Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her department has consulted with a) NSPCC, b) Women's Aid, and c) other charities, on the potential implications of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on children who have been victims of abuse from a parent.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department has engaged with a number of charities on policies where they have a direct interest, as part of wider consideration of the Bill’s impact on children and families.
We have spoken to the NSPCC on multiple occasions about the Bill and have engaged closely with the Domestic Abuse commissioner on Family Group Decision Making.
Moreover, as part of their consideration of the Bill in the House of Commons, the Public Bill Committee invited written evidence from outside organisations and members of the public and took oral evidence from relevant stakeholders. The NSPCC and a number of other charities provided evidence, which has informed Parliamentary debate and ongoing thinking on the Bill’s measures.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to carry out a data privacy impact assessment for the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is ensuring that measures outlined in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill align with data protection principles, as set out in the Data Protection Act 2018, UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR) and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.
The department has met its obligation under Article 36(4) of UK GDPR to consult with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on relevant measures involving the use of personal data, such as the Children Not in School registers.
The department is engaging with the ICO to ensure that any data protection risks identified are properly mitigated and is carrying out data protection impact assessments, where relevant.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the history of Britain's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism is accurately and thoroughly taught in schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The history curriculum includes a statutory time period at key stage 3 titled “ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain, 1745-1901” which includes the non-statutory example of Britain’s transatlantic slave trade. Due to the flexibility of the history curriculum, these topics can also be taught, where relevant, across the three key stages.
Schools can access resources from bodies such as Oak National Academy, the Historical Association and others to ensure their teaching is accurate and thorough.
In reforming the curriculum following the Curriculum and Assessment Review, we are clear that all pupils should have a robust understanding of our nation’s history.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of implementing the measures set out by The Joanna Simpson Foundation and Children Heard and Seen on support for children bereaved by domestic homicide.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government recognises the dreadful impact of all domestic abuse-related deaths on children and families. This is why the Home Office funds Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse to support those bereaved by deaths in this way.
Every child deserves the right mental health support, particularly in times of grief, which is why we updated the statutory relationships and health education curriculum to give teachers clear guidance on how to best support pupils with bereavement. We are also expanding access to mental health support teams in all schools, ensuring that every pupil has access to early support services in their community.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of (a) increasing the level of funding and (b) introducing a multi-year settlement for the Music and Dance Scheme in the Autumn Budget.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government fully supports the arts and the development of a skills pipeline into the creative industries.
The department is providing £36.5 million for the Music and Dance Scheme this academic year. Funding beyond the current academic year, including any introduction of multi-year funding agreements, will be considered in due course. This follows the department’s Spending Review in June, where my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer allocated funding to the 2028/2029 financial year for revenue spending.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the UN report entitled A/HRC/59/23: From economy of occupation to economy of genocide - Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, published on 16 June 2025, whether she has had discussions with the University of Edinburgh on the report.
Answered by Janet Daby
Since education is a devolved matter, no meetings have taken place between my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and the University of Edinburgh concerning the United Nations report.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to question 57351 on Students: Loans; what assessment her Department has made on the reason for the gender difference in the number of borrowers whose loans have increased despite making regular payments.
Answered by Janet Daby
The previous government considered gender differences in lifetime repayments, including detail on changes to average lifetime repayments, when introducing Plan 5. The full equality impact assessment was produced and published in February 2022 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.
Student loans are not like commercial loans and carry significant protections for borrowers. Borrowers will be liable to repay after leaving study only when earning over the relevant student loan repayment threshold.
The system is designed to ensure that those who benefit financially from higher education contribute towards the cost of it. This is why repayments are linked to income and not the loan balance, with regular repayments increasing with borrower income. Those earning below the student loan repayment threshold repay nothing.
Crucially, at the end of the loan term, any outstanding loan balance, including interest built up, is written off after the loan term ends, or in case of death or disability, at no detriment to the borrower. This subsidy is a conscious investment in the skills capacity, people and economy of this country.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide financial support for children’s centres (a) in general and (b) serving (i) disadvantaged and (ii) minority ethnic communities.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Local authorities have a duty under Part 1 of the Childcare Act 2006 to ensure there are sufficient children’s centres to meet the needs of local families, including disadvantaged families and those from minority ethnic communities. Part 1 of the Act can be read in full here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/21/part/1.
Funding for children’s centres is made available through the local government finance settlement. In addition, other government funding, including that for public health, may also be used locally to support services delivered wholly, or in part, through children’s centres.
The government’s Plan for Change sets out a commitment to give every child the best start in life. Delivering this will require strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood. This includes continuing to invest in and build up Family Hubs and the Start for Life programme, which build on the lessons from Sure Start children’s centres.
75 local authorities with some of the highest levels of deprivation have received funding through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, and there are now more than 400 Family Hubs open across those local authorities. The department is investing a further £126 million in the 2025/26 financial year to give every child the best start in life and deliver on the Plan for Change. Future funding decisions are subject to the multi-year Spending Review.
There are three Family Hubs in the Clapham and Brixton Hill constituency that have been funded by the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, as listed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-family-hub-sites.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to provide sustainable funding for community-based support centres working with children and young adults (a) at risk of exclusion, (b) living in poverty and (c) experiencing poor mental health and wellbeing.
Answered by Janet Daby
This government is committed to giving every child the best start in life. Our Plan for Change will strengthen and join up family services, including continuing to invest in the family hubs and start for life programmes.
We are investing £126 million in 2025/26 to build up the family hubs and start for life programmes, to provide access to vital services to improve the health, education and wellbeing of children, young people, and their families.
Family hubs are focussed on universal, preventative services, targeting disadvantaged families. They can also serve as a non-stigmatising gateway for more targeted, intensive, support delivered by local family help services and other interventions. 75 local authorities on the programme have opened more than 400 family hubs. These are based in some of the most deprived areas in the country.
The government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate. By April 2026, we estimate that 60% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England will be covered by an MHST, up from 52% in April 2025. The government will also recruit 8,500 mental health staff to treat children and adults, and open new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May 2025 to Question 50912 on Students: Loans, what demographic data her Department holds on borrowers whose loan balances have increased.
Answered by Janet Daby
Below is a table of the number of borrowers whose loan balance has increased between the start and end of the financial year 2024/25, broken down by age group and sex. This table covers Student Finance England loan borrowers only, whereas the previous number provided to Question 50912 included borrowers from all UK funding bodies.
Age group | ||||
Sex | 25 and under | 26 - 35 | 36 - 45 | 46 and over |
Female | 279,484 | 806,398 | 235,598 | 97,671 |
Male | 204,496 | 603,617 | 132,563 | 49,426 |
These figures cover Plan 2, 5 and 3 undergraduate and postgraduate loan borrowers funded by Student Finance England. It has been generated by comparing borrowers’ loan balances on 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. These numbers include all borrowers whose loan balance has increased, regardless of the number of payments they have made across the financial year. There were a small number of borrowers (<5) for whom age and sex were unknown. These borrowers have been suppressed.
At the end of a borrower’s loan term, any outstanding loan balance, including interest built up, will be written off. This write-off, a government subsidy, is a deliberate investment in our people and the economy.