Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department provides to schools that host PGCE students; and what assessment she has made of the contribution of this to teacher recruitment and retention in Hampshire.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

High-quality teaching has the strongest positive impact on pupil outcomes in schools, which is why this government has pledged to recruit an additional 6,500 new expert teachers, including in science subjects, backed by a near 10% pay award since July 2024.

To aid recruitment, the department is providing teacher training financial incentives worth nearly £233 million, including bursaries worth up to £29,000 tax-free, and scholarships up to £31,000 tax-free, in science subjects. We are also providing retention incentives for early career science teachers worth up to £6000, with 39 schools in Hampshire qualifying for these.

Schools that host trainee placements leading to qualified teacher status, including those studying a PGCE, can claim funding to help cover the time staff members spend mentoring, given the importance of peer-to-peer support. In 2024/25, the department welcomed over 23,100 new postgraduate trainee teachers, an increase of 8% compared to 2023/24. In 2024/25, 399 trainees began postgraduate teacher training in Hampshire, compared to 317 in 2023/24.

The department’s interventions are having a positive impact, with the teaching workforce growing by 2,346 full-time equivalent teachers between 2023/24 and 2024/25 in secondary and special schools. In the South East, the number of secondary school teachers increased by 221.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help reduce the shortage of science teachers in Hampshire; and what support is available for schools relying on supply staff.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

High-quality teaching has the strongest positive impact on pupil outcomes in schools, which is why this government has pledged to recruit an additional 6,500 new expert teachers, including in science subjects, backed by a near 10% pay award since July 2024.

To aid recruitment, the department is providing teacher training financial incentives worth nearly £233 million, including bursaries worth up to £29,000 tax-free, and scholarships up to £31,000 tax-free, in science subjects. We are also providing retention incentives for early career science teachers worth up to £6000, with 39 schools in Hampshire qualifying for these.

Schools that host trainee placements leading to qualified teacher status, including those studying a PGCE, can claim funding to help cover the time staff members spend mentoring, given the importance of peer-to-peer support. In 2024/25, the department welcomed over 23,100 new postgraduate trainee teachers, an increase of 8% compared to 2023/24. In 2024/25, 399 trainees began postgraduate teacher training in Hampshire, compared to 317 in 2023/24.

The department’s interventions are having a positive impact, with the teaching workforce growing by 2,346 full-time equivalent teachers between 2023/24 and 2024/25 in secondary and special schools. In the South East, the number of secondary school teachers increased by 221.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued guidance to schools that have amended their subject curricula due to staff shortages.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Schools have the flexibility to organise the content and delivery of the curriculum to meet the needs of their pupils and to suit their local contexts.

There is no prescription about the number of teaching hours for each subject, or about the format of lessons. It is for schools to decide how much time is spent on any subject.

As part of our Plan for Change, the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across secondary and special schools, and in our colleges, over the course of this Parliament.

In 2024/25, we drove forward teacher recruitment and retention, backed by investment of around £700 million across schools and further education. The workforce has grown by 2,346 full-time equivalent between 2023/24 and 2024/25, in secondary and special schools where they are needed most. This includes 1,435 more secondary school teachers and 911 more special and pupil referral unit teachers compared to last year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department is providing to schools in Hampshire schools with (a) increased class sizes and (b) reduced staffing levels due to budget constraints.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Hampshire is receiving £1.1 billion for mainstream schools in the 2025/26 financial year. That is equivalent to £6,031 per pupil (excluding growth and falling rolls funding), which is an increase of 2.4% per pupil compared to 2024/25.

On top of the DSG funding, the department is providing additional funding to support schools with increases to employer National Insurance Contributions, and the costs of the teacher and local government support staff pay awards in 2025/26.

The department provides a suite of free tools, guidance and support to help schools better manage their budgets. Schools are already bringing core operating costs down through initiatives such as our new ‘Energy for Schools’ offer. Additionally, they can access services such as the ‘Get Help Buying for Schools’ service to get best value when procuring goods and our ‘Teaching Vacancies Service’ to save recruitment costs.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support schools with increases in the number of in-year admissions in Hampshire.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities.

