Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's press notice entitled £740 million allocated for 10,000 new places for pupils with SEND, published on 27 March 2025, what data she holds on how the additional funding was spent by Local Education Authorities.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The £740 million high needs capital investment in 2025/26 is on track to create around 10,000 new specialist places, in both special and mainstream schools.
Local authorities share plans for their HNPCA with the department as part of grant assurance checks. We do not publish these due to the potential commercial sensitivities, but we encourage local authorities to publish where possible to aid transparency.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take legislative steps to ensure that no future election in the UK will be subject to outside interference.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government takes any attempts to intervene in democratic processes very seriously. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect our democratic and electoral processes, including from foreign interference.
On the 16th of December, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced an independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics. The review will report at the end of March and will inform the forthcoming Elections Bill. This builds on the major reforms announced in the Elections Strategy in July, and the launch last month of the Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan to disrupt and deter spying from states.
The Government’s strategy for modern, secure and inclusive elections, published in July, sets out our plan to strengthen oversight of and safeguards against known and emerging threats, including foreign interference through covert political funding. We will deliver a robust and proportionate response to known risks, protecting the integrity of our system and reinforcing public trust in democracy.
This sits alongside the government’s robust toolkit of measures to investigate and disrupt the threat from foreign interference in UK politics. This includes the National Security Act 2023, the Defending Democracy Taskforce, which coordinates work to protect UK political parties, elected officials and the electoral infrastructure, and the Joint Election Security and Preparedness unit, which coordinates work across government to protect UK elections and referendums, and the Online Safety Act which requires services to take steps to remove illegal disinformation content including illegal state-sponsored disinformation in scope of the Foreign Interference Offence.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has met with his French counterparts to consider parallel legislation to prevent outside interference in domestic elections.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government takes any attempts to intervene in democratic processes very seriously. It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect our democratic and electoral processes, including from foreign interference.
We have a robust toolkit of measures including the foreign interference offence and foreign influence registration scheme introduced under the National Security Act 2023, the Defending Democracy Taskforce, which coordinates work to protect UK political parties, elected officials and electoral infrastructure from threats including foreign interference, the Joint Election Security and Preparedness unit, which coordinates work to protect UK elections and referendums, and the Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan launched last month to disrupt and deter spying from states.
Additionally, on 16 December the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government announced an independent review into countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics, led by Philip Rycroft. We will consider how to take forward any recommendations from the review, including through the upcoming Elections Bill.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people her Department’s Homelessness escalation service has helped move from No Recourse to Public Funds to having access to public funds in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The requested information is not currently included in published migration data, so we are unable to provide this.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including data for a Latin American ethnic group in national statistics.
Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 8th of December is attached.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Department has assessed the proportion of medically discharged personnel who report feeling unprepared for civilian life.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Medical discharge process policy is delegated to the three Services to afford each of them the necessary flexibility to respond effectively to the unique and varying environments in which their people serve. However, Defence’s Tri-Service policy for medical discharge boards aligns the Services in terms of procedure and consistency of process. The board can recommend a medical category that may lead to a Service Person’s discharge from the Armed Forces.
Defence recognises the need to develop a Tri-Service Occupational Health Service to simplify policy and process, improve patient experience and support the retention of Armed Forces personnel. Work is underway to review timelines for referral to medical boards to ensure consistency across the single Services.
Our comprehensive policies and procedures facilitate a smooth discharge process, providing a timeline of actions to be taken from nine months before leaving. These actions include arranging a final medical and dental examination, meeting with a resettlement officer, submitting pension forms, and ensuring personal records are accurate. The process also includes returning Service property and identifications, taking terminal leave, and receiving a Service leavers' pack. Support is also offered through the Career Transition Partnership and Defence Transition Services (DTS), which provide help with employment, housing, health, and other aspects of transitioning to civilian life.
Defence also has a comprehensive policy in place for managing personnel who are wounded, injured, or sick, which includes coordinated support for those medically discharged. Medical discharges follow a specific process involving a medical board review, and personnel may be eligible for compensation. Before personnel leave, they are provided with a final case conference to ensure their issues are resolved or a plan is in place to manage them.
Whilst Defence has not assessed the proportion of medically discharged personnel who report feeling unprepared for civilian life, all are automatically referred to DTS or the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS). Service leavers, veterans, and their families can access support, help and information with issues that may endure beyond discharge irrespective of their reason for discharge. Healthcare support is tailored to their needs and preferences, ranging from simple transitional needs to enduring support for more complex challenges.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what procedures are in place to ensure an effective handover of medical records from Defence Medical Services to the NHS for personnel that are medically discharged.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) recognises the importance of facilitating the transfer of healthcare information to civilian healthcare provider(s) when an individual leaves the Armed Forces,.
