Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate on the number of international students in British universities she expects to be part of Erasmus scheme exchanges after the UK rejoins the scheme.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In 2018/19, there were approximately 31,000 inbound higher education student mobilities via the Erasmus+ Programme. There were approximately 16,000 outbound higher education student mobilities in the same year.
The department expects there will be a greater number of higher education mobilities on reassociation, given the expansion of the programme.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage outdoors learning in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department believes all children and young people should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum and a variety of enrichment opportunities at school.
The value of nature for outdoor learning and for learners’ wellbeing is fundamental
to the department Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy and it is woven throughout initiatives such as the National Education Nature Park. Delivered by the Natural History Museum, it provides curriculum aligned resources and encourages children and young people to get outside and take action to improve the biodiversity of their school grounds. It also supports the development of physical and mental wellbeing through active, hands-on engagement with the natural world.
The value of outdoor learning is being recognised and promoted through our upcoming Enrichment Framework, which includes 'Nature, outdoors and adventure' as one of five categories that schools and colleges should seek to cover in a broad and well-rounded enrichment offer.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help support adults who missed extended periods of education due to medical conditions they experienced as children.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
We are investing in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), spending £1.4 billion in the 2025/26 academic year. The ASF fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support them to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning. This includes a statutory entitlement to fully funded qualifications for 19 to 23 year olds who don’t have either a level 2 or 3 qualification which may be relevant for learners who missed education due to medical conditions they experienced as children.
As of August 2025, approximately 68% of the ASF is devolved to 12 Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of ASF-funded adult education for their residents and allocation of the ASF to providers. For learners in Ashfield, the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) decides how to make best use of their ASF to meet their local needs beyond four statutory entitlements, including which courses are funded and the eligibility criteria.
By honouring our commitments to combine and further devolve adult skills funding, we give those with local knowledge the power they need to make decisions that are best for their areas.
The ASF also funds learning providers to help adult learners to overcome barriers which prevent them from taking part in learning. This includes Learner Support, to support learners with a specific financial hardship, and Learning Support to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.
In relation to access to higher education, all higher education providers registered with the Office for Students that intend to charge higher level tuition fees must have an Access and Participation Plan (APP) approved by the Office for Students. APPs articulate how higher education providers will improve equality of opportunity for underrepresented groups.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department are taking to help support children with visual impairments in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, ensuring teachers have the tools to better identify and support all children, as well as ensuring specialist special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision schools cater to those with the most complex needs. Through training we aim to ensure that teachers at every level include a strong focus on inclusive education, and support the needs of all pupils, including those with visual impairments.
We are also strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings.
Recently published evidence reviews from University College London will help to drive inclusive practices as they highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent conversations her Department has held with animal charities regarding veterinary bills.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Proposed reforms to the VSA support the result of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) market investigation into veterinary services for household pets. The CMA has provisionally recommended making fees more transparent, thus helping owners to make more informed choices on of the type of veterinary care they value.
Defra has engaged closely with several sector stakeholders, including representatives from the charity sector, in relation to our consultation on proposed reforms of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. Defra shall continue to involve animal charities in this work. Proposed reforms will allow veterinary nurses to independently carry out a greater range of work within their skillset. Independently, this will aid animal charities by giving them more choice over who can provide treatment.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure General Practitioners are sufficiently trained on Functional Neurological Disorder.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the need to improve awareness and understanding of functional neurological disorder (FND) across the health system.
The Royal College of General Practitioners provides a learning course that includes a dedicated module on recognising and explaining FND, helping general practitioners (GPs) to improve early identification and understanding of the condition. Further support is provided through guidance published by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) on suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral, reference code NG127, which includes detailed recommendations on recognising symptoms commonly present in FND and appropriate referral pathways.
NICE also provides a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on FND, offering practical, evidence‑based advice on diagnosis and management, supporting clinicians in distinguishing FND from structural or degenerative neurological disease.
FND is also included in a NICE guideline on rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders and acquired brain injury, reference code NG252, published in October 2025. This further strengthens the evidence base and ensure clinicians have clear, up‑to‑date guidance on assessment and management within a broader neurological context.
Together, these resources ensure that health professionals, across primary, secondary, and specialist services, have access to robust, evidence‑based tools to support accurate differentiation between FND and other neurological conditions.
