Written questions by Dillon.

What accountability mechanisms are in place in cases where a local authority is found to have delayed or cancelled access to statutory SEND provision.

Awaiting answer.

What proportion of local authorities met the statutory 20-week deadline for issuing Education, Health and Care Plans in the latest period for which figures are available.

Awaiting answer.

What statutory guidance her Department issues to local authorities on maintaining written records of communications and decisions during the Education, Health and Care assessment process.

Awaiting answer.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of non-air-conditioning measures such as a) external blinds, b) reflective window film and c) shade cloth in improving heat resilience in school buildings.

Awaiting answer.

What plans she has to improve the heat resilience of the school estate.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to her Department's answer on 15 December 2025 to question 97651, what action she has taken to promote the department's guidance Kinship Carers in the Workplace: Guidance for Employers to employe

‘Kinship Carers in the Workplace: Guidance for Employers’ sets out best practice for supporting kinship carers at work, including adapting workplace policies, signposting existing entitlements and creating a supportive workplace culture. We continue to en...

Whether her Department has plans to make education about antisemitism mandatory in schools.

I refer the hon. Member for Newbury to the answer of 04 June 2026 to Question 4398.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of re-orienting the further education funding system to rewards outcomes rather than headcounts.

We use the 16 to 19 funding formula to calculate and allocate funding to each institution, each academic year. Basic funding for institutions is calculated using lagged student volumes and funding rates, which depend on the size of their students' study p...

Who the intended audience was for her Department's social media content featuring Gemma Collins on 19 May 2026.

The aim of the department's communications is to reach audiences impacted by, or who may benefit from, the work we do, including the many who do not read government press notices or government channels. The recent social media activity featuring Gemma Col...

What steps her Department is taking to help schools in Newbury constituency support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

From September, the government is providing upfront investment for schools, colleges and early years providers to intervene early in meeting the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), through our inclusi...

Whether specialist professionals, including habilitation specialists and Qualified Teachers of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment, will have a formal role in the development of Individual Support

The Individual Support Plan will provide every child and young person with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) a clear and consistent record of their needs and the help they receive. Professionals will be able to use the Individual Support P...

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of regional disparities in access to Qualified Teachers of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment.

The department does not collect data on the regional distribution of Qualified Teachers of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment. However, we recognise that access to specialist support can vary between regions.To address this, we are investing...

What steps her Department is taking to help schools in the Newbury constituency to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

What assessment she has made of the impact of reductions in the number of (a) teaching assistants, (b) support staff and (c) teachers on (i) pupils with special educational needs and disabilities and (ii) other pupils requiring additional learning support.

As part of our Plan for Change, we are committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across secondary and special schools, and colleges, over the course of this Parliament.We are already making good progress. The teaching workforce has grown by 2,346 full-time equivalent (FTE) between 2023/24 and 2024/25 in secondary and special schools, the schools where they are needed most.The number of FTE school support staff has increased by 7,100 (1.4%) since 2023/24, which is mainly due to an increase of 5,900 teaching assistants.Our recent ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ white paper sets out the government’s vision for reforms to the schools and special educational needs and disabilities systems in England to ensure that every child can achieve and thrive.

What steps she is taking to ensure that reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system in England take account of the needs of children from armed forces families with additional needs.

As part of the consultation on the government’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms, I recently attended a roundtable hosted by the Armed Forces Community All-Party Parliamentary Group, to hear first-hand from armed forces families about the problems they face.The government’s proposed SEND reforms will better support children from mobile families. For example, education, health and care plans and new Individual Support Plans will be digital, which will support smoother transitions when service children move between schools or local authorities.National Inclusion Standards will set out support available in every mainstream setting, and a nationally consistent set of Specialist Provision Packages will provide comprehensive, evidence-based packages of support for children and young people with the most complex needs.Schools receive targeted funding through the Service Pupil Premium, with over £26 million allocated in 2026/27. Schools can use this funding flexibly to provide pastoral, academic and transition support to mitigate effects of mobility and parental deployment, supported by joint Department for Education and Ministry of Defence guidance.

What plans she has to place greater emphasis on the development of work-related skills in schools and colleges.

The department’s reforms will prepare children for the modern world, ensuring every pupil develops essential knowledge and skills for life, work and innovation. We will strengthen the curriculum by embedding critical media literacy and sustainability and improving financial education. A refreshed computing curriculum will build early digital confidence, including core learning on artificial intelligence, and integrate digital skills across subjects.Colleges already deliver a wide range of technical or vocational provision aimed at equipping students with the skills they need for work or higher study, such as T Levels, based on employer-designed standards with a 45-day industry placement.Reforms set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper to develop the skilled workforce our economy needs include new V Levels, expansion of T Levels; and clearer Level 2 routes through Occupational and Further Study Pathways.We are also strengthening careers advice and guidance in schools, driven by updated Gatsby Benchmarks and our commitment to deliver at least two weeks’ worth of work experience for all pupils.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of replacing a proposed cap on the number of branded school uniform items with a monetary cap set by regulations.

I refer the hon. Member for Newbury to the answer of 9 March 2026 to Question 114997.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of reforms to integrated care boards, including staffing reductions, on their role in SEND commissioning.

The department will continue to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care as well as NHS England to ensure that special educational needs and disabilities reforms are co-ordinated across education and health, and local leaders are supported to manage the transition effectively.The government is also providing substantial, targeted investment to help local areas grow and strengthen their specialist workforce. Over the next three years, £1.8 billion will be made available to local area partnerships to develop and roll out the Experts at Hand offer.We have also announced over £40 million to expand the specialist workforce, including £15 million for new advanced speech and language therapy practitioner roles, and £26 million to train at least 200 educational psychologists per year from 2026 and 2027.

What steps she is taking to support young adults in Newbury constituency with financial difficulties as a result of freezes to the Plan 2 student loan repayment threshold.

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments, and we are having to make hard choices to balance taxpayer and borrower interests to ensure that the student finance system remains sustainable.Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. The repayment threshold will rise in April 2026, to £29,385 which is a higher rate than the average graduate salary three years after graduation. As repayments remain income-contingent if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold, and the 9% rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. Even with the freeze, in year one the average borrower on a Plan 2 loan will repay around £8 more than had the freeze not been enforced.Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants. This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of freezes to the Plan 2 student loan repayment threshold on recent graduates.

Plan 2 loans were designed and implemented by previous governments, and we are having to make hard choices to balance taxpayer and borrower interests to ensure that the student finance system remains sustainable.Student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. The repayment threshold will rise in April 2026, to £29,385 which is a higher rate than the average graduate salary three years after graduation. As repayments remain income-contingent if a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold, and the 9% rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. Even with the freeze, in year one the average borrower on a Plan 2 loan will repay around £8 more than had the freeze not been enforced.Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants. This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy.