Written questions by Dance.

What steps she is taking to support the introduction of more (a) vocational and (b) functional education pathways for students in (i) Somerset and (ii) England.

The department continues to reform qualifications so they have clearer routes to higher education or skilled employment and are, where applicable, aligned to occupational standards designed by employers. 140 reformed qualifications at levels 2 and 3 have been approved for next academic year.There are a wide range of technical and functional pathways in all areas of the country, including Somerset. These include: T levels, a high-quality technical education option for young people, including a valuable workplace industry placement which prepares them work. Higher Technical Qualifications, occupation-focused level 4-5 qualifications, approved and quality marked as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers. Apprenticeships, including widening the offer into a growth and skills offer which will include new foundation apprenticeships, giving more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working life. Skills Bootcamps, giving learners the chance to build sector-specific skills with a job interview on completion. Free Courses for Jobs, giving learners the chance to access high value level 3 qualifications. Functional Qualifications in English, mathematics and digital, available to learners for whom a GSCE is not the right qualification path, designed with employers in mind and taught depending on the needs of the learner.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of removing spelling, punctuation and grammar marks from non-English (a) secondary and (b) sixth form exams.

The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is ongoing and is evaluating the existing national curriculum and statutory assessment system in England to ensure they are fit for purpose. The Review wants to ensure an assessment system that captures the strengths of every child and young person and the breadth of curriculum, with the right balance of assessment methods, whilst maintaining the important role of examinations. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in the autumn, at which point the government will respond.

What steps she is taking to support the introduction of assistive technology in primary schools in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.

The government is committed to increasing awareness and use of assistive technology (AT) in primary schools across England, including in the Yeovil constituency and Somerset.Firstly, the department is investing in high-quality research to identify barriers to and opportunities for AT use in schools, so that we have a strong evidence base for AT and are able to pilot approaches. This is key to giving schools the right support they need. We published the most recent research report for special schools and colleges in May entitled ‘Developing a competency framework for effective assistive technology training’. The report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/developing-a-competency-framework-for-effective-assistive-technology-training.From September 2025, teachers will receive training on effective AT use as part of their initial teacher training. Our programme of research can also inform the development of workforce training aimed at equipping teachers with the necessary skills to effectively use AT.Secondly, the government is working to improve the multi-agency working of all those involved in supporting pupils to get the AT that they require. The department will soon publish research undertaken with local authority special educational needs teams and local authority health teams, AT suppliers, schools and colleges to identify effective practices when working together to meet pupil need.Finally, the government is investing £20 million this year to ensure schools can access a fibre internet connection, which includes 27 schools across Somerset. Our investment in infrastructure will ensure that schools can fully harness the opportunities of AT.

What steps he is taking to improve (a) funding and (b) support for GP surgeries in Yeovil constituency.

We recently announced schemes which will benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund (PCUMF), to deliver upgrades this financial year to more than a thousand general practice surgeries across England. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.This will directly address the issue of staff who cannot work at full capacity due to space limitations and will enable practices to offer more appointments with their existing workforce through better use of space. The Government has already hired more than 1,500 extra general practitioners and announced an £889 million funding boost, the biggest for the sector in years.The Somerset Integrated Care Board has prioritised 16 schemes to support with its £1 million allocation from the PCUMF, two of which are in the Yeovil Constituency. The Somerset Integrated Care Board has also been provisionally allocated the following amounts from capital programmes and operational capital for 2025/26:£43.5 million from our Constitutional Standards Recovery Fund;£7.8 million from our Estates Safety Fund;£1 million from our Primary Care Utilisation Fund; and£45.7 million in operational capital funding.

What steps he is taking to improve access to GP surgeries in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.

