Written questions by Hayes.

How many schools in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire are able to offer swimming lessons to pupils.

It is a requirement of the PE national curriculum that schools must provide swimming and water safety lessons to pupils in either key stage 1 or 2. Whilst academies are not required to follow the national curriculum, they must provide a broad and balanced curriculum. The department is processing information gathered on swimming and water safety through the Digital Expenditure Reporting Return and will publish a summary of quality assured data in the new year.

How many primary schools in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire do not have a school library.

I refer the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings to the answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 81502.

What data her Department holds on school attendance rates in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire in the last five years.

The department publishes figures from the school census on pupil absence in England on a termly basis. The most recent published data relates to the autumn and spring terms of the 2024/25 academic year, and the latest full academic year is 2023/24, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england/.The published data includes absence rates by local authority and school. School level data includes identifiers that can be used to link the parliamentary constituency for the school using the ‘Get Information About Schools’ website, which is available here: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.The latest absence release has been available since 23 October 2025.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of schools’ policies on mobile phones and learning disruption.

The department’s guidance on mobile phones in schools, published in February 2024, is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day, including during lessons, transitions and breaks.​The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.​Research from the Children’s Commissioner, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools (99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools) already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.

What information her Department holds on the technology state schools require pupils to have.

The department does not require pupils to own specific technology and does not hold information on individual pupil requirements. Our policy focuses on ensuring schools have the right infrastructure to support teaching and learning.We have set six core digital and technology standards for schools and colleges to meet by 2030: broadband internet, wireless networks, network switches, digital leadership and governance, filtering and monitoring, and cyber security. These standards provide the foundations for safe and reliable connectivity at school and ensure safeguarding is a priority. Schools can use the ‘Plan technology for your school’ service to assess readiness and plan upgrades.

How much Ofqual has spent on translation and interpretation services in each of the last five years.

This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

How much the Education and Skills Funding Agency has spent on translation and interpretation services in each of the last five years.

During the period of 01 January 2020 to 17 November 2025, the Education and Skills Funding Agency spent £0.00 on translation and interpretation services.

How much Ofsted has spent on translation and interpretation services in each of the last five years.

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

If she will take steps to expand new special schools in Lincolnshire.

The department has published allocations for £740 million high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or who require alternative provision (AP). Of this funding, Lincolnshire has been allocated just over £10.2 million.This funding is intended to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs. It can also be used to adapt mainstream schools to be more accessible and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with SEND, sits with local authorities. It is ultimately up to local authorities to determine how to best prioritise their high needs capital funding to address local priorities. They can make use of this increased capital investment to improve the suitability and sufficiency of high needs provision in their areas and to ensure the sustainability of the system for the longer term.

If she will list the titles of all the events organised by Civil Service networks in her Department since 2017.

The department does not hold a comprehensive record of all events organised by Civil Service networks since 2017. However, we are able to provide a list of Civil Service network events that were advertised within the department from 2020 onwards. It is important to note that whilst these events were shared with staff, we cannot confirm whether they were organised by departmental colleagues as part of their participation in cross-Civil Service networks, or whether they were arranged independently by the networks and simply shared with departmental colleagues.The following events were advertised within the department:October 2020: Cross-network Black History Month launch (Civil Service Race Forum).26 November 2020: Celebrating Carers (Civil Service Carers Network).4 December 2020: Disability and Accessibility in the Civil Service (Civil Service Disability Network).25 February 2021: LGBT+ History Month – Section 28 and its Legacy (Civil Service LGBT+ Network).3 March 2021: Eating Disorders Awareness Week (Civil Service Eating Disorder Network).4 March 2021: Eating Disorder Ask an Expert (Civil Service Eating Disorder Network).10 June 2021: Young Adult Carers in the Civil Service (Civil Service Carers Network).24 December 2021: Whitehall Carol Service (Christians in Government).25 January 2022: Holocaust Memorial Day (Civil Service Jewish Network).17 February 2022: From Sad to Glad (Christians in Government).3 March 2022: From Panic to Peace (Christians in Government).17 March 2022: From Loathing to Living (Christians in Government).31 March 2022: From Despair to Hope (Christians in Government).27 March 2023: Whitehall Easter Service (DfE Christian Network and Christians in Government UK).14 December 2023: BSL Christmas Coffee Morning (Civil Service Deaf and Hard of Hearing Network).30 April 2025: Climate and Environment Awareness Session (Civil Service Climate and Environment Network).17 October 2025: Black History Month – Raising Black Achievement (Civil Service Race Forum).

How many (a) single sex and (b) gender neutral bathroom facilities her Department provides in its main Whitehall building.

The department’s main Whitehall building, Sanctuary Buildings, has 70 single sex cubicles, 16 urinals and 22 non-gendered universal toilets (individual self-contained lockable toilet rooms which contain a toilet, washbasin and hand-drying facilities). This is in addition to 11 wheelchair accessible toilets.

What steps she is taking to support children in schools who have suffered acquired brain injuries.

