Written questions by Wrigley.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the provisions in the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill on the ability of local authorities to fulfil their statutory obligations for ensuring that children with special educational needs and disabilities are able to attend school.

I refer the hon. Member for Newton Abbot to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26397.

If she will take steps to ensure the adoption and special guardian support fund can continue to offer support beyond March 2025.

The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how its budget will be allocated for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) are being made as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.ASGSF therapy applications are generally permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years.Applications for the fund with therapy starting in this financial year are still being accepted and processed under business as usual.

Whether her Department has plans to continue funding the adoption and special guardianship support fund for financial year 2025-26.

The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how its budget will be allocated for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) are being made as part of these discussions. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.ASGSF therapy applications are generally permitted to extend up to 12 months, allowing children and families to receive continuing therapy across financial years.Applications for the fund with therapy starting in this financial year are still being accepted and processed under business as usual.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the provisions in the National Insurance Contributions (Secondary Class 1 Contributions) Bill on the ability of children with special educational needs and disabilities requiring home-to-school transport to attend lessons.

I refer the hon. Member for Newton Abbot to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26397.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29255 on Immigration: Overseas Students, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of financial pressures on (a) UK and (b) international students.

This government is clear that international students, who make a positive impact on UK higher education (HE), our economy and society as a whole, are welcome in the UK. They bring significant benefits, by enriching our university campuses, forging lifelong friendships with our domestic students and becoming global ambassadors for the UK.HE providers in the UK received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2022/23 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students and research and development.The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of English HE providers. In its most recent report on the financial health of the sector, published November 2024, the OfS assessed the risks to provider financial sustainability and overreliance on recruitment of students from particular countries was noted as a particular concern.The OfS emphasised that the HE sector should be cautious about depending too much on international student fee income in their recruitment forecasts and urged institutions to have strong contingency plans to mitigate the financial risks of over-recruiting from a single country.All providers must continue to adapt to financial risks and, as autonomous bodies independent of government, it is for them to decide on effective business models.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29255 on Immigration: Overseas Students, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of international students on UK universities.

This government is clear that international students, who make a positive impact on UK higher education (HE), our economy and society as a whole, are welcome in the UK. They bring significant benefits, by enriching our university campuses, forging lifelong friendships with our domestic students and becoming global ambassadors for the UK.HE providers in the UK received an estimated £12.1 billion in tuition fee income from international students in the 2022/23 academic year, which supported the provision of places for domestic students and research and development.The Office for Students (OfS) is the independent regulator of English HE providers. In its most recent report on the financial health of the sector, published November 2024, the OfS assessed the risks to provider financial sustainability and overreliance on recruitment of students from particular countries was noted as a particular concern.The OfS emphasised that the HE sector should be cautious about depending too much on international student fee income in their recruitment forecasts and urged institutions to have strong contingency plans to mitigate the financial risks of over-recruiting from a single country.All providers must continue to adapt to financial risks and, as autonomous bodies independent of government, it is for them to decide on effective business models.

Pursuant to the Answer of 13 February 2025 to Question 29255 on Immigration: Overseas Students, if she will take steps to promote UK universities to international students.

This government has made clear that we welcome international students, who make a positive impact on the UK’s higher education (HE) sector and our economy and society as a whole.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education is leading our efforts to promote our great universities to international students. In her first speech, in July 2024, and in subsequent video messages, she has set out that the UK is an attractive overseas study destination with high quality education institutions that will support international students throughout their studies.The UK has a world-class HE sector with four universities in the world university rankings top 10, and 15 in the top 100, alongside a wide array of leading institutions which can offer a fulfilling and enjoyable experience to international students from around the world.International students enrich our university campuses, forge lifelong friendships with our domestic students and become global ambassadors for the UK. That is why we offer them the opportunity to work or remain in the UK, and contribute to the society and economy, for two or three years after their studies.

Pursuant of the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 22412 on Childcare: Finance, how many and what proportion of childcare providers allow parents to stretch the 38 weeks of paid childcare to cover 52 weeks.

The department does not collect data on how childcare providers deliver the entitlements. Therefore, we cannot provide detail on the numbers and proportion of childcare providers that allow parents to stretch the 38 weeks of paid childcare over 52 weeks.Parents are able to stretch their child’s entitlement by taking fewer hours per week over more weeks of the year, although hours cannot be compressed into fewer than 38 weeks per year. This means, where possible, parents can use their funded hours of childcare all year round alongside Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit. Local authorities are able to help parents by providing details of childcare settings who offer this option.There is no requirement for childcare providers to deliver funded hours at particular times of the day or on particular days of the week. Providers are free to choose when to deliver funded hours, as long as they comply with the terms of their arrangements with the local authority.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 22413 on Childcare, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of stretching 38 weeks of paid childcare to cover 52 weeks on parents.

