Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Ofsted’s training for inspectors on (a) staff wellbeing and mental health and (b) understanding school context and phase in (i) Yeovil constituency (ii) Somerset and (iii) England.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

These are matters for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Yeovil, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure equitable access to case-finding for undiagnosed patients at risk of stroke.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF), published on 7 July, sets out 12 immediate priority actions for the next three years. This includes systematically identifying risk factors associated with stroke such as high blood pressure. For each of the priority actions, the CVD MSF brings together national standards, key metrics and delivery ambitions over three- and ten-year horizons to drive improvement and reduce inequalities across the country. A delivery plan to support the system to implement the CVD MSF will be published later this year. More information about the CVD MSF is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cardiovascular-disease-modern-service-framework

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve outcomes for patients with leg ulcers.

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

Recent National Health Service guidance supporting improvements to these services is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/standardising-community-health-services-core-component-descriptions/#specialist-tissue-viability-or-wound-care

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to advance the treatment of leg ulcers.

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

Recent National Health Service guidance supporting improvements to these services is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/standardising-community-health-services-core-component-descriptions/#specialist-tissue-viability-or-wound-care

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure people living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease have adequate access to affordable prescription medication in (a) Yeovil constituency and (b) England.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer of 15 June in response to Question 6991, we continue to assess how best to support people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and we will keep the issues and proposals raised by the Hon Member under review to that end.

Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England. People with IBD may be eligible for exemption from prescription charges depending on their age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a separate qualifying medical condition, and whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension. They may also be eligible for the NHS Low Income Scheme or could benefit from a prescription prepayment certificate to cap costs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of classifying Inflammatory Bowel Disease as a distinct category for analysis by NHS Hospital Episode Statistics.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer of 15 June in response to Question 6991, we continue to assess how best to support people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and we will keep the issues and proposals raised by the Hon Member under review to that end.

Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England. People with IBD may be eligible for exemption from prescription charges depending on their age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a separate qualifying medical condition, and whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension. They may also be eligible for the NHS Low Income Scheme or could benefit from a prescription prepayment certificate to cap costs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of prescription charges on patient health outcomes for those with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Further to the answer of 15 June in response to Question 6991, we continue to assess how best to support people living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and we will keep the issues and proposals raised by the Hon Member under review to that end.

Approximately 89% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge in the community in England. People with IBD may be eligible for exemption from prescription charges depending on their age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, whether they have a separate qualifying medical condition, and whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension. They may also be eligible for the NHS Low Income Scheme or could benefit from a prescription prepayment certificate to cap costs.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of improving funding for (a) dentists and (b) dental nurses to visit schools to promote oral health in (i) Yeovil constituency, (ii) Somerset and (iii) England.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In regard to Question 33466, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 June in response to Question 9049.

Regarding Question 33074, no assessment has been made. However, the Hon Member can find details how the Government is supporting good oral health in children in the press release at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/supervised-toothbrushing-for-children-to-prevent-tooth-decay

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to support the recruitment of newly trained NHS dentists in rural areas such as South Somerset.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In regard to Question 33466, I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 16 June in response to Question 9049.

Regarding Question 33074, no assessment has been made. However, the Hon Member can find details how the Government is supporting good oral health in children in the press release at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/supervised-toothbrushing-for-children-to-prevent-tooth-decay

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing a set of core national production standards for domestically produced and imported food.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government’s Trade Strategy is clear that we will not lower food standards and will uphold strong animal welfare and environmental protections.

The Government will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage or presents ethical concerns and, where necessary, will use the full range of powers at Government’s disposal to address these concerns and protect our sensitive sectors.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure people with (a) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder clear and (b) autism have accessible information about their Right to Choose a provider under the NHS Constitution.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues relating to the current provision of services in this area.

The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year, which will be relevant to the issues raised by the Hon Member:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

The Government remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to provide clearer (a) national commissioning guidance and (b) implementation support on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for NHS Integrated Care Boards.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues relating to the current provision of services in this area.

The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year, which will be relevant to the issues raised by the Hon Member:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

The Government remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to provide clearer (a) national commissioning guidance and (b) implementation support on autism for NHS Integrated Care Boards.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues relating to the current provision of services in this area.

The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year, which will be relevant to the issues raised by the Hon Member:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

The Government remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to The Pensions Commission’s Interim Report Pension 2050: Evidence and Future Priorities, what steps he is taking to (a) encourage and (b) support self-employed workers to save into a private pension.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The proportion of the self-employed who are saving into a pension has fallen significantly, from almost 50% in the late 1990s to less than 20% at present. As highlighted in the Pensions Commission’s interim report, for those whose income solely comes from self-employment, only 4% are contributing to a pension.

While self-employed workers are not eligible for Automatic Enrolment, the National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) must accept individuals who are self-employed, who wish to join a pension scheme.

