Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) approved families looking to adopt and (b) children ready for adoption there were in each of the last 30 years.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department does not hold information centrally on the number of approved families that are looking to adopt.
The number of children looked after for whom the local authority has made the decision that they should be placed for adoption is published in the annual statistical release, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions.
This information was first collected by the department in 2009, therefore data is available as at 31 March 2009 to 2024.
Information for the latest 5 years is published annually and can be found in categories 4a and 4c in the latest statistical release, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/6f861ced-a334-42c1-5a17-08dd3479441b.
Figures for other years are contained in previous years’ releases, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recourse (a) academics and (b) other people will have who believe that they have had their free speech curtailed, in the context of her proposals for the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023; and when that recourse will be available.
Answered by Janet Daby
For academics, staff, and external speakers, the amended Office for Students’ (OfS) complaints scheme will be a route of redress through which staff, external speakers and members who believe higher education (HE) providers have breached their duties will be able to raise a complaint. It will be free at the point of use. The amendments to the provisions in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act complaints scheme will require primary legislation, and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education will be seeking a legislative vehicle through which to return this to Parliament at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, the HE sector will have new duties in place, as well as requirements to promote freedom of speech and put in place a code of practice in line with the Act.
Student complaints on freedom of speech will continue to be handled by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), who already has powers to consider these complaints, and whose service is free at the point of use. The OIA is well-established and recognised by students, and already considers free speech complaints.
Existing routes of redress through judicial review and employment tribunals will also continue to exist.
We will set out the government’s policy intentions on this and other policy issues in more detail as part of our policy paper, which will be published shortly.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2025 to Question 26566 on Special Educational Needs, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of lockdown restrictions during the covid-19 pandemic on the (a) behaviour, (b) special educational needs requirements and (c) primary socialisation of school children; and what steps she is taking to help support those children.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The UK Covid Inquiry was set up to examine the UK's response to and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to learn lessons for the future. The government is committed to learning from the findings of the Covid Inquiry, which will play a key role in informing the government’s planning and preparations for a future pandemic.
The pandemic affected all pupils, particularly those that are disadvantaged, leading to dips in attainment and a substantial widening of the gaps between disadvantaged children and their peers. Prolonged periods of absence from schools and colleges may have also contributed to disengagement whilst at school and increased incidents of misbehaviour. The department has also seen more children starting primary schools without basic levels of development, meaning that teachers cannot focus on teaching, impacting all children in the class.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report entitled Investigation into student finance for study at franchised higher education providers, published by the National Audit Office on 18 January 2024, what discussions she has had with the Office for Students on the potential merits of requiring franchised providers to register with the Office for Students.
Answered by Janet Daby
As set out in the government’s response to the Public Accounts Committee, the government is shortly due to publish a consultation on proposals to strengthen oversight of partnership delivery in higher education, having worked closely with the Office for Students on this.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what changes the Office for Students has made to the regulatory framework to (a) ensure value for money and (b) good outcomes for students since January 2024.
Answered by Janet Daby
There has been one significant change to the Office for Students (OfS) regulatory framework, which was announced last year. This introduced the registration condition on harassment and sexual misconduct. The main condition will not come into force until 1 August 2025, however the provisions relating to the banning of non-disclosure agreements apply from 1 September 2024. This condition is important in ensuring higher education students are free from harassment and sexual misconduct that would otherwise adversely affect their ability to benefit from their studies.
The OfS has been actively regulating within the current framework, ensuring positive outcomes for students, including through undertaking targeted quality assessments for existing registered providers. Additionally, the OfS has conducted assessments against new initial quality conditions for providers joining the register.
The OfS is currently consulting on a five year strategy which sets out its plan to implement and focus on the recommendations of Sir David Behan’s independent review of the OfS, and the interrelated priorities which will support better quality, student interest, financial sustainability and protecting public money.