We recently announced schemes which will benefit from the £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund (PCUMF), to deliver upgrades this financial year to more than a thousand general practice surgeries across England. These schemes will create additional clinical space within existing building footprints to enable practices to see more patients, boost productivity, and improve patient care.This will directly address the issue of staff who cannot work at full capacity due to space limitations and will enable practices to offer more appointments with their existing workforce through better use of space. The Government has already hired more than 1,500 extra general practitioners and announced an £889 million funding boost, the biggest for the sector in years.The Somerset Integrated Care Board has prioritised 16 schemes to support with its £1 million allocation from the PCUMF, two of which are in the Yeovil Constituency. The Somerset Integrated Care Board has also been provisionally allocated the following amounts from capital programmes and operational capital for 2025/26:£43.5 million from our Constitutional Standards Recovery Fund;£7.8 million from our Estates Safety Fund;£1 million from our Primary Care Utilisation Fund; and£45.7 million in operational capital funding.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of regulating the educational guardianship sector.

All independent and state boarding schools must have regard to the ‘Keeping children safe in education’ guidance and must meet the national minimum standards for boarding schools. Section 22 of those standards sets out the requirements of schools in relation to educational guardians appointed by a school.Parents of international child students who make private educational guardianship arrangements for their children should ensure that they apply due diligence to any arrangements.

What assessments she has made of the merits of implementing a teacher retention strategy that addresses key factors driving staff to leave the profession.

High-quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest positive impact on a child or young person’s outcome in schools and colleges. Recruiting and retaining more qualified, expert teachers is critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child. This is why the government’s Plan for Change has committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers in secondary and special schools, and in our colleges, over the course of this Parliament.The best recruitment strategy is an effective retention strategy. The department recently announced a 4% pay award for teachers and leaders in maintained schools from September 2025. This builds on the 5.5% pay award for the 2024/25 academic year, resulting in a near 10% pay award since this government came to power, ensuring teaching is once again a valued profession and keeping high-quality teachers in schools. In addition, we invested around £700 million across schools and further education this year, which included increasing our targeted retention incentives, worth up to £6,000 per year for early career teachers teaching in disadvantaged schools, and resources to improve teachers’ workload and wellbeing.Our investment is starting to deliver. The workforce has grown by 2,346 full-time equivalent, between 2023/24 and 2024/25 in secondary and special schools, with leaver rates dropping to 9.1%, one of the lowest on record.To further support teacher retention, the department has established a new way of working through ‘Improving Education Together’, which brings together employer representative organisations, unions and government to help inform policy design and approaches to implementation across key reform priorities.

What steps he is taking to help support (a) NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board and (b) local hospital trusts to (i) improve working culture and (ii) reduce stress-related illness in hospitals.

The Government inherited a broken National Health Service with an overworked and demoralised workforce.We hugely value all NHS staff and are committed to improving organisational culture and working conditions, so we can keep staff healthy, motivated, and retain valuable skills. That is why one of the government’s first actions was to give NHS staff an above inflation pay rise.Local employers across the NHS have arrangements in place for supporting staff, including occupational health provision, employee support programmes, and a focus on healthy working environments. At a national level, NHS England has made available additional support, including emotional and psychological health and wellbeing support.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure the provision of affordable housing for disabled people in rural communities in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.

At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.We will set out set 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.Homes England and GLA will assess bids received in the usual way before awarding funding. Exact funding to different places and the locations of homes that will be built will depend on the bids received from local councils and housing associations.Local authorities are responsible for their own allocation scheme for social housing within the framework of legislation. By law, people who are homeless must be given ‘reasonable preference’ (priority) and local authorities can give ‘additional preference’ (high priority) to those who have urgent housing needs.The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, types and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including disabled people, and to reflect this in their planning policies. My Department has set out guidance for councils in preparing planning policies on housing for disabled people. This can be found on gov.uk here.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure the provision of accessible social housing for disabled people in rural areas in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.

At Spring statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. Further detail can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement made on 25 March 2025 (HCWS549).The investment made at Spring statement follows the £800 million in new in-year funding which has been made available for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme and that will support the delivery of up to 7,800 new homes, with more than half of them being Social Rent homes.We will set out set 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.Homes England and GLA will assess bids received in the usual way before awarding funding. Exact funding to different places and the locations of homes that will be built will depend on the bids received from local councils and housing associations.Local authorities are responsible for their own allocation scheme for social housing within the framework of legislation. By law, people who are homeless must be given ‘reasonable preference’ (priority) and local authorities can give ‘additional preference’ (high priority) to those who have urgent housing needs.The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that local planning authorities should assess the size, types and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including disabled people, and to reflect this in their planning policies. My Department has set out guidance for councils in preparing planning policies on housing for disabled people. This can be found on gov.uk here.

