Written questions by McDonald.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the governance arrangements between Tees Valley Combined Authority and South Tees Development Corporation, under the Best Value Notice process.

Governance and finance arrangements are considered as part of the Department’s holistic assessment of a local authority’s delivery of Best Value, as set out in the statutory guidance on Best Value standards and intervention. We set out clearly that the Best Value Notice for Tees Valley Combined Authority will be reviewed after 12 months. Any decisions on the Notice will be based on a holistic judgement of all available information, including considered engagement with the authority about progress against its improvement plan.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of loan documentation between Tees Valley Combined Authority and South Tees Development Corporation.

Governance and finance arrangements are considered as part of the Department’s holistic assessment of a local authority’s delivery of Best Value, as set out in the statutory guidance on Best Value standards and intervention. We set out clearly that the Best Value Notice for Tees Valley Combined Authority will be reviewed after 12 months. Any decisions on the Notice will be based on a holistic judgement of all available information, including considered engagement with the authority about progress against its improvement plan.

What estimate he has made of the number of either-way cases in the present Crown Court backlog that have yet to elect mode of trial.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information about cases in the open caseload at both the magistrates’ courts and at the Crown Court. This includes breakdowns of volumes and durations as part of the Crown Court open caseload published as part of Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: Criminal court statistics quarterly. The Ministry of Justice does not publish data relating to the progression of cases or mode of trial in the open caseload.

What estimate he has made of the proportion of cases in the backlog are still pending the decision of the defendant to elect mode of trial.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information about cases in the open caseload at both the magistrates’ courts and at the Crown Court. This includes breakdowns of volumes and durations as part of the Crown Court open caseload published as part of Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: Criminal court statistics quarterly. The Ministry of Justice does not publish data relating to the progression of cases or mode of trial in the open caseload.

What estimate he has made of the percentage of cases in the overall Crown Court backlog which are either way cases that would be no longer eligible for jury trial under his proposed reforms.

As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Whether his Department holds information on the median age of cases that have yet to elect mode of trial.

The Ministry of Justice publishes information about cases in the open caseload at both the magistrates’ courts and at the Crown Court. This includes breakdowns of volumes and durations as part of the Crown Court open caseload published as part of Criminal Court Statistics Quarterly: Criminal court statistics quarterly. The Ministry of Justice does not publish data relating to the progression of cases or mode of trial in the open caseload.

What estimate he has made of the percentage of the current Crown Court backlog that would be sent for judge alone trials under his proposed court reforms.

As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.

What estimate he has made of the percentage of the overall Crown Court backlog which comprises the cohort of up to three years’ imprisonment cases and would go before a Judge only court under proposed court reforms.

As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Whether the findings of the Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation will be available to i) the Home Affairs Select Committee and ii) hon. Members before the Crime and Policing Bill returns to the Commons.

Following the appalling attack on a synagogue in Manchester on 2 October 2025, the Home Secretary announced an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October. The Review is being led by Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC, supported by former Assistant Chief Constable Owen Weatherill KPM.The Review is due to submit its report to the Home Secretary in Spring 2026.

When she expects to (a) receive the findings of the Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation, (b) share those findings with hon. Members and (c) publish those findings.

Following the appalling attack on a synagogue in Manchester on 2 October 2025, the Home Secretary announced an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October. The Review is being led by Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC, supported by former Assistant Chief Constable Owen Weatherill KPM.The Review is due to submit its report to the Home Secretary in Spring 2026.

How many pupils with education, health and care plans in the Tees Valley combined authority area and its Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees local authority areas were initially placed in mainstream schools and subsequently secured a specialist placement following a successful tribunal appeal in each of the last three years.

The information requested is not held by the department.

What guidance her Department provides to local authorities on the SEND support that should be available to children with education, health and care plans while families are awaiting the outcome of a tribunal appeal.

The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice is statutory guidance for local authorities and other organisations that work with children with SEND. It explains the duties, policies and procedures in Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014. The Code sets out the support that families should receive from local authorities whilst they are awaiting the outcome of their Tribunal appeal. It explains that, in such circumstances, local authorities should continue to ensure the provision that is set out in an education, health and care (EHC) plan is delivered. It also stipulates that amendments to the cessation of EHC plans are not lawful whilst an appeal is ongoing. This is to ensure continuity of support for children and young people.

What the expected delivery timescales and associated capital funding allocations are for new specialist school places in Tees Valley combined authority area and its Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees local authority areas.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities. To support this, the department has announced at least £3 billion of high needs capital funding for 2026/27 to 2029/30. We will confirm local authority allocations for the 2026/27 share of this funding in the spring.This builds on the £740 million invested in 2025/26. Of this funding, Middlesbrough has been allocated just over £1.4 million and Stockton-on-Tees has been allocated just over £2.2 million.Additionally, there are two planned schools in the special and alternative provision free schools pipeline in these local authorities: a 100 place special school in Middlesbrough and a 100 place alternative provision in Stockton-on-Tees. The local authorities have the option to continue with central delivery of these schools but are currently considering our offer of alternative funding to deliver these places themselves, in line with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s written statement of 15 December 2025.High needs revenue funding allocations for specialist provision in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees have increased to over £44 million and over £46 million respectively in the 2025/26 financial year and will continue at these increased levels in 2026/27.