The Pensions Commission has been asked to explore wider steps to improve pension outcomes, including for the self-employed. The Commission published its interim report on 19 May 2026, setting out areas of focus on the longer-term challenges around retirement adequacy, especially for those at the greatest risk of undersaving. The Government will set out its plans following the Pensions Commission’s final report, which is due in early 2027.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a Government-backed Collective Defined Contribution scheme for self-employed workers.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The proportion of the self-employed who are saving into a pension has fallen significantly, from almost 50% in the late 1990s to less than 20% at present. As highlighted in the Pensions Commission’s interim report, for those whose income solely comes from self-employment, only 4% are contributing to a pension.

While self-employed workers are not eligible for Automatic Enrolment, the National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) must accept individuals who are self-employed, who wish to join a pension scheme.

The Pensions Commission has been asked to explore wider steps to improve pension outcomes, including for the self-employed. The Commission published its interim report on 19 May 2026, setting out areas of focus on the longer-term challenges around retirement adequacy, especially for those at the greatest risk of undersaving. The Government will set out its plans following the Pensions Commission’s final report, which is due in early 2027.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to strengthen the evidence base on the use of digital and AI-enabled tools in (a) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and (b) autism assessments to enable the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to update guidance in line with emerging evidence.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues relating to the current provision of services in this area.

The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year, which will be relevant to the issues raised by the Hon Member:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

The Government remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to enable stronger (a) oversight and (b) accountability across ADHD and autism services by the Care Quality Commission.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues relating to the current provision of services in this area.

The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year, which will be relevant to the issues raised by the Hon Member:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

The Government remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve continuity of care for people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism, led by Professor Peter Fonagy, was published on 9 October, providing analysis and recommendations across a wide range of issues relating to the current provision of services in this area.

The Government issued an initial response on the day of publication, available at the link below, but we will set out the full action we are taking in response to the review recommendations in our new Mental Health Strategy to be published later this year, which will be relevant to the issues raised by the Hon Member:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-pledges-earlier-support-to-tackle-mental-health-crises

The Government remains fully committed to developing and publishing a revised cross-Government autism strategy in line with the Autism Act 2009. We will engage on the development of the revised autism strategy, including on whether the scope of the autism strategy should be extended to cover ADHD.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help support community-owned assets in council areas with funding deficits.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

This Government is committed to communities and wants to ensure that they have the tools they need to protect local assets. The new Community Right to Buy will empower local people to protect valued community spaces and help to end the blight of empty properties on our high streets.

We have also announced £65m for communities across the country to rescue and take over the running of important local community assets, saving pubs, clubs and sports fields from closure. Further details of the fund and how to apply will be set out in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure the Cardiovascular disease modern service framework, published on 7 July 2026, reduces inequalities in the detection of atrial fibrillation across (a) deprived and (b) under-served communities.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) sets out 12 immediate priorities for the next three years. This includes systematically identifying risk factors such as atrial fibrillation. For each of the priority actions, the CVD MSF brings together national standards, key metrics, and delivery ambitions over three- and ten-year horizons, to drive improvement and reduce inequalities across the country.

The CVD MSF sets out seven evidence-based principles of equitable implementation to guide local systems to deliver the 12 priorities, taking into account any specific inequalities and challenges faced by their local communities. They are intended to drive improvement that is deliberately focused on areas with the poorest performance, thereby supporting targeted action to close the gap.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to reduce regional variation in the detection of atrial fibrillation.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Cardiovascular Disease Modern Service Framework (CVD MSF) sets out 12 immediate priorities for the next three years. This includes systematically identifying risk factors such as atrial fibrillation. For each of the priority actions, the CVD MSF brings together national standards, key metrics, and delivery ambitions over three- and ten-year horizons, to drive improvement and reduce inequalities across the country.

The CVD MSF sets out seven evidence-based principles of equitable implementation to guide local systems to deliver the 12 priorities, taking into account any specific inequalities and challenges faced by their local communities. They are intended to drive improvement that is deliberately focused on areas with the poorest performance, thereby supporting targeted action to close the gap.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of improving education on relationship abuse amongst teenagers in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

This government is committed to ensuring that children are taught to tackle harmful ideas, unhealthy views about relationships and misogyny in school. We have overhauled the relationships, sex, and health education (RSHE) curriculum, with a new focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences.

We have also committed £16 million to fund the Violence Against Women and Girls Prevention Programme. The programme will identify, test and evaluate the best approaches to promoting healthy and respectful relationships in secondary schools, and to responding to inappropriate and problematic attitudes and behaviours in relationships.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 28 August 2026 to Question 24272, whether a similar internal strategic review of awareness of (a) mental health and (b) neurodiversity will be conducted by the Countering Violent Extremism Hub.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)

At the Five Country Ministerial in Sydney, August 2026, Five Eyes partners agreed to the Home Office proposal to establish a Countering Violent Extremism Hub in London. This was agreed as a practical way to strengthen our existing cooperation on shared countering violent extremism challenges.

