that the Home Office takes this forward along with groups like the DFE and DWP as well.

Found: What worked was that this fund, and the way it was managed through the DfE, gave practitioners and teachers

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what aspects of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper (CP 1021), published on 31 January 2024, have been (1) fully implemented, (2) partially implemented, and (3) not implemented.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is committed to continuing to take forward the Safeguarding the Union command paper, and to protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the UK Internal Market.

We continue to make progress on the implementation of the commitments made in the command paper. For instance, the digitisation of the News Letter was completed last year and there remains no Border Control Post at Cairnryan. In January, the East-West Council met for the third time where the Government announced there would be a pilot for the UK school twinning programme, which is being developed between the UK Government’s Department for Education and the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department of Education.

Other recent steps include the allocation of £2.25 million for Intertrade UK over the next three years and the opening of round two of the Connect Fund to support community and voluntary groups. In line with commitments made in the command paper, in December the Government published our response to Lord Murphy’s Independent Review of the Windsor Framework, and is now taking action on all of its recommendations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Child Poverty Strategy, published on 5 December 2025, what discussions the Home Office have had with the Department for Education about the guidance to local authorities on statutory duties under section 17 of the Children Act 1989; and what steps they have taken to ensure that safeguarding and the best interests of children are considered in that guidance.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 establishes the general duty of local authorities in England to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need and, so far as is consistent with that duty, to promote the upbringing of such children by their families.

I can confirm that the Home Office is working with the Department for Education alongside other government departments and the NRPF network to produce guidance to assist local authorities in their duties to those with No Recourse to Public Funds as part of the Child Poverty Strategy.

The duty Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 duty does not apply to the Home Office. Instead, Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 places a duty on the Home Office to make arrangements for ensuring that immigration, asylum, nationality and general customs functions are discharged having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the UK.

The statutory guidance, called ‘Every Child Matters’, issued under Section 55 (3), sets out the key arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children as they apply both generally to public bodies who deal with children in the UK (Part 1) and specifically to the Home Office (Part 2).

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they plan to encourage parents, children and teachers to discuss the child-friendly version of the child poverty strategy published on 13 March.

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

The child‑friendly version of the government’s Child Poverty Strategy is designed to help teachers and parents talk to children about the challenges facing children and families in poverty. It provides a clear, reassuring, and age‑appropriate overview of what poverty means, why some families face difficulties, and the actions the government is taking in response.

In developing the strategy, the government undertook structured engagement with children and families experiencing poverty, placing their views at the centre of the work. A Children’s Rights Impact Assessment was also published, outlining the expected positive effects on children’s rights. The child-friendly version of the Strategy (attached) and the Children’s Rights Impact Assessment can be found on the Strategy’s gov.uk webpages: Our Children, Our Future: How the government is helping children and families (Child Friendly) and Child Poverty Strategy: Child Rights - GOV.UK.

UNICEF has shared the strategy with its network of 1,600 Rights Respecting primary schools, and the Department for Education has highlighted it in its sector communications. Further promotion has been supported through social media activity and a stakeholder toolkit to help raise awareness of the child‑friendly strategy.

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 (a) increase awareness and (b) increase training for first aid for epilepsy.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care recognises the importance of increasing public understanding of epilepsy and ensuring that people who witness a seizure know how to respond safely. The National Health Service website provides clear, accessible first‑aid information on managing an epileptic seizure, including when to call 999 and how to keep a person safe until the seizure ends.

This is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Clinical Knowledge Summary scenario on managing an epileptic seizure, which gives evidence‑based advice for clinicians on seizure first aid and post‑seizure assessment. The guidance advises health professionals to ensure that families and carers know exactly what to do during a seizure, including basic first aid and when to call an ambulance. For those at risk of prolonged or repeated seizures, the guidance also advises that an individualised emergency management plan should be agreed upon, detailing any prescribed rescue medication and who is trained to use it.

