Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to improve early identification of cognitive, behavioural, and emotional needs arising from acquired brain injury in children, particularly within school settings.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Children who have had a brain injury can be affected in different ways. Some brain injuries will result in a special educational need (SEN) or a medical need, whilst others may affect a child in other ways. In whatever way a brain injury manifests, it is essential that the pupil’s individual needs are identified and supported appropriately.
Schools must make arrangements to support their pupils with medical conditions and must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures and policies and not discriminate against their disabled pupils.
The governing body should ensure that sufficient staff have received suitable training and are competent before they take on responsibility to support children with medical conditions. They should also ensure that any members of school staff who provide support to pupils with medical conditions, or those with SEN, are able to access information and other teaching support materials as needed.
Mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs of their pupils, which includes those with acquired brain injury. Where needs are more complex the school may request the local authority to conduct an education, health and care needs assessment.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of training for teachers and education support staff on recognising and supporting pupils with acquired brain injuries.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Children who have had a brain injury can be affected in different ways. Some brain injuries will result in a special educational need (SEN) or a medical need, whilst others may affect a child in other ways. In whatever way a brain injury manifests, it is essential that the pupil’s individual needs are identified and supported appropriately.
Schools must make arrangements to support their pupils with medical conditions and must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures and policies and not discriminate against their disabled pupils.
The governing body should ensure that sufficient staff have received suitable training and are competent before they take on responsibility to support children with medical conditions. They should also ensure that any members of school staff who provide support to pupils with medical conditions, or those with SEN, are able to access information and other teaching support materials as needed.
Mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs of their pupils, which includes those with acquired brain injury. Where needs are more complex the school may request the local authority to conduct an education, health and care needs assessment.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Lincoln (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued to the Regional Department for Education Directors about the implementation of the Equality Act 2010 in schools in the maintained system.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It is a school's responsibility to ensure they meet the requirements in the Equality Act 2010, including complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty. The department provides guidance to help schools understand their duties under the Act.
Enforcement of equality legislation is the role of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which offers advice, supports legal cases, and can take regulatory action against organisations that breach the law.
If someone believes a school has not complied with the Equality Act, they should first follow the school’s complaints procedure. They can also seek advice from the Equality Advisory and Support Service, which advises and assists people on issues relating to equality and human rights. If, after completing the school’s process, they feel their complaint was mishandled, they may complain to the department, which will review whether the school followed their complaints process correctly.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Lincoln (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what processes the Regional Department for Education Directors has in place to monitor the implementation of the Equality Act 2010 by academies.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It is a school's responsibility to ensure they meet the requirements in the Equality Act 2010, including complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty. The department provides guidance to help schools understand their duties under the Act.
Enforcement of equality legislation is the role of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which offers advice, supports legal cases, and can take regulatory action against organisations that breach the law.
If someone believes a school has not complied with the Equality Act, they should first follow the school’s complaints procedure. They can also seek advice from the Equality Advisory and Support Service, which advises and assists people on issues relating to equality and human rights. If, after completing the school’s process, they feel their complaint was mishandled, they may complain to the department, which will review whether the school followed their complaints process correctly.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Lincoln (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued to the Regional Department for Education Directors about the implementation of the Equality Act 2010 in academies.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
It is a school's responsibility to ensure they meet the requirements in the Equality Act 2010, including complying with the Public Sector Equality Duty. The department provides guidance to help schools understand their duties under the Act.
Enforcement of equality legislation is the role of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which offers advice, supports legal cases, and can take regulatory action against organisations that breach the law.
