Written questions by Hayes.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) support plans and (b) informal capability procedures are appropriately used to (i) improve staff performance and (ii) retain staff.

Awaiting answer.

What estimate she has made of the number of teachers placed on (a) support plans and (b) informal capability procedures in each of the last five years.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the policy paper entitled Protecting What Matters: Towards a more confident, cohesive, and resilient United Kingdom, if he will set out the (a) timeline and (b) consultation process planned for his Department's review of English language provision.

Awaiting answer.

Whether she intends to provide further funding to the Metropolitan Police's Operation Martello programme.

Hotspots policing is a key, evidence-based tactic that should be embedded in mainstream activity, forming a central component of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee (NPG). As a result, we are transitioning hotspot activity from a grant funded programme into mainstream practice.To support this transition to mainstream activity, the wider reforms being taken forward by this government will put 13,000 more neighbourhood officers into roles by the end of this Parliament to tackle local crime and increase patrolling. Total funding to police forces in England and Wales will be up to £18.4 billion in 2026-27, an increase of up to £834 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. This equates to a 4.7% cash increase and a 2.7% real terms increase in funding. The Metropolitan Police will receive up to £3,991.2m of funding, an increase of £184.1 million compared to 2025-26. The additional officers being delivered through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will support this shift, and we will continue working with forces this year on the practicalities of mainstreaming hotspot activity.As we mainstream hotspot patrolling, we are also continuing to drive efforts to halve knife crime in a decade by focusing on tackling the worst affected areas via the Knife Crime Concentrations Fund (KCCF), directing investment where it will reduce knife crime most effectively.As announced in Protecting lives, building hope: a plan to halve knife crime, this fund will be £26.25m in FY 2026-27, with allocations directed to those force areas with the highest knife crime volumes over the last three years and which together make up 90% of total knife crime across England and Wales. The Metropolitan Police Service has been allocated £8,185,952 through the KCCF in 2026-27.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact on the transparency of UK overseas development assistance.

I refer the Hon Member to Baroness Chapman's appearance before the International Development Committee on 20 January, where she addressed these issues at length.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact on the effectiveness of UK overseas development assistance spending.

I refer the Hon Member to Baroness Chapman's appearance before the International Development Committee on 20 January, where she addressed these issues at length.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what engagement has she had with the a) Independent Commission for Aid Impact and b) recipients of UK overseas development assistance, on future funding for the ICAI.

I refer the Hon Member to the Minister for International Development's appearance before the International Development Committee on 20 January, where she addressed these issues at length.The Independent Commission for Aid Impact's (ICAI) budget allocation for 2025/26 is £3.97 million. Details of its past funding can be found in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) annual reports and accounts, and decisions on its future funding will be announced in due course when we publish our allocations of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget up to 2028/29. The FCDO remains committed to full transparency and scrutiny of our ODA spend.Over the previous five financial years (2021/22 to 2025/26), ICAI have published on average 5.6 reviews and 1.6 shorter information notes per year. This financial year, ICAI have published 2 reviews to date.Ministers and FCDO officials continue to have regular engagement with ICAI.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding was given by her Department to the Independent Commission for Aid Impact in each of the last five years.

I refer the Hon Member to the Minister for International Development's appearance before the International Development Committee on 20 January, where she addressed these issues at length.The Independent Commission for Aid Impact's (ICAI) budget allocation for 2025/26 is £3.97 million. Details of its past funding can be found in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) annual reports and accounts, and decisions on its future funding will be announced in due course when we publish our allocations of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget up to 2028/29. The FCDO remains committed to full transparency and scrutiny of our ODA spend.Over the previous five financial years (2021/22 to 2025/26), ICAI have published on average 5.6 reviews and 1.6 shorter information notes per year. This financial year, ICAI have published 2 reviews to date.Ministers and FCDO officials continue to have regular engagement with ICAI.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is she taking to ensure future scrutiny and transparency of UK overseas development and assistance.