This consultation, which opened on 12 December 2024 and closes on 20 February 2025, is available on the OfS website here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/ofs-strategy-for-2025-to-2030/consultation-on-ofs-strategy-for-2025-to-2030/foreword/.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of school children have required additional support due to special educational needs in each of the last ten years; and if she will make an assessment of the reasons for the trend in the number of children assessed to have special educational needs.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
Information on the number of pupils in England with special educational needs can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england.
The figures for England for each academic year since 2015/16 are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b04266ac-d3d0-4aff-785c-08dd3ba46a29.
For too long the education system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities, with parents struggling to get their child the support they need and deserve. We know that a lack of capacity in the system to meet need has increased the demand on specialist support, meaning that children, young people and parents are faced with a long and difficult education, health and care plan process. We will work with children, young people, parents, local authorities, schools and colleges and their partners in delivering improvements so that children and young people can access the support they need.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a table of the proportion of requests for EHCP assessment met within the correct timeframe by local authorities.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
Information on the number and percentage of education, health and care plans issued within the statutory 20 week deadline, with and without statutory exceptions to that deadline applying, is published as part of the 2024 statistical release, ‘Education, health and care plans’, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.
The figures for each local authority in the 2023 calendar year can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7b372ed7-8c76-42df-5a32-08dd3479441b.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the hon. Member for Bury St Edmunds at Education Questions on 27 January 2025, which medical schools are offering (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory redundancy to clinical academics; and how many redundancies are being offered by each of those schools.
Answered by Janet Daby
The government acknowledges the significant impact of our world leading higher education (HE) sector. As both educational and research institutions, universities make a vital contribution to our economy, society, and to industry and innovation.
Universities are autonomous and, as such, the government does not gather information on which institutions are offering voluntary and compulsory redundancies to clinical academics, nor the exact number of redundancies being offered by each.
This government recognises the concerns of providers and their staff regarding the ongoing financial stability of their institutions. We are aware that some providers are making difficult staffing decisions to safeguard their financial sustainability.
We expect providers to work with staff, using their knowledge and experience to help identify how best to reduce unnecessary spend. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide better long-term value both for students and for the country.
We are currently reviewing options to deliver a more robust HE sector and will set out a long-term plan for reform by summer 2025.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will continue a national approach to recruiting adopters similar to the national recruitment campaign in 2020-21.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department has provided £9 million of funding in the 2024/25 financial year for Adoption England to help develop national approaches for adoption services. This will help ensure consistency of high-quality adoption services across the country. This includes the implementation of new national standards for the adopter journey from initial enquiry to assessment and national matching standards to promote good practice across all agencies. These will help ensure that wherever an adopter or child is recruited or placed across the country they can expect consistent and high-quality services.
Adoption England has developed national adopter recruitment campaigns in each year since 2021 and is currently developing plans for 2025/2026. One of these campaigns can be found here: https://www.youcanadopt.co.uk/.
Adoption England published a three year strategy in 2024 that the government supports. This sets out a wide range of work to develop adoption services. The strategy can be found here: https://adoptionengland.co.uk/sites/default/files/2024-04/Adoption%20England%20Strategy.pdf.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made on creating a national matching service for adoption services.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department has provided £9 million of funding in the 2024/25 financial year for Adoption England to help develop national approaches for adoption services. This will help ensure consistency of high-quality adoption services across the country. This includes the implementation of new national standards for the adopter journey from initial enquiry to assessment and national matching standards to promote good practice across all agencies. These will help ensure that wherever an adopter or child is recruited or placed across the country they can expect consistent and high-quality services.
Adoption England has developed national adopter recruitment campaigns in each year since 2021 and is currently developing plans for 2025/2026. One of these campaigns can be found here: https://www.youcanadopt.co.uk/.
Adoption England published a three year strategy in 2024 that the government supports. This sets out a wide range of work to develop adoption services. The strategy can be found here: https://adoptionengland.co.uk/sites/default/files/2024-04/Adoption%20England%20Strategy.pdf.