Written questions by Smith.

What assessment she has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) fairness of the funding allocation system for special educational needs and disabilities provision.

The department is taking time to consider the various funding formulae that the department and local authorities use to allocate funding for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It is important that there is a fair education funding system that directs funding to where it is needed.Budgets for the 2025/26 financial year have not yet been set, meaning that decisions on the high needs and schools national funding formulae and the publication of allocations for that year are not to the usual timescales. The department will publish information as soon as possible, after the Budget later in October.

Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance he provides to local authorities for testing land in proximity to former lead mining sites; and whether he is taking steps to inform (a) residents and (b) those involved in domestic food production of potential risk in affected areas.

There are a variety of resources available to local authorities in regard to testing potentially contaminated land. The Interdepartmental Committee on the Redevelopment of Contaminated Land (ICRCL) issued guidance on The Restoration and Aftercare of Metalliferous Mining Sites for Pasture and Grazing in 1990 (ICRCL 70/90). Although outdated, parts are still relevant due to the focus on the risks to plants and livestock grazing. The Environment Agency have since taken on the role of issuing technical guidance. The current overarching guidance on managing risks for land contamination is found in Land Contamination Risk Management (LRCM). This sets out the 3-stage approach for managing all risks from land contamination including the first stage of risk assessment. This work is supplemented by additional guidance such as the Sewage sludge in agriculture: code of practice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) which deals with risks to crops, livestock, and consumers from trace elements in soil. Other guidance such as the Environment Agency’s Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment (CLEA) Software Model, and C4SL project issued by CL:AIRE provide detailed guidance in other areas, and the Food Standards Agency also play an important role in terms of the potential introduction of contaminants into the food chain. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) does not have a specific statutory role in relation to contaminated land but plays an advisory role in the overall health risk assessment process. UKHSA may be asked for support by local authorities in providing public health advice to their communities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what funding he has allocated for the remediation of contaminated land surrounding abandoned lead mines in the the next five years.

Funding to support local authorities in fulfilling their statutory obligations under part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, to inspect potential contaminated sites and to seek remediation where required, remains in the form of the Revenue Support Grant. The Revenue Support Grant is an unringfenced block grant covering many services. It is up to local authorities to decide how much funding is allocated to any service based on local priorities and they are held to account locally. Through the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines Programme - a partnership between Defra, the Environment Agency and the Coal Authority - government is taking action to develop mine water treatment schemes and diffuse interventions to prevent metals from abandoned metal mines, including lead, entering local river systems. Pollution from abandoned metal mines can contaminate land, such as when spoil heaps contaminated by these mines wash into rivers following heavy rainfall, prior to wash onto agricultural floodplains following flooding events. Many diffuse interventions include natural flood management measures to slow the flow of rivers, along with planting of trees and other vegetation which sequester carbon dioxide in soils. Local Authorities have the duty to inspect their Areas to identify contaminated land, including land contaminated by lead. If a Local Authority had concerns about land contamination, then they have relevant duties and powers under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to investigate and require the responsible person(s) to carry out remediation if they identify any contaminated land.