Written questions by Lewin.

What progress she has made on the introduction of a GCSE in Ukrainian.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of all secondary schools notifying SEND students and their families of the option to study Functional Skills Qualifications instead of GCSEs.

Awaiting answer.

How many pension claimants are able to receive the value deferred back through inflated pensions before they pass away.

Awaiting answer.

The average period of time for which people choose to defer their state pensions.

Awaiting answer.

How many people (a) chose to defer their state pension and (b) claimed an arears payment after 12 months in the most recent 12-month period for which data are available.

Awaiting answer.

What whether she has considered screening all primary school age children for colour blindness.

The department knows that effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Whilst the department does not have any current plans to introduce screening for all primary school age children for colour blindness, to support settings to identify need early, we are strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve early identification in mainstream settings. Recently published evidence reviews from University College London will help to drive inclusive practices. They highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.We also recently announced new government-backed research into SEN identification, which will be delivered by UK Research Innovation (UKRI) in partnership with the department. This will aim to develop and test trusted and effective approaches to help the early identification of children needing tailored educational support.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of people waiting for NHS treatment.

We know how important it is to patients and clinicians that they receive and deliver treatment faster.Our Elective Reform Plan is working. Waiting lists are down over 225,000 since we came to office. We delivered 5.2 million extra appointments in our first year; double what we promised.The NHS is on the road to recovery, saving and transforming more lives through record investment, innovation and modernisation.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to implement social rent convergence.

At the Budget on 26 November 2025, the Chancellor restated the government’s commitment to implementing Social Rent convergence. We will announce a decision on how we will do so in January 2026, before the launch of the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.

What his planned timetable is to (a) reform the EPC system and (b) introduce a new Home Energy Model in 2026.

The government is working to reform EPCs so that they support our key objectives of achieving Clean Power by 2030 and accelerating to Net Zero. The government expects to introduce changes to EPCs metrics in 2026. The Home Energy Model (HEM) will replace the current Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) as the methodology underpinning EPCs and building regulations, and is planned to be implemented first alongside the Future Homes Standard.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the Pathfinder scheme to Hertfordshire.

The Pathfinder model is currently operating in six family court areas across England and Wales. Three further court areas will start the model on 11 November in the Black Country and Shropshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire and in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Courts in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight will start the model in January next year.Further expansion of the model will be considered during the allocations process which follows the latest Spending Review, and we are unable to pre-empt the outcome of this.

Communities and Local Government, how many (a) homes have been purchased through the council homes acquisition programme and (b) former homes bought under right to buy have been purchased back by local authorities since 2023.

Data on the number of homes purchased specifically through the council homes acquisition programme and on the number of homes sold under right to buy subsequently purchased back by local authorities, is not collected centrally. The number of all acquisitions by councils can be found in the Affordable Housing Supply open data, which can be found on gov.uk here.

What is the average value of a redeemed child trust fund since (a) July 2023 and (b) July 2024.

The average market value of Child Trust Fund accounts that have matured and have been claimed or transferred to an ISA can be found in the Child Trust Fund tables of the Annual Savings Statistics.https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/annual-savings-statistics-2025

Communities and Local Government, how many first time buyers there were in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025; and what proportion of those bought through shared ownership schemes.

My Department does not collect data on the number of first-time buyers.The Office for National Statistics publishes data on first-time buyer mortgage sales by local authority in the UK. They can be found on its website here. Data covers the period between 2006 and 2024. Data for 2025 has not yet been published.While it is not possible to provide information on the overall proportion of first time buyers that bought through shared ownership, my Department collects data on shared ownership sales by private registered providers of Social Housing, including whether these were to first time buyers.This data is used to produce an estimate of the proportion of shared ownership sales by private registered providers that are to first time buyers. These estimates are published for 2022-23 and 2023-24 as part of the Social Housing Sales and Demolitions statistical release. The 2024-25 publication has been pre-announced for publication in January/February 2026. My department only collects similar data from local authorities on a voluntary basis.

Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the average deposit paid by (a) all first time buyers and (b) first time buyers using shared ownership schemes in 2024.