The department engages with local authorities, including Hampshire County Council, on a regular basis to review their plans for creating additional school places. When local authorities are experiencing difficulties, the department offers support and advice.

The department also provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local authorities to meet their statutory duty to secure sufficient school places. Hampshire has been allocated just over £22.2 million to support it to create the mainstream school places needed between May 2024 and September 2028.

The Schools Admissions Code also requires every local authority to have a Fair Access Protocol in place, to ensure that vulnerable children, and those who are having difficulty in securing a school place in-year, are allocated a school place as quickly as possible, minimising the time the child is out of school.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to review the effectiveness of the national funding education formula in reflecting socioeconomic disparities within counties.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

In the 2025/26 financial year, 10.6% (£5.1 billion) of the schools national funding formula (NFF) has been allocated through deprivation factors, as part of the 17.8% (£8.6 billion) allocated for additional needs overall. The most deprived schools continue, on average, to attract the largest per pupil funding amounts through the schools NFF. This helps schools in their vital work to close attainment gaps.

The purpose of the NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that 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.

The government will keep the operation of the schools NFF for the 2026/27 financial year and future years under review.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to issue guidance to employers on allowing apprentices aged under 18 to access industrial and commercial worksites.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Under health and safety law, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of all employees, of any age. As part of this, there are certain considerations that should be made for young people, including apprentices.

Regulation 19 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, deals specifically with employers' responsibilities to protect the health and safety of young people at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides extensive guidance on its website, to help employers support the important contribution that apprentices make to the world of work, whilst ensuring that risks to their health and safety are properly assessed and controlled. The guidance was last updated in 2022 under the previous administration.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to make an assessment of the (a) adequacy and (b) potential impact of the regulatory framework for health and safety on the ability of firms to offer entry-level apprenticeships to young people.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Under health and safety law, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of all employees, of any age. As part of this, there are certain considerations that should be made for young people, including apprentices.

Regulation 19 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, deals specifically with employers' responsibilities to protect the health and safety of young people at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides extensive guidance on its website, to help employers support the important contribution that apprentices make to the world of work, whilst ensuring that risks to their health and safety are properly assessed and controlled. The guidance was last updated in 2022 under the previous administration.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Health and Safety Executive is taking to ensure that health and safety requirements for young apprentices (a) are proportionate and (b) do not deter employers from offering placements.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Under health and safety law, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of all employees, of any age. As part of this, there are certain considerations that should be made for young people, including apprentices.

Regulation 19 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, deals specifically with employers' responsibilities to protect the health and safety of young people at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides extensive guidance on its website, to help employers support the important contribution that apprentices make to the world of work, whilst ensuring that risks to their health and safety are properly assessed and controlled. The guidance was last updated in 2022 under the previous administration.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance the Health and Safety Executive has provided to employers on managing risk for apprentices aged 16 to 18; and whether the Health and Safety Executive plans to review this guidance.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Under health and safety law, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of all employees, of any age. As part of this, there are certain considerations that should be made for young people, including apprentices.

Regulation 19 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, deals specifically with employers' responsibilities to protect the health and safety of young people at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides extensive guidance on its website, to help employers support the important contribution that apprentices make to the world of work, whilst ensuring that risks to their health and safety are properly assessed and controlled. The guidance was last updated in 2022 under the previous administration.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) simplify and (b) clarify health and safety guidance for firms wishing to employ apprentices under the age of 18.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Under health and safety law, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of all employees, of any age. As part of this, there are certain considerations that should be made for young people, including apprentices.

Regulation 19 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, deals specifically with employers' responsibilities to protect the health and safety of young people at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides extensive guidance on its website, to help employers support the important contribution that apprentices make to the world of work, whilst ensuring that risks to their health and safety are properly assessed and controlled. The guidance was last updated in 2022 under the previous administration.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of health and safety regulations on the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises to take on apprentices aged between 16 and 18.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Under health and safety law, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of all employees, of any age. As part of this, there are certain considerations that should be made for young people, including apprentices.

