Written questions by Anderson.

What steps her Department is taking to improve standards in schools.

The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ White Paper sets a clear path to ensuring every child can achieve and thrive, from tackling the scourge of child poverty to securing the highest school standards for all young people.When children born under this government finish secondary school, it is our ambition that all children achieve higher standards and the disadvantage gap will be halved. We will take children’s education experience from narrow to broad. This includes a renewed curriculum, setting children up to thrive in the modern world. Our reformed curriculum will deliver high standards for all, delivering strong foundations in oracy, reading, writing and maths, and offering a triple science entitlement for all pupils. This is alongside improving transitions and providing an enrichment entitlement for every child.We will ensure children who for too long have been sidelined are included, raising standards and providing stretch and challenge for all no matter their starting point, targeting deprivation funding to boost outcomes for the most disadvantaged children and launching two place-focused missions to provide a blueprint for national change. Our ambitious special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms will ensure children and young people with SEND get the support they need. The government consultation on SEND is ongoing until 18 May 2026.We will move children and communities from withdrawn to engaging with education. We will introduce a new pupil engagement framework, support schools to improve behaviour, attendance and parental engagement, and give parents a clearer view of their child’s education.To deliver this change, we will strengthen the foundations of our education system. We will invest in high quality staff, promote school collaboration, drive standards through new Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence teams and realise opportunities from data, artificial intelligence and technology.

What data his Department holds on the total cost to the public purse of universal credit payments for foreign nationals in the last 5 years.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

What steps she is taking to support (a) entrepreneurs and (b) new business starters.

At Autumn Budget 2025, the Government published the Entrepreneurship in the UK Prospectus which emphasises the Government’s commitment to supporting start‑ups and scaling firms through improved access to capital, R&D support, regulatory reform, and procurement changes. The Government also conducted a Call for Evidence on Tax Support for Entrepreneurs, which closed recently.

What steps he is taking to support hair salons.

Small businesses in the hair and beauty sector play an important role in supporting jobs, high streets and local economies. We’ve introduced permanently lower business rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties and have provided £4.3bn to shield ratepayers from bill increases.We continue to back employers who take on apprentices, by providing £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19; employers are not required to pay National Insurance Contributions for all apprentices aged up to age 25 (when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year). Additionally, the government pays the full training costs for young apprentices aged 16 to 21, and for apprentices aged 22 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan or have been in local authority care, when their employer has fewer than 50 employees.I will continue to engage closely with the sector, including through the Personal Care Roundtables, to ensure the industry’s long-term growth. This includes working with hair and beauty businesses as we bring forward a new High Streets Strategy later this year.

What steps his Department is taking to bring skilled jobs to former coalfield communities.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 15th January 2026 to question UIN 104368 (Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament)

What steps his Department is taking to support high street businesses.

Our Small Business Plan sets out how government will support high street businesses in the everyday economy. Later this year, MHCLG will publish a new High Streets Strategy setting out how we can support high streets to thrive.This will build upon MHCLG's £5 billion Pride in Place Programme to renew our neighbourhoods and high streets. Kirkby-in-Ashfield was announced in the first 75 places to receive up to £20 million over the next decade as part of the Pride in Place programme and Ashfield will be in receipt of £1.5 million as part of the Pride in Place Impact Fund.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of business rates on hospitality businesses in Ashfield constituency.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. Government support also means that most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. The Government is also introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties. More broadly, later this year, the Government will bring forward a new High Streets Strategy to reinvigorate our communities. The Government will work with businesses and representative bodies to pull this Strategy together.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of taxation policy on animal rescue centres and sanctuaries.

As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, Defra will launch a consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations. This consultation will consider the potential impacts on the sector, including any financial implications.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help improve access to public tennis courts.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That has to mean delivering a range of facilities across the country based on what each local community needs.We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England - which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding into grassroots sport across England, including providing support for the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA).In 2026/27, £15 million will be invested into innovative facilities in England to help improve access to the sports that people wish to participate in.We are working closely with the sport sector - including the LTA - and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country. This will ensure that our investment in community grassroots sports facilities reaches as many people as possible to reduce inactivity levels.

What steps she is taking to help SMEs to increase employment opportunities.

We are helping SMEs grow and employ more people through our largest ever injection of capital into the British Business Bank. Over the next five years, the British Business Bank will increase annual deployment by two-thirds, aiming to unlock around £26 billion of private capital alongside £13 billion in public funding, and enable up to an additional £10 billion in small business lending through guarantees. The Government protected the smallest businesses from the changes to Employer National Insurance Contributions by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this tax year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.At Autumn Budget 2025, we announced that we are supporting SMEs by changing the rules to fully fund SME apprenticeships training costs for eligible people under the age of 25.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support animal rescue centres and sanctuaries.

As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, Defra will launch a consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations. This consultation will consider the potential impacts on the sector, including any financial implications.

If his Department will make an assessment on the adequacy of domestic steel production in the context of global (a) conflict and (b) economic challenges.

As part of the forthcoming Steel Strategy, we have commissioned an analysis of future UK steel demand and domestic production capabilities over the next 25 years. This analysis will form part of the evidence base for the Steel Strategy and will be published soon.Furthermore, the 2025 Defence Industrial Strategy and associated Strategic Defence Review committed Government to introducing Defence Readiness legislation this Parliament. This legislation aims to provide the Government with more robust powers to strengthen supply chain resilience, protect critical national infrastructure (including nuclear), and support the rapid mobilisation of defence industry. The role of domestic steel production in the context of a conflict scenario, alongside other parts of the industrial base, will be assessed as this legislation develops.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the business rates system on hair salon businesses.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base. At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. Government support also means that most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest. The Government is also introducing new permanently lower tax rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure (RHL) properties. These new tax rates are worth nearly £1 billion per year and will benefit over 750,000 properties. More broadly, later this year, the Government will bring forward a new High Streets Strategy to reinvigorate our communities. The Government will work with businesses and representative bodies to pull this Strategy together.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the long-term financial viability of animal rescue centres and sanctuaries which are not registered charities.