I refer the Hon Member to the Minister for International Development's appearance before the International Development Committee on 20 January, where she addressed these issues at length.The Independent Commission for Aid Impact's (ICAI) budget allocation for 2025/26 is £3.97 million. Details of its past funding can be found in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) annual reports and accounts, and decisions on its future funding will be announced in due course when we publish our allocations of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget up to 2028/29. The FCDO remains committed to full transparency and scrutiny of our ODA spend.Over the previous five financial years (2021/22 to 2025/26), ICAI have published on average 5.6 reviews and 1.6 shorter information notes per year. This financial year, ICAI have published 2 reviews to date.Ministers and FCDO officials continue to have regular engagement with ICAI.

What steps she is taking to ensure that citizenship application fees are affordable for children who need to regularise their immigration status.

Children seeking to register as a British citizen will have the fee waived if they are able to credibly demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee. In addition, where an application has been made by or on behalf of a child who is looked after by a Local Authority, no fee is payable and it is not necessary for the child’s financial circumstances to be evidenced.

What assessment her department has made of the impact of failing to resolve the immigration status of children in care before turning 18.

The Home Secretary set out in the Immigration White Paper published on 12 May 2025 that the Home Office will ensure children who have been in the UK for some time, turn 18 and discover they do not have status, are fully supported and able to regularise their status and settle where appropriate. This will also include a clear pathway for those children in care and care leavers.This commitment will be delivered primarily through an update to the ‘children in care policy’. As part of this, separate targeted engagement will take place with external stakeholders to help us to understand the challenges in this area and develop a policy solution which supports children in care without status while upholding the need to have a robust and coherent migration system. Children who have claimed asylum are dealt with under separate provisions.A range of reforms are underway across the immigration and asylum system, and the development of a clear pathway to settlement for children in care and care leavers must be considered alongside these changes.Further detail on this will be set out in due course.

What steps her department is taking to ensure that every child in care has their immigration status resolved before turning 18.

The previous Home Secretary set out in the Immigration White Paper published on 12 May 2025 that the Home Office will ensure children who have been in the UK for some time, turn 18 and discover they do not have status, are fully supported and able to regularise their status and settle where appropriate. This will also include a clear pathway for those children in care and care leavers.This commitment will be delivered primarily through an update to the ‘children in care policy.As part of this, separate targeted engagement will take place with external stakeholders to help us to understand the challenges in this area and develop a policy solution which supports children in care without status while upholding the need to have a robust and coherent migration system. Children who have claimed asylum are dealt with under separate provisions.A range of reforms are underway across the immigration and asylum system, and the development of a clear pathway to settlement for children in care and care leavers must be considered alongside these changes.When handling child applications, all caseworkers must comply with their duty under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, to have regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Further detail on this will be set out in due course.

If she will publish the full list of members of her Department’s SEND Development Group, the criteria for membership of this group and the dates on which the group has met.

The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Development Group was launched as part of the period of co-creation, which was announced in December 2025. The group is an informal engagement group led by myself, as Minister for Schools, to bring together a wider group of SEND stakeholders.The group’s objectives are:To input into the co-creation process by reviewing the department’s evidence and policy questions in line with SEND principles for reform.To provide feedback, policy ideas, and suggestions from a wide range of stakeholders.To ensure diverse perspectives, including those of parents, practitioners, campaign organisations, and strategic partners, are considered in SEND policy development.The group is attended by myself and our expert advisors Dame Christine Lenehan and Tom Rees. External attendees include representatives from the Council for Disabled Children (CDC), the Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP), the National Network of Parents Carers Forums (NNPCF), the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN), The Difference, Dingley’s Promise, The Athelstan Trust, Let Us Learn Too, The Global Black Maternal Health Institute, Aylsham Learning Federation, and the SEND Sanctuary. The group has recently been expanded to include the following.SEND representative stakeholders:CDCNASENLocal authorities:HaringeyAlternative Provision:Olive AcademiesEarly Years:Dingley’s PromisePost-16:Heart of Worcestershire CollegeIndividual voices from teacher workforce:Athelstan TrustEden Academy TrustAylsham High SchoolParent and carer groups:DCPLet Us Learn TooGlobal Child and Maternal HealthThe DifferenceChanging RealitiesNNPCFParentkindDepartmental advisors such as Christine Lenehan and Andrew O'Neil are also invited to this group, as are representatives from the Independent Panel.Alongside the Development Group, I have set up the Complex Needs Group to expand stakeholder conversations in the department. This group consists of the following.Parent voices:Parent carer representatives (NNPCF)Cause CommunicationsDepartmental SEN advisers:Tom ReesChristine LenehanNational disability charities:The Children’s TrustThe SEND SanctuaryAmbitious About AutismSpeak and Language UKSenseWellChildContactMencapSyndrome AssociationTogether for Short LivesChallenging Behaviour FoundationKidsCDCTeacher workforce:West Kirby Educational TrustChildren’s Hospital SchoolNatspecSunningdale SchoolLocal authorities:LeicestershireRochdaleHealth:National Health Service EnglandAcademic:Autism Studies at University of BirminghamDepartmental advisors such as Tom Rees, Christine Lenehan and Andrew O’Neil are invited to this group.The members of these groups all have independent positions outside of their contributions to the group and engage separately outside.Both of these groups will meet monthly during the consultation period.The National Conversation on SEND reached over 8,000 people to help shape the future of support for children and young people. The dates of the meetings are available in the published quarterly returns on Ministerial meetings: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-ministers-quarterly-returns.

