Written questions by Dance.

Pursuant to the Answer of 2 September 2024 to Question 2285 on Pupils: Dyslexia, what discussions she has had with (a) families and (b) education care experts on delivering the best educational outcomes for children with (i) dyslexia and (ii) other neurodivergent conditions in (A) Somerset and (B) the South West.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.The department is working closely with experts on reforms, including Dame Christine Lenehan as a Strategic Advisor for SEND, who is playing a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families, as we consider the next steps for the future of SEND reform.We know that consistent, meaningful co-production is vital to improving the experiences of all children, young people and their families, and local authorities must ensure that children, young people and parents are provided with the information, advice and support necessary to enable them to participate in discussions and decisions about their support. We will continue to offer training and support, via our contracted delivery partners, to SEND Information, Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS).The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading. As part of the continuous professional development provided by the English Hubs, the Reading Ambition for All programme has been launched to improve outcomes for children who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND.In the South West, there are six English Hubs: Cornerstone, Ilsham, Kernow, Mangotsfield, Ramsbury and Unlocking Excellence. This academic year, they are supporting a total of 130 schools with the Reading Ambition for All programme.The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme brings together integrated care boards, local authorities and schools, working in partnership with parents and carers to support schools to better meet the needs of neurodivergent children. PINS was co-produced with parent carers with input from education and health professionals.Since the programme launched in November 2023, PINS has deployed health and education specialists to strengthen training for teachers and staff in around 1,650 mainstream primary schools (10%).PINS is successfully operating in Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, with specialist neurodiversity training and parent carer engagement currently being delivered in participating schools. The PINS programme is being evaluated and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.Additionally, the department has brought together a group of leading neurodiversity experts to work closely with us to help improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream settings in a way that works for neurodivergent children and young people.

What plans she has to improve specialist teacher training on supporting dyslexic students in primary schools.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions. The government is focusing on improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and is working with families and education and care experts to deliver this in the best interests of all children and to improve parents’ trust. High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with SEND or from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the department is committed to ensuring that all pupils receive excellent support from their teachers. The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND such as dyslexia. All initial teacher training (ITT) providers must ensure that their courses enable trainee teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards to be recommended for the award of qualified teacher status. The ITT Core Content Framework and Early Career Framework (ECF), for trainee and early career teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching. From September 2025, they will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of ITT and those delivering provider-led early career training to create their curricula. From September 2025 all ECTs will be entitled to a two-year induction that is underpinned by the ITTECF, known as the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE). The department’s review of content for the ITTECF paid particular attention to the needs of trainees and ECTs when supporting pupils with SEND. There is now significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, some of which has been adapted from the new national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators to be relevant for trainees and ECTs. We have edited existing statements to improve inclusivity for SEND throughout the framework, including, for example, developing an understanding of different pupil needs, and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils, including those with dyslexia. From September 2025, the department has also enhanced the requirement on providers of ECT training to develop SEND training materials. The department tested this approach with SEND educational experts with consensus that the approach of ‘quality-first teaching’ would be the best way to improve outcomes for all children. The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and has recently committed to a full review of the ECTE in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs. This review will focus on the support we provide new teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.

What plans she has to improve specialist teacher training on supporting dyslexic students in the post-16 education sector.

We are the department for opportunity. As part of this we are committed to help every learner to achieve and thrive, through excellent teaching and high standards. This includes a focus on children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).The department has put measures in place to support students with SEND. All publicly funded further education (FE) teacher training routes are required to support trainees to achieve the learning and skills teacher occupational standard. The standard requires trainee teachers to actively promote equality of opportunity and inclusion by responding to the needs of all students, including children and young people with SEND and/or dyslexia.The department has also continued to offer financial incentives for those undertaking teacher training for the FE sector in priority subject areas. We confirmed that FE teacher training bursaries will be offered for a further year, the 2025/26 academic year. We have set the bursaries for SEND at £15,000.All education and training providers, including technical colleges, and other related service providers, have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, so they are not disadvantaged compared to non-disabled students. This includes people with a learning difficulty. This duty is set out under section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, which is available here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/20.

What the average waiting time is for dyslexia assessments in (a) Yeovil, (b) Somerset and (c) the South West.

