Written questions by Morgan.

What steps her Department is taking to support schools that have discovered asbestos insulation in their building structures.

The government has increased investment to improve the condition of school buildings across England to £2.1 billion for the 2025/26 financial year. We have also given a long term commitment to increase annual capital maintenance investment per year through to 2034/35.In addition to capital funding and programmes, the department provides a range of guidance to help local authorities, academy trusts, governing bodies and other responsible bodies deliver their responsibilities to keep buildings safe, in good working order and compliant with relevant regulations. This includes school estate management standards and good estate management for schools. We also make available comprehensive risk protection for public sector schools as an alternative to commercial insurance through our risk protection assurance scheme.Any school that suspects structural damage to its buildings, whether caused by badgers or anything else, should seek professional advice and, if the issue results in closure of part or all of the school, should notify the department.The department expects all responsible bodies to have robust plans in place to manage any asbestos in their school and college buildings effectively, in line with their legal duties, drawing on appropriate professional advice. Asbestos management in schools and other buildings is regulated by the Health and Safety Executive, and the department has published guidance to help school duty holders comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.The department provides additional advice and support on a case-by-case basis in situations where serious and urgent safety issues with a building cannot be managed independently by a responsible body.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the structural issues in The Corbet School in Shropshire.

The government has increased capital funding to £2.1 billion for school maintenance in the 2025/26 financial year, almost £300 million more than in 2024/25. As part of this, the department announced on 30 May that the £470 million Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) will support 789 essential projects at 656 eligible schools and sixth form colleges.The appeals round for unsuccessful applicants to CIF 2025/26 opened on 2 June and closed at 12 noon on 23 June. We aim to announce the results of appeals in August, and do not comment on individual cases beforehand in order to be fair to all applicants.Schools and sixth-form colleges eligible for CIF, including The Corbet School, may apply for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) at any time, where they have evidence of serious and urgent issues that threaten the operation of the school and which cannot be managed independently or wait for a future funding round. Further details on UCS can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-improvement-fund#urgent-capital-support.

What steps her Department is taking to support schools experiencing structural damage caused by badgers.

The government has increased investment to improve the condition of school buildings across England to £2.1 billion for the 2025/26 financial year. We have also given a long term commitment to increase annual capital maintenance investment per year through to 2034/35.In addition to capital funding and programmes, the department provides a range of guidance to help local authorities, academy trusts, governing bodies and other responsible bodies deliver their responsibilities to keep buildings safe, in good working order and compliant with relevant regulations. This includes school estate management standards and good estate management for schools. We also make available comprehensive risk protection for public sector schools as an alternative to commercial insurance through our risk protection assurance scheme.Any school that suspects structural damage to its buildings, whether caused by badgers or anything else, should seek professional advice and, if the issue results in closure of part or all of the school, should notify the department.The department expects all responsible bodies to have robust plans in place to manage any asbestos in their school and college buildings effectively, in line with their legal duties, drawing on appropriate professional advice. Asbestos management in schools and other buildings is regulated by the Health and Safety Executive, and the department has published guidance to help school duty holders comply with the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.The department provides additional advice and support on a case-by-case basis in situations where serious and urgent safety issues with a building cannot be managed independently by a responsible body.

What steps her Department is taking to support schools in rural areas.

The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes core funding for mainstream schools. It accounts for the particular challenges faced by small rural schools through the sparsity factor. This recognises that some schools are necessarily small because they are remote and do not have the same opportunities to grow or make efficiency savings as other schools.In the 2025/26 financial year, primary schools eligible for sparsity funding attract up to £57,400, and all other schools eligible for sparsity funding attract up to £83,400.Small schools have also benefited from the increase to core factors in the NFF in the 2025/26 financial year, including the NFF lump sum set at £145,100. The lump sum provides a fixed amount of funding that is unrelated to pupil-led factors. It is therefore particularly beneficial to small schools that are more reliant on an element of funding that is not driven by pupil numbers.

If her Department will approve The Corbet School’s appeal against the rejection of its 2025-26 Condition Improvement Fund bids.

The government has increased capital funding to £2.1 billion for school maintenance in the 2025/26 financial year, almost £300 million more than in 2024/25. As part of this, the department announced on 30 May that the £470 million Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) will support 789 essential projects at 656 eligible schools and sixth form colleges.The appeals round for unsuccessful applicants to CIF 2025/26 opened on 2 June and closed at 12 noon on 23 June. We aim to announce the results of appeals in August, and do not comment on individual cases beforehand in order to be fair to all applicants.Schools and sixth-form colleges eligible for CIF, including The Corbet School, may apply for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) at any time, where they have evidence of serious and urgent issues that threaten the operation of the school and which cannot be managed independently or wait for a future funding round. Further details on UCS can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-improvement-fund#urgent-capital-support.

