Asked by: Baroness Grey-Thompson (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide support to families with (1) children in early years, and (2) school-age children, in poverty.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The Child Poverty Taskforce will publish a fully funded strategy this autumn, tackling the root causes of poverty across four themes: increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, boosting financial resilience, and strengthening local support, especially in the early years.
Family hubs offer vital services from birth to age 19, or to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities; supporting health, education, and wellbeing, particularly for families in poverty. In 2025/26, £126 million will be invested through family hubs and Start for Life to give every child the best start in life.
An additional £57 million for the Start for Life services was announced in January, covering mental health, infant feeding, breastfeeding, and access to local services.
Early education support includes 15 funded hours for disadvantaged 2-year-olds and all 3 and 4-year-olds. A 45% uplift to the Early Years Pupil Premium was announced in December 2024 to improve outcomes.
Through the Spending Review, the government is expanding free school meals, which are expected to lift 100,000 children out of poverty, and has committed to free breakfast clubs and limiting branded school uniform requirements specifically for school aged children.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the proportion of rejected applications to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy that were judged eligible on review in (a) 2024 and (b) the first six months of 2025.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
In 2024, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) received 27,491 applications to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme. Additionally the Department reviewed and confirmed the ineligible outcome of 1,070 principal applications where the applicant had requested a review. Of those applications reviewed, seven were overturned. These figures include first time, duplicate and additional principal applications. The MOD also made decisions on 7,046 principal first time applications, with 375 (5.3%) being found eligible.
From 1 January to 30 June 2025, the MOD received 17,625 principal applications. The Department reviewed the ineligible outcome of 91 principal applications where the applicant had requested a review. Of those applications reviewed, six were overturned. These figures include first time, duplicate and additional principal application. The MOD also made decisions on 3,579 principal first time applications, with 73 being found eligible.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many applications were made to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy in (a) 2024 and (b) the first six months of 2025.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
In 2024, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) received 27,491 applications to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme. Additionally the Department reviewed and confirmed the ineligible outcome of 1,070 principal applications where the applicant had requested a review. Of those applications reviewed, seven were overturned. These figures include first time, duplicate and additional principal applications. The MOD also made decisions on 7,046 principal first time applications, with 375 (5.3%) being found eligible.
From 1 January to 30 June 2025, the MOD received 17,625 principal applications. The Department reviewed the ineligible outcome of 91 principal applications where the applicant had requested a review. Of those applications reviewed, six were overturned. These figures include first time, duplicate and additional principal application. The MOD also made decisions on 3,579 principal first time applications, with 73 being found eligible.
Asked by: Baroness Penn (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the per-pupil funding when taking into account increased National Insurance contributions costs and increased eligibility for free school meals in each year of the Spending Review 2025 (CP1336); and what assessment they have made the level of per-pupil funding in those years compared to (1) 2023–24, and (2) 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)
The department is providing schools with over £930 million in the 2025/26 financial year to support schools with the increases to employer National Insurance contributions from April 2025. This funding will be rolled into the schools national funding formula from 2026/27, ensuring that this additional funding forms an on-going part of schools’ core budgets. Total schools funding will increase by a further £4.2 billion, by the end of the Spending Review period.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of undertaking a review into the operations of the Independent Custody Visiting Association (a) in Hampshire and (b) nationally.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.
Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Independent Custody Visiting Association on the effectiveness of the Independent Custody Visiting Scheme in Hampshire.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.
Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to make amendments to existing legislation on the operation of the Independent Custody Visiting Association.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.
Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the operations of the Independent Custody Visiting Association.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.
Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to increase its oversight of the Independent Custody Visiting Association.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.
Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ensure (a) structured training programmes and (b) required materials are provided to new volunteers in the Independent Custody Visiting Association.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.
Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.