GPs are required to undertake continuing professional development to maintain and update their clinical knowledge, and they can access a range of training resources through professional bodies, royal colleges, and National Health Service‑funded education platforms. Decisions about mandatory training requirements are made only where there is a clear and evidence‑based need, and the current approach remains to ensure that GPs have the flexibility to tailor their learning to the needs of their patient populations.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to increase the number of places for domestic students on medical courses in universities.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England, the Office for Students (OfS) sets the maximum fundable limit for medical school places on an annual basis. OfS will publish its intake target for the 2026/27 academic year in due course.
For the 2025/26 academic year, OfS has published its intake target at 8,126 for medical school places, with further information available at the following link:
On 28 January, the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill was introduced in the House of Lords. This bill implements the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan to prioritise UK medical graduates for foundation training places, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant NHS experience for specialty places.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
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 increase the (a) accessibility and (b) availability of functional MRI scans.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans can be taken on standard clinical MRI machines. However, whilst functional MRI requires specialised software to detect blood flow changes, the blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal, and sometimes extra equipment for stimuli, for instance goggles, it uses the same scanner hardware as structural MRI.
We are committed to transforming diagnostic services and will support the National Health Service to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the demand for diagnostic services, including MRI scanners.
The 2025 Spending Review confirmed over £6 billion of additional capital investment over five years across new diagnostic, elective, and urgent care capacity. This includes £600 million in capital funding for diagnostics in 2025/26 to support delivery of the NHS performance standards. This funding will deliver replacement of the oldest MRI scanners in community diagnostic centres and acute hospital settings, as well as delivering MRI acceleration software. Business cases for the locations of these are being considered for approval.
Capital investment will be targeted to locations where it will enable the additional activity required to deliver the return to referral to treatment and cancer constitutional standards promised, as well as considering local levels of deprivation so that investment supports efforts to reduce health inequalities.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make training on Functional Neurological Disorder mandatory for General Practitioners.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the need to improve awareness and understanding of functional neurological disorder (FND) across the health system.
The Royal College of General Practitioners provides a learning course that includes a dedicated module on recognising and explaining FND, helping general practitioners (GPs) to improve early identification and understanding of the condition. Further support is provided through guidance published by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) on suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral, reference code NG127, which includes detailed recommendations on recognising symptoms commonly present in FND and appropriate referral pathways.
NICE also provides a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on FND, offering practical, evidence‑based advice on diagnosis and management, supporting clinicians in distinguishing FND from structural or degenerative neurological disease.
FND is also included in a NICE guideline on rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders and acquired brain injury, reference code NG252, published in October 2025. This further strengthens the evidence base and ensure clinicians have clear, up‑to‑date guidance on assessment and management within a broader neurological context.
Together, these resources ensure that health professionals, across primary, secondary, and specialist services, have access to robust, evidence‑based tools to support accurate differentiation between FND and other neurological conditions.
GPs are required to undertake continuing professional development to maintain and update their clinical knowledge, and they can access a range of training resources through professional bodies, royal colleges, and National Health Service‑funded education platforms. Decisions about mandatory training requirements are made only where there is a clear and evidence‑based need, and the current approach remains to ensure that GPs have the flexibility to tailor their learning to the needs of their patient populations.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure health professionals are adequately trained on the differences between Functional Neurological Disorder and other neurological conditions.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department recognises the need to improve awareness and understanding of functional neurological disorder (FND) across the health system.
The Royal College of General Practitioners provides a learning course that includes a dedicated module on recognising and explaining FND, helping general practitioners (GPs) to improve early identification and understanding of the condition. Further support is provided through guidance published by the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) on suspected neurological conditions: recognition and referral, reference code NG127, which includes detailed recommendations on recognising symptoms commonly present in FND and appropriate referral pathways.
NICE also provides a Clinical Knowledge Summary (CKS) on FND, offering practical, evidence‑based advice on diagnosis and management, supporting clinicians in distinguishing FND from structural or degenerative neurological disease.
FND is also included in a NICE guideline on rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders and acquired brain injury, reference code NG252, published in October 2025. This further strengthens the evidence base and ensure clinicians have clear, up‑to‑date guidance on assessment and management within a broader neurological context.
Together, these resources ensure that health professionals, across primary, secondary, and specialist services, have access to robust, evidence‑based tools to support accurate differentiation between FND and other neurological conditions.
GPs are required to undertake continuing professional development to maintain and update their clinical knowledge, and they can access a range of training resources through professional bodies, royal colleges, and National Health Service‑funded education platforms. Decisions about mandatory training requirements are made only where there is a clear and evidence‑based need, and the current approach remains to ensure that GPs have the flexibility to tailor their learning to the needs of their patient populations.