Written questions by Perteghella.

What proportion of the successful applicants to secondary teacher training for Religious Education received a Subject Knowledge Enhancement grant in each month since September 2022 .

The below tables show the number of candidates who received a religious education (RE) subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) grant in each month since October 2022.The previous government took the decision to cut funding for RE SKEs from April 2024 alongside four other subjects. The department currently offers SKE support in five secondary subjects: chemistry, computing, mathematics, modern languages and physics. The department will continue to explore our options for delivery of SKE training in future academic years to ensure that our funding supports courses in the subjects where these courses are most needed.SKE courses in RE by month Oct-22Nov-22Dec-22Jan-23Feb-23Mar-23Apr-23May-23Jun-23Jul-23Aug-23Sep-23Total012105151618198085Initial teacher training (ITT) census data shows there were 269 new entrants to postgraduate ITT courses in RE in the 2023/24 academic year. Therefore, the department estimates 32% of all new postgraduate entrants in RE in the 2023/24 academic year undertook a SKE prior to commencing ITT.Oct-23Nov-23Dec-23Jan-24Feb-24Mar-24Apr-24May-24Jun-24Jul-24Aug-24Sep-24Total1041191635289560124ITT census data shows there were 462 new entrants to postgraduate ITT courses in RE in the 2024/25 academic year. We therefore estimate 27% of all new postgraduate entrants in RE in the 2024/25 academic year undertook a SKE prior to commencing ITT.This government inherited a system with critical shortages of teachers, with numbers not keeping pace with demographic changes. Financial incentives are one of the most effective ways to increase teacher supply, which is why the department has announced an initial teacher training financial incentives package for the 2025/26 recruitment cycle worth £233 million, which is a £37 million increase on the last cycle. This includes the reintroduction of a £10,000 tax free bursary to encourage prospective trainees to teach RE.​​The department has also expanded its ‘School Teacher Recruitment’ marketing campaign which inspires and attracts candidates to consider a career in teaching, including RE. It promotes the profession and directs people to the ‘Get Into Teaching’ service, which exists to make teaching a career of choice and supports candidates to apply for teacher training in the most effective and efficient way possible.

Whether her Department has plans to issue guidance on the tax treatment of payments received under the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme.

The Government has established the joint HMT/HMRC working group with industry representatives to identify solutions that provide clarity on the tax treatment of ecosystem service markets, including the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme. The work of the group is currently ongoing.

What steps is he taking to ensure that individuals diagnosed with ADHD by private specialists can access NHS treatment.

General practitioners (GPs) are independent contractors that provide services within the National Health Service. The General Medical Council (GMC) has published the guidance, Good practice in proposing, prescribing, providing and managing medicines and devices content. This includes guidance on shared care arrangements between a specialist service and the patient’s GP to help GPs decide whether to accept shared care responsibilities for any condition. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/the-professional-standards/good-practice-in-prescribing-and-managing-medicines-and-devices/shared-careNHS clinicians need to be content that any prescriptions, or referrals for treatment, are clinically appropriate. The British Medical Association has issued guidance, underpinned by the GMC guidance, which outlines that shared care with private providers is not recommended due to the general NHS constitution principle of keeping as clear a separation as possible between private and NHS care. Shared care may be appropriate where private providers are providing commissioned NHS services and where appropriate shared care arrangements are in place. All shared care arrangements are voluntary, so even where agreements are in place, practices can decline shared care requests on clinical and capacity grounds.If a shared care arrangement cannot be put in place after the treatment has been initiated, the responsibility for continued prescribing falls upon the specialist clinician; this applies to both NHS and private medical care.We are supporting a cross-sector taskforce that NHS England has established to look at attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) service provision and support across sectors, and their impact on patient experience. The taskforce is bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education and justice, to better understand the challenges affecting people with ADHD including timely access to services and support.

What steps her Department plans to take to (a) reduce the number of unnecessary Education, Health and Care panels and (b) speed up the production of Education, Health and Care Plans.

This government is committed to strengthening the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system for all children and young people to ensure they receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.Parents have struggled to get their children the support they need and deserve, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes.The department wants to ensure that EHC needs assessments are progressed promptly and plans are issued quickly in order to provide children and young people with the support they need to help them achieve positive outcomes.The department continues to monitor and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we help the local authority to identify the barriers and put in place an effective plan to improve delivery. This includes, where needed, securing specialist SEND adviser support to help identify the barriers to EHC plan process timeliness and put in place practical plans for recovery.The department is working closely with experts on reform, including a Strategic Advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in convening and engaging with the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families as we consider next steps.The department has also listened to parents, local authority colleagues, and partners across education, health and social care and is considering carefully how to address and improve the experience of the EHC plan process for families and reflecting on what practice could or should be made consistent nationally.