Data on waiting times for dyslexia assessments is not held centrally. Assessments for dyslexia in children are provided by an educational psychologist or an appropriately qualified specialist dyslexia teacher. If a parent thinks their child may be dyslexic, as a first step they should speak to their child’s teacher or their school's special educational needs co-ordinator about their concerns. They may be able to offer additional support to help the child if necessary. Further information on dyslexia assessments can be found on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dyslexia/diagnosis/The early identification of needs and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and the statutory assessments at the end of key stage two.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending the Flood Re-Programme to include properties built after 2009.

The Flood Re scheme was established to ensure UK households living in properties at high risk of flooding can access affordable home insurance. Homes built after 2009 were not included within the scope of the scheme due to changes to planning policy in 2006 specifying that inappropriate development in floodplains should be avoided. Where development is necessary in a flood risk area, it should be made flood resistant and resilient and safe for their lifetime, without increasing flood risk elsewhere. Flood Re’s second Quinquennial Review was published in July 2024. Consideration was given to extending the scope of the Scheme including homes built after 2009. Flood Re determined that the scheme should not currently be extended, citing the lack of substantive evidence of a systemic market failure. There are currently no plans to extend the scope of the scheme, however Defra regularly reviews all policies, including eligibility for Flood Re.

What steps he is taking to improve the diagnosis of dyslexia in children in (a) Somerset and (b) the South West.

Data on waiting times for dyslexia assessments is not held centrally. Assessments for dyslexia in children are provided by an educational psychologist or an appropriately qualified specialist dyslexia teacher. If a parent thinks their child may be dyslexic, as a first step they should speak to their child’s teacher or their school's special educational needs co-ordinator about their concerns. They may be able to offer additional support to help the child if necessary. Further information on dyslexia assessments can be found on the NHS.UK website, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dyslexia/diagnosis/The early identification of needs and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and the statutory assessments at the end of key stage two.

What steps her Department is taking to support children diagnosed with dyslexia in Yeovil constituency.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.We are providing £1 billion more for high needs budgets in 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.Schools should apply a ‘graduated approach’ to identify a child’s needs, plan appropriate support, implement that support and review it regularly to ensure it continues to meet their identified needs. Through this, schools should develop personalised approaches to supporting the unique needs of individual pupils. Schools should involve pupils and their parents in this process, taking their views into consideration.The core content framework and early career framework, for trainee and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025 will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of initial teacher training and those delivering training to ECTs to create their curricula. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND.Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools.The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading. As part of the continuous professional development provided by the English Hubs, the Reading Ambition for All programme has been launched to improve outcomes for children who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND.In the South West there are 6 English Hubs: Cornerstone, Ilsham, Kernow, Mangotsfield, Ramsbury and ‘Unlocking Excellence’. This academic year, they are supporting a total of 130 schools with the Reading Ambition for All programme.

What plans she has to improve (a) inclusivity and (b) expertise on dyslexia in mainstream schools in (i) Somerset and (ii) the South West.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.We are providing £1 billion more for high needs budgets in 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.Schools should apply a ‘graduated approach’ to identify a child’s needs, plan appropriate support, implement that support and review it regularly to ensure it continues to meet their identified needs. Through this, schools should develop personalised approaches to supporting the unique needs of individual pupils. Schools should involve pupils and their parents in this process, taking their views into consideration.The core content framework and early career framework, for trainee and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025 will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of initial teacher training and those delivering training to ECTs to create their curricula. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND.Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools.The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading. As part of the continuous professional development provided by the English Hubs, the Reading Ambition for All programme has been launched to improve outcomes for children who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND.In the South West there are 6 English Hubs: Cornerstone, Ilsham, Kernow, Mangotsfield, Ramsbury and ‘Unlocking Excellence’. This academic year, they are supporting a total of 130 schools with the Reading Ambition for All programme.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure early diagnosis of dyslexia in schools.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.We are providing £1 billion more for high needs budgets in 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.Schools should apply a ‘graduated approach’ to identify a child’s needs, plan appropriate support, implement that support and review it regularly to ensure it continues to meet their identified needs. Through this, schools should develop personalised approaches to supporting the unique needs of individual pupils. Schools should involve pupils and their parents in this process, taking their views into consideration.The core content framework and early career framework, for trainee and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025 will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of initial teacher training and those delivering training to ECTs to create their curricula. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND.Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools.The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading. As part of the continuous professional development provided by the English Hubs, the Reading Ambition for All programme has been launched to improve outcomes for children who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND.In the South West there are 6 English Hubs: Cornerstone, Ilsham, Kernow, Mangotsfield, Ramsbury and ‘Unlocking Excellence’. This academic year, they are supporting a total of 130 schools with the Reading Ambition for All programme.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of support for dyslexic students in mainstream education in (a) Somerset and (b) the South West.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions.We are providing £1 billion more for high needs budgets in 2025/26 financial year, bringing total high needs funding to £11.9 billion. This funding will help local authorities and schools with the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with complex SEND.Early identification of need and support is critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia. There are already a number of measures to help teachers do this, including the phonics screening check and statutory assessments at the end of key stage 2.Schools should apply a ‘graduated approach’ to identify a child’s needs, plan appropriate support, implement that support and review it regularly to ensure it continues to meet their identified needs. Through this, schools should develop personalised approaches to supporting the unique needs of individual pupils. Schools should involve pupils and their parents in this process, taking their views into consideration.The core content framework and early career framework, for trainee and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025 will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of initial teacher training and those delivering training to ECTs to create their curricula. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND.Measures have also been introduced to support the effective teaching of reading, including for those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme, the publication of the reading framework and an updated list of high-quality systematic synthetic phonics programmes for schools.The English Hubs programme is dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading. As part of the continuous professional development provided by the English Hubs, the Reading Ambition for All programme has been launched to improve outcomes for children who need additional support with reading, including those with SEND.In the South West there are 6 English Hubs: Cornerstone, Ilsham, Kernow, Mangotsfield, Ramsbury and ‘Unlocking Excellence’. This academic year, they are supporting a total of 130 schools with the Reading Ambition for All programme.