As set out in the Animal Welfare Strategy, Defra will launch a consultation on licensing domestic rescue and rehoming organisations. This consultation will consider the potential impacts on the sector, including any financial implications.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of business closures on the UK economy.

The latest statistics show that, on average, 312,000 businesses closed per year between 2019-2024, with 280,000 businesses closing in 2024. However, business births have exceeded closures over this period.The table below illustrates the total business closures from 2019-2024, broken down for each year:201920202021202220232024303,495300,475328,495348,675309,685280,375The table below illustrates the total business births from 2019-2024, broken down for each year:201920202021202220232024363,825333,015363,995336,925316,025317,435

Innovation and Technology, what recent estimate she has made of the level of digital exclusion in the UK.

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily.But we know some people face real barriers. In 2025, 5% of UK adults were offline and many homes don’t have a suitable device: 6% of UK households didn’t have a smartphone, and 26% didn’t have a laptop. Whilst 8% of adults in the UK lack the essential digital skills for life.That's why we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, and why we’re now delivering the foundations: better connectivity with a range of affordable options, direct support to build digital access, skills and confidence in communities across the UK, and more devices reaching people who need them. The Government is clear that everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – and more is needed to ensure this.Findings from DSIT’s Public Engagement Survey, which will be published in summer 2026, will provide updated, high-quality evidence on the incidence and drivers of digital exclusion across the UK.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to reduce digital exclusion.

Everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – helping families save money, get a better job, and access services like the NHS more easily.But we know some people face real barriers. In 2025, 5% of UK adults were offline and many homes don’t have a suitable device: 6% of UK households didn’t have a smartphone, and 26% didn’t have a laptop. Whilst 8% of adults in the UK lack the essential digital skills for life.That's why we published the Digital Inclusion Action Plan, and why we’re now delivering the foundations: better connectivity with a range of affordable options, direct support to build digital access, skills and confidence in communities across the UK, and more devices reaching people who need them. The Government is clear that everyone should be able to benefit from the digital world – and more is needed to ensure this.Findings from DSIT’s Public Engagement Survey, which will be published in summer 2026, will provide updated, high-quality evidence on the incidence and drivers of digital exclusion across the UK.

What recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of guidelines on support for SEND children in the mainstream education system.

To support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), we will help mainstream settings to make the necessary changes to embed inclusive practice. We will develop new National Inclusion Standards to bring greater clarity and evidence to this space. These will set out, for the first time, support that should be available in every mainstream setting, and we will appoint an expert panel to develop and make recommendations regarding the content of the National Inclusion Standards. The SEND Code of Practice provides statutory guidance for organisations supporting children with SEND. We have committed to updating the Code to reflect changes in the SEND system and findings of recent independent scrutiny, including from the Education Select Committee. The updated Code will clarify responsibilities for mainstream settings and establish a consistent approach to supporting children with SEND. We are consulting on proposals to reform the SEND system, and the consultation is accessible at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-strategy-division/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-firs/. We will undertake a separate, full public consultation on the proposed changes to the Code of Practice to reflect best practice and the views of children and young people, families and professionals.

What steps he is taking to help tackle (a) unemployment rates and (b) job displacement.

Economic growth is this Government’s first mission; we are committed to creating good jobs, helping more people into work and raising living standards. DWP is tackling unemployment by reshaping our employment support offer to break down barriers related to skills, health and progression. For example, we are transforming our Jobcentres into a modern Jobs and Careers Service; ensuring support for young people through our flagship Youth Guarantee; empowering local areas to explore new ways to reduce economic inactivity through youth and inactivity trailblazers; and, developing tailored support for those with health conditions and disabilities. To adapt and mitigate the risk of job displacement, this Government is driving a programme to manage AI driven labour market shifts, supported by the newly established AI and Future of Work Unit, which monitors emerging trends and coordinates the policy response across government. This Government is investing £187 million in digital and AI learning as well as working towards training 7.5 million workers in essential AI skills by 2030 through joint work between Skills England and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. This is in conjunction with a range of wider reskilling opportunities, such as Sector Based Work Academy Programme (SWAPs) which provides opportunities to those who are looking to change career or sectors through providing placements for pre-employment training, a work experience placement and a guaranteed interview for a real job.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle persistent absence at (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

The department is taking a range of measures to tackle persistent absence in both primary and secondary schools. The statutory guidance ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ requires schools to take a support-first approach, including appointing a Senior Attendance champion, publishing a clear and easily-accessible attendance policy and to work in partnership with local authorities to reduce levels of absence. The full guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66bf300da44f1c4c23e5bd1b/Working_together_to_improve_school_attendance_-_August_2024.pdf.Schools, trusts and local authorities also benefit from the department’s real-time attendance data tools and attendance toolkits, which enable early identification of emerging issues and support adoption of effective practice. Bespoke minimum attendance targets further assist schools in returning to pre-pandemic levels.To support schools requiring additional intervention, the department launched new regional improvements for standards and excellence (RISE) attendance and behaviour hubs in January, with the capacity to support over 3,000 schools and deliver targeted assistance to up to 500. The national attendance mentoring programme is providing one-to-one support for 10,000 persistently absent pupils.We are also addressing wider barriers through expanded primary breakfast clubs and increased access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.