Written questions by Young.

What assessment she has made of the (a) potential impact of accrued interest on the total debt balances of Plan 2 borrowers and (b) number of graduates whose monthly repayments are lower than the monthly interest added to their account.

As monthly repayment amounts for individual borrowers can change from month to month, it is not possible to produce a reliable monthly level figure. On an annual basis, the number of England-domiciled borrowers with Plan 2 loans which have become liable to repay where the sum of all interest amounts accrued is greater than the sum of all repayment amounts in the 2024/25 financial year, to the nearest 10,000, was 3.32 million. This includes all maintenance, tuition and advanced learner loans and includes borrowers who are currently earning below repayment threshold. Unlike commercial loans, student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. Borrowers only start repaying their student loan once earnings exceed the threshold, after which they repay at a rate of 9% of income above the repayment threshold, meaning low earning borrowers are protected. At the end of the repayment term the majority of Plan 2 borrowers, other than those with sufficiently high earnings to repay their loan in full, will have any outstanding loan debt, including interest accrued, cancelled with no detriment to the borrower and debt is never passed on to family members of descendants.

What estimate he has made of the number of retired civil servants experiencing financial hardship due to them not receiving their Civil Service Pension payments on time; and what funding has been allocated for interim financial support and emergency payments to those civil servants.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government.The issues and delays facing a number of civil servants and pension scheme members in receiving their pension quotes are unacceptable. I want to reassure you that this Government has taken firm action to help put things right as soon as possible. We have agreed a clear recovery plan with Capita, which includes specific milestones and accountability targets for delivery. For priority cases, we have deployed additional resources and improved communication with affected colleagues, so that staff, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve.Existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) have been enhanced and strengthened to deliver improved performance and higher penalties for failure, including financial penalties. These have already applied in respect to Capita's performance with recent issues and delays in administering the Civil Service Pension Scheme.Capita prioritised the most urgent cases and by the end of February, all death in service cases were either settled or progressed to the final stage or awaiting a member response. The same position was reached for ill health retirement applications by mid-March.While hardship estimates are not held, Capita has made lump sum payments to 8,979 members, the majority of whom have retired but are not yet receiving their pension, and are on track to bring these members into regular pension payments by the end of April.To provide immediate financial support to those who may need it, arrangements are in place for interest-free bridging loans typically up to £5,000 or £10,000 in exceptional cases to most recent retirees facing payment delays. This is alongside interim lump sum payments being made to provide immediate funds to retiring members. The pension scheme continues to make monthly pension payments to approximately 730,000 existing pensioner members on timeInterest will be paid on delayed benefits to avoid financial loss by members. In addition, the existing statutory complaints process evaluates claims for financial losses, as well as distress and inconvenience caused, on a case-by-case basis to determine whether compensation is due. This ensures that any retiree who provides evidence of extra costs, such as bank penalties or interest charges caused by the delay, is fairly assessed. This process is run in accordance with the standards set by the Pensions Ombudsman.The latest position of the Civil Service Pension Recovery Plan Update is available at this weblink: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-pension-recovery-plan-updates

If he will publish the (a) eligibility criteria for interest-free hardship loans and (b) process for applying for them for retired civil servants that are unable to access their civil service pension payments on time.

The Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita in November 2023 under the previous government. The Civil Service Pension Scheme transferred to Capita on 1 December.Transitional Help Loans are available to support those who may be facing hardship. These are interest free, will be provided by employers and available to those employees and to any partial retiree still in employment who retired from 1 January 2025 onwards. The pension member must be waiting for a delayed first pension payment. Loans of £5,000 will be made available and up to £10,000 in exceptional circumstances.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of providing compensation to patients treated with rectopexy mesh for rectal prolapse as part of its work on redress following the recommendations of the Hughes Report, published on 7 February 2024.