What role UK-based suppliers of (a) defence and (b) security equipment will have in reaching the target of spending 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2027.

This Government recognises the vital role the UK defence industry plays not only in our national security but also to the economic prosperity and growth of the UK. Our industry partners, of all sizes, are very much at the heart of our One Defence approach. The Defence Industrial Strategy will align our security and economic priorities to boost the prosperity of our people across the country, provide resilience for the UK, and ensure the credibility of our deterrence. We will ensure a strong defence sector and resilient supply chains across the whole of the UK.The investment in defence announced by the Prime Minister on 25 February 2025 will protect UK citizens from threats and create a secure and stable environment in which businesses of all sizes can thrive, supporting the Government’s number one mission to deliver economic growth. The new Defence Industrial Strategy will set out how UK-based suppliers will support both our national security and economic prosperity when it is published later this year.

With reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, whether his Department has plans to prioritise awarding contracts to domestic suppliers of defence and security equipment.

Through the Defence Industrial Strategy, we will examine how to prioritise and promote UK based businesses for defence investment without losing the benefits of competition, including in those areas of the defence sector that present the greatest opportunities for UK economic growth and competitive advantage. We will also reform procurement to reduce waste and support industry to seize export opportunities.The government has been clear that it will use the additional investment in defence announced by the Prime Minister on 25 February 2025 to maximise jobs, growth, skills and innovation in the UK. This investment in defence will protect UK citizens from threats and create a secure and stable environment in which businesses can thrive, supporting the Government’s number one mission to deliver economic growth.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, whether he has plans to ring fence spending on (a) international vaccine distribution and (b) disease prevention, in the context of the proposed decrease in official development assistance by 2027.

The UK is one of the largest donors to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. We have committed £1.65 billion to the current strategic period covering 2021-2025. This funding has enabled Gavi - in partnership with countries - to vaccinate over a billion children saving over 17 million lives. While we will of course face tough choices resulting from the reduced Official Development Assistance (ODA) available in the coming years, this government remains fully committed to a globally significant role on development. It is both in our national interest and in the interest of our partners across the globe. As part of the UK Spending Review, which will be completed in June, we are assessing how the UK can have the greatest impact with all of our global health investments in the round. Announcements will be made following the completion of the review.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 January 2025 to Question 20867 on Military Aircraft: Helicopters, whether the introduction into service of the New Medium Helicopter will be brought forward in light of the commitment to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2027.

The progress of the New Medium Helicopter programme is not affected by the commitment to spend 2.5% GDP on defence by 2027. There are no plans to change the extant New Medium Helicopter competition which started on 27 February 2024 with the release of the Invitation to Negotiate to Aribus Helicopters UK, Leonardo Helicopters UK and Lockheed Martin UK. The Ministry of Defence is continuing with the established procurement process, managed by Defence Equipment and Suport, and the proposal will be evaluated through 2025 when, subject to Government approvals, a contract award is anticipated.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to take steps to help protect homeowners from property devaluations in flood prone areas of South Somerset.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026. Around 1,000 projects will receive funding in 24/25 and 25/26. Property Flood Resilience (PFR) can provide homes and businesses the tools to manage the impact that flooding has on their property, reducing damage and repair costs and enabling quicker recovery. Working with Defra, the Environment Agency has commissioned an independent review of national Property Level Flood Resilience. This is expected to report in the autumn and will provide an Action Plan, that will enable growth of the PFR market so that individuals and businesses can and will take their own action. It will also include actions that build confidence in the products and installations available and ensure information on PFR measures is reliable and accessible.

