Written questions by Baldwin.

How much funding will be available to support students undertaking study placements in Australia under mobility schemes in the (a) 2026–27 and (b) 2027–28 academic year.

Awaiting answer.

What estimate she has made of the total funding that will be available to support UK students undertaking study placements in New Zealand under Government-backed mobility schemes in the academic years (a) 2024–25 and (b) 2025–26.

Awaiting answer.

How much funding will be available to support students undertaking study placements in Canada under mobility schemes in the (a) 2026–27 and (b) 2027–28 academic year.

Awaiting answer.

What estimate she has made of the number of additional teachers employed in state schools in Worcestershire since the addition of VAT on independent school fees was enacted.

Reforms to VAT and business rates will raise around £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30, helping to deliver the government’s commitments relating to education and young people. This measure will raise essential revenue that will be invested in our public services, including the £1.7 billion increase to the core schools budget in 2026/27, taking total funding to £67 billion. This increase will support schools to recruit the staff they need, including in Worcestershire.The department is investing further to deliver on our pledge to recruit 6,500 additional teachers and ensure sufficient high-quality teachers in all schools. These include teacher training bursaries worth up to £29,000 tax-free and a targeted retention incentive (TRI) worth up to £6,000 for early career teachers in disadvantaged areas. 19 schools in the Worcestershire local authority area are eligible for the TRI.We are making good progress with the workforce growing by 2,346 full-time equivalent between 2023/24 and 2024/25 in secondary and special schools, the schools where they are needed most. In Worcestershire local authority area, the number of secondary and special school teachers has grown to 4,797, the highest on record for this area.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of additional teachers funded in Worcestershire with the proceeds from VAT on school fees.

Reforms to VAT and business rates will raise around £1.8 billion a year by 2029/30, helping to deliver the government’s commitments relating to education and young people. This measure will raise essential revenue that will be invested in our public services, including the £1.7 billion increase to the core schools budget in 2026/27, taking total funding to £67 billion. This increase will support schools to recruit the staff they need, including in Worcestershire.The department is investing further to deliver on our pledge to recruit 6,500 additional teachers and ensure sufficient high-quality teachers in all schools. These include teacher training bursaries worth up to £29,000 tax-free and a targeted retention incentive (TRI) worth up to £6,000 for early career teachers in disadvantaged areas. 19 schools in the Worcestershire local authority area are eligible for the TRI.We are making good progress with the workforce growing by 2,346 full-time equivalent between 2023/24 and 2024/25 in secondary and special schools, the schools where they are needed most. In Worcestershire local authority area, the number of secondary and special school teachers has grown to 4,797, the highest on record for this area.

Whether her Department have included mandatory commitments to equality, diversity and inclusion training as part of it's procurement contracts awarded since 5 July 2024.

In accordance with government commercial policy, the department uses centrally maintained frameworks provided by Crown Commercial Service and otherwise uses the suite of standard contracts maintained by Cabinet Office, for the majority of contracts. These terms and conditions require the supplier to perform its obligations under the contract in accordance with equality law, but do not include a requirement to undertake mandatory training.

With reference to her Oral Statement of 7 July 2025 on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life, Official Report, column 680, what steps she plans to take to help support (a) babies and (b) parents in each of the years of the 2025 Spending Review Period.

The department’s strategy, ‘Giving every child the best start in life’ set out that we will spend close to £1.5 billion over the next three years on improving family services and early years education.Over the next three years, the department will provide over half a billion pounds of investment in the Best Start Family Service to bring together parenting, healthcare and education support services to ensure all babies, children and families have access to the early intervention and support they need.The department is making big investments in early education and childcare. Government spending on funded hours will reach £9 billion next year and will continue to rise over Parliament. And we are setting aside £400 million over the next three years to improve quality in early years settings and reception classes and drive better outcomes for children.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on her Department.

In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 320,000 people across the UK. In addition, an estimated 260,000 jobs are supported by the auto industry in the wider economy.The government remains focused on making sure British businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible. The government is continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.The department will continue to support the ongoing negotiations with the US, led by the Department for Business and Trade.

How much funding has been allocated to Holiday Activities and Food Programme in each of the last three financial years; and how much funding has been allocated in each financial year of the 2025 Spending Review period.

The government is committed to the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme to ensure children who are eligible for free school meals can access enriching activities and healthy meals.The department has invested £205 million per year for 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 in free holiday club places for children from low-income families through the HAF programme.We are currently working through the outcomes of the Spending Review, and we will share further information in relation to the future of the HAF programme in due course.

With reference to the Spring Statement 2025, published on 26 March 2025, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding for (a) improving skills and (b) increasing recruitment in the construction sector in the context of trends in apprenticeship retention rates.