If she will publish the terms of reference of the Department’s SEND Development Group.

The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Development Group was launched as part of the period of co-creation, which was announced in December 2025. The group is an informal engagement group led by myself, as Minister for Schools, to bring together a wider group of SEND stakeholders.The group’s objectives are:To input into the co-creation process by reviewing the department’s evidence and policy questions in line with SEND principles for reform.To provide feedback, policy ideas, and suggestions from a wide range of stakeholders.To ensure diverse perspectives, including those of parents, practitioners, campaign organisations, and strategic partners, are considered in SEND policy development.The group is attended by myself and our expert advisors Dame Christine Lenehan and Tom Rees. External attendees include representatives from the Council for Disabled Children (CDC), the Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP), the National Network of Parents Carers Forums (NNPCF), the National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN), The Difference, Dingley’s Promise, The Athelstan Trust, Let Us Learn Too, The Global Black Maternal Health Institute, Aylsham Learning Federation, and the SEND Sanctuary. The group has recently been expanded to include the following.SEND representative stakeholders:CDCNASENLocal authorities:HaringeyAlternative Provision:Olive AcademiesEarly Years:Dingley’s PromisePost-16:Heart of Worcestershire CollegeIndividual voices from teacher workforce:Athelstan TrustEden Academy TrustAylsham High SchoolParent and carer groups:DCPLet Us Learn TooGlobal Child and Maternal HealthThe DifferenceChanging RealitiesNNPCFParentkindDepartmental advisors such as Christine Lenehan and Andrew O'Neil are also invited to this group, as are representatives from the Independent Panel.Alongside the Development Group, I have set up the Complex Needs Group to expand stakeholder conversations in the department. This group consists of the following.Parent voices:Parent carer representatives (NNPCF)Cause CommunicationsDepartmental SEN advisers:Tom ReesChristine LenehanNational disability charities:The Children’s TrustThe SEND SanctuaryAmbitious About AutismSpeak and Language UKSenseWellChildContactMencapSyndrome AssociationTogether for Short LivesChallenging Behaviour FoundationKidsCDCTeacher workforce:West Kirby Educational TrustChildren’s Hospital SchoolNatspecSunningdale SchoolLocal authorities:LeicestershireRochdaleHealth:National Health Service EnglandAcademic:Autism Studies at University of BirminghamDepartmental advisors such as Tom Rees, Christine Lenehan and Andrew O’Neil are invited to this group.The members of these groups all have independent positions outside of their contributions to the group and engage separately outside.Both of these groups will meet monthly during the consultation period.The National Conversation on SEND reached over 8,000 people to help shape the future of support for children and young people. The dates of the meetings are available in the published quarterly returns on Ministerial meetings: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-ministers-quarterly-returns.

What steps his Department is taking to increase the number of applications for NHS Talking Therapies trainee positions.

The Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan to set out action to create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

How many (a) NHS Talking Therapy trainees and (b) Band 7 CBT therapist posts have been created in (i) Lambeth and (ii) Southwark in each of the last five years.

The table attached shows the growth in the relevant subsection of the NHS Talking Therapies workforce over the five years to 2024. The high intensity workforce, which includes cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) therapists, increased by 2,582 between 2019 and 2024 to 6,913 full time equivalent therapists. The number of qualified, Band 7 or over, CBT therapists grew over the same period by 1,049 to 3,853 full time equivalents.This data is published through the mental health national workforce census at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/mental-health-national-workforce-census/The NHS Talking Therapies workforce includes staff employed by National Health Service providers and also staff in NHS-commissioned independent, local authority, and voluntary sector providers.The data is not available for Lambeth and Southwark as local data by service is not held centrally.

What estimate he has made of the number of Band 7 CBT therapist posts created in each of the last five years.

The table attached shows the growth in the relevant subsection of the NHS Talking Therapies workforce over the five years to 2024. The high intensity workforce, which includes cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) therapists, increased by 2,582 between 2019 and 2024 to 6,913 full time equivalent therapists. The number of qualified, Band 7 or over, CBT therapists grew over the same period by 1,049 to 3,853 full time equivalents.This data is published through the mental health national workforce census at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/mental-health-national-workforce-census/The NHS Talking Therapies workforce includes staff employed by National Health Service providers and also staff in NHS-commissioned independent, local authority, and voluntary sector providers.The data is not available for Lambeth and Southwark as local data by service is not held centrally.

If she will publish the Equality Impacts Assessment made of the Behaviour and Attendance Ambassador's Programme.

The regional improvement for standards and excellence Attendance and Behaviour Hubs programme launched in September 2025. The department is appointing up to 90 lead schools with excellent attendance and behaviour practice who will work closely with other schools to help them improve.The department has also appointed two new ambassadors to work with the sector to shape the programme, ensure that their views are captured and that the programme has maximum impact.As part of the development of the Attendance and Behaviour Hubs programme, an Equalities Impact Assessment was conducted. The department does not routinely publish Equalities Impact Assessments and has no plans to do so in this case.As part of the Invitation to Tender for the role of Attendance and Behaviour ambassador and for the school recruitment process, all bidders and applicants were required to declare any and all conflicts of interest prior to responding. The department is satisfied that this process was followed correctly.

What assessment has she made of potential conflicts of interest for individuals and companies awarded contracts to deliver the Behaviour and Attendance Ambassador's Programme.

The regional improvement for standards and excellence Attendance and Behaviour Hubs programme launched in September 2025. The department is appointing up to 90 lead schools with excellent attendance and behaviour practice who will work closely with other schools to help them improve.The department has also appointed two new ambassadors to work with the sector to shape the programme, ensure that their views are captured and that the programme has maximum impact.As part of the development of the Attendance and Behaviour Hubs programme, an Equalities Impact Assessment was conducted. The department does not routinely publish Equalities Impact Assessments and has no plans to do so in this case.As part of the Invitation to Tender for the role of Attendance and Behaviour ambassador and for the school recruitment process, all bidders and applicants were required to declare any and all conflicts of interest prior to responding. The department is satisfied that this process was followed correctly.

What assessment has she made of the performance of her Department's Behaviour and Attendance Ambassadors Programme, with reference to absence and exclusions of pupils with SEND or mental ill health.

The regional improvement for standards and excellence Attendance and Behaviour Hubs programme launched in September 2025. The department is appointing up to 90 lead schools with excellent attendance and behaviour practice who will work closely with other schools to help them improve.The department has also appointed two new ambassadors to work with the sector to shape the programme, ensure that their views are captured and that the programme has maximum impact.As part of the development of the Attendance and Behaviour Hubs programme, an Equalities Impact Assessment was conducted. The department does not routinely publish Equalities Impact Assessments and has no plans to do so in this case.As part of the Invitation to Tender for the role of Attendance and Behaviour ambassador and for the school recruitment process, all bidders and applicants were required to declare any and all conflicts of interest prior to responding. The department is satisfied that this process was followed correctly.