Regulation 19 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, deals specifically with employers' responsibilities to protect the health and safety of young people at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides extensive guidance on its website, to help employers support the important contribution that apprentices make to the world of work, whilst ensuring that risks to their health and safety are properly assessed and controlled. The guidance was last updated in 2022 under the previous administration.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has received representations from (a) employers and (b) industry bodies on barriers to hiring young apprentices due to health and safety regulations.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Under health and safety law, employers must ensure, so far as is reasonably practical, the health and safety of all employees, of any age. As part of this, there are certain considerations that should be made for young people, including apprentices.

Regulation 19 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, deals specifically with employers' responsibilities to protect the health and safety of young people at work. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) provides extensive guidance on its website, to help employers support the important contribution that apprentices make to the world of work, whilst ensuring that risks to their health and safety are properly assessed and controlled. The guidance was last updated in 2022 under the previous administration.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of inheritance tax on the viability of intergenerational farming businesses.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Ministers from several Government departments have met with various representative organisations to discuss the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief. These discussions have involved the National Farmers’ Union, the Tenant Farmers’ Association, the Country Land and Business Association, the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, the Ulster Farmers’ Union, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free.

The Government has set out that the reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates across the UK claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data.

The recent report by the independent Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (CenTax) supports the Government’s analysis of these reforms, including the number of estates affected in 2026-27, and concludes that half of these estates will see an increase in their effective inheritance tax rate of less than 5 percentage points, and almost 90 per cent of these estates could pay their entire inheritance tax bill out of non-farm assets.

The Government published a tax information and impact note on 21 July 2025 and this is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.

The Government will invest more than £2.7 billion a year in sustainable farming and nature recovery from 2026-27 until 2028-29. This includes the largest financial investment into nature-friendly farming ever.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department plans to review the (a) scope and (b) application of Agricultural Property Relief in the context of the requirements of modern farming.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Ministers from several Government departments have met with various representative organisations to discuss the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief. These discussions have involved the National Farmers’ Union, the Tenant Farmers’ Association, the Country Land and Business Association, the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, the Ulster Farmers’ Union, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free.

The Government has set out that the reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates across the UK claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data.

The recent report by the independent Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (CenTax) supports the Government’s analysis of these reforms, including the number of estates affected in 2026-27, and concludes that half of these estates will see an increase in their effective inheritance tax rate of less than 5 percentage points, and almost 90 per cent of these estates could pay their entire inheritance tax bill out of non-farm assets.

The Government published a tax information and impact note on 21 July 2025 and this is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.

The Government will invest more than £2.7 billion a year in sustainable farming and nature recovery from 2026-27 until 2028-29. This includes the largest financial investment into nature-friendly farming ever.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions her Department has had with farmers on the impact of (a) Agricultural Property Relief and (b) inheritance tax on succession planning for family farms.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Ministers from several Government departments have met with various representative organisations to discuss the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief. These discussions have involved the National Farmers’ Union, the Tenant Farmers’ Association, the Country Land and Business Association, the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, the Ulster Farmers’ Union, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and the Farmers’ Union of Wales.

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free.

The Government has set out that the reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates across the UK claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data.

The recent report by the independent Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (CenTax) supports the Government’s analysis of these reforms, including the number of estates affected in 2026-27, and concludes that half of these estates will see an increase in their effective inheritance tax rate of less than 5 percentage points, and almost 90 per cent of these estates could pay their entire inheritance tax bill out of non-farm assets.

The Government published a tax information and impact note on 21 July 2025 and this is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.

The Government will invest more than £2.7 billion a year in sustainable farming and nature recovery from 2026-27 until 2028-29. This includes the largest financial investment into nature-friendly farming ever.