What plans he has to support the provision of maternity services in south Somerset.

The Department is aware of temporary changes to services at Yeovil District Hospital, which have been made in response to several factors including responding to a recent Care Quality Commission inspection and due to not currently being able to meet staffing levels required to provide safe services for mothers, babies and families. The South West NHS England regional team, integrated care board and trust are monitoring the situation closely and working collectively to review the situation and develop proposals to ensure safe future service provision of maternity services.

If he will make it his policy to prevent the planned closure of Yeovil District Hospital’s Maternity Unit.

The Government is aware of temporary changes to services at Yeovil District Hospital that have been made in response to several factors, including a recent Care Quality Commission inspection and not being able to currently meet staffing levels required to provide safe services for babies and families.The temporary closure is for an initial period of six months, when births and expectant mothers are being offered safe birthing at surrounding hospitals in Taunton, Dorchester and Bath. Outpatient clinics for pregnant mothers such as obstetric and midwifery antenatal clinics, scanning, antenatal screening services and home births will continue at Yeovil District Hospital as normal.The South West NHS England regional team, NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust are working collectively to mitigate the risk of this temporary closure and ensure the wider systems work together to provide safe services in the meantime. Responsibility for the delivery, implementation and funding decisions for services ultimately rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioning body.There are real issues in maternity care, but also outstanding examples of care. It will not be an overnight recovery, but we will be making steady improvements to ensure all women receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care. The Government continues to work with the NHS as it delivers its three-year maternity and neonatal plan to improve maternity and neonatal services.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the planned closure of Yeovil District Hospital’s Maternity Unit on (a) public health and (b) patient safety in South Somerset.

The Government is aware of temporary changes to services at Yeovil District Hospital that have been made in response to several factors, including a recent Care Quality Commission inspection and not being able to currently meet staffing levels required to provide safe services for babies and families.The temporary closure is for an initial period of six months, when births and expectant mothers are being offered safe birthing at surrounding hospitals in Taunton, Dorchester and Bath. Outpatient clinics for pregnant mothers such as obstetric and midwifery antenatal clinics, scanning, antenatal screening services and home births will continue at Yeovil District Hospital as normal.The South West NHS England regional team, NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust are working collectively to mitigate the risk of this temporary closure and ensure the wider systems work together to provide safe services in the meantime. Responsibility for the delivery, implementation and funding decisions for services ultimately rests with the appropriate National Health Service commissioning body.There are real issues in maternity care, but also outstanding examples of care. It will not be an overnight recovery, but we will be making steady improvements to ensure all women receive safe, personalised, and compassionate care. The Government continues to work with the NHS as it delivers its three-year maternity and neonatal plan to improve maternity and neonatal services.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department’s planned reforms to Personal Independence Payments on the mental health of people with disabilities.

We are taking action to address anxiety about the sustainability of the funding of PIP, focusing the benefit more on those with the greatest needs, by introducing a new eligibility requirement. The change to the PIP eligibility criteria will mean that people with a higher level of functional need – for example, people who are unable to complete activities at all, or who require more help from others to complete them – still receive PIP.We are also taking action to get the basics right and improve the experience for people who use the system of health and disability benefits as set out in the Green Paper. This includes exploring ways to improve PIP assessments through digitalising transfer of medical information, using evidence from eligibility for other services to reduce the need for people with very severe health conditions to undergo functional assessments and improving communication with people receiving awards who are expected to remain on disability benefits for life.For those who are affected by the new eligibility changes, we are consulting on how best to support this group, including how to make sure health and eligible care needs are met.Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper has been published here ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’(opens in a new tab).A further programme of analysis to support development of the proposals in the Green Paper will be developed and undertaken in the coming months.

