Written questions by Mohamed.

With reference to her Department's Children Not in School Registers: regulatory impact assessment for the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, if she will publish the statistics on School Attendance Order fines for the last 10 years.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill introduces a duty on local authorities to maintain registers of children who are not in school, and a duty on parents to provide certain information for those registers. Parents must only provide details of their child’s name, date of birth, address, the parents’ names and addresses, the details of where the child is receiving education and who is providing it. All other information is optional to provide. Parents will only be expected to notify their local authority of that information when they first begin home-educating, or their circumstances change, such as a move to a new area or a new education provision.The department will share clear guidance on what information parents should provide to their local authority to avoid irrelevant information being given. This will form part of the statutory guidance we will issue following a public consultation. That consultation will take place following the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill reaching Royal Assent.In the published regulatory impact assessment for the ‘Children not in school’ measures, it is stated that we will request data from local authorities concerning the use of school attendance orders and how many result in a conviction for breach. We believe that a higher use of such orders would indicate a lack of compliance with the registration duties and higher numbers of parents who have opted to home educate but have been unable to provide a suitable education, who in the absence of a mandatory register, would have gone unknown to their local authority. A lower rate may indicate high compliance with the registration duties and parents being able to provide a suitable education, potentially through take-up of the support duty on their local authorities. Both outcomes would inform further policy development in this area.The department began a termly collection of data relating to home education in autumn 2022. The data collection includes an annual return of the usage of school attendance orders. Data for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.In reference to the request to publish historic data on the usage of school attendance orders, the department does not hold information on the use of fines for breach of those orders. Fines for non-compliance are a result of a criminal conviction, and that data is recorded and held by the Ministry of Justice.

Whether home educating parents will have to update the local authority within 15 days each time there is a change to the arrangements on record.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill introduces a duty on local authorities to maintain registers of children who are not in school, and a duty on parents to provide certain information for those registers. Parents must only provide details of their child’s name, date of birth, address, the parents’ names and addresses, the details of where the child is receiving education and who is providing it. All other information is optional to provide. Parents will only be expected to notify their local authority of that information when they first begin home-educating, or their circumstances change, such as a move to a new area or a new education provision.The department will share clear guidance on what information parents should provide to their local authority to avoid irrelevant information being given. This will form part of the statutory guidance we will issue following a public consultation. That consultation will take place following the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill reaching Royal Assent.In the published regulatory impact assessment for the ‘Children not in school’ measures, it is stated that we will request data from local authorities concerning the use of school attendance orders and how many result in a conviction for breach. We believe that a higher use of such orders would indicate a lack of compliance with the registration duties and higher numbers of parents who have opted to home educate but have been unable to provide a suitable education, who in the absence of a mandatory register, would have gone unknown to their local authority. A lower rate may indicate high compliance with the registration duties and parents being able to provide a suitable education, potentially through take-up of the support duty on their local authorities. Both outcomes would inform further policy development in this area.The department began a termly collection of data relating to home education in autumn 2022. The data collection includes an annual return of the usage of school attendance orders. Data for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.In reference to the request to publish historic data on the usage of school attendance orders, the department does not hold information on the use of fines for breach of those orders. Fines for non-compliance are a result of a criminal conviction, and that data is recorded and held by the Ministry of Justice.

How many School Attendance Orders were issued by each local authority in England for each of the last five years.

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill introduces a duty on local authorities to maintain registers of children who are not in school, and a duty on parents to provide certain information for those registers. Parents must only provide details of their child’s name, date of birth, address, the parents’ names and addresses, the details of where the child is receiving education and who is providing it. All other information is optional to provide. Parents will only be expected to notify their local authority of that information when they first begin home-educating, or their circumstances change, such as a move to a new area or a new education provision.The department will share clear guidance on what information parents should provide to their local authority to avoid irrelevant information being given. This will form part of the statutory guidance we will issue following a public consultation. That consultation will take place following the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill reaching Royal Assent.In the published regulatory impact assessment for the ‘Children not in school’ measures, it is stated that we will request data from local authorities concerning the use of school attendance orders and how many result in a conviction for breach. We believe that a higher use of such orders would indicate a lack of compliance with the registration duties and higher numbers of parents who have opted to home educate but have been unable to provide a suitable education, who in the absence of a mandatory register, would have gone unknown to their local authority. A lower rate may indicate high compliance with the registration duties and parents being able to provide a suitable education, potentially through take-up of the support duty on their local authorities. Both outcomes would inform further policy development in this area.The department began a termly collection of data relating to home education in autumn 2022. The data collection includes an annual return of the usage of school attendance orders. Data for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education.In reference to the request to publish historic data on the usage of school attendance orders, the department does not hold information on the use of fines for breach of those orders. Fines for non-compliance are a result of a criminal conviction, and that data is recorded and held by the Ministry of Justice.