The Hub is distinct from Prevent programmes and does not have a role in the design or delivery of Prevent safeguarding training. Consequently, there are no plans to review Prevent safeguarding training as part of the Hub's creation, including in relation to awareness of these characteristics.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of bringing social media companies into the scope of UK publishing law.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The government has not made an assessment of the merits of bringing social media companies into the scope of UK publishing law. Instead, the Online Safety Act 2023 imposes a range of duties on social media providers, requiring them to proactively mitigate risk of use for illegal activity and must address illegal content when it appears. Providers must also prevent children from encountering the most harmful content and must implement age-appropriate measures to protect children from other kinds of harmful content.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support financial literacy education in schools in Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Pupils currently receive financial education through the citizenship and mathematics curricula, and it is for schools to determine how to deliver this appropriately, considering relevant guidance and requirements.

We are taking on board Curriculum and Assessment Review recommendations to strengthen financial literacy and will be consulting later this year.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a Youth Opportunity Grant for young people aged 18 and over to help with essential costs such as (a) travel, (b) work clothing, (c) tools and (d) equipment to move towards employment.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Flexible Support Fund (FSF) may be available through Jobcentre Plus to help eligible customers (including young people aged 18 and over) to overcome practical barriers to employment, increase their earnings, or move closer to the labour market. This includes employment related costs such as travel, work clothing, tools and equipment. Support is discretionary, subject to eligibility, and assessed on an individual basis.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when she plans to respond to the recommendations made in the Competition and Markets Authority's final report on the domestic heating oil market, published on 15 July 2026.

Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government published its formal response to the CMA heating oil report on 13 October.

A Written Ministerial Statement can be found here: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

The full response can be found here: Government response to the CMA heating oil market study - GOV.UK

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to boost funding for research into (a) educational and (b) psychosocial support for young dyslexic people.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

As part of proposed reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, the department is working in partnership with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to deliver new government-backed research on special educational needs (SEN) identification and support. This research will help strengthen the evidence base on early identification, strengths and needs assessment, and effective support for children and young people with SEN, with the aim of developing and rolling out approaches that can be integrated into education settings by 2028.

Effective early identification and intervention are critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEN.

Through the department’s programme of SEND reform, we are working to improve access to support for children and young people with SEN, including those with dyslexia. This includes the development of National Inclusion Standards, informed by evidence, to support mainstream settings to meet children and young people's needs as early as possible. The department has also commissioned a new longitudinal study of children and young people with SEN to understand experiences and outcomes over time, including on support received in education.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential risks posed by serious offenders using dating apps following their release from prison.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Government is committed to protecting the public from serious offenders following their release from custody.

Prior to release, the Probation Service gathers information from other agencies, such as the Police and Children’s Services to assess an offender’s risk and develop plans for their safe management in the community. Where necessary, additional licence conditions can be imposed to manage identified risks associated with online activity, including the use of dating applications. Depending on the circumstances, these may restrict access to particular platforms, require disclosure of online identities, limit contact with others, or support monitoring of compliance.

For offenders convicted of serious violent, sexual and terrorist offences Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) provide a framework through which the Probation Service, police and other agencies can work together to share information to assess and manage risk. This can include consideration of risks associated with online activity and the measures necessary to protect the public.

Compliance with licence conditions is monitored by the Probation Service, including, where appropriate, requiring offenders to provide access to electronic devices for inspection. Offenders who fail to comply may be subject to enforcement action, including recall to custody.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help schools in Yeovil constituency provide school trips for pupils.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The department has published a new Enrichment Framework with benchmarks to provide a clear, simple structure against which schools and colleges can evaluate their own provision, and make considered improvements to their offer, including the provision of school trips.

The UK will join Erasmus+ in 2027, opening up world class opportunities for pupils, teachers and other school staff across the UK. With the Erasmus+ scheme, schools will be able to access funding for visits to partner schools abroad. These trips have a profound impact on children, raising their aspirations and opening their minds to different cultures.

Additionally, school funding is increasing by £2.3 billion in 2026/27, meaning that the core schools budget will total £67.6 billion, compared to £65.3 billion in 2025/26.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has considered the potential merits of establishing an independent body to assess complaints relating to Ofsted inspections.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, announced a pilot of a new complaints service for Ofsted on 16 October. This pilot introduces another level of independence to Ofsted’s complaint arrangements, where schools can request a review of how Ofsted handled their complaint including, for the first time, the outcome of the complaint and aspects linked to inspection findings. The review will be undertaken by an independent body, through a contract held by the department. Further details will be available in due course.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the per pupil funding available to schools in Somerset relative to other counties across England.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes core funding for 5–16-year-old pupils in mainstream state-funded schools in England. The NFF allocates funding based on schools’ and pupils’ characteristics. In the current NFF, the vast majority of funding is allocated based on pupil numbers and characteristics.

The purpose of the NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding: schools with lots of pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation, low prior attainment, or English as an additional language, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.

Through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), Somerset local authority is receiving £6,569 per pupil on average in the 2026/27 financial year (including premises funding but excluding growth funding).

The government will continue to review the operation of the schools NFF for upcoming and future years.

River Lavant

Administration of PAPYRUS

Barbering and hairdressing

Independent cafes and coffee shops