What estimate she has made of the number of prisoners with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition. NHS England is responsible for healthcare services in prisons in England, including the clinical diagnosis of neurodiverse conditions, and it does not hold this data centrally.The Ministry of Justice is committed to improving support for neurodivergent people within prisons, including those with ADHD.Neurodiversity Support Managers have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. These specialist managers provide training and guidance to prison staff, improve processes to identify and support neurodivergent prisoners, and ensure reasonable adjustments are implemented to make prison environments more supportive of neurodiverse needs. Some prisons have also introduced neurodiversity wings or created specific areas which focus on the sensory and mental health requirements for prisoners with complex needs.The HMPPS Prisoner Education Service will be implementing a new, digitalised Additional Learning Needs tool to be used nationally by Core Education suppliers from October 2025. This tool will identify individual strengths and any additional learning needs, including neurodiversity. It will also suggest practical support strategies and offer guidance relating to potential areas of strength and need.

What assessment she has made of the cost of untreated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

No formal assessment has been made of the cost of untreated attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the report expected in the summer. The taskforce is considering the impact of not treating ADHD as part of its work.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with large supermarkets on the potential impact of (a) food pricing and (b) supermarkets' buying practices on food producers.

Defra regularly engages with supermarkets and producers about a range of measures they can take to ensure the availability of affordable food.  These measures include maintaining value ranges, price matching and price freezing.  However, it is for each individual food retailer to make commercial decisions regarding the products in their stores, as the Government does not interfere in day-to-day operations. The Government is firmly committed to ensuring food producers receive a fair price for their products, and to tackling unfairness in the supply chain wherever it exists. On 13 March, Fair Dealing Regulations for the pig sector were introduced and are currently progressing through the parliamentary process. Similar regulations for the eggs and fresh produce sectors will follow, with the Government prepared to intervene in any sector where fairness issues are identified. Where farmers sell directly to retailers, their agreements will be covered within the scope of the sectoral regulations that we are introducing through powers in the Agriculture Act 2020. Additionally, the Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to nutritious, affordable food. The recently launched Food Strategy will look to outline measures to make healthy food accessible and affordable for the whole population.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of her Department's planned changes to Personal Independent Payments on levels of poverty in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) the United Kingdom.

An assessment of the potential impact of the planned changes to health and disability benefits (including Personal Independence Payment) on levels of poverty is available for Great Britain.This can be found here: Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts.An assessment is not available below Great Britain level. The assessment does not include any impacts from the additional employment support announced in the Green Paper.

What steps she is taking to help improve support for prisoners with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition. NHS England is responsible for healthcare services in prisons in England, including the clinical diagnosis of neurodiverse conditions, and it does not hold this data centrally.The Ministry of Justice is committed to improving support for neurodivergent people within prisons, including those with ADHD.Neurodiversity Support Managers have been successfully rolled out across the prison service. These specialist managers provide training and guidance to prison staff, improve processes to identify and support neurodivergent prisoners, and ensure reasonable adjustments are implemented to make prison environments more supportive of neurodiverse needs. Some prisons have also introduced neurodiversity wings or created specific areas which focus on the sensory and mental health requirements for prisoners with complex needs.The HMPPS Prisoner Education Service will be implementing a new, digitalised Additional Learning Needs tool to be used nationally by Core Education suppliers from October 2025. This tool will identify individual strengths and any additional learning needs, including neurodiversity. It will also suggest practical support strategies and offer guidance relating to potential areas of strength and need.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to provide (a) support and (b) funding for cricket nets in rural communities.

The Government recognises that sports facilities are important to communities up and down the country, including rural communities. High-quality, inclusive facilities help people get active.Grassroots sport, including cricket, is funded through the Government’s Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, who invest over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year. This includes long-term investment to the England and Wales Cricket Board, the National Governing Body for cricket, which receives up to £11.6 million for five years to invest in community cricket initiatives that will benefit everyone, including those in rural areas.Future funding of sports facilities will be considered as part of the upcoming Spending Review.