Written questions by Miller.

When she plans to answer Question (a) 115147, (b) 115148 and (c) 115149 tabled by the hon. Member for Bicester and Woodstock on 23 February 2026.

The response to Written Parliamentary Question 115148 was published on 2 March 2026. The responses to Written Parliamentary Questions 115147 and 115149 were published on 31 March 2026.

What assessment she has made of the impact on local authority finances of accumulated high needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits ahead of the statutory override ending in 2027-28.

The department has set out plans for a reformed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in the recent Schools White Paper. The department's assessment of future SEND spending will be updated following the SEND consultation.We have set out plans to address high needs deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper, which will begin to improve outcomes for children and bring costs under control through effective early intervention stopping needs from escalating.For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that we will continue to take an appropriate and proportionate approach, though it will not be unlimited.From 2028/29, SEND spending will be covered by the overall government DEL budget, meaning local authorities are not expected to fund future SEND costs from general funds, once the Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027/28.

What discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding arrangements for local authority high needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits ahead of the end of the statutory override in 2027-28.

The government has set out plans to address deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper.For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that the government will continue to take an appropriate and proportionate approach, though it will not be unlimited. Future support will take into account local authorities' successful delivery of their approved local special educational needs and disabilities reform plan.

What plans the Government has to help address local authority high needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits ahead of the end of the statutory override in 2027-28.

The government has set out plans to address deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper.For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that the government will continue to take an appropriate and proportionate approach, though it will not be unlimited. Future support will take into account local authorities' successful delivery of their approved local special educational needs and disabilities reform plan.

Whether she plans to cover the remaining local authority share of high needs Dedicated Schools Grant deficits beyond 2025-26.

The government has set out plans to address deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit once they have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with our new system set out in the Schools White Paper.For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that the government will continue to take an appropriate and proportionate approach, though it will not be unlimited. Future support will take into account local authorities' successful delivery of their approved local special educational needs and disabilities reform plan.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of changing the (i) interest rate, for example to CPI, for existing student loan borrowers and (ii) maximum period before student loans are written off for existing borrowers on the public finances.

Reducing the interest rate charged to existing student loan borrowers would lead to reduced future repayments due to some borrowers paying off their loans faster, and therefore represent a cost to the public purse.Increasing the maximum period before student loans are written off for existing borrowers would generate a saving for public finances due to additional repayments being made by borrowers who would otherwise have had their loans written off.Plan 5 loans were introduced by the previous government for new undergraduate students starting courses from the 2023/24 academic year onwards and, compared to the Plan 2 loans they replaced, combine reduced interest rates with a ten year extension to the loan repayment term and a lower repayment threshold. Impacts were published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-reform-equality-impact-assessment.

If she will make an estimate of the potential impact to the public pursue of (a) cancelling all outstanding student loan balances on existing borrowers; (b) cancelling all outstanding student loan balances for particular occupations for existing borrowers; and (c) cancelling all outstanding student loan balances for particular subjects studied, for existing borrowers.

Cancelling all outstanding student loan balances for existing student loan borrowers would lead to reduction of the fair value of the entire loan book to zero. The fair value of the student loan book, published in the most recent annual accounts, as at 31 March 2025 was £157.9 billion.The department has not estimated the impact to the public purse of cancelling all outstanding student loan balances for subsets of graduates who studied particular subjects or work in specific professions.

If she will make an estimate of the potential impact to the public purse of (a) changing the student loan repayment rates for existing borrowers and (b) changing the income threshold at which student loans are repaid for existing borrowers.

Reducing the repayment rate for existing student loan borrowers would reduce expected future repayments and therefore be a cost to the public purse. Increasing the income threshold at which student loans are repaid for existing borrowers would also reduce expected future repayments.To support the long-term sustainability of the student loan system, we announced at the Autumn Budget 2025 that the Plan 2 repayment threshold will be increased to £29,385 in April 2026 and then frozen at that level for three years beginning April 2027.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of freezing student loan repayment thresholds and interest rates from 2027 on the total amount repaid over the lifetime of a loan, broken down by graduate income decile.