As set out in the Hughes Report, the Government is carefully considering the Patient Safety Commissioner’s (PSC’s) recommendations, including the proposed approaches to redress for those harmed by pelvic mesh. The Hughes Report did not cover patients treated with rectopexy mesh for rectal prolapse. This is because rectal prolapse does not fall within the original definition of Pelvic Organ Prolapse that the PSC and the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review adopted, namely a pelvic organ bulging into the vagina.However, that is not to dismiss the very real concerns of these patients. We are considering whether rectopexy mesh should be included in the scope of the work on redress, as for example, NHS England has carried out a market engagement event to understand which of its currently commissioned mesh centres would be willing to provide mesh removal surgery for colorectal patients. A decision around which centres will be designated will be made following findings from the audit of existing mesh centres.This is a complex, cross-Government policy area involving multiple organisations. This work requires coordinated input from several departments, and we will provide a further update in due course. I met with the PSC in December 2025, to discuss progress following the Hughes Report. I have subsequently written to Dr Hughes about the actions we are undertaking to ensure service-level interventions are embedded in the National Health Service specific to making a real-life impact on those affected by pelvic mesh and valproate.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on (a) local employment and (b) economic growth in the Thornbury and Yate constituency of deploying Small Modular Reactors at the Oldbury site, as part of the Government's plan to build a further 9 SMRs.

GBE-N owns the site at Oldbury-on-Severn and as a site which has previously hosted a nuclear power station, it has great potential for new nuclear. GBE-N will continue early work to evaluate the site, to ensure it is ready for future deployment. . The government wants to see thousands of jobs created across the UK nuclear sector and for UK supply chains to develop world-leading expertise across a range of civil nuclear activities to ensure competitiveness both domestically and internationally.

What recent comparative assessment he has made of the technical and strategic suitability of the Wylfa site for (a) a gigawatt-scale nuclear reactor and (b) Small Modular Reactors.

In November 2025, following careful deliberation, the Government announced that Wylfa will host Great British Energy-Nuclear (GBE-N) first Small Modular Reactor (SMR) project. Wylfa has the potential to accommodate more SMR units than other potential sites. To pursue the option of further potential large-scale nuclear, the government has tasked GBE-N with identifying other suitable sites that could potentially host such a project. GBE-N will report back by Autumn 2026 on potential sites to inform future decisions in the next Spending Review and beyond.

What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on representations made by the US Ambassador regarding the suitability of Wylfa for gigawatt-scale nuclear energy production.

The US is one of our most important and longstanding international partners on civil nuclear and we are regularly in contact on civil nuclear matters. The government has selected Wylfa as the site to host Britain’s first Small Modular Reactors. Meanwhile, to pursue the option of further large-scale nuclear, we have tasked Great British Energy - Nuclear with identifying suitable sites that could host a potential large-scale project.

With reference to the strategic agreement with Westinghouse on the Nuclear Transport Solution (NTS), what assessment he has made of the potential effect of that agreement on the development of the Oldbury nuclear site.

The government welcomes Nuclear Transport Solutions’ partnership with Westinghouse. Developing capability to make and transport advanced nuclear fuel is critical to shoring up the UK’s position as a nuclear world leader.Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE-N) owns the site at Oldbury-on-Severn in Gloucestershire. As a site which has previously hosted a nuclear power station, it has great potential for new nuclear, including advanced technologies. GBE-N is continuing early work to evaluate the site, to ensure it is ready for future deployment. This includes the potential to support any privately-led projects that might be developed by the nuclear industry.

How many and what proportion of parents who have been prosecuted for their child's non-attendance at school have a child that has (a) Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and (b) special educational needs and does not have a EHCP in each quarter of the last five years.

Data for prosecution of offences in England, including offences for non-attendance, is collected by the Ministry of Justice. The Department for Education does not collect data on the protected characteristics of the children of individuals who have been prosecuted for an offence related to their child’s non-attendance at school. Nevertheless, we recognise that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities may face more complex barriers to school attendance and guidance requires schools to take a ’support first’ approach to tackling non-attendance for these pupils. Our guidance makes clear that legal intervention, including prosecution, should only be considered where support has been exhausted, not engaged with or, in the cases of term-time holidays, not appropriate. We expect schools to work with these children and their families to remove any barriers to attendance and building strong and trusting relationships.