Whether her Department plans to provide interim guidance on the tax treatment of payments received under the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme.

The Government has established the joint HMT/HMRC working group with industry representatives to identify solutions that provide clarity on the tax treatment of ecosystem service markets, including the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme. The work of the group is currently ongoing.

Whether her Department plans to issue guidance on the tax treatment of payments received under the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme; and what progress the joint working group has made on that issue.

The Government has established the joint HMT/HMRC working group with industry representatives to identify solutions that provide clarity on the tax treatment of ecosystem service markets, including the Biodiversity Net Gain scheme. The work of the group is currently ongoing.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of graduated driving licences on levels of deaths of young drivers.

Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, the Government treats road safety with the utmost seriousness, and we are committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. We absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads, and we are considering measures and their potential impacts to tackle the root causes of this without unfairly penalising young drivers.

What progress she has made on the introduction of a Natural History GCSE.

I refer the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon to the answer of 17 December 2024 to Question 18517.

Whether income from increases in firearms licensing fees will be used by police forces to fully recover the costs of administering those licences.

On 5 February 2025, increased fees came into effect to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications processed by police forces. This gave effect to a commitment in the Government’s manifesto.The fees were previously increased in 2015 and they no longer met the cost of the service provided. It is essential for both public safety and police efficiency that the fees provide full-cost recovery so that service improvements can be made. The need to increase firearms licensing fees to help address shortcomings in firearms licensing was highlighted by the Senior Coroner in his Preventing Future Deaths reports into the fatal shootings in Plymouth in August 2021.I have written to all Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables to make clear that the income from increased fees must be invested into their firearms licensing operations, in the interests of both public safety and to support improvements in the service provided by their firearms licensing teams.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of small training airfields on (a) local rural economies and (b) the availability of aviation training.

We recognise the role small airfields play in General Aviation as a gateway for individuals to develop their career aspirations in the aviation sector. Ministers do not routinely intervene in local planning and any consideration of directions to modify local plans including the closure of airfields will be made by the local planning authority in accordance with relevant legislation. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is the independent aviation safety regulator and as part of their role oversee the approval of training organisations who may operate from small training airfields. In circumstances where a flying training organisation ceases operation, the CAA would work with affected trainees to find new training solutions for each of them where required.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase in employers National Insurance contributions on private suppliers providing local authority-funded home-to-school transport to children with special educational needs.

I refer the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26397.

If she will take steps to encourage students with low literacy rates to develop a love of reading.

High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.The department knows that reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits. There are a number of strong links with attainment, such as the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study report, which found a 34 point difference in reading performance between pupils in England who “very much” liked reading and pupils who “do not” like reading. Additionally, the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment study found that enjoyment of reading links to pupils’ reading engagement, and that reading engagement was strongly positively correlated with reading performance. There is also a strong evidence base linking reading for pleasure with other positive effects, such as expanding pupils’ knowledge about the world and about language, as well as their understanding of subject-specific academic and technical vocabulary.Furthermore, pupils who read regularly report heightened levels of social and emotional wellbeing. For many, reading is a form of relaxation, a place to escape everyday challenges, or a source of entertainment. Reading allows readers to adopt new perspectives, develop empathy and become more socially conscious.In recognition of this, the department has implemented a range of measures to support reading for pleasure. The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure, with £23 million committed for the 2024/25 academic year to support this work. Furthermore, the government’s reading framework provides guidance on improving the teaching of reading, to ensure that every child is not only able to read proficiently but also develops a genuine love of reading.On 5 February, the government announced a £2 million investment to drive high and rising standards in reading and writing. Building on the success of phonics, teachers will receive additional training to help children progress from the early stages of phonics in reception and year 1 through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school. This will be delivered through the English Hubs programme.In secondary school, teachers will be offered new training and resources this year to help them support readers at all levels, and next year the department will commission further training that will be focused specifically on struggling readers in secondary school who are at risk of falling behind.The current national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which will look closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, in line with the government’s ambition for a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics.

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of measures in place to prevent violence against NHS staff.

Individual employers are responsible for the health and safety of their staff, and they put in place many measures to ensure their health and safety, including appropriate security, training, and emotional support for staff affected by violence.To support them, NHS England is working on initiatives to prevent and reduce violence and aggression from patients, their families, and the public. In December 2024, NHS England updated its violence prevention standard. This sets out guidance for employers to help them identify risks and develop local policies for dealing with violence and supporting staff.

What proportion of reported assaults on NHS staff have resulted in prosecution in the last 12 months.