What information her Department holds on the number of local authority employees working with home educating families that are only employed during school term time; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on the working hours these staff will need to undertake in the future.

The department does not hold information on the number of local authority employees working with home-educating families that are only employed during term time. Local authorities determine their own approaches to staffing.Additional local authority resource will be required to undertake the new duties created by the Children Not in School measures detailed in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. We are considering these additional requirements and will conduct a full new burdens assessment as is required.

What steps he is taking to ensure Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard applications are processed within 21 days.

Processing Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard (DoLS) applications is the responsibility of local authorities. There is considerable variation in how local authorities process and complete their DoLS applications with some areas successfully processing applications within 21 days. It is the responsibility of local authorities to make sure their systems for managing DoLS are informed by best practice.

What steps he is taking to increase the supply of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy.

The Department continues to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to boost production to mitigate the supply issue. Suppliers have managed to secure additional pharmaceutical ingredient resulting in expected increased volumes of PERT for 2025. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the gap in the market and provided advice to clinicians on prescribing and ordering these imports.In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This includes actions for clinicians to consider these unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable and for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support a UN Convention on the rights of Older Persons.

The UK Government is committed to equality and opportunity for all, with a particular focus on those most likely to be marginalised and discriminated against, including on the grounds of their age. We are open in principle to the idea of a multilateral instrument dedicated to the human rights of older people and will continue to play a constructive role in discussions on this issue at the UN and other relevant fora.

Whether he has had discussions with medical suppliers on the availability of Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy.

The Department continues to engage with all suppliers of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) to boost production to mitigate the supply issue. Suppliers have managed to secure additional pharmaceutical ingredient resulting in expected increased volumes of PERT for 2025. The Department has also reached out to specialist importers who have sourced unlicensed stock to assist in covering the gap in the market and provided advice to clinicians on prescribing and ordering these imports.In December 2024, the Department issued further management advice to healthcare professionals. This includes actions for clinicians to consider these unlicensed imports when licensed stock is unavailable and for integrated care boards to ensure local mitigation plans are put in place and implemented.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of rolling out Universal Basic Income pilots.

We are not considering rolling out Universal Basic Income pilots.

What steps his Department is taking with NHS England and the Department for Education to reduce speech and language therapy waiting lists.

Community health services, including speech and language therapy, are locally commissioned to enable systems to best meet the needs of their communities.We recognise the impact that long waits to access speech and language therapy can have on the individual, as well as their families and carers, and we are working closely with NHS England and the Department of Education to improve timely access to community health services and on actions to reduce long waits. We continue to improve access to Speech and Language Therapy by including the Early Language and Support for Every Child (ELSEC) pathfinder project within the Department for Education’s existing Change Programme, in partnership with NHS England.The ELSEC programme provides training and support to education settings, through a new workforce model that employs pre-qualification speech and language Therapy Support Assistants, and focuses on early intervention, to increase their ability to support children’s speech, language, and communication development.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of phasing out the exemption on customs duties that is allowed for parcels under £135.

The Government recognises that the increasing popularity of overseas retailers and use of the customs duty relief for imports valued below £135 has caused concern for some stakeholders.The purpose of the customs duty relief is to prevent disproportionate burdens on low-value trade, aiming to balance reducing burdens for consumers and businesses purchasing goods from overseas with the interests of UK businesses. VAT is charged on these goods at the same rate as it would be for domestic goods. We keep these issues under review.

Whether the Government plans to include foie gras in it's trade strategy.

The trade strategy will set out how we can achieve long-term sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth through trade. The development of the strategy will consider the Government’s commitment to uphold our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food safety standards, areas in which the UK is a world leader.

What steps he is taking to increase access to pulmonary fibrosis treatment in England.