​​Children who have had a brain injury can be affected in different ways. Some brain injuries will result in a special educational need (SEN) or a medical need, whilst others may affect a child in other ways.​In whatever way a brain injury manifests, it is essential that the pupil’s individual needs are identified and supported appropriately. Support should be tailored to their own learning barriers, irrespective of their diagnosis. This is underpinned by the range of statutory duties on schools to support children with SEN, disabilities or medical conditions. Depending on the impact that an acquired brain injury has on the child accessing education, they may be entitled to support under any or all of these duties. For example:​A mainstream school must use its ‘best endeavours’ to provide the right support for all its pupils with SEN.​Schools must make arrangements to support their pupils with medical conditions.​Schools must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures and policies and not discriminate against their disabled pupils.

What information her Department holds on the proportion of food served in state schools in England that is sourced from British (a) farms and (b) other food producers.

Schools are responsible for their school meals service and how and where they choose to buy their produce. We encourage schools to provide a wide range of foods using fresh, sustainable locally sourced, seasonal ingredients including produce from the school vegetable garden where possible.Alongside this, we encourage schools to follow the Government Buying Standard for food and catering, which includes advice around procurement and sustainable sourcing of produce. We aim to revise the School Food Standards and are engaging with stakeholders to ensure they support our work to create the healthiest generation of children in history and will be consulting publicly in due course. As part of this work, we will review our guidance on sourcing good quality produce.

What measures her Department has in place to run critical services in the event of a major internet outage.

In preparation for potential major incidents, the department has undertaken Business Impact Assessments across all critical assets. These assessments have informed the development of Business Continuity Plans (BCPs), which outline the procedures and contingencies necessary to maintain essential services during such incidents. These plans are regularly reviewed and tested to ensure operational resilience and continuity of service delivery.To further strengthen response capabilities, the department’s Central Major Incident and Cyber Incident team is equipped to manage such events end-to-end. In parallel to BCPs, Disaster Recovery Strategies are in place to restore affected services swiftly, minimising downtime and ensuring operational continuity.

What steps she is taking to improve training opportunities in construction for people in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

The department is committed to improving construction training opportunities across England, including in South Holland and the Deepings.A wide range of government-funded programmes are available for construction employers who are considering hiring employees, offering work experience, or upskilling existing staff. These include Apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, and Free Courses for Jobs. Through the Construction Support Package, we are investing in high-quality training provision, supporting providers to deliver industry-relevant skills and helping more people into good jobs in the sector. The recently announced Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTEC) will drive up standards in construction education by working closely with employers to ensure training meets current and future workforce needs.The CTEC serving the East of England region, which includes South Holland and the Deepings, is West Suffolk College. This college is part of the government’s initiative to train construction workers through a network of 10 regional hubs operating under a ‘hub and spoke’ model.

How many children had an Education, Health and Care plan in Lincolnshire as of October 2025.

​​The latest published figures that show the number of children and young people with an education, health and care (EHC) plan as at January 2025 are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/4ed35aab-4605-47d4-0c1d-08de07233b94. Figures are published as at January each year. Information for January 2026 will be published in summer 2026.​The department does not hold information on the number of children waiting for an EHC plan.​The number of requests for an EHC needs assessment which were outstanding at the end of the 2024 calendar year in Lincolnshire local authority is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/e64ee712-b7aa-4ff8-f961-08de0724494a.

How many children in Lincolnshire were waiting for an Education, Health and Care plan as of October 2025.

​​The latest published figures that show the number of children and young people with an education, health and care (EHC) plan as at January 2025 are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/4ed35aab-4605-47d4-0c1d-08de07233b94. Figures are published as at January each year. Information for January 2026 will be published in summer 2026.​The department does not hold information on the number of children waiting for an EHC plan.​The number of requests for an EHC needs assessment which were outstanding at the end of the 2024 calendar year in Lincolnshire local authority is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/e64ee712-b7aa-4ff8-f961-08de0724494a.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2025 to Question 73942 on Department for Education: Social Media, how much her Department has spent on social media influencers since July 2024, listed by influencer.

Commercial sensitivities exist around aspects of spending of this kind which could prejudice commercial interests. All spend in these areas are subject to the standard value for money assessments.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of families expected to receive 30 hours of free childcare in Lincolnshire in 2025.

It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. We are delivering more support to working families than ever before with the rollout of 30 hours government-funded childcare.The department does not hold data on estimates of the numbers of families expected to benefit by area.However, the department does collect data on eligibility codes, which show the number of children who have benefitted by local authority level. This information can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/expansion-to-early-childcare-entitlements-eligibility-codes-issued-and-validated/2025-may. In the spring 2025 term, 7,193 codes were issued to parents in Lincolnshire and 6,620 (92%) of these were validated via childcare providers.This data was published on 12 May 2025. This data is being updated periodically in response to the 30 hours rollout.

How many schools are taking part in the Early Language Support for Every Child programme in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

The Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) pathfinder programme, co-led by the department and NHS England, is a test and learn programme trialling new approaches to support earlier identification, intervention and targeted support for children with speech, language and communication needs, helping them thrive in mainstream settings and ensuring every child has the best possible start in life.Nationally, therapy support teams have reached over 20,000 children and over 3,000 staff members have been upskilled to deliver interventions since the programme began.The programme is being delivered through nine regional ELSEC pathfinder sites, each comprising a mix of early years and primary school settings. In the East Midlands, Leicestershire, Leicester City and Rutland are the designated pathfinder local areas and therefore there are no schools within South Holland and The Deepings involved in ELSEC.