What steps her Department plans to take to help improve road infrastructure to respond to flooding risks in (a) Somerset and (b) the South West.

The Government takes flooding and its effects seriously, and has established a Floods Resilience Taskforce, which will enable close working between national, regional, and local government, including the devolved administrations, along with flood risk partners. The Government is providing local authorities with an additional £500 million of funding for local highway maintenance for 2025/26 compared to 2024/25, with Somerset Council receiving £44.9 million in 2025/26 for highway maintenance. It is up to local highway authorities to determine how best to spend this funding on maintaining and protecting their roads, including making them more resilient to flooding. The Department is also working with the UK Roads Leadership Group’s Adaptation, Biodiversity and Climate Board to produce best practice advice and guidance to local highway authorities to help them deal with the effects of climate change.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help protect houses built on flood prone land in South Somerset.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026. Around 1,000 projects will receive funding in 24/25 and 25/26. The Government has committed to ensure we are building more high-quality, well-designed and sustainable homes and creating places that increase climate resilience and promote nature recovery. Flood risk is an important consideration in the planning system. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. Where development is necessary, and where there are no suitable sites available in areas with a lower risk of flooding, local planning authorities and developers should ensure development is appropriately flood resilient and resistant, safe for its users for the development’s lifetime, will not increase flood risk overall and will provide wider sustainability benefits. The Government published a revised NPPF in December 2024. This clarified how the sequential test should be applied to development in areas of flood risk and encouraged the use of sustainable drainage systems in new development. The Government will consider whether further changes are required to manage flood risk, coastal change and sustainable drainage systems provision through the planning system when we consult on further planning reform, including a set of national policies related to decision making, this spring.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the support Government has provided (a) before, (b) during and (c) after flooding instances in (i) Somerset and (ii) the South West.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in building, maintaining and repairing flood defences, better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026. Around 1,000 projects will receive funding in 24/25 and 25/26. Defra works with National Resilience, part of the Home Office, to maintain the Flood Rescue National Asset Register, a list of over 100 teams from the Fire and Rescue Service and voluntary organisations with boats and other assets and who are available for national deployment in England, through Local Resilience Forum (LRF) coordination Government recovery support after flooding is only provided in exceptional circumstances. The recent flooding impact did not trigger the Flood Recovery Framework or Property Flood Resilience Grant. For context, the framework was activated after storms Babet (October 2023) and Henk (January 2024), affecting over 8,500 homes and businesses.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential risks of building on flood-prone land in (a) Somerset and (b) the South West.

As part of the Government’s Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion will be invested over two years in better protecting 52,000 properties by March 2026. Around 1,000 projects will receive funding in 24/25 and 25/26. The Government has committed to ensure we are building more high-quality, well-designed and sustainable homes and creating places that increase climate resilience and promote nature recovery. Flood risk is an important consideration in the planning system. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) is clear that inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided by directing development away from areas at highest risk, including floodplains. Where development is necessary, and where there are no suitable sites available in areas with a lower risk of flooding, local planning authorities and developers should ensure development is appropriately flood resilient and resistant, safe for its users for the development’s lifetime, will not increase flood risk overall and will provide wider sustainability benefits. The Government published a revised NPPF in December 2024. This clarified how the sequential test should be applied to development in areas of flood risk and encouraged the use of sustainable drainage systems in new development. The Government will consider whether further changes are required to manage flood risk, coastal change and sustainable drainage systems provision through the planning system when we consult on further planning reform, including a set of national policies related to decision making, this spring.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the contribution of water treatment facilities in managing excess water and flooding in South Somerset.

Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs) are new and vital for setting out how the water industry plans to extend, improve and maintain a robust and resilient drainage and wastewater system in the face of pressures from climate change, urban development and a growing population. Wessex Water's DWMP sets out how they plan to deliver this for the next 25 years. They will be updating this plan shortly and will consult publicly. The Environment Agency is working with OFWAT and Defra to ensure these plans deliver.