Written questions by Shannon.

How many students from disadvantaged backgrounds entered higher education in the most recent academic year.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What steps she is taking to support schools in tackling pupil absenteeism.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What steps her Department is taking to support universities with financial sustainability.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What steps her Department is taking to support schools with deficits under the national funding formula.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

How many school rebuilding projects are underway under the school rebuilding programme.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only. We are investing almost £20 billion into the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034/35, to rebuild over 750 schools and sixth-form colleges across England. There are over 500 schools already in the programme, with well over half in delivery, and the department is currently identifying a further 250 schools to add to the programme. As of February 2026, we have worked with schools and Responsible Bodies to rebuild 51 schools through the School Rebuilding Programme, with 39 of these completed since July 2024.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of workload on teacher retention rates.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.The department is working closely with the sector to reduce workload and improve retention. This includes developing opportunities for more flexible working, such as allowing planning, preparation and assessment time to be undertaken remotely, and making resources to support workload and wellbeing available through our improve workload and wellbeing for school staff service.Our interventions have helped improve retention with the latest data showing one of the lowest leaver rates on record, with 1,700 fewer teachers leaving the state-funded sector in 2023/24 compared to the year before, and more teachers returning to state schools than at any point in the last ten years.We are going further with the introduction of the Child Poverty Strategy, the introduction of our strategy for giving every child the best start in life, reform to children’s social care, and the expansion of access to specialist mental health professionals. These measures will enhance teachers’ day-to-day experience and strengthen their ability to deliver. We are also supporting schools to use technology effectively.

What steps he is taking to ensure that people with epilepsy are represented through the work of the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, in the context of levels of risk of death during pregnancy for people with that condition.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of inflation on school budgets in this academic year.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Every year, the department publishes the ‘Schools’ costs technical note’, which analyses mainstream schools’ funding and costs, taking into account the impact of inflation, for the current and future financial years.

How many schools in England required emergency financial support from her Department in the most recent financial year.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only The department publishes details of academy trusts receiving funding support as an annex to the ‘Academies sector annual report and accounts’.The department sets robust expectations for how trusts should manage their finances effectively. Trusts must have the financial, leadership and management capacity to plan appropriately and act in the best interests of their pupils.Where a trust experiences financial difficulty, the department will take a robust approach. In a small number of cases, as a last resort, a trust may require additional funding to secure long-term educational sustainability. This support carries strict conditions and is typically accompanied with a notice to improve, setting out conditions the trust must meet to avoid further intervention. The department has the power to terminate a trust’s funding agreement if there is a serious breakdown in management or governance.Local authorities are responsible for overseeing the financial management and additional financial support for maintained schools.

What the vacancy rate is for teaching posts in secondary schools in England.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Information on the school workforce in England, including the vacancy rate for teaching posts and the retention rate for teachers in state-funded schools, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024.The teacher vacancy rate for full and part-time posts in secondary schools decreased to 6 per 1,000 teachers in service in November 2024, the latest figures available, from a peak of 8 per 1,000 teachers in November 2023.Over two thirds (67.7%) of teachers who qualified in 2019/20 were still teaching five years later in 2024/25.

How many teachers left the profession within five years of qualifying in the most recent year for which data is available.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.Information on the school workforce in England, including the vacancy rate for teaching posts and the retention rate for teachers in state-funded schools, is published in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical publication, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england/2024.The teacher vacancy rate for full and part-time posts in secondary schools decreased to 6 per 1,000 teachers in service in November 2024, the latest figures available, from a peak of 8 per 1,000 teachers in November 2023.Over two thirds (67.7%) of teachers who qualified in 2019/20 were still teaching five years later in 2024/25.

How many patients are currently on waiting lists for specialist assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder.

NHS England publishes quarterly Autism Waiting Time Statistics, which is available at the following link:https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/autism-statisticsIn December 2025, there were an estimated 254,108 people with an open referral for suspected autism in England. These are statistics in development and do not yet represent a complete picture of waiting times for autism assessments in England. Work to determine which provider organisations should be submitting data for autistic people is ongoing.The Government has recognised that, nationally, demand for assessments for autism has grown significantly in recent years and that people are experiencing severe delays for accessing such assessments. The Government’s 10-Year Health Plan will make the National Health Service fit for the future, and reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities focus will improve early intervention and support.It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to autism assessments, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.The Medium-Term Planning Framework, published 24 October, was explicit that ICBs and providers are expected to optimise existing resources to reduce long waits for autism assessments and improve the quality of assessments by implementing existing and new guidance, as published. In April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance for autism assessment services, which is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/autism-diagnosis-and-operational-guidance/ This guidance intends to help the NHS improve their autism assessment services and improve the experience for those referred to a service. More broadly, in December 2025, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, launched the independent review into the prevalence and support for mental health conditions, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism. The review’s interim report, published at the end of March, sets out the evidence reviewed so far on prevalence, describes the impact of rising demand for diagnosis and support, identifies where the evidence is uncertain, and outlines the key questions for the next phase. It does not offer final conclusions or recommendations.The final report, due in the summer, will make recommendations on how the Government, the health system, and wider public services can respond to increasing demand for support more fairly and effectively so that people receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place.

Whether he plans to expand screening programmes for early detection of Cervical Cancer.