Personnel are advised to register with an NHS GP one to three months before discharge. On leaving Defence Medical Services (DMS) care, Service personnel are provided with a medical care summary, known as an FMed133, and advised to provide a copy of their FMed 133 to their NHS GP. If a patient’s full DMS health record is required, this is provided on request from their NHS GP.
To improve the transfer of healthcare information, DMS is working towards the greater interoperability with NHS systems and the electronic transfer of medical records from DMS to NHS GPs and expects to implement changes over the next one-two years.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to ensure consistency in the medical discharge process across the Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Medical discharge process policy is delegated to the three Services to afford each of them the necessary flexibility to respond effectively to the unique and varying environments in which their people serve. However, Defence’s Tri-Service policy for medical discharge boards aligns the Services in terms of procedure and consistency of process. The board can recommend a medical category that may lead to a Service Person’s discharge from the Armed Forces.
Defence recognises the need to develop a Tri-Service Occupational Health Service to simplify policy and process, improve patient experience and support the retention of Armed Forces personnel. Work is underway to review timelines for referral to medical boards to ensure consistency across the single Services.
Our comprehensive policies and procedures facilitate a smooth discharge process, providing a timeline of actions to be taken from nine months before leaving. These actions include arranging a final medical and dental examination, meeting with a resettlement officer, submitting pension forms, and ensuring personal records are accurate. The process also includes returning Service property and identifications, taking terminal leave, and receiving a Service leavers' pack. Support is also offered through the Career Transition Partnership and Defence Transition Services (DTS), which provide help with employment, housing, health, and other aspects of transitioning to civilian life.
Defence also has a comprehensive policy in place for managing personnel who are wounded, injured, or sick, which includes coordinated support for those medically discharged. Medical discharges follow a specific process involving a medical board review, and personnel may be eligible for compensation. Before personnel leave, they are provided with a final case conference to ensure their issues are resolved or a plan is in place to manage them.
Whilst Defence has not assessed the proportion of medically discharged personnel who report feeling unprepared for civilian life, all are automatically referred to DTS or the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS). Service leavers, veterans, and their families can access support, help and information with issues that may endure beyond discharge irrespective of their reason for discharge. Healthcare support is tailored to their needs and preferences, ranging from simple transitional needs to enduring support for more complex challenges.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Department has assessed the potential impact of the medical discharge process on Armed Forces recruitment and retention.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Medical discharge process policy is delegated to the three Services to afford each of them the necessary flexibility to respond effectively to the unique and varying environments in which their people serve. However, Defence’s Tri-Service policy for medical discharge boards aligns the Services in terms of procedure and consistency of process. The board can recommend a medical category that may lead to a Service Person’s discharge from the Armed Forces.
Defence recognises the need to develop a Tri-Service Occupational Health Service to simplify policy and process, improve patient experience and support the retention of Armed Forces personnel. Work is underway to review timelines for referral to medical boards to ensure consistency across the single Services.
Our comprehensive policies and procedures facilitate a smooth discharge process, providing a timeline of actions to be taken from nine months before leaving. These actions include arranging a final medical and dental examination, meeting with a resettlement officer, submitting pension forms, and ensuring personal records are accurate. The process also includes returning Service property and identifications, taking terminal leave, and receiving a Service leavers' pack. Support is also offered through the Career Transition Partnership and Defence Transition Services (DTS), which provide help with employment, housing, health, and other aspects of transitioning to civilian life.
Defence also has a comprehensive policy in place for managing personnel who are wounded, injured, or sick, which includes coordinated support for those medically discharged. Medical discharges follow a specific process involving a medical board review, and personnel may be eligible for compensation. Before personnel leave, they are provided with a final case conference to ensure their issues are resolved or a plan is in place to manage them.
Whilst Defence has not assessed the proportion of medically discharged personnel who report feeling unprepared for civilian life, all are automatically referred to DTS or the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS). Service leavers, veterans, and their families can access support, help and information with issues that may endure beyond discharge irrespective of their reason for discharge. Healthcare support is tailored to their needs and preferences, ranging from simple transitional needs to enduring support for more complex challenges.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to (a) maintain and (b) bolster the effectiveness of the Access to Work scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
We recognise the importance of clearing the backlog, which is why last year we increased the number of staff working in this area by 27% and we have continued to streamline delivery practises. We remain committed to reducing waiting times for claims, prioritising customers starting a job within the next four weeks.
In the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we consulted on the future of Access to Work and how to improve the scheme so that it helps more disabled people in work. We are reviewing all aspects of Access to Work as we develop plans for reform following the conclusion of the consultation.