The government is committed to addressing skills shortages in the construction sector and supporting workforce growth. In the Spring Statement 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a £625 million investment to train 60,000 skilled construction workers by 2029, supporting the delivery of 1.5 million homes and economic growth. This includes £165 million for college construction courses, £100 million for ten new Technical Excellence Colleges, and £32 million via the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) for 40,000 industry placements annually.From August, new foundation apprenticeships, backed by a £3 billion apprenticeship budget, will launch, with construction among the key sectors. Employers will receive £2,000 for each foundation apprentice, and three new construction standards will be introduced. CITB is also expanding its New Entrant Support Team, while partnerships like the Persimmon Homes Academy are improving retention and progression.In addition, the department recently announced over £190 million in additional funding for 16 to 19 education in 2025/26, including £160 million for colleges and £30 million for school-based provision. This is in addition to construction-specific skills funding.To further support teaching capacity, we are expanding initiatives such as Taking Teaching Further, targeted retention payments, and a £20 million Teacher Industry Exchange scheme, promoting collaboration between further education providers and construction employers.

Whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of skilled workers entering employment as a result of construction skills funding in the Spring Statement 2025.

The government is committed to addressing skills shortages in the construction sector and supporting workforce growth. In the Spring Statement 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced a £625 million investment to train 60,000 skilled construction workers by 2029, supporting the delivery of 1.5 million homes and economic growth. This includes £165 million for college construction courses, £100 million for ten new Technical Excellence Colleges, and £32 million via the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) for 40,000 industry placements annually.From August, new foundation apprenticeships, backed by a £3 billion apprenticeship budget, will launch, with construction among the key sectors. Employers will receive £2,000 for each foundation apprentice, and three new construction standards will be introduced. CITB is also expanding its New Entrant Support Team, while partnerships like the Persimmon Homes Academy are improving retention and progression.In addition, the department recently announced over £190 million in additional funding for 16 to 19 education in 2025/26, including £160 million for colleges and £30 million for school-based provision. This is in addition to construction-specific skills funding.To further support teaching capacity, we are expanding initiatives such as Taking Teaching Further, targeted retention payments, and a £20 million Teacher Industry Exchange scheme, promoting collaboration between further education providers and construction employers.

Whether her Department made an assessment of the potential impact of changes made to (a) National Insurance and (b) the National Living Wage at the Autumn Budget 2024 on the number of apprenticeships offered by high street businesses.

To repair public finances and help raise the revenue required to increase funding for public services, the government has taken the difficult decision to increase employer National Insurance.The government recognises the need to protect the smallest employers, which is why the Employment Allowance has been more than doubled to £10,500. This means more than half of businesses with National Insurance contributions (NICs) liabilities either gain or see no change next year. Employers will continue to be able to claim employer NICs reliefs, including the relief for employing apprentices under 25, where eligible.From April 2025, the National Living Wage will increase by 6.7% from £11.44 to £12.21 and the Apprentice Minimum Wage will increase by 18% from £6.40 to £7.55. The government has accepted the findings of the independent Low Pay Commission in full and this increase to the Apprentice Minimum Wage will boost the hourly wage for thousands of young apprentices across a range of sectors and those in their first year of an apprenticeship.The government remains committed to ensuring that apprentice wages support the attraction of talented individuals into apprenticeships and remain fair for employers. High quality apprenticeships are key to unlocking a more skilled and productive economy.The department also continues to pay employers and training providers £1,000 when they take on apprentices under 19, or 19 to 24-year-olds who have an education, health and care plan, or have been in care.

Whether her Department has included mandatory commitments to equality, diversity and inclusion training in contracts awarded since 5 July 2024.

In accordance with government commercial policy, the department uses centrally maintained frameworks provided by the Crown Commercial Service and otherwise uses the suite of standard contracts maintained by Cabinet Office, for the majority of its contracts. These terms and conditions require the supplier to perform its obligations under the contract in accordance with equality law, but do not include a requirement to undertake mandatory training.

Whether their Department offers its staff shared parental leave from their first working day.

To qualify for shared parental leave, an employee must have been in continuous employment with the Civil Service for 26 weeks up to and including the fifteenth week before the week in which their baby is due to be born.As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.The Civil Service management code states that, departments and agencies may only grant shared parental leave in accordance with the statutory requirements governing eligibility for this category of leave. However, some staff could qualify for statutory shared parental leave on their first day of service with a department because they already have qualifying service with another department.

Where the Homebuilding Skills Hubs will be located.

Homebuilding Skills Hubs will be established by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) and the National Housebuilding Council (NHBC) on a demand led basis, in areas where large scale homebuilding projects lead to a surge in demand. Locations will be confirmed over time. The Hubs will initially provide training for skills in critical demand for homebuilding, including groundwork, site carpentry, and bricklaying.

What reforms she is considering to the eligibility rules for free school transport.

I refer the hon. Member for West Worcestershire to the answer of 4 November 2024 to Question 901015.