If someone believes a school has not complied with the Equality Act, they should first follow the school’s complaints procedure. They can also seek advice from the Equality Advisory and Support Service, which advises and assists people on issues relating to equality and human rights. If, after completing the school’s process, they feel their complaint was mishandled, they may complain to the department, which will review whether the school followed their complaints process correctly.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-resident parents who have repeatedly failed to meet their child maintenance payment obligations have had their driving licenses disqualified as a consequence in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The 2012 child maintenance reforms are designed to increase cooperation between separated parents and to ensure that children receive appropriate financial support. Where family-based arrangements are not suitable, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operates a statutory scheme and applies a Payment Compliance strategy to address nonpayment. The CMS uses firm enforcement measures - such as liability orders, deductions from earnings, account deductions, passport and driving licence removal, and, in the most serious cases, imprisonment - when parents who have the means to pay choose not to. These powers are applied proportionately and in the best interests of children, and their deterrent effect ensures that their use remains low.
The Department regularly publishes Child Maintenance Service official statistics, with the latest statistics available to September 2025. Table 6.2 of the accompanying National tables provides the outcome information where the CMS applied to courts to sanction Paying Parents for non-compliance. The table shows quarterly statistics for both suspended and immediate prison sentences and driving disqualifications for England & Wales and for Scotland, between July 2019 and September 2025.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many liability orders have the Child Maintenance Services applied for in respect of non-resident parents who have repeatedly failed meet their child maintenance payment obligations in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service may seek a Liability Order only when a Paying Parent has not met their obligations and other measures have been exhausted. In England and Wales, such orders may enable referral to enforcement agents, previously known as bailiffs, to recover arrears. In Scotland, enforcement proceeds through the Scottish civil court system.
The Department regularly publishes Child Maintenance Service official statistics, with the latest statistics available to September 2025. Table 6.1 of the accompanying National tables provides the information about enforcement actions used by the CMS. The table shows quarterly statistics for liability order applications and enforcement agent referrals for England & Wales, between October 2015 and September 2025.
Asked by: Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat - North Cornwall)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases of bailiff action have occurred as a result of outstanding child maintenance payments in each of the last five years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Child Maintenance Service may seek a Liability Order only when a Paying Parent has not met their obligations and other measures have been exhausted. In England and Wales, such orders may enable referral to enforcement agents, previously known as bailiffs, to recover arrears. In Scotland, enforcement proceeds through the Scottish civil court system.
The Department regularly publishes Child Maintenance Service official statistics, with the latest statistics available to September 2025. Table 6.1 of the accompanying National tables provides the information about enforcement actions used by the CMS. The table shows quarterly statistics for liability order applications and enforcement agent referrals for England & Wales, between October 2015 and September 2025.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield Heeley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many requests her Department has received from schools for sign-off of confidentiality clauses in staff settlement agreements in each of the last three financial years; and how many of those requests were approved.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The requirement for academy trusts to obtain prior approval from the department for confidentiality clauses associated with staff severance payments was introduced in October 2025 and is set out in paragraph 5.13 of the academy trust handbook, which is available at:
The revision was made to reflect HM Treasury’s updated guidance on public sector exit payments, which states that Treasury approval is required if the payment is novel, contentious or repercussive. Settlement agreements that contain confidentiality clauses are included within this description. As this requirement was only introduced in October 2025, annual data is not currently available.
For local authority-maintained schools, the responsibility and oversight for such decisions will be managed locally.
Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative data her Department holds on the proportion of 16-24 year olds not in education, employment or training (a) who were previously eligible for free school meals and (b) overall.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department publishes statistics on those aged 16 to 24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) for England from the Labour Force Survey (LFS): NEET age 16 to 24, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/neet-statistics-annual-brief/2024.
At the end of 2024, the proportion of the 16 to 24 population who were NEET was estimated to be 13.6%. Data is not available for those NEET who attended state schools nor who were previously eligible for free school meals, as this is not collected in the LFS.
Official statistics for 16 to 18 destination measures show the percentage of pupils not continuing to a sustained education, apprenticeship or employment destination in the year after completing 16 to 18 study, that is 6 months of continual activity. The latest publication includes destinations in 2023/24 by characteristics breakdown, for those finishing 16 to 18 study in 2022/23. Data on those who were not recorded as continuing to a sustained education, apprenticeship or employment destination is available for state-funded mainstream schools and colleges, and by free school meals eligibility here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/9e5bf7ed-27f0-49f3-b1bd-08de39895a0e.