What capital and revenue funding allocations have been made to local authorities in Tees Valley combined authority area and its Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees local authority areas for specialist school places and SEND resource bases in the current spending period.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities. To support this, the department has announced at least £3 billion of high needs capital funding for 2026/27 to 2029/30. We will confirm local authority allocations for the 2026/27 share of this funding in the spring.This builds on the £740 million invested in 2025/26. Of this funding, Middlesbrough has been allocated just over £1.4 million and Stockton-on-Tees has been allocated just over £2.2 million.Additionally, there are two planned schools in the special and alternative provision free schools pipeline in these local authorities: a 100 place special school in Middlesbrough and a 100 place alternative provision in Stockton-on-Tees. The local authorities have the option to continue with central delivery of these schools but are currently considering our offer of alternative funding to deliver these places themselves, in line with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s written statement of 15 December 2025.High needs revenue funding allocations for specialist provision in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees have increased to over £44 million and over £46 million respectively in the 2025/26 financial year and will continue at these increased levels in 2026/27.

What assessment her Department has undertaken of specialist school place sufficiency in Tees Valley combined authority area and its Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees local authority areas in each of the next five years.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities. To support this, the department has announced at least £3 billion of high needs capital funding for 2026/27 to 2029/30. We will confirm local authority allocations for the 2026/27 share of this funding in the spring.This builds on the £740 million invested in 2025/26. Of this funding, Middlesbrough has been allocated just over £1.4 million and Stockton-on-Tees has been allocated just over £2.2 million.Additionally, there are two planned schools in the special and alternative provision free schools pipeline in these local authorities: a 100 place special school in Middlesbrough and a 100 place alternative provision in Stockton-on-Tees. The local authorities have the option to continue with central delivery of these schools but are currently considering our offer of alternative funding to deliver these places themselves, in line with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s written statement of 15 December 2025.High needs revenue funding allocations for specialist provision in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees have increased to over £44 million and over £46 million respectively in the 2025/26 financial year and will continue at these increased levels in 2026/27.

How many new specialist school places are planned to be created in Tees Valley combined authority area and its Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees local authority areas under Departmental programmes in each of the next five years.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities. To support this, the department has announced at least £3 billion of high needs capital funding for 2026/27 to 2029/30. We will confirm local authority allocations for the 2026/27 share of this funding in the spring.This builds on the £740 million invested in 2025/26. Of this funding, Middlesbrough has been allocated just over £1.4 million and Stockton-on-Tees has been allocated just over £2.2 million.Additionally, there are two planned schools in the special and alternative provision free schools pipeline in these local authorities: a 100 place special school in Middlesbrough and a 100 place alternative provision in Stockton-on-Tees. The local authorities have the option to continue with central delivery of these schools but are currently considering our offer of alternative funding to deliver these places themselves, in line with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s written statement of 15 December 2025.High needs revenue funding allocations for specialist provision in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees have increased to over £44 million and over £46 million respectively in the 2025/26 financial year and will continue at these increased levels in 2026/27.

Communities and Local Government, how many households are living in temporary accommodation (a) in England, (b) in Middlesbrough local authority area and (c) in Stockton-on-Tees local authority area; and what the i) average and ii) median lengths of stay in temporary accommodation are in each of those areas.

The Government publishes quarterly homelessness statistics which is available on gov.uk here. We must build more homes in the areas where they are needed so we can reduce the need for out of area placements and reduce the number of people in temporary accommodation, which is why we will deliver the biggest increase to social and affordable housing in a generation. We have also increased funding for homelessness services by £316 million to a total of more than £1 billion in 2025/26 to support local authorities to deliver homelessness services. This includes a £10.9 million top up announced last month to support households in the worst forms of temporary accommodation, such as bed & breakfast or out of area accommodation. We are publishing a cross-Government homelessness strategy later this year that will get us back on track to ending homelessness.

Communities and Local Government, how many households owed a homelessness duty by (a) Middlesbrough Council and (b) Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council were placed in temporary accommodation (i) within the local authority area, (ii) elsewhere in the Tees Valley Combined Authority area and (iii) outside that area in each of the last three years; and what information his Department holds on the distance from the placing authority area in such cases.

The Government publishes quarterly homelessness statistics which is available on gov.uk here. We must build more homes in the areas where they are needed so we can reduce the need for out of area placements and reduce the number of people in temporary accommodation, which is why we will deliver the biggest increase to social and affordable housing in a generation. We have also increased funding for homelessness services by £316 million to a total of more than £1 billion in 2025/26 to support local authorities to deliver homelessness services. This includes a £10.9 million top up announced last month to support households in the worst forms of temporary accommodation, such as bed & breakfast or out of area accommodation. We are publishing a cross-Government homelessness strategy later this year that will get us back on track to ending homelessness.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce (a) the duration of stays in temporary accommodation and (b) the use of out-of-area placements for households from Middlesbrough and Thornaby East.

The Government publishes quarterly homelessness statistics which is available on gov.uk here. We must build more homes in the areas where they are needed so we can reduce the need for out of area placements and reduce the number of people in temporary accommodation, which is why we will deliver the biggest increase to social and affordable housing in a generation. We have also increased funding for homelessness services by £316 million to a total of more than £1 billion in 2025/26 to support local authorities to deliver homelessness services. This includes a £10.9 million top up announced last month to support households in the worst forms of temporary accommodation, such as bed & breakfast or out of area accommodation. We are publishing a cross-Government homelessness strategy later this year that will get us back on track to ending homelessness.

How many (a) specialist school places and (b) resourced mainstream places for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans are available in (i) Middlesbrough local authority area and (ii) Stockton-on-Tees local authority area; and what plans she has to increase specialist provision in those areas.

As of May 2024, Middlesbrough has 681 special school places, and 369 special educational needs (SEN) unit or resourced provision places. Stockton-on-Tees has 667 special school places and 207 SEN unit or resourced provision places.The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities. The department supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with SEND through annual high needs capital funding, including through the £740 million confirmed for the 2025/26 financial year. Of this funding, Middlesbrough has been allocated £1.4 million and Stockton-on-Tees has been allocated £2.2 million.This funding is intended to create resourced provision adapted to support pupils needs. It can also be used to adapt mainstream schools to be more accessible and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.