The department does not collect data on how childcare providers deliver the entitlements. Therefore, we cannot provide detail on the numbers and proportion of childcare providers that allow parents to stretch the 38 weeks of paid childcare over 52 weeks.Parents are able to stretch their child’s entitlement by taking fewer hours per week over more weeks of the year, although hours cannot be compressed into fewer than 38 weeks per year. This means, where possible, parents can use their funded hours of childcare all year round alongside Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit. Local authorities are able to help parents by providing details of childcare settings who offer this option.There is no requirement for childcare providers to deliver funded hours at particular times of the day or on particular days of the week. Providers are free to choose when to deliver funded hours, as long as they comply with the terms of their arrangements with the local authority.

What assessment she has made of potential impact of the time taken for education, health and care plan applications to be processed on children in Devon.

The department wants to ensure that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) plan assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.The department has been working closely with all statutory partners involved in delivering special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services in Devon since their local area SEND inspection in May 2022, which found that insufficient progress had been made against the four areas of significant weakness identified during their previous inspection in December 2018, including on the timeliness and quality of EHC plans.In response to these findings, the department issued an improvement notice in September 2022, and an accelerated progress plan was developed with the local authority and integrated care board. In addition, the department and NHS England have both deployed SEND advisers to assist the local area and to offer advice and support. This includes analysis of EHC plans data and trends, facilitation of best practice exchange from other regions and guidance to enhance the quality of EHC plans.The department also holds regular formal monitoring meetings with the local authority and partners as part of holding the local area to account for making the necessary improvements in services. As part of this work, there is robust monitoring of Devon’s EHC plans, including their timeliness, quality and the clearance of backlogs.The latest monitoring meeting highlighted that the local authority and partners are taking steps to improve services, with some early impact on outcomes regarding the timeliness and quality of EHC plans. However, there remains substantial progress needed to ensure that all children and families receive the service they require and deserve, and we will continue to work closely with the local area and our support partners to closely monitor and ensure they deliver further improvements in services.

What proportion of the most recent long-term migration figures were accounted for by international students.

According to the latest Office for National Statistics estimates, net migration to the UK (immigration minus emigration) of international students was 262,000 in the year ending June 2024. Total net migration for the same period was 728,000, meaning international students' net migration made up 36% of total net migration.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure an adequate provision of supply teachers in schools.

Supply teachers perform a valuable role and the department is grateful for their important contribution to schools across the country.Schools and local authorities are currently responsible for the recruitment of their supply teachers and are best placed to make decisions on their approach to recruitment.There are various approaches to providing supply teachers, such as using supply agencies.The department, in conjunction with the Crown Commercial Service, has established the agency supply deal, which supports schools to obtain value for money when hiring agency supply teachers and other temporary school staff. More information on the agency supply deal can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deal-for-schools-hiring-supply-teachers-and-agency-workers.

What steps her Department is taking to help support children who have a parent in prison.

The department knows growing up with a parent or primary carer in prison can have a devastating impact on a child’s life chances. These children can experience the trauma of separation, social isolation and shame, and support is often lacking.This government has a key mission to break down barriers to opportunity for every child, which includes better supporting and identifying children affected by parental imprisonment.The department and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) are working together to see how we can support children affected by parental imprisonment. We have also closely engaged the sector who have provided us with invaluable support during the early stages of policy development.At the department, we are looking at how best to support children and their families within the community, including as part of our wider reforms to Children’s Social Care. The MoJ is looking at how to improve support for parents in prison and the visiting experience for families, with a focus on strengthening family ties where appropriate.At present, prisons across England and Wales offer a range of services to maintain family relationships including social visits and family days.

What steps her Department is taking to support children's services in Devon.

The department has been working closely with Devon County Council since Ofsted’s inspection of children’s services in March 2020, in which services were found to be Inadequate overall and were placed in formal intervention under a Statutory Direction.As part of the department’s intervention, it has put in place robust support for the local authority and partner agencies involved in the delivery of children’s services. This includes the appointment of a Children’s Services Commissioner, in addition to the appointment of both Hertfordshire and Essex local authorities through our Sector Led Improvement Programme. The Sector Led Improvement Programme enables the delivery of peer-to-peer support from the strongest performing local authorities to local authorities like Devon, who are working to improve their services.The department also holds regular formal monitoring meetings with the local authority and partners as part of holding all parties to account for making the necessary improvements in services, and we will continue with our work with them and our support partners to ensure that all children and families receive the service they require and deserve.

What steps she is taking to make it easier for parents to obtain Education, Health and Care plans.