Assaults can be prosecuted under a range of offences such as common assault, actual bodily harm (ABH) or grievous bodily harm (GBH). The Ministry of Justice does not, however, collate data on the profession of the victim. To do so could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.By way of example, data is collated on defendants who are prosecuted and convicted of an assault against an emergency worker. Data on those convicted of such assaults, up to 30 June 2024, can be found in the principal offence proceedings and ‘Outcomes by Offence’ data tool, available at: Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2024. In the “Outcomes by Offences” document, select the `Overall volumes’ page, then select the offence filter. Select “8.22 Assault of an emergency worker”. The number of convictions for an assault against an emergency worker for each year can be found in the `Convicted’ row.

If she will make it her policy to support more employers to provide technical apprenticeships.

The government’s first mission is to kickstart economic growth. Across the country skills gaps are holding back business growth and the government has committed to widening the apprenticeships offer into a levy-funded growth and skills offer.Our levy-funded growth and skills offer, with apprenticeships at the heart, will deliver greater flexibility for learners and employers in England, aligned with our industrial strategy creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries. As a first step, this will include shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors, helping more people learn new high-quality skills at work, fuelling innovation in businesses across the country, and providing high-quality entry pathways for young people.In addition, as Skills England have highlighted, employer demand for higher technical skills at levels 4 and 5 is growing. The department is supporting employers to meet the need for higher technical skills, with over 150 apprenticeship standards approved for delivery at levels 4 and 5. Skills England will also help to ensure that there is a comprehensive suite of apprenticeships, training and technical qualifications for individuals and employers to access, which are aligned with skills gaps and what employers need.

If he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to secure a UK-EU defence and security agreement.

European security is this Government’s foreign and defence policy priority, and whilst NATO remains the cornerstone of Europe’s collective defence, we recognise the important role the EU plays in the security and prosperity of Europe. At the informal European Council retreat on 3 February 2025, the Prime Minister reiterated our ambition to seek an ambitious UK-EU Security and Defence relationship, enhancing our collaboration in support of Ukraine and seeking opportunities for improved defence cooperation. The Ministry of Defence will continue to work with the Cabinet Office and across Whitehall to progress this work.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on the adequacy of the support they received for holding local elections in May 2025.

The Government continues to engage with local authorities, following on from the sustained engagement and support provided ahead of last year’s elections. The Government takes care to understand the needs of Electoral Registration Officers and Returning Officers and ensure they have the necessary support ahead of scheduled polls in May.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce child poverty in Stratford-on-Avon constituency.

Delivering our manifesto commitment to tackle child poverty is an urgent priority for this Government, and the Ministerial Taskforce is working to publish a Child Poverty Strategy which will deliver lasting change. The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across Government and work underway in Devolved Governments. The vital work of the Taskforce comes alongside our commitments to triple investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million, roll out free breakfast clubs at all primary schools, create 3,000 additional nurseries, and increase the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour from April 2025 to boost the pay of 3 million workers.

If she will take steps to require local authorities to use the same licensing regulations for (a) private hire vehicles and (b) taxis.

The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which licensing authorities in England administer the taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime. Under this system licensing authorities have the flexibility to set standards they consider appropriate. The Department for Transport has however issued statutory and best practice guidance to assist licensing authorities with this function, to promote safe and accessible services through proportionate regulation. This should increase consistency in requirements and policies for taxis and private hire vehicles.

Whether adrenaline auto-injectors are routinely carried by first responders.

Regulation 238 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 provides an exemption from certain requirements related to the administration of medicines and allows administration of adrenaline for the purpose of saving a life in an emergency. The provision under Regulation 238 should be reserved only for exceptional circumstances that could not have been foreseen.In November 2021, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Commission on Human Medicine’s Adrenaline Auto-injector Expert Working Group, with wide-ranging input from patient groups, leading allergy experts and healthcare professionals, published a report which outlined recommendations for the safe and effective use of adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs), including quicker treatment, to help save lives. MHRA has worked alongside the Department and wider health system to take forward these recommendations, some of which are already in place.In June 2023, MHRA, with the support of allergy awareness advocates, launched a safety campaign to raise awareness of anaphylaxis and provide advice on the use of AAIs. MHRA produced a toolkit of resources for health and social care professionals to support the safe and effective use of AAIs. Alongside this, MHRA produced guidance, which states that prescribers should prescribe two AAIs to make sure patients always have the second dose and that those who are prescribed AAIs should carry two AAIs at all times.Ambulance staff are trained in how to treat a range of conditions, including anaphylaxis. Treatment options may include a dose of adrenalin via a syringe or use of AAIs.A public consultation would be needed before a decision can be made on the wider availability of AAIs in public places, including with first aid organisations, together with legislative change.The Community First Responder (CFR) programme enables volunteers trained by the ambulance service to attend certain types of emergency calls in the area where they live or work. CFRs have had first aid training but are not medically trained. CFRs are trained in the administration of a patient’s own AAI, which would ensure the correct medication and dose for that patient. In general, CFRs do not carry medication.