Sector‑specific guidance is also available to support wider awareness. The Department for Education provides materials for schools on supporting pupils with medical conditions, including epilepsy care plans and seizure‑response guidance for teachers and school staff. In workplaces, the Health and Safety Executive provide information for employers and colleagues on responding appropriately to seizures, ensuring safety, and enabling people with epilepsy to participate fully in work.

In addition, voluntary sector organisations like Epilepsy Action work alongside the NHS on public awareness campaigns on tonic-clonic seizure first aid, featuring CARE, or Comfort, Action, and Reassure, techniques.

Together, these resources help ensure that members of the public, professionals, and employers have access to reliable information on seizure first aid.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made with the Department for Education of the potential impact of recent instances of Chinese owned companies taking equity stakes in UK university technology research spinout companies on technology security.

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

The Government recognises the importance of safeguarding the UK’s research and innovation ecosystem, including the university spinout sector, from risks associated with foreign ownership, influence, or investment. The government will not hesitate to use our powers to protect national security wherever we identify concerns and we have a range of effective measures in place to do so.

The Government is actively protecting the UK’s research and spinout ecosystem from national security risks. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), working with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), supports universities and spinouts through the Secure Innovation programme, providing advice on due diligence, investment screening and managing security risks. Targeted Secure Innovation Security Reviews further help early‑stage firms identify and mitigate vulnerabilities linked to foreign engagement.

The Government has powers under the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 to review and, where required, intervene in investments that may pose a risk to national security. The Government also monitors the market at all times to identify acquisitions of potential national security interest.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what work is being done with the Secretary of State for Education to address the additional workload of teaching assistants that are providing medical attention for disabled and severely ill children in SEND schools.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Schools White Paper, Every child achieving and thriving, and the consultation on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms have now been published, as of 23 February. The White Paper and the consultation are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/every-child-achieving-and-thriving

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first-html-version

These documents set out our ambitions to transform outcomes for children, young people, and their families who have been let down for far too long. The Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England have worked closely with the Department for Education on the reforms, and continued close partnership between health, social care, and education will be needed to realise the opportunity created by these crucial reforms.

The Government is currently consulting on proposed updates to the statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions at school, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposal-on-support-for-pupils-with-medical-conditions-at-school

The Government will publish non-statutory guidance to clarify the roles and responsibilities of health and education in supporting pupils with medical conditions in education settings. Schools are responsible for managing their resources and budgets. They must comply with their statutory duties, including those under the Equality Act and the duty under section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have various statutory duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 to work with local authorities, including on: identifying and notifying where a child or young person has potential SEND; joint commissioning; participating in education, health and care assessments and plans; and securing health provision. Reform proposals include the creation of New Specialist Provision Packages for children and young people with complex needs, which set out exactly what support and resources are required for specific needs. These will be developed and reviewed by an Independent Expert Panel with education and health co-chairs, and shaped through testing with parents. For children under five years old with complex needs, we will introduce a fast track for a Specialist Provision Package and Education, Health and Care Plan.

The NHS Medium Term Planning Framework for 2026/27 to 2028/29, published October 2025, included, for the first time, a clear requirement for ICBs and providers to meet their statutory SEND duties and support the Government’s SEND reform plans. The framework is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29.pdf

Each ICB is also required to have an executive lead for children and young people with SEND. ICBs will need to work alongside local authorities to develop Local SEND Reform Plans, which will set out each local area’s approach to implementing SEND reforms, tailored to local context and need. These plans will lay the foundation for long-term reform, set how partners will work together, and enable ongoing monitoring of progress, including introduction of the new Experts at Hand service.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the level of his Department's role in SEND provision, especially for children with a) disabilities and life limiting-illnesses and b) children who need regular medication throughout the school day.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Schools White Paper, Every child achieving and thriving, and the consultation on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms have now been published, as of 23 February. The White Paper and the consultation are available, respectively, at the following two links:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/every-child-achieving-and-thriving

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first-html-version

These documents set out our ambitions to transform outcomes for children, young people, and their families who have been let down for far too long. The Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England have worked closely with the Department for Education on the reforms, and continued close partnership between health, social care, and education will be needed to realise the opportunity created by these crucial reforms.