For too long the education system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve.This government knows that parents have struggled to get the right support for their children, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes. We will work with children, young people, parents, local authorities, schools and colleges and their partners in delivering improvements so that children and young people can access the support they need.The department wants to ensure that, where required, EHC plan assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have special educational needs that require an EHC plan. EHC plans must be issued within twenty weeks of the needs assessment commencing so that children and young people can access the support they need. In 2023, there were 138,200 initial requests for an EHC plan and 90,500 assessments took place. 50.3% of new EHC plans in 2023 were issued within twenty weeks.The department knows that local authorities have seen an increase in the number of assessment requests and that more needs to be done to ensure that local areas deliver effective and timely services. This includes better communication with schools and families.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 recovery plan. 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.

Whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the report by Professor Alexis Jay entitled Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, HC 720, published on 20 October 2022.

As my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister has made clear, the government is focused on delivering the change and justice victims deserve.On 7 January, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for the Home Department outlined in Parliament commitments to introduce a mandatory duty for those engaging with children to report sexual abuse and exploitation, making grooming an aggravating factor to toughen up sentencing, and introducing a new performance framework for policing.The government is working at pace to address the recommendations in the final report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. That is happening now and the government is determined to finally deliver for victims after years of no action being taken.

Is she will take steps to extend funding for pre-school child care provision beyond 38 weeks a year.

The government’s Plan for Change set the ambition of a record number of children starting school ready to learn, measured by the number meeting the early learning goals, and accessible, high-quality early education and childcare is a crucial part of this. The government is committed to delivering the expansion of early years entitlements to enable eligible working parents of children aged from nine months to access 30 hours of funded childcare from September 2025, boosting children’s life chances and parents work choices.Early years early education and childcare entitlements are available for either 15 or 30 hours, over 38 weeks a year, which aligns to school terms. Early years entitlements can be stretched so parents and carers have fewer hours over more weeks, up to 52 weeks a year, but cannot be compressed into fewer than 38 weeks.Additionally, parents can access Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) and Universal Credit. TFC can save parents up to £2,000 per year on the cost of childcare, or up to £4,000 for eligible children with disabilities. The eligibility criteria for TFC are the same as the working parent entitlement. Eligible Universal Credit claimants can claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month, regardless of the number of hours they work.This government had a dire financial inheritance with a £22 billion black hole in the nation’s finances. Our first priority must be to fix the economic foundations of our country, and any policy changes must be affordable.

What plans she has to support parents and carers that require more than 38 weeks of funded pre-school care provision per year.

The government’s Plan for Change set the ambition of a record number of children starting school ready to learn, measured by the number meeting the early learning goals, and accessible, high-quality early education and childcare is a crucial part of this. The government is committed to delivering the expansion of early years entitlements to enable eligible working parents of children aged from nine months to access 30 hours of funded childcare from September 2025, boosting children’s life chances and parents work choices.Early years early education and childcare entitlements are available for either 15 or 30 hours, over 38 weeks a year, which aligns to school terms. Early years entitlements can be stretched so parents and carers have fewer hours over more weeks, up to 52 weeks a year, but cannot be compressed into fewer than 38 weeks.Additionally, parents can access Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) and Universal Credit. TFC can save parents up to £2,000 per year on the cost of childcare, or up to £4,000 for eligible children with disabilities. The eligibility criteria for TFC are the same as the working parent entitlement. Eligible Universal Credit claimants can claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month, regardless of the number of hours they work.This government had a dire financial inheritance with a £22 billion black hole in the nation’s finances. Our first priority must be to fix the economic foundations of our country, and any policy changes must be affordable.

For what reason funding for pre-school care provision is restricted to 38 weeks per year, the same number of weeks as school term time.

The government’s Plan for Change set the ambition of a record number of children starting school ready to learn, measured by the number meeting the early learning goals, and accessible, high-quality early education and childcare is a crucial part of this. The government is committed to delivering the expansion of early years entitlements to enable eligible working parents of children aged from nine months to access 30 hours of funded childcare from September 2025, boosting children’s life chances and parents work choices.Early years early education and childcare entitlements are available for either 15 or 30 hours, over 38 weeks a year, which aligns to school terms. Early years entitlements can be stretched so parents and carers have fewer hours over more weeks, up to 52 weeks a year, but cannot be compressed into fewer than 38 weeks.Additionally, parents can access Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) and Universal Credit. TFC can save parents up to £2,000 per year on the cost of childcare, or up to £4,000 for eligible children with disabilities. The eligibility criteria for TFC are the same as the working parent entitlement. Eligible Universal Credit claimants can claim back up to 85% of their registered childcare costs each month, regardless of the number of hours they work.This government had a dire financial inheritance with a £22 billion black hole in the nation’s finances. Our first priority must be to fix the economic foundations of our country, and any policy changes must be affordable.