Every parliamentary written question tabled by Daisy Cooper this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 1–20 of 37 · Department for Education
Pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2026 to Question 1246 on Department for Education: Workplace Pensions, if she will give civil servants the right to rescind applications to retire in circumstances where they have done so to receive an accurate retirement quote.
Awaiting answer.
Whether she has assessed the adequacy of the the Step Up to Social Work bursary to enable single working parents on Universal Credit to participate in the programme.
Awaiting answer.
With reference to the Answer of 20 April 2026 to Question 125150 on Department for Education: Workplace Pensions, whether civil servants who submit applications to retire to receive an accurate retirement quote can rescind that application.
Awaiting answer.
What steps she will take to increase the number of places available for educational psychology courses at universities in England.
The department is investing £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists over two cohorts who started their studies in 2024 and 2025 as part of the Educational Psychology Funded Training scheme. This is in addition to the £10 million already being invested in the training of more than 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.
What steps she is taking to ensure an adequate number of specialist training places for religious education teachers in Hertfordshire.
There have been noticeable increases in religious education (RE) ITT recruitment recently. Between 2023/24 and 2025/26, postgraduate ITT recruitment for RE increased by 71%. 492 RE trainees started courses in 2025/26, compared to 287 two years ago.We will publish postgraduate initial teacher training (PGITT) recruitment needs for the 2026/27 academic year in due course. PGITT recruitment need is estimated by the teacher workforce model each year, and is used to monitor and measure recruitment for specific subjects. PGITT trainee need is calculated to account for a broad range of factors including historic recruitment, economic forecasts, teacher retention and wider forms of teacher recruitment. The Find teacher training courses website lists training opportunities in England, including 28 RE courses with placement schools in a 10-mile radius of Hertfordshire.
Whether she has considered the potential merits of requiring all staff working in schools to be trained in mental health first aid principles.
To support education staff, the department provides a range of guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. For example, a resource hub for mental health leads, and a targeted support guide and hub to help choose evidence-based targeted support for pupils.The government has also committed to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding mental health support teams, so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.Beyond this, schools have the flexibility to decide what pastoral support and training they provide to best meet the individual needs of their pupils.
Whether civil servants in her Department must submit their resignation in order to obtain a pension retirement quote from the Civil Service Pensions Scheme.
Civil servants in the department must submit an application to retire (leave the Civil Service) before Civil Service Pensions can provide an accurate retirement quote. This allows the scheme administrator to confirm figures based on the member’s final circumstances at the point of exit.
With reference to non-statutory guidance entitled First aid in schools, early years and further education updated 14 February 2022, whether she has recently reviewed the adequacy of the number of members of staff in each school who should be first aid trained.
Individual decisions about the provision of first aid training is a matter for early years, schools and colleges as employers. They are best placed to assess the needs of their staff and pupils and to determine the appropriate level of first aid provision. To support this, the department makes available non-statutory guidance, including 'First aid in schools, early years and further education', which sets out the factors that settings should consider when meeting their duties relating to first aid on and off their premises. This guidance is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/first-aid-in-schools/first-aid-in-schools-early-years-and-further-education.
Pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2025 to Question 77413 on Teachers: Workplace Pensions, how many unresolved cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) cases are outstanding as of 10 March 2026; and of those resolved since 17 October 2025 what is the (a) shortest, (b) mean average and (c) longest time taken to process requests.
As of 11 March 2026, 501 cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) cases were outstanding. There will always be a number of CETV cases in progress at any given time, as new CETV applications continue to be made.Capita, the scheme administrator, is continuing to work through the most complex cases for members who have retired. 350 of the outstanding cases can only be processed clerically and the estimated average calculation times are between 20 and 30 hours per processed case.Between 17 October 2025 and 11 March 2026, 1449 CETV cases were completed. Of these cases, in calendar days, the shortest processing length was zero days, applying to automated CETV cases completed on the day they were received. The longest processing length was 960 days, and the average time taken was 44 days.The case that took 960 days to complete was subject to the government embargo on public pension schemes, as well as the Transitional Protection regulations coming into force on 1 October 2023, and the need to develop new guidance.
How many training places were available for educational psychologists at universities in England in each of the last five years.
The department is investing £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists over two cohorts who started their studies in 2024 and 2025 as part of the Educational Psychology Funded Training scheme. This is in addition to the £10 million already being invested in the training of more than 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.The Higher Education Statistics Agency does not collect information on places available on courses but publishes data on student entrants across UK higher education (HE) providers. This includes data on students entering courses in different subjects, categorised using the HE Classification of Subjects system. Counts of entrants across all subjects from the 2019/20 to 2023/24 academic years are published in Table 52 of HESA’s student data for all UK providers, which are detailed below. This data was published in January 2026.Entrants to UK higher education providers studying Educational Psychology (all modes and levels of study)Subject2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Educational Psychology645680710755760695 HE providers are autonomous institutions independent from government. This means they are responsible for the decisions that they make regarding which courses they deliver.
Whether she plans to increase the number of places available for educational psychology courses at universities in England.
The department is investing £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists over two cohorts who started their studies in 2024 and 2025 as part of the Educational Psychology Funded Training scheme. This is in addition to the £10 million already being invested in the training of more than 200 educational psychologists who began their training in September 2023.The Higher Education Statistics Agency does not collect information on places available on courses but publishes data on student entrants across UK higher education (HE) providers. This includes data on students entering courses in different subjects, categorised using the HE Classification of Subjects system. Counts of entrants across all subjects from the 2019/20 to 2023/24 academic years are published in Table 52 of HESA’s student data for all UK providers, which are detailed below. This data was published in January 2026.Entrants to UK higher education providers studying Educational Psychology (all modes and levels of study)Subject2019/202020/212021/222022/232023/242024/25Educational Psychology645680710755760695 HE providers are autonomous institutions independent from government. This means they are responsible for the decisions that they make regarding which courses they deliver.
Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a financial protection scheme for users of home learning providers which become insolvent.
Where an online home learning provider closes, parents and local authorities should work together to identify other suitable provision which is safe and meets the needs of the child. Home learning providers are often private providers and so are responsible for the financial management of their business.
Whether funding is available for schools to purchase (a) defibrillators and (b) CPR training equipment.
The department provided over 20,000 defibrillators to almost 18,000 schools, ensuring that all state-funded schools in England have access to a device.The programme is now closed; however, schools who wish to purchase defibrillators are able to buy them through the NHS Defibs4Schools programme, which provides defibrillators of a suitable specification. Defibs4Schools can be contacted at: defibs4schools@supplychain.nhs.uk.Schools have the autonomy to decide how they teach first aid, including teaching additional topical content and which resources to use.It is for schools to decide what training equipment may be suitable to facilitate the delivery of CPR training at their school, based on their individual circumstances. The department provides advice on free resources in its defibrillator guidance to schools, including the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) RevivR CPR training and BHF CPR training pack for secondary schools. More information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/automated-external-defibrillators-aeds-in-schools.
Whether she plans to issue guidance to schools on how to access training resources to help deliver the CPR Smart programme.
All state funded schools are required to teach first aid as part of the statutory health education set out in the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) statutory guidance. Independent schools are required to cover health education as part of their responsibility to provide personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. The statutory RSHE guidance includes basic first aid for primary school children, for example dealing with common injuries, such as head injuries, whilst pupils in secondary schools are taught further first aid, for example how to administer CPR and the purpose of defibrillators and how to use them. The guidance sets out that it is for schools to decide how they teach RSHE topics, including how to draw on expertise available to them locally, such as that provided by the CPR Smart programme.
When her Department plans to publish the final recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review.
The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s final report and recommendations will be published this autumn. The government’s response will be published alongside this.
What steps she is taking to support children living with alcohol dependent parents.
In 2023/24, there were 72,410 child in need episodes where ‘alcohol misuse: concerns about parent’ were recorded.Our statutory guidance, “Working together to safeguard children”, sets out that practitioners should be alert to the need for early help for a child who is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for them, such as alcohol misuse. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2.Our Families First Partnership programme, backed by over £500 million investment per year over the next three years from 2025/26, is rolling out reforms to family help and multi-agency child protection. Funding will be increased by at least £300 million between 2026/27 and 2027/28, as part of the £555 million investment from the transformation fund.These reforms will produce a fundamental shift in the way we respond to children and families who need help, including supporting those living with alcohol dependent parents.
How many children live with an (a) an alcohol dependent parent and (b) a parent drinking at higher risk levels.
In 2023/24, there were 72,410 child in need episodes where ‘alcohol misuse: concerns about parent’ were recorded.Our statutory guidance, “Working together to safeguard children”, sets out that practitioners should be alert to the need for early help for a child who is in a family circumstance presenting challenges for them, such as alcohol misuse. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-safeguard-children--2.Our Families First Partnership programme, backed by over £500 million investment per year over the next three years from 2025/26, is rolling out reforms to family help and multi-agency child protection. Funding will be increased by at least £300 million between 2026/27 and 2027/28, as part of the £555 million investment from the transformation fund.These reforms will produce a fundamental shift in the way we respond to children and families who need help, including supporting those living with alcohol dependent parents.
With reference to the Third Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights of Session 2022-23 on The Violation of Family Life: Adoption of Children of Unmarried Women 1949–1976, HC 270, published on 15 July 2022, if she will make a formal apology on behalf of Government to those people impacted by forced adoptions between 1949 and 1976.
This abhorrent practice should never have taken place, and our deepest sympathies are with all those affected.We take this issue extremely seriously and continue to engage with those affected to provide support.The department continues to follow up on the 2022 Joint Committee on Human Rights report, including improving access to adoption records, enhancing intermediary services and preserving historical records.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of revising the thresholds for determining the interest rate on student loan repayments for people living abroad in the context of local taxation levels.
The repayment of student loans, including the setting of interest rates applied to student loan plan types for borrowers in the UK or overseas, is determined by the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 (as amended).Overseas repayment thresholds are calculated using World Bank price level index (PLI) (which is used to compare differences between the cost of living in the UK and other countries), not the tax rates of countries of residence. This means that if a borrower is resident in a country calculated as having a lower cost of living than the UK, the repayment threshold applied to their loan will be lower than if they are residing in the UK. The country bandings and thresholds are reviewed annually.Using a recognised measure of the relative cost of living in different countries ensures that borrowers residing in different countries are assessed in a fair, transparent and consistent way.
Whether she has had discussions with EngineeringUK on supporting engineering companies in providing T Level placements for engineering students in further education.
The department works closely with a range of colleges, schools, employers and their representative bodies to ensure the availability and quality of T Level industry placements across the country. For the engineering and manufacturing sector this includes the Gatsby Charitable Foundation’s Engineering and Manufacturing working group, made up of organisations including EngineeringUK, Enginuity (and the National Manufacturing Skills Task Force), Make UK and the Royal Academy of Engineering. The group share resources, case studies and undertake employer awareness-raising campaigns to support the delivery of industry placements.The department also actively engages stakeholders via our T Level Ambassador Network which advocates for T Levels and plays a key role in bringing industry and education together across a range of sectors. The network has expanded to over 900 members, including large businesses, small and medium enterprises, colleges and schools, universities and students. Over 120 representatives from the engineering and manufacturing sector are part of this network.