Whether her Department undertook a risk assessment before reducing the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund's fair access limit.

The changes made to the criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund ensure that each child can still access a significant package of support. The department always considers the impact of decisions on vulnerable children.

Whether she received representations from medical professionals before reducing the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund's fair access limit.

The changes made to the criteria for the adoption and special guardianship support fund ensure that each child can still access a significant package of support. The department always considers the impact of decisions on vulnerable children.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reductions to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund's fair access limit on the financial stability of adoptive families.

The adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) is continuing to play an important role in the overall stability of adoptive families, alongside other forms of support. This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. The ASGSF is an important part of this, but other sources of support are available to adoptive children and families. For example, this year, we are making £500 million available to local authorities to roll out Family Help and Child Protection nationally to transform services and transition towards earlier intervention.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to employers' National Insurance contributions on specialist colleges.

The department is receiving compensation in recognition of the increase in National Insurance contributions (NICs) paid by institutions it funds, including colleges, schools and other state-funded special educational needs and disabilities provision. Work is in progress to determine how that funding will be distributed, and more information will be provided as soon as is practicable. This NICs funding will be in addition to the £300 million and £1 billion funding increases announced at the Autumn Budget 2024 for further education and young people with high needs respectively, in 2025/26.

If she will make an estimate of the change to real terms spending on services for disabled children by Shropshire Council since 2016.

From the 2015/16 financial year to 2022/23, the most recent year for which information is available, the increase in net spending by Shropshire Council on provision and services for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including on those children’s home-to-school transport, has been 37% in real terms (67% in cash terms) and the increase in gross spending has been 32% in real terms (61% in cash terms). The basis for this calculation uses high needs and home-to-school transport spending data provided to the department by Shropshire Council, which is broadly comparable from year-to-year, as follows: Financial yearGross spend2022/23 termsNet spend2022/23 terms2015/16£21.2 million£25.9 million£19.6 million£23.9 million2016/17£18.9 million£22.5 million£17.9 million£21.3 million2017/18£24.0 million£28.2 million£23.2 million£27.3 million2018/19£25.0 million£28.7 million£24.6 million£28.3 million2019/20£25.0 million£28.1 million£24.8 million£27.8 million2020/21£27.5 million£29.3 million£26.1 million£27.8 million2021/22£28.9 million£31.0 million£28.0 million£30.0 million2022/23£34.2 million£34.2 million£32.8 million£32.8 million To note:Expenditure has been calculated in 2022/23 terms using the latest GDP deflator series (published 1 October 2024).The following actual expenditure items from Shropshire Council’s section 251 returns have been used:High needs budget expenditure:1.2.1 Top-up funding – maintained schools1.2.2 Top-up funding – academies, free schools and colleges1.2.3 Top-up and other funding – non-maintained and independent providers1.2.4 Additional high needs targeted funding for mainstream schools and academies1.2.5 Special educational needs (SEN) support service1.2.6 Hospital education services1.2.8 Support for inclusion1.2.9 Special schools and pupil referral units (PRUs) in financial difficulty1.2.10 Private finance initiative/ Building Schools for the Future costs at special schools, AP/ PRUs and Post 16 institutions only1.2.11 Direct payments (SEN and disability)1.2.12 Carbon reduction commitment allowances (PRUs)1.2.13 Therapies and other health related services1.4.11 SEN transportAdditional home-to-school transport expenditure:2.1.4 Home-to-school transport (pre-16): SEN transport expenditure2.1.6 Home-to-post-16 provision: SEN transport expenditure (aged 16-18)

What steps her Department is taking to tackle mental health challenges in children from low-income families during school holidays.

The department has invested over £200 million every year since 2022 in free holiday club places for children from low-income families through the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme with all 153 local authorities in England delivering in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays.The HAF programme supports disadvantaged children and their families with enriching activities, provides them with healthy food, helps them to learn new things, improves socialisation and benefits their health and wellbeing during school holidays.The right support should be available to every young person that needs it, which is why the department will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.The government will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.

Whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential safeguarding dangers to children from low-income families resulting from the end of the holiday activities and food programme.

The future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn and the department will communicate the outcome of that process in due course.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the end of the holiday activities and food programme on lower-income families.

The future of the Holiday Activities and Food programme beyond 31 March 2025 is subject to the next government Spending Review taking place this autumn and the department will communicate the outcome of that process in due course.