The Government is currently consulting on proposed updates to the statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions at school, with further information available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposal-on-support-for-pupils-with-medical-conditions-at-school

The Government will publish non-statutory guidance to clarify the roles and responsibilities of health and education in supporting pupils with medical conditions in education settings. Schools are responsible for managing their resources and budgets. They must comply with their statutory duties, including those under the Equality Act and the duty under section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions.

Integrated care boards (ICBs) have various statutory duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 to work with local authorities, including on: identifying and notifying where a child or young person has potential SEND; joint commissioning; participating in education, health and care assessments and plans; and securing health provision. Reform proposals include the creation of New Specialist Provision Packages for children and young people with complex needs, which set out exactly what support and resources are required for specific needs. These will be developed and reviewed by an Independent Expert Panel with education and health co-chairs, and shaped through testing with parents. For children under five years old with complex needs, we will introduce a fast track for a Specialist Provision Package and Education, Health and Care Plan.

The NHS Medium Term Planning Framework for 2026/27 to 2028/29, published October 2025, included, for the first time, a clear requirement for ICBs and providers to meet their statutory SEND duties and support the Government’s SEND reform plans. The framework is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/medium-term-planning-framework-delivering-change-together-2026-27-to-2028-29.pdf

Each ICB is also required to have an executive lead for children and young people with SEND. ICBs will need to work alongside local authorities to develop Local SEND Reform Plans, which will set out each local area’s approach to implementing SEND reforms, tailored to local context and need. These plans will lay the foundation for long-term reform, set how partners will work together, and enable ongoing monitoring of progress, including introduction of the new Experts at Hand service.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Barnett consequentials will be generated for the Scottish government by (a) grants awarded to local authorities in England to address SEND deficits announced in the written statement entitled Local Government Finance Settlement 2026-27 to 2028-29, published on 9 February 2026, HCWS1315, and (b) additional funding for SEND announced in the Spring Statement.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

At Spring Forecast 2026 it was confirmed that the Scottish Government will receive £533 million Barnett consequentials in 2026-27, through the application of the Barnett formula to the grants for Local Authorities to address SEND deficits in England.

The Barnett formula applies mechanically to new funding for the Department for Education in 2028-29, to support reforms of the SEND system. This results in an additional £362 million for the Scottish Government in 2028-29.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Barnett consequentials will be generated for Scotland by (a) the awarding of grants to local authorities in England to address SEND deficits, as set out in UIN HCWS1315 and (a) the funding for SEND announced in the Spring Statement 2026.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

At Spring Forecast 2026 it was confirmed that the Scottish Government will receive £533 million Barnett consequentials in 2026-27, through the application of the Barnett formula to the grants for Local Authorities to address SEND deficits in England.

The Barnett formula applies mechanically to new funding for the Department for Education in 2028-29, to support reforms of the SEND system. This results in an additional £362 million for the Scottish Government in 2028-29.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Aviation Industry Skills Industry Board on the value of ongoing funding during the transition from Apprenticeship Level to the Growth and Skills Levy for Level 3+ Leadership and Management Apprenticeship Standard Apprenticeships.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

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

The Department for Transport regularly attends Aviation Industry Skills Board meetings, where they provide government updates alongside colleagues from the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Education and Skills England. Skills England recently discussed the Growth and Skills levy with this group and government will continue to engage as we deliver this reform.

From September 2026, we will withdraw funding from 16 existing apprenticeship standards. Three of these are generic leadership and management apprenticeships, which have grown significantly but are predominantly used as continuing professional development for established staff aged 25 and over.

