Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on the rollout of Programme Cortisone.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
Programme CORTISONE will provide the Defence Medical Services (DMS) with an up-to-date electronic healthcare information management system to administer the healthcare of the Defence population to maximise fitness for role.
The delivery of Programme CORTISONE will ensure clinicians have the underpinning systems that enable them to focus upon providing the best possible patient care for service personnel to improve patient outcomes and to maximise personnel deployability.
One of the programme’s key drivers is coherence across the breadth of the DMS information and to enable seamless interoperability and connectivity with the NHS structures of the home nations. This will enable the DMS to achieve their clinical outputs in a fully informed, data driven manner.
Programme CORTISONE is currently delivering activity to ensure the stability of current medical information services (DMICP) in parallel with activity to introduce new capabilities. Work is underway to further the development of patient engagement services which are already demonstrating improvements to patient waiting times. The procurement process to deliver the new electronic healthcare information management system is ongoing with a plan to roll this capability over the next two years.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of physical infrastructure access fees on the ability of alternative network providers to roll out full fibre broadband in rural areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity coverage by 2030. Today, 86% of premises can access gigabit-capable networks.
The government's strategy supports market entry and expansion by alternative network operators via easy access to Openreach’s infrastructure including ducts and poles under Ofcom’s Physical Infrastructure Access framework (PIA). Government has set out in its Statement of Strategic Priorities that: “Government regards effective access to Openreach’s national network of underground ducts and poles as a key enabler of competitive network deployment.”
Ofcom governs the PIA framework. Ofcom has powers to impose access conditions on electronic communications networks, enabling third parties to use Openreach’s ducts and poles on fair and reasonable terms, conditions and charges, and without undue discrimination.
The government supports this framework but will not intervene in independent Ofcom decisions regarding the PIA price levels.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) fee structure on full fibre broadband roll out in rural areas.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The government is committed to delivering nationwide gigabit connectivity coverage by 2030. Today, 86% of premises can access gigabit-capable networks.
The government's strategy supports market entry and expansion by alternative network operators via easy access to Openreach’s infrastructure including ducts and poles under Ofcom’s Physical Infrastructure Access framework (PIA). Government has set out in its Statement of Strategic Priorities that: “Government regards effective access to Openreach’s national network of underground ducts and poles as a key enabler of competitive network deployment.”
Ofcom governs the PIA framework. Ofcom has powers to impose access conditions on electronic communications networks, enabling third parties to use Openreach’s ducts and poles on fair and reasonable terms, conditions and charges, and without undue discrimination.
The government supports this framework but will not intervene in independent Ofcom decisions regarding the PIA price levels.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the cost effectiveness of the different modes of delivery of SEND education.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to thrive and succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
Most pupils with special educational needs (SEN), including most with an education, health and care plan, already attend mainstream state-funded schools, and the department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in these settings so that children with SEN can achieve with their peers, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.
The department is providing £1 billion more for high needs budgets in 2025/26, bringing total high needs revenue funding to over £12 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND. We have also published local authority allocations for £740 million of high needs capital funding for 2025/26 to invest in places for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision.
The department recognises that special schools, including independent schools, play a critical role in the SEND system, providing expertise and particularly supporting pupils with low incidence or complex needs. We also want more children and young people to receive the support they need to achieve and thrive in their local mainstream school, alongside their friends and peers.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of different modes of delivery of SEND education.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to thrive and succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
Most pupils with special educational needs (SEN), including most with an education, health and care plan, already attend mainstream state-funded schools, and the department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in these settings so that children with SEN can achieve with their peers, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.
The department is providing £1 billion more for high needs budgets in 2025/26, bringing total high needs revenue funding to over £12 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND. We have also published local authority allocations for £740 million of high needs capital funding for 2025/26 to invest in places for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision.
The department recognises that special schools, including independent schools, play a critical role in the SEND system, providing expertise and particularly supporting pupils with low incidence or complex needs. We also want more children and young people to receive the support they need to achieve and thrive in their local mainstream school, alongside their friends and peers.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the University of Florida's UFLI phonics programme.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Carlisle to the answer of 29 March 2025 to Question 36216.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the validation process for new phonics programmes is.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Carlisle to the answer of 29 March 2025 to Question 36216.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the University of Florida's phonics programme.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. The last Labour government’s promotion of phonics greatly improved the reading and writing abilities of a generation of children.
The department has not made an assessment of the University of Florida’s phonics programme, but the government has published a list of 45 validated phonics programmes. The full list can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/choosing-a-phonics-teaching-programme/list-of-phonics-teaching-programmes.
The department’s list of validated, high quality phonics programmes aims to help schools to select programmes that provide the support, guidance, resources and training needed to teach systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) well.
There is no statutory requirement for schools to choose one of the SPP programmes on the department’s validated list. However, validation indicates that a programme has been assessed by a small panel with relevant expertise that considers it meets all the department’s criteria for an effective SSP programme.
There are currently no further validation rounds planned.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the validation process for new phonics programmes is.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life. The last Labour government’s promotion of phonics greatly improved the reading and writing abilities of a generation of children.
The department has not made an assessment of the University of Florida’s phonics programme, but the government has published a list of 45 validated phonics programmes. The full list can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/choosing-a-phonics-teaching-programme/list-of-phonics-teaching-programmes.
The department’s list of validated, high quality phonics programmes aims to help schools to select programmes that provide the support, guidance, resources and training needed to teach systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) well.
There is no statutory requirement for schools to choose one of the SPP programmes on the department’s validated list. However, validation indicates that a programme has been assessed by a small panel with relevant expertise that considers it meets all the department’s criteria for an effective SSP programme.
There are currently no further validation rounds planned.
Asked by: Julie Minns (Labour - Carlisle)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which properties received Farming Recovery payments in Carlisle and North Cumbria constituency in each of the last five years.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Rural Payments Agency can confirm that no payments were made to properties under the Farming Recovery payments in Carlisle and North Cumbria constituency in each of the last five years.