Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to ensure that all local authorities provide family hubs in their community.
Answered by Janet Daby
On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.
This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.
We are working within the department and alongside the Department for Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme. We recognise the importance of providing local authorities with certainty of future funding across the whole programme and we will share further information when we are able to.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of developing a national outcomes framework for family hubs.
Answered by Janet Daby
On 11 June, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026/27 onwards and committed the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life.
This builds upon my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024, which outlined the ambition to give children the best start in life by strengthening and joining up family services to improve support through pregnancy and early childhood.
We are working within the department and alongside the Department for Health and Social Care to share further information about what the Spending Review settlement means for the continuation and expansion of the programme.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 58068 on Employment: British National (Overseas), if her Department will make an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the report by British Future entitled Working it Out: Hong Kongers, Employment and the Cost of Living, published on 29 October 2024.
Answered by Janet Daby
As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, said in the latest six-monthly Report, this government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, strengthening the connections between our societies and remaining steadfast in commitment to the British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa route. The UK provides a welcoming home to Hong Kongers today and will continue to do so for Hong Kongers tomorrow. Government departments continue to work together in support of that objective. The BN(O) Welcome Programme continues to provide support to Hong Kongers in the UK, including through a network of 12 Welcome Hubs, helping BN(O)s understand and connect to services in their local area.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of implementing a place-based approach to early years services to support literacy.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The government supports a place-based approach to early years services, recognising that local areas are best placed to understand and respond to the needs of their communities. Through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, the department is enabling local authorities to deliver integrated, evidence-based support that strengthens the home learning environment, one of the most effective drivers of early literacy. Our national campaign, ‘Little Moments Together’, encourages parents to chat, play and read with their children, helping to build language-rich home environments. These efforts are part of our wider ambition under our Plan for Change to give every child the best start in life, improving early communication and literacy outcomes to ensure every child is ready to thrive at school. In the recent spending review, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, confirmed that the government will continue to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme as part of the Spending Review 2025.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the independent report entitled National review of higher education student suicide deaths, published on 21 May 2025, whether she plans to introduce a duty of candour for the higher education sector.
Answered by Janet Daby
This government is committed to working with higher education providers, experts, and students to turn the findings of the national review of higher education (HE) student suicides into real, lasting improvements. That means better support for students, a commitment to openness with families, and a sector-wide focus on preventing these heartbreaking tragedies.
The department continues to work with the HE mental health implementation taskforce to develop guidance and drive adoption across the sector. The taskforce will examine recommendations from the review, including the call for a duty of candour, and work to understand the most effective way to bring about change to ensure greater transparency with bereaved families following a suspected suicide.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report by British Future entitled Working it Out: Hong Kongers, Employment and the Cost of Living, published on 29 October 2024.
Answered by Janet Daby
While no formal assessment of the report has been made, the department remains committed to supporting British National (Overseas) status holders through access to higher education, further education and English language training once residency criteria are met. We continue to work with partners across government to ensure British Nationals (Overseas) can thrive.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure cross-border cooperation between local education authorities in the planning and allocation of school places.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is introducing new duties for mainstream state schools and local authorities to co-operate regarding school admissions and for state schools to co-operate with local authorities regarding place planning. Where co-operation breaks down or fails, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will be able to intervene. This measure will help ensure that admissions and place planning decisions account for local communities’ needs.
Local authorities, academy trusts and local partners should work together on place planning. We expect local authorities to share their place planning strategy and data with local partners, which can include neighbouring local authorities.
Local authorities are required to ensure that their scheme to co-ordinate admission arrangements for the normal admissions round considers the admission of pupils in different local authority areas where that is what parents wish. Where possible their scheme of coordination should be compatible with the coordination schemes of neighbouring authorities. Where local authorities receive cross border applications, we expect the authorities to work together to ensure families receive timely decisions on national offer day, at the highest preference school that can offer the child a place.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department provides funding for equestrian activities for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department provides funding for local authorities, schools and other education providers so that they can discharge their statutory duties relating to children with special educational needs and disabilities. It is for local authorities and schools to decide what provision to make available to support their education, and whether that support would include equestrian activities. The department does not collect information on the extent to which such activities are offered.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has considered supporting the development of bridging courses for qualified British National (Overseas) visa holders in (a) teaching, (b) social work, (c) healthcare and (d) other professions to help support their entry into regulated professions in the UK; and if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of doing so on labour shortages in those professions.
Answered by Janet Daby
Through the government’s Plan for Change and the Industrial Strategy, we are taking a strategic approach to addressing current and future skills gaps in our domestic workforce.
The government continues to ensure the skills system is responsive to employer needs and offers more flexibility. Through the formation of Skills England, the new Growth and Skills Levy, as well as qualifications reform and the Curriculum and Assessment Review, employers will be better supported to recruit and train the domestic workforce with the skills they need. The department will set out our long term vision for the skills system in a forthcoming post-16 education and skills white paper.
British National (Overseas) visa holders are able to take an apprenticeship, so long as they have been resident in the UK for three years and can complete the apprenticeship, including the end-point assessment, within the time remaining on their visa. They can also access training through the Adult Skills Fund, as long as they have been resident in the UK for three years. Eligible, highly qualified teachers who trained to teach in Hong Kong can apply for professional recognition through our digital service.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will include within the remit of Skills England a requirement to help support (a) British National (Overseas) visa holders and (b) other migrants to access (i) training and (ii) employment.
Answered by Janet Daby
Skills England will play a critical part in the government’s mission to drive growth across the country, support people to get better jobs and improve their standard of living.
Skills England will join the Labour Market Evidence (LME) Group to support a coherent approach to skills, migration and labour market policy. It will also shape technical education and apprenticeships to respond to skills needs.
It remains the case that eligible visa holders, including Hong Kong British National (Overseas) status holders, may be able to take an apprenticeship but must be able to complete the apprenticeship within the time they have available on their visa, including the end-point assessment.