It was announced at the Autumn Budget that the repayment and interest thresholds for Plan 2 student loans will be frozen from the 2026/27 financial year until April 2030, when they will increase annually by inflation. The department produced the following analysis regarding the impact of freezing the repayment and interest thresholds:Average lifetime repayments (2024/25 financial year prices)Baseline (£)Post- policy (£)Impact£%Entire cohort27,00028,3001,3005AverageLifetime graduate earnings decile12,0002,0000024,3004,700400937,7008,1004005411,60013,0001,40012516,90018,5001,6009623,10025,2002,1009731,30033,6002,3007841,20043,5002,3006954,50056,1001,60031059,10059,5004001 No freeze has been announced relating to interest rates. The department will release an equalities impact assessment, including the impact on lifetime repayments, alongside other borrower impacts for the Plan 2 repayment threshold and interest threshold freeze announced at the Autumn Budget. Published results may differ from those provided due to model and data updates.

How many UK higher education institutions have approached the her Department for guidance following requests from the Chinese Embassy to alter language referring to Taiwan, in each year since 2020.

The department engages regularly with representatives from the higher education sector on a range of international issues, working to support universities to maximise the opportunities of international collaboration whilst managing related risks. However, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of any discussions with individual universities on sensitive diplomatic or national security matters.If we are made aware of concerns from universities regarding undue foreign pressure, we can and would take appropriate action to support universities, alongside other partners, to maintain their independence and autonomy. In England, providers have a regulatory requirement to ensure that their decisions are taken, without direction, coercion or covert influence. The Office for Students’ freedom of speech advice, published in June 2025, shows how providers should protect academic freedom from foreign interference, and the department has announced further work to improve international due diligence and awareness of foreign interference risks.

What recent discussions she has had with universities on foreign diplomatic pressure to (a) alter and (b) remove references to Taiwan in (i) academic and (ii) institutional communications.

The department engages regularly with representatives from the higher education sector on a range of international issues, working to support universities to maximise the opportunities of international collaboration whilst managing related risks. However, it would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of any discussions with individual universities on sensitive diplomatic or national security matters.If we are made aware of concerns from universities regarding undue foreign pressure, we can and would take appropriate action to support universities, alongside other partners, to maintain their independence and autonomy. In England, providers have a regulatory requirement to ensure that their decisions are taken, without direction, coercion or covert influence. The Office for Students’ freedom of speech advice, published in June 2025, shows how providers should protect academic freedom from foreign interference, and the department has announced further work to improve international due diligence and awareness of foreign interference risks.

With reference to the press notice entitled £740 million allocated for 10,000 new places for pupils with SEND, published on 25 March 2025, what proportion of the £740 million has been allocated for building new special schools.

The department has published allocations for £740 million high needs capital funding in 2025/26 to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision.Of this funding, Oxfordshire Council has been allocated just under £8 million.This funding is intended to support local authorities to adapt or create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit pupils’ needs, and to create high quality special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places including for pupils with SEND, sits with local authorities. It is ultimately up to local authorities to determine how to best prioritise their high needs capital funding to address local priorities.

Whether her Department has had discussions with the Oxford-Cambridge Partnership on ensuring that business needs are met through the delivery of (a) apprenticeships and (b) technical skills by further education institutions.

The department, through Skills England, is actively engaged in the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor. This engagement is supported by local skills improvement plans (LSIPs), which cover all the areas within the Oxford-Cambridge corridor. LSIPs are overseen by Skills England, helping to ensure all parties play their part.Skills England works closely with employer representative bodies who develop LSIPs to ensure that local technical skills priorities support employers, empower learners and enable regions to respond to future workforce needs.Employers have consistently engaged with and contributed to the development of LSIPs to articulate skills needs, outline issues faced and establish solutions to tackle these.

With reference to the press notice entitled £740 million allocated for 10,000 new places for pupils with SEND, published on 25 March 2025, what steps her Department has taken to establish the criteria for prioritising spending for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities capital investment.

