Written questions by McDonnell.

What steps her Department is taking to improve recruitment into further education teaching roles in high-demand subject areas.

Awaiting answer.

What recent discussions she has had with the Association of Colleges on narrowing the pay gap between further education college lecturers and school teachers.

Awaiting answer.

What recent discussions she has had with the Association of Colleges on the adequacy of further education staff pay levels relative to school teacher pay.

Awaiting answer.

Whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to further education colleges to support staff pay awards in the 2026–27 academic year.

Awaiting answer.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure a long-term legacy from the National Year of Reading.

The National Year of Reading 2026 aims to make lasting change to the reading habits of the nation to address the decline in reading for pleasure, unlocking one of the most powerful tools for equity and opportunity, a love of reading that lasts a lifetime. The campaign aims for lasting impact by engaging new audiences, making reading relevant, transforming practice, and building infrastructure. For example, we are providing £5 million of funding for secondary schools to purchase books to encourage reading for pleasure.The National Year of Reading is grounded in both existing evidence and new research, conducted by an external research agency. This is a critical component of the campaign, to ensure it is impactful and meaningful, both during the year and beyond.There will be an independent external evaluation of the National Year of Reading, to be published in 2027. The evaluation will examine how the campaign influences reading behaviours, connects with audiences and shapes attitudes towards reading, particularly among the campaign’s priority audiences of teenage boys, early years children and families from disadvantaged communities. It will also assess the wider impact on the literacy sector and the foundations for long-term change.

What plans her Department has to promote the National Year of Reading in a) early years settings, b) primary schools, c) secondary schools, d) further education and e) higher education.

The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment.It includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings throughout the year. Reading together is one of the most powerful ways to build a child’s language and communication skills, strengthen early bonds, and spark a lifelong love of reading, which is why early years is one of the priority groups for the National Year of Reading.We are raising awareness of the National Year of Reading through a range of methods, such as via departmental communication channels, the National Year of Reading mailing list and social media, communications from the National Literacy Trust, and promotion via the English Hubs network.All interested parties are encouraged to sign up to the National Year of Reading website for more information: https://goallin.org.uk/.To further support reading for pleasure, this government has committed over £10 million of dormant assets funding to guarantee a library for every primary school by the end of this parliament, and a further £5 million for secondary schools to purchase books to encourage reading enjoyment amongst their pupils.

Whether the Civil Society Covenant will play a role in the delivery of the National Year of Reading.

The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults. It is a department initiative, in collaboration with our delivery partner, the National Literacy Trust, who are leading the delivery of the campaign.The National Year of Reading is operating as a collective impact campaign, allowing multiple partners from a range of sectors to participate, including schools, libraries, publishers, booksellers, media companies, retailers, and charities. It supports the Civil Society Covenant’s aims to build effective partnerships across the breadth of civil society and government, working together to tackle the deep-seated challenges of our time.Tackling the long-term decline in reading for pleasure requires cross-sector support across the UK, as encompassed by the Go All In campaign which encourages everyone to get involved. The year includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings across the UK throughout the year.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to promote equality and inclusion as part of the National Year of Reading.

The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign designed to tackle the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people and adults, and to engage new audiences in reading. It aims to make lasting change to the nation’s reading habits and is for everyone, including adults, children, families and communities, reflecting that the decline in reading enjoyment affects all sectors of society. However, there will be a targeted focus on certain priority groups: boys aged 10 to16, parents from disadvantaged communities, and early years children.‘Go All In’ is a fully inclusive campaign, encouraging people to read about whatever interests them, through any genre and all mediums of reading, from physical books, to comics, to e-readers. The campaign includes support from a diverse range of authors, celebrities and content creators representing a range of different ages, backgrounds and cultures from communities across the UK. The campaign will reach communities across the UK through schools, libraries, businesses and local partners. Libraries, as free to access community hubs, will play a central role in supporting participation and helping people of all ages and from all sectors of society to develop a lasting love of reading.

If she will make it her policy to reverse her decision to reduce funding for (a) journalism and (b) media-related courses.

I refer the right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington to the answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 63373.

How much and what proportion of the Strategic Priorities Grant was allocated to (a) journalism and (b) other related courses in each of the last five years.

The government provides funding through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) on an annual basis to support teaching and students in higher education (HE). The department is prioritising support for high-cost subjects that are essential to the delivery of our industrial strategy and for access to HE for disadvantaged groups.Funding for all subjects, including journalism, will benefit from the increase in tuition fee limits in line with inflation.Journalism remains an important and valued subject, and the government acknowledges its importance, alongside numerous other subjects that do not attract SPG high-cost subject funding, such as history, languages, economics, mathematics and law.

What data she used to inform her decision to remove high-cost subject funding from (a) journalism, (b) media studies, (c) publishing and (d) information services.

I refer the right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington to the answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 63373.

How many higher education providers received Strategic Priorities Grant funding for journalism courses in each year since 2019.

The government provides funding through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) on an annual basis to support teaching and students in higher education (HE). The department is prioritising support for high-cost subjects that are essential to the delivery of our industrial strategy and for access to HE for disadvantaged groups.Funding for all subjects, including journalism, will benefit from the increase in tuition fee limits in line with inflation.Journalism remains an important and valued subject, and the government acknowledges its importance, alongside numerous other subjects that do not attract SPG high-cost subject funding, such as history, languages, economics, mathematics and law.

How much funding was allocated to journalism courses through the Strategic Priorities Grant in each of the last five years.

The government provides funding through the Strategic Priorities Grant (SPG) on an annual basis to support teaching and students in higher education (HE). The department is prioritising support for high-cost subjects that are essential to the delivery of our industrial strategy and for access to HE for disadvantaged groups.Funding for all subjects, including journalism, will benefit from the increase in tuition fee limits in line with inflation.Journalism remains an important and valued subject, and the government acknowledges its importance, alongside numerous other subjects that do not attract SPG high-cost subject funding, such as history, languages, economics, mathematics and law.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing funding for (a) journalism, (b) media studies, (c) publishing and (d) information services courses on (i) their commercial viability and (ii) trends in numbers of students studying those courses.

I refer the right hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington to the answer of 16 July 2025 to Question 63373.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of planned disability benefit changes on rates of school readiness.

The ‘Pathways to Work’ green paper, published in March 2025, sets out plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. The reforms will ensure the most vulnerable and severely disabled people are protected while ensuring everyone who can work receives the active support they need. This includes an extra £1 billion for personalised health, skills and employment support for sick and disabled people. The department knows that good work brings higher incomes, dignity and can significantly reduce the chances of falling into poverty.The reforms to disability benefit were part of a wider range of reforms, and so the specific impact on school readiness has not been assessed.