What guidance her Department provides to local authorities on the use of prosecutions for school non-attendance in cases where a pupil’s absence is related to special educational needs and disabilities.

The department recognises that pupils with additional needs, such as special educational needs and disabilities, may face more complex barriers to school attendance, and our statutory guidance is clear that schools should take a sensitive, “support first” approach to supporting their attendance. The ’Working Together to Improve School Attendance’ guidance emphasises that schools and local authorities should be working with children and their families to remove any barriers to attendance and building strong and trusting relationships. It makes clear that legal intervention should only be considered when support has been exhausted, not engaged with, or in the cases such as term time holidays, not appropriate. While some pupils may face additional challenges, we expect schools to have the same attendance ambitions for all pupils, and to put support in place where required.

How many parents have been prosecuted for their child's non-attendance at school in each quarter of the last five years.

The department does not hold data on the total number of parents that have been prosecuted for their child’s non-attendance as this is a matter for the courts. However, our statutory guidance is clear that schools should take a ‘support first’ approach to pupils’ attendance and prosecutions should only be used as a last resort, where all other routes have been exhausted or deemed inappropriate in the circumstances of the individual case. A new national framework for penalty notices came into effect from August 2024 designed to embed our support-first approach and improve consistency and fairness across the country. Data collected by the department from the first year of the new framework (the 2024/25 academic year) shows 148 cases reported where a parent was prosecuted due to reaching the limit of two penalty notices within three years. Comprehensive data on prosecution offences is collected by the Ministry of Justice.

With reference to the news story by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, published on 18 December 2025, what is (a) the average time and (b) the maximum time taken for the investigations that take more than 15 months to be resolved.

The Department does not collect this information centrally. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. The UK's model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.The Department recognises that the contents of the Independent Culture Review of the NMC conducted by Nazir Afzal OBE and Rise Associates were deeply concerning, and several ministerial meetings have taken place with the NMC to ensure the report’s recommendations are implemented. Progress is being tracked via an independent oversight group established by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) to scrutinise the impact of measures introduced by the NMC and advise on further actions required. The group includes stakeholders from across the UK and relevant experts identified by the PSA. Meeting notes are published on the PSA website, at the following link:https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/publications/nursing-and-midwifery-council-independent-oversight-group-updates

What assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the report by Nazir Afzal entitled the Nursing and Midwifery Council: Independent Culture Review, published in July 2024.

The Department does not collect this information centrally. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is the independent regulator of nurses and midwives in the United Kingdom, and nursing associates in England. The UK's model of healthcare professional regulation is founded on the principle of regulators operating independently from the Government.The Department recognises that the contents of the Independent Culture Review of the NMC conducted by Nazir Afzal OBE and Rise Associates were deeply concerning, and several ministerial meetings have taken place with the NMC to ensure the report’s recommendations are implemented. Progress is being tracked via an independent oversight group established by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) to scrutinise the impact of measures introduced by the NMC and advise on further actions required. The group includes stakeholders from across the UK and relevant experts identified by the PSA. Meeting notes are published on the PSA website, at the following link:https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/publications/nursing-and-midwifery-council-independent-oversight-group-updates

Whether his Department taking steps to promote new technologies to help people save money on their energy bills.

The government is supporting the deployment of technologies that will reduce household bills through a variety of schemes including the Energy Company Obligation, the Great British Insulation Scheme, Warm Homes: Social Housing Decarbonisation, Warm Homes: Local Government and the continuation of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The government invested up to £42 million in the Heat Pump Ready (HPR) innovation programme to overcome barriers to heat pump deployment and support innovation in product design. To promote the benefits of heat pumps the government has also relaunched its ‘Warm and Fuzzy’ campaign. The Warm Homes Plan will continue our support for low carbon technologies and other energy efficiency upgrades to help reduce bills.

