Written questions by Hayes.

Whether any civil servants hired by her Department were recruited over another person on the basis of a protected characteristic in each of the last three years.

Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010, which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition.Compliance with CRaGA is overseen by the independent Civil Service Commission, which publishes recruitment principles setting out the detailed rules departments must follow.For departments who use Civil Service Jobs to manage their recruitment, applicants are asked to provide diversity data on a voluntary basis only and no details are shared with hiring managers.The positive action measures in the Equality Act 2010 allows employers to take proportionate action that aims to reduce disadvantage, meet different needs and increase participation.Employers who choose to use positive action can help people who share a particular protected characteristic to overcome certain barriers under the measures. However, employers need to ensure they do this in a way which does not unfairly disadvantage other groups as this could amount to ‘positive discrimination’, which is unlawful.

How many staff within her Department are reliant on a visa for employment.

The department currently sponsors 28 individuals on a Skilled Worker visa through a Certificate of Sponsorship.

How much of the Connect the Classroom funding will be spent on schools in South Holland and the Deepings constituency

As part of our Education Estates Strategy, a 10-year plan to transform schools and colleges across England, we will provide targeted support for digital connectivity. As part of this £325 million of funding will be used for the expansion of Connect the Classroom and to support hard to reach schools to access fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband. New selection criteria will be announced in the summer.Connect the Classroom is currently supporting schools on the regional improvement for standards and excellence programme, ensuring that poor connectivity isn’t a barrier to school improvement. To date, over £900,000 of Connect the Classroom funding has been spent on schools in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

Whether it is her Department's policy that (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers use the disappearing messages function on Whatsapp on Government devices.

The department requires ministers and officials to follow the Non-Corporate Communications Channels (NCCCs) Guidance issued by the Government Digital Service: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/non-corporate-communication-channels-for-government-business.

If she will make new capital funding available for school buildings in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

We are investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26. As part of this, in 2025/26, Lincolnshire County Council was allocated almost £6 million to invest across its maintained schools. Capital funding for other bodies responsible for schools in South Holland and the Deepings are also available on GOV.UK. We expect to publish capital allocations and the outcomes of the Condition Improvement Fund for the 2026/27 financial year in the spring. We are also investing almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools within the existing programme, with a further 250 schools to be selected within two years. We plan to open a nomination round early in 2026. Lincolnshire has also been allocated £62.2 million of Basic Need capital funding to support it to create mainstream school places needed between May 2024 and September 2028.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that secondary school pupils have access to appropriate school transport arrangements in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

The department’s home to school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Local authorities are responsible for arranging free home to school travel for eligible children. A child is eligible if they are of compulsory school age, 5 to 16, attend their nearest school and would not be able to walk there because of the distance, their special educational need, disability or mobility problem, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe for them to do so. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low-income families.In addition, the Bus Services Act 2025 puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England. This will enable them to ensure local bus services meet the needs of local communities, including supporting access to education.

If she will publish an assessment of the economic impact on early years providers of changes to employers national insurance.

The government position was to compensate public sector employers only for the National Insurance Contributions (NICs) increase announced in Budget 2024. For eligible early years settings, this was provided through the dedicated £25 million Early Years NICs and Teachers’ Pay Grant in 2025/26.We recognise the impact on the early years sector and remain committed to protecting investment. We expect to invest over £9.5 billion in 2026/27, an above-inflation increase on 2025/26. National average funding rate increases reflect full costs of delivering a full year of expanded entitlements for early years providers.

How many and what proportion of civil servants in her Department are (a) on temporary contract and (b) consultants.

Information on the number of civil servants employed on temporary contracts is published by the Office for National Statistics as part of their quarterly release on public sector employment statistics. Information for September 2025 can be accessed at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/publicsectorpersonnel/bulletins/publicsectoremployment/september2025.Departmental expenditure on consultancy is published within the Annual Report and Accounts. The latest report for the 2024/25 financial year can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-to-2025.

How many Technical Excellence Colleges are planned to be in Lincolnshire.

As part of its mission to break down barriers to opportunity, this government is transforming further education colleges into specialist technical excellence colleges (TECs), working with a wide range of skills partners to provide young people and adults with better opportunities and the highly trained workforce that local economies need.We have already launched ten new construction TECs, backed by £120 million, and are now expanding the TEC programme to a further four high growth sectors in defence, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and digital and technologies.Applications for all four sectors are now live and will close on 16 February 2026.Exact locations are yet to be determined, and colleges will be appointed through a fair and transparent application process. Successful TECs will be appointed from April 2026.

How many full time equivalent staff in her Department have been employed for the purpose of making social media content in each of the past three years.

Due to the difficulty of disaggregating the number of staff who are employed to produce social media content from staff who are employed to work on broader digital communications, it is not possible to report exact figures in response to this question.

What steps she is taking to ensure that all pupils are able to purse vocational education pathways in Lincolnshire.

The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, published on 20 October, set out our vision for a world-leading skills system which breaks down barriers to opportunity, meets student and employers’ needs, widens access to high quality education and training, supports innovation, research, and development and improves people’s lives.It sets out our plans to introduce V Levels, which will sit alongside A levels and T Levels, and will become the pathway for vocational qualifications at level 3 for 16 to 19 year olds, sitting alongside the academic and technical pathways. We will also introduce two clear post-16 pathways at level 2 for further study and for occupations. We have launched a consultation on these measures, which will close on 12 January 2026. Full details are accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/post-16-level-3-and-below-pathways.Skills England has also been established to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade.

If she will review the (a) age and (b) quality of school buildings in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.

I refer the right hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings to the answer of 31 October 2025 to Question 83935.

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.