NHS England is responsible for the commissioning of services for interstitial lung disease and funds the cost of anti-fibrotic treatments to treat this disease. Access to these treatments has recently been expanded to patients with non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, following the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Technology Appraisal, Nintedanib for treating progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases, in November 2021.In order to increase awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, NHS England has established 13 Respiratory Clinical Networks across the country. These have been vital in providing clinical leadership for respiratory services and supporting services in primary care, including restoring spirometry, which is one of the tests used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis.Pulmonary rehabilitation plays an important role in the management of patients with pulmonary fibrosis and should be made available to all patients who would benefit from this intervention.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure the same sustainability standards are applied (a) Temu, (b) Shein and (c) other Chinese low-cost suppliers as to suppliers in the UK.

All businesses operating in the UK, regardless of where they are owned, are required to comply with UK sustainability regulations and standards. This includes the Modern Slavery Act 2015.The government will continue to monitor and assess the effectiveness of existing and emerging policy levers which prevent human rights abuses, labour rights abuses and environmental harms across business operations and supply chains.

What steps he is taking to improve diagnosis times for people with pulmonary fibrosis.

NHS England is responsible for the commissioning of services for interstitial lung disease and funds the cost of anti-fibrotic treatments to treat this disease. Access to these treatments has recently been expanded to patients with non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, following the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Technology Appraisal, Nintedanib for treating progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases, in November 2021.In order to increase awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, NHS England has established 13 Respiratory Clinical Networks across the country. These have been vital in providing clinical leadership for respiratory services and supporting services in primary care, including restoring spirometry, which is one of the tests used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis.Pulmonary rehabilitation plays an important role in the management of patients with pulmonary fibrosis and should be made available to all patients who would benefit from this intervention.

What steps his Department is taking with Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis to help improve health outcomes for people with pulmonary fibrosis.

NHS England is responsible for the commissioning of services for interstitial lung disease and funds the cost of anti-fibrotic treatments to treat this disease. Access to these treatments has recently been expanded to patients with non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, following the publication of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s Technology Appraisal, Nintedanib for treating progressive fibrosing interstitial lung diseases, in November 2021.In order to increase awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, NHS England has established 13 Respiratory Clinical Networks across the country. These have been vital in providing clinical leadership for respiratory services and supporting services in primary care, including restoring spirometry, which is one of the tests used to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis.Pulmonary rehabilitation plays an important role in the management of patients with pulmonary fibrosis and should be made available to all patients who would benefit from this intervention.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of allocating more funding to build social rent homes as part of the Spending Review.

We will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for Social Rent.

What steps he is taking to reduce speech and language therapy workforce shortages.

We want to remove the barriers to training as a speech and language therapist (SLT), which is why eligible SLT students can get a non-repayable grant of £5,000 a year through the NHS Learning Support Fund. Further financial support is also available for childcare, dual accommodation costs, and travel. This is in addition to the student support package available from Student Finance England, which includes loans for tuition fees and living costs.We will also publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan which will deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade to ensure that the National Health Service has the right people, including those who work in speech and language therapy, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to (a) increase the availability of emergency housing and (b) build more social rent homes.

This government is taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. We have committed £500m to the third round of the Local Authority Housing Fund to enable local authorities to obtain better quality temporary accommodation. We have allocated an additional £30 million for local authorities in England to provide support in safe accommodation for victims of domestic abuse and their children who need to flee their homes, bringing the total to £160 million in 2025/26. We have made changes to the Right to Buy scheme, allowing local authorities to retain 100% of the receipts generated by Right to Buy sales and have consulted on a new five-year social housing rent settlement to provide the sector with the certainty it needs to invest in new social and affordable housing. In October 2024, we announced an immediate one-year cash injection of £500 million to the 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme and we announced a further £300m boost on 12 February. We will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This new investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for Social Rent.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his US counterpart on (a) compliance with international humanitarian law and (b) Palestinians’ rights to self-determination.

The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary look forward to working with President Trump, to continue our shared mission to ensure the prosperity and security of our two great nations. We will continue to work with the new US administration to ensure regional security and stability in the Middle East, including ensuring lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians. The UK will continue working with partners to support a path to long term peace and stability with a two-state solution: a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.