The changes to streamline the apprenticeship offer will help to create headroom to invest in opportunities for young people. Over the past 10 years, apprenticeship starts among young people have fallen sharply. Starts for 16–24-year-olds have declined by 40%, and over half of all apprenticeship starts are now by learners aged over 25, many of which are at higher levels. To support our ambition of 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, we are expanding foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, introducing an incentive of up to £2,000 for SMEs that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees, and launching a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship for young people.

The Department for Education should require all mainstream secondary schools in England to formally review and discuss recognised Level 2 alternatives, including Functional Skills, with families during the GCSE options process, and ensure accessible routes where appropriate for all pupils.

Found: The Department for Education should require all mainstream secondary schools in England to formally review

Found: work directly with other departments on data sharing, including how it can work with the Department for Education

Found: work directly with other departments on data sharing, including how it can work with the Department for Education

Found: Scotland): subsidycontrol@gov.scot • Subsidy Control Unit (Wales): subsidycontrolunit@gov.wales • DfE

Found: They are also closely linked to 24 Office for National Statistics, 2024 25 Department for Education

Found: term workless households in the UK - Office for National Statistics Educational attainment Department for Education

Found: workless households in the UK - Office for National Statistics Educational attainment Department for Education

Found: The Department for Education would publish data on the relevant background of university entrants,

Found: Any relevant findings will also be shared with the Department for Education (DfE) and Department for

Found: The change to a 4-year inspection window is part of the Department for Education’s (DfE) and Ofsted’s

Found: DfE media enquiries Central newsdesk - for journalists 020 7783 8300

Found: ‘Compare school and college performance in England’ (the DfE website). 8.

Found: Ofsted carried out this visit under a section 118(2) request from the Department for Education.

Found: Jobmatch Programme Income tax is not charged on payments made under the Department for Education and

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

Found: Information on the types of project that Regional Department for Education (DfE) Directors make decisions

Found: To support openness and accountability, each month the Department for Education (DfE) will publish:

Found: To support openness and accountability, each month the Department for Education (DfE) will publish:

Found: To support openness and accountability, each month the Department for Education (DfE) will publish:

Found: To support openness and accountability, each month the Department for Education (DfE) will publish:

Found: To support openness and accountability, each month the Department for Education (DfE) will publish:

Found: To support openness and accountability, each month the Department for Education (DfE) will publish:

Found: To support openness and accountability, each month the Department for Education (DfE) will publish:

Found: To support openness and accountability, each month the Department for Education (DfE) will publish:

Found: To support openness and accountability, each month the Department for Education (DfE) will publish:

Found: DESNZ_0471_2425-Q4 Warm Homes: Local Grant DESNZ DFT_0498_2526-Q2 Families First Partnership Programme DFE

Found: (DfE) DfE Central Schools (Non-BSF) ENGLAND South East In Operation 2013-03-06 00:00:00 2014

Found: The Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Department for Education (DfE), the Department for

Found: The Department for Education would publish data on the relevant background of university entrants,

Found: funded by the British Embassy, a new high profile school twinning programme funded by the Department for Education

Found: The Department for Education and DCMS will work in partnership to ensure there is strategic alignment

Found: will be shared, on a non- identifiable basis, with the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education

Found: • DSIT will continue to work closely with the Department for Education and Department for Work and

Found: the introduction of media literacy in the classroom curriculum, and will work with the Department for Education

Found: The Welsh Government had adapted the modelling files the Department for Education (‘DfE’) provided

Found: The Welsh Government had adapted the modelling files the Department for Education (‘DfE’) provided

Found: should be directed to: information Pupil Wellbeing Branch Support for Learners Division Department for Education

Found: should be directed to: information Pupil Wellbeing Branch Support for Learners Division Department for Education

Found: (Please state job title) How does the organisation ensure compliance with DfE / ESFA and public procurement

Found: This might include schools or settings registered with the Department of Education (DfE) and inspected