What steps his Department is taking to help tackle the promotion of fraudulent energy saving products.

We are tackling promotion of fraudulent energy saving products in homes retrofit through several steps. Selection and installation of measures is overseen through expert certification processes and bodies. This is being enhanced though development of a robust model for future scheme delivery which will reduce fraud. This includes a simplified approach to scheme design and scoring of measures reducing opportunities for fraud and for gaming. We have ongoing investment in technology to prevent and detect fraud. Retrofit delivered through local authorities and housing associations have support from delivery partners appointed to bring expertise in assurance and fraud prevention.

If she will increase funding for the recruitment of specialist SEND teachers.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.There is significant work underway to ensure there is an appropriate training offer in place to support teachers and school leaders to create an inclusive school environment. We have recently reviewed the Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework which includes significantly more content on adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND.A review of our National Professional Qualifications is also underway, which includes a key focus on including further best practice for teaching pupils with SEND.This core offer is supplemented by further SEND-specific training that is easy to access at any point in your career through the Universal SEND Services contract. This programme aims to support the school and further education workforce, particularly in mainstream settings, to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, including those with autism, earlier and more effectively.While school leaders have the autonomy and authority to make recruitment decisions, as they are best placed to understand their own context and pupils’ needs, the government is supporting them by increasing the core schools budget by £3.7 billion in 2025/26, meaning it will total £65.3 billion, compared to almost £61.6 billion in 2024/25.This additional funding provides an above real-terms per pupil increase on the core schools budget, taking per-pupil funding to its highest ever level, enabling us to transform the SEND system.

What the average time taken is for the North Sea Transition Authority to grant gas and hydrogen storage licences.

The NSTA assesses each application on its own merits, and as a result, the time taken to reach a decision would be dependent on a project’s unique individual characteristics and complexity.

Whether she plans to support school uniform providers in complying with the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

The department knows that school uniform providers play an important role for parents and communities by providing year-round guaranteed supply, a diversity of sizes and specialist advice to schools and parents.We intend for the limit to come into effect in September 2026. This grace period will give suppliers enough time to renegotiate their existing contracts with schools in order to align with the new legislative requirements and wind down stock levels as appropriate.Parents should have choice over where they shop, rather than having to buy expensive branded uniform items. Departmental research shows that the average cost of uniform is significantly lower when parents are allowed to buy items from a range of outlets.

With reference to section 23 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, whether the proposed limit of three branded items refers to the (a) overall number of items or (b) the individual types of items.

The proposed limit of three branded items relates to the individual types of items. For example, a school can include a branded blazer, jumper and book bag within its policy.Schools will only be able to require pupils to have up to three types of compulsory branded uniform items for use during the year. Secondary schools and middle schools will have the option of requiring an additional compulsory branded item if it is a branded tie.The limit will apply to any compulsory branded items in the school’s uniform policy, including PE kit. This includes any bags, such as book bags or rucksacks, and any items only suitable for particular times of year, such as summer dresses. It will be for individual parents to decide how many of each type of branded item they may wish to buy, but the limit on branded items will allow parents to purchase more uniform items from various retailers, including high street stores, helping them manage uniform costs more effectively.

Whether her Department plans to apply a grace period for school uniform suppliers before fully implementing the provisions of the proposed Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

The department knows that school uniform providers play an important role for parents and communities by providing year-round guaranteed supply, a diversity of sizes and specialist advice to schools and parents.We intend for the limit to come into effect in September 2026. This grace period will give suppliers enough time to renegotiate their existing contracts with schools in order to align with the new legislative requirements and wind down stock levels as appropriate.Parents should have choice over where they shop, rather than having to buy expensive branded uniform items. Departmental research shows that the average cost of uniform is significantly lower when parents are allowed to buy items from a range of outlets.