The department has published allocations for £740 million high needs capital funding in 2025/26 to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision.Of this funding, Oxfordshire Council has been allocated just under £8 million.This funding is intended to support local authorities to adapt or create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit pupils’ needs, and to create high quality special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places including for pupils with SEND, sits with local authorities. It is ultimately up to local authorities to determine how to best prioritise their high needs capital funding to address local priorities.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring universities to conduct human rights due diligence checks when offering security-related courses to organisations based in countries listed as a human rights priority in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's report entitled Human Rights and Democracy Report 2022, published on 13 July 2023.

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world, and we remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights. Universities attract international engagement from across the world, and this global reach plays an important part in promoting British values, such as the rule of law and respect for human rights.Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous bodies, independent from government, and therefore responsible for their own policies and procedures.However, English HE providers must uphold applicable public interest governance principles, including on free speech, and we expect the sector to be alert to regulatory risks when collaborating with international partners, conducting appropriate due diligence to comply with all legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998. The Office for Students (OfS) have introduced a further registration condition on harassment and sexual misconduct, which will come into force on 1 August 2025. This condition is important in ensuring HE students are free from harassment and sexual misconduct that would otherwise adversely affect their ability to benefit from their studies.As the independent regulator, it is the role of the OfS to monitor and assess registered providers’ compliance with all its conditions of registration.

Whether her Department is developing plans to require universities to develop institution-wide human rights policies and procedures.

The UK is a leading advocate for human rights around the world, and we remain committed to the promotion of universal human rights. Universities attract international engagement from across the world, and this global reach plays an important part in promoting British values, such as the rule of law and respect for human rights.Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous bodies, independent from government, and therefore responsible for their own policies and procedures.However, English HE providers must uphold applicable public interest governance principles, including on free speech, and we expect the sector to be alert to regulatory risks when collaborating with international partners, conducting appropriate due diligence to comply with all legislation, including the Human Rights Act 1998. The Office for Students (OfS) have introduced a further registration condition on harassment and sexual misconduct, which will come into force on 1 August 2025. This condition is important in ensuring HE students are free from harassment and sexual misconduct that would otherwise adversely affect their ability to benefit from their studies.As the independent regulator, it is the role of the OfS to monitor and assess registered providers’ compliance with all its conditions of registration.

When she plans to answer Questions (a) 36322, (b) 36323 and (c) 36324, tabled by the hon. Member for Bicester and Woodstock on 6 March 2025.

The answers to Written Parliamentary Questions 36322, 36323 and 36324 were published on 20 March 2025.

Whether her Department plans to introduce legislation for the provision of (a) early screening for neurodivergent conditions and (b) improved teacher training in those conditions.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with neurodiverse conditions. We have established a neurodivergence task and finish group, which includes a range of experts including clinicians, scientists and academics, education experts and third sector organisations. This group is chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg from Birmingham University and is working closely with the department to help improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream settings in a way that works for neurodivergent children and young people. This includes considering the use of needs-assessment and screening tools by educational professionals. High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with SEND. All initial teacher training (ITT) providers must ensure that their courses enable trainee teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards, which set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND, such as neurodiversity, 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, and from September 2025, these 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, including those with neurodiversity. 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. 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, particularly those with SEND. We recognise that continuous improvement is essential and have 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 assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken to confirm the Adoption Support Fund budget on children receiving therapy through that fund.

The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on the allocation of the department’s budget for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the future of the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF), including issues linked to inflation, are being considered as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible. We will always consider the impact of decisions on vulnerable children.To ensure there are no gaps in therapy, including for children with additional needs, ASGSF applications are generally permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years. Where applications are approved, therapy which starts during March 2025 may therefore continue into the next financial year under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the time taken to confirm Adoption Support Fund funding does not lead to gaps in therapy provision for adopted children with additional needs.

The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on the allocation of the department’s budget for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the future of the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF), including issues linked to inflation, are being considered as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible. We will always consider the impact of decisions on vulnerable children.To ensure there are no gaps in therapy, including for children with additional needs, ASGSF applications are generally permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years. Where applications are approved, therapy which starts during March 2025 may therefore continue into the next financial year under previously agreed transitional funding arrangements.