The Government is committed to improving cancer screening services in line with the National Cancer Plan and as part of the 10-Year Health Plan’s shift from sickness to prevention.Later this year, we will start to offer self-testing for human papilloma virus to women who have missed their cervical screening appointments by at least six months. This expansion aims to overcome barriers that stop women from taking up cervical screening which can both prevent and catch cervical cancer early.

How many patients in the past year have waited longer than 28 days for diagnostic tests related to suspected Lung Cancer.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What funding is allocated for research into treatments for Motor Neurone Disease.

Government responsibility for delivering motor neurone disease (MND) research is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation, primarily by the Medical Research Council.It is not the usual process of the NIHR to allocate funds for research into specific conditions. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health and care, including MND. Our approach to funding research is through open and fair competition and peer review to ensure that the highest-quality proposals, most likely to deliver real impact for patients, are funded without imposing financial targets or limits.The Government is investing in MND research across a range of areas, including possible treatments. For example, the MND Translational Accelerator, supported by £6 million of Government funding, has twelve projects all aimed at speeding up the development of treatments for MND.The NIHR has also invested £8 million into EXPERTS-ALS, a pre-clinical study which is designed to accelerate the identification and testing of the most promising treatment candidates for treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the most common form of MND. This will connect to the later phase platform trial, MND SMART.Welcoming applications on MND to all NIHR programmes enables maximum flexibility both in terms of amount of research funding a particular area can be awarded, and the type of research which can be funded.

What steps are being taken to reduce ambulance handover delays at major hospitals in England.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What assessment has been made of regional disparities in treatment outcomes for patients diagnosed with Stroke.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What the current average waiting time is for elective orthopaedic surgery in England.

Average waiting times for elective orthopaedic surgery are not separately published in the waiting list statistics. The waiting times for orthopaedic surgery are included in the Trauma and Orthopaedic Services category. As of the latest published waiting list statistics for February 2026, the median waiting time for Trauma and Orthopaedic Services, which includes orthopaedic surgery, was 14.9 weeks in England, with further information available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/rtt-data-2025-26/

What plans he has to issue guidance to specialised neurology centres on the diagnosis of Primary Progressive Aphasia.

There are no current specific plans to issue guidance to specialised neurology centres on the diagnosis of Primary Progressive Aphasia.The provision of dementia health care services is the responsibility of local integrated care boards (ICBs). NHS England would expect ICBs to commission services based on local population needs, taking account of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.A timely diagnosis is vital to ensuring that a person with dementia can access the advice, information, care, and support they need. We remain committed to recovering the dementia diagnosis rate to the national ambition of 66.7%. This ambition includes ensuring provision of a validated diagnosis of dementia subtype.We will deliver the first ever Modern Service Framework for Frailty and Dementia to deliver rapid and significant improvements in quality of care and productivity. This will be informed by phase one of the independent commission into adult social care, expected this year.As we develop this, we will consider what interventions should be supported to improve dementia care and diagnosis.We are committed to publishing an interim product in September this year to feed into National Health Service and local government planning cycles, and will aim to publish the full modern service framework by the end of this calendar year as recommended by Baroness Casey.

What steps he is taking to increase early diagnosis rates for prostate cancer.

The Government has committed to meeting the cancer waiting time standards in England by the end of this Parliament, by modernising the whole cancer pathway so that patients are diagnosed and treated more quickly.The National Cancer Plan for England was published in February 2026. Patients across England will benefit from faster and more convenient tests, checks, and scans. By expanding diagnostic capacity, using real‑time data to spot delays, and rolling out technologies like robotic surgery, genomic testing, and faster, less invasive diagnostics, this will benefit all patients, including prostate cancer patients.The plan is backed by significant funding committed by the Government at the Spending Review, including £200 million next year for local Cancer Alliances. Alliances are encouraged to allocate a proportion of this funding to the delivery of local early diagnosis plans, to drive progress on data-led priorities. This can include work to support the diagnosis of prostate cancer, but it will vary by alliance depending on local need. In 2025/26, several alliances have undertaken work to support awareness and earlier diagnosis of prostate cancer.To increase knowledge of cancer symptoms, and address barriers to acting on them, the National Health Service in England has run Help Us Help You campaigns. These campaigns focused on recognising a range of symptoms, as well as encouraging body awareness, to help people spot symptoms across a wide range of cancers, including prostate cancer, at an earlier stage. Through the Cancer Programme Innovation Open Call, the Department is piloting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist radiologists using magnetic resonance imaging to detect clinically significant prostate cancer.Cancer will be a priority for NHS Online, which goes live in England from 2027, bringing the best of the NHS to the rest of the NHS. Virtual cancer care will be a priority, beginning with virtual hospital pathways for men with raised prostate-specific antigen levels at risk of prostate cancer.The Department continues to collaborate with Prostate Cancer UK on the TRANSFORM trial to answer the outstanding questions on screening effectiveness, particularly for black men and men with a family history of prostate cancer. 12,500 men are being recruited in phase 1 in sites across the UK, with inclusion into four groups looking at four different prostate health checks. Research phase 1 is expected to last between one to four years, and phase 2 is planned to be five to nine years. Currently, the Government, through the National Institute for Health and Care Research, has agreed to contribute support to phases 1 and 2. Further details can be sought from Prostate Cancer UK who are running the trial. The UK National Screening Committee will be reviewing the evidence that is published by this study, and this will help to inform any future recommendation on creating a national screening programme for prostate cancer.