According to the English Housing Survey, the average (mean) deposit of a first-time buyer in 2023-24 was £55,372 (£32,700 median). Further information can be found in the English Housing Survey statistical publication on gov.uk here.In 2023-24, the mean cash deposit paid by first time buyers in England using shared ownership schemes sold through via private registered providers was £20,300 and the median cash deposit was £12,900. Figures for all shared ownership schemes sold through via private registered providers is available in Live Table 697.

How many postgraduate students are (a) studying and (b) parents of children of nursery age for which the latest data is available..

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) is responsible for collecting and publishing data on the UK higher education (HE) sector. HESA does not collect data on the parental status of students across all UK HE providers, and so information on the total number of postgraduate students that are parents of children of nursery age is not currently held by the department.For the 2023/24 academic year, HESA reported there are 847,905 postgraduate students enrolled in UK HE providers. Counts of HE student enrolments by level of study are published in Table 3 of HESA’s Student data, which can be found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb271/figure-3.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of a Central Finance Facility for credit unions on the economy.

The Government has made clear its strong support for the credit union sector, recognising the value that credit unions bring to their members in local communities across the country in providing savings products and affordable credit. HM Treasury is delivering on measures announced by the Chancellor in last year’s Mansion House speech, including: concluding a call for evidence on potential reforms to credit union common bonds, supporting the industry-led Mutual and Co-operative Sector Business Council, and commissioning the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to publish a report on the mutuals landscape by the end of 2025. The Government currently has no plans to develop a central finance facility for credit unions but continues to engage with the sector and will keep all issues, like central finance functions, under review.

How many schools have entrances which open directly onto a 70mph road in (a) the UK, (b) England and (c) the East of England.

The Department does not hold this information. Local traffic authorities are best placed to decide where lower limits will be effective on the roads for which they are responsible, as they are best place to respond with the local information they hold. Earlier this month, 12 of England’s regional mayors signed a joint pledge to help more children walk, cycle or scoot to school safely through the delivery of a combined 3,500 miles of routes safely linking schools to homes, town and city centres, and transport hubs.

Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help councils use unspent Section 106 contributions.

While there are a variety of entirely legitimate reasons why local planning authorities may be holding unspent developer contributions, including to facilitate the effective delivery of phased development projects, we recognise the need to ensure that the contributions that developers make to mitigate the impact of development and make it acceptable in planning terms are used effectively and in a timely manner.Local planning authorities are expected to use all of the funding received by way of planning obligations. Individual agreements should normally include clauses stating when and how the funds will be used by and allow for their return, after an agreed period of time, where they are not.The Planning Advisory Service (PAS), funded by the Department, provides support to local planning authorities in the governance of developer contributions.Any local planning authority that receives a contribution from development through section 106 planning obligations must prepare and publish an Infrastructure Funding Statement at least annually. Reporting on developer contributions helps local communities and developers see how contributions have been spent and understand what future funds will be spent on, ensuring a transparent and accountable system.The government is committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure. Further details will be set out in due course.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing paramedics to (a) carry and (b) use fentanyl as an analgesic agent.

The Department remains committed to exploring the extension of medicine responsibilities for non-medical professionals. This will support the aim that patients are cared for, and treated by, the most appropriate healthcare professional to meet their needs, where it is safe and appropriate to do so. Many regulated healthcare professionals have already received extended medicine responsibilities and the Department is committed to assessing the impact that these changes have had on patient care.Regarding the extension of paramedics’ medicine responsibilities, there is a process in place for making changes to ensure proposals are safe and beneficial for patients. Officials are carefully considering proposals relating to a range of healthcare professionals, including paramedics, and the use of fentanyl as an analgesic agent, as part of wider work.

With reference to her Department's document entitled Volumetric concrete mixers: fact sheet March 2025, published on 18 March 2025, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' guidance entitled Assessing environmental impact, updated on 1 November 2023, if she will make an environmental impact study of the potential impact of reducing the maximum weight limit of volumetric concrete mixers from 2028.

The 18 March publication is not a change to the policy on weights for volumetric concrete mixers. The ten-year temporary exemption will come to an end, as planned, in 2028. The Department assessed the potential environmental impacts when preparing the environmental principles policy statement assessment, to assist me with complying with my duty to have due regard to the environmental principles when making policy under section 19(1) of the Environment Act 2021.