Written questions by Wrigley.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the National Funding Formula on (a) rural areas and (b) Devon.

The purpose of the national funding formula (NFF) is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with more pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Devon local authority is receiving over £560.1 million for mainstream schools in financial year 2025/26, or £6,195 per pupil on average (excluding growth and falling rolls funding). This represents a 2.4% increase in per pupil funding compared to the 2024/25 financial year, excluding growth and falling rolls funding.The NFF accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. All schools attract a lump sum of £145,100 which provides a fixed amount of funding that is unrelated to pupil-led factors. Additionally, eligible primary schools attract up to £57,400, and all other schools up to £83,400, in sparsity funding in financial year 2025/26. Through the 2025/26 NFF, 148 schools in Devon attract sparsity funding.We will review the schools NFF for 2026/27 and beyond to ensure that we get any changes right, recognising the importance of a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 May 2025 to Question 48666 on NHS: Disclosure of Information, whether his Department plans to begin collecting data on the number of National Health Service staff who have left the NHS in (a) Devon and Cornwall and (b) England under non-disclosure agreements.

The Department has no plans to begin collecting information from National Health Service bodies on the use of non-disclosure agreement, or instances where confidentiality clauses are included in a local settlement agreement.

What discussions she has had with local authorities in (a) rural areas and (b) Devon on (i) reducing the time taken for patients to be seen by and (ii) expanding SEND hubs.

The department has worked closely with statutory partners in Devon since the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection in May 2022, which found insufficient progress on four significant weaknesses identified in the previous inspection in 2018, including the timeliness and quality of education, health and care (EHC) plans. In response, an improvement notice was issued in September 2022, and an Accelerated Progress Plan was developed with Devon County Council and the integrated care board. The department and NHS England have deployed SEND advisers to support the local area.Formal monitoring meetings are held with Devon County Council and partners, including on EHC plans and assessment timeliness. While recent monitoring meetings have shown some improvements, substantial progress is still needed to ensure all children and families receive the support they need and deserve.Many children and young people with SEND continue to face challenges in accessing suitable school placements close to home.My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has published allocations for £740 million high needs capital in the 2025/26 financial year to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision, with over £11 million high needs capital funding allocated to Devon County Council. This can be used to make classrooms more accessible and create specialist facilities in mainstream schools for intensive support, alongside continuing to provide places to support pupils in special schools with the most complex needs.The department is working closely with Devon County Council to consider proposals for an increase resourced provision in Devon as part of the local authority’s approach to SEND sufficiency.

What steps her Department is taking to increase SEND funding in Devon.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.Overall schools funding is increasing by £3.2 billion in the 2025/26 financial year and will total over £64.8 billion, compared to almost £61.6 billion in 2024/25. Within that total there is an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. This brings total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND to over £12 billion. Of that total, Devon County Council is being allocated over £125 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG), an increase of £8.9 million on their 2024/25 DSG high needs block.Mainstream schools are expected to contribute from their budgets to the cost of supporting their pupils with SEND up to a cost threshold of £6,000 per pupil per annum. Local authorities support schools with SEND support costs in excess of that threshold, using funds from their high needs budgets. Nevertheless, the government recognises that the rising costs of SEND provision are putting a strain on local government and school finances. The government is considering, as part of the current spending review due to conclude in June, the funding and changes required in future years, to ensure that high-quality services for children and young people with SEND can be delivered in a financially sustainable way.

Whether she plans to increase per-pupil funding in Devon to the national average.

The purpose of the national funding formula (NFF) is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with more pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.Through the dedicated schools grant (DSG), Devon local authority is receiving over £560.1 million for mainstream schools in financial year 2025/26, or £6,195 per pupil on average (excluding growth and falling rolls funding). This represents a 2.4% increase in per pupil funding compared to the 2024/25 financial year, excluding growth and falling rolls funding.The NFF accounts for the particular challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. All schools attract a lump sum of £145,100 which provides a fixed amount of funding that is unrelated to pupil-led factors. Additionally, eligible primary schools attract up to £57,400, and all other schools up to £83,400, in sparsity funding in financial year 2025/26. Through the 2025/26 NFF, 148 schools in Devon attract sparsity funding.We will review the schools NFF for 2026/27 and beyond to ensure that we get any changes right, recognising the importance of a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed.

What support is available to schools in Devon with class sizes over 35 pupils.

In Devon, the average infant class size is 24.9 pupils and the average primary class size is 25.5 pupils. These are both less than the national average of 26.6. The average secondary class size is 22.6 pupils, which is similar to the national average of 22.4.Legislation limits the size of an infant class to 30 pupils per schoolteacher, with limited prescribed exceptions, including for looked after children and those from multiple births. In Devon, the average infant class size is well within the statutory limit and below the national average.There is no statutory limit on the size of classes for older children (pupils aged 8 and over), and it is up to schools to decide how to organise classes based on local needs and circumstances, ensuring they are consistent with raising attainment and helping pupils to achieve and thrive.Local authorities have responsibility to ensure there are sufficient school places in their area. The department provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local authorities to provide additional school places where they are needed.

What steps he is taking to improve conditions in psychiatric hospitals.

In January 2025, the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) concluded its series of investigations into mental health inpatient settings. These identified ways we can improve mental health care, protect patients and the public, and create a safe working environment for staff. The HSSIB’s findings have been published in a series of reports, and we will formally respond to all the recommendations for the Department in due course. Additionally, NHS England is taking forward its mental health, learning disability, and autism inpatient quality transformation programme to support cultural change and a reimagined model of care for the future in inpatient settings. Local health systems have now published their three-year plans for localising and realigning inpatient care in line with this vision. As part of our plans to improve the mental health estate, we have invested over £560 million between 2020/21 and 2024/25 to eradicate dormitories in mental health facilities and give patients the privacy of their own ensuite bedroom. As of April 2025, 973 beds, out of a total of approximately 1,360, have been replaced and over 1,000 single rooms opened across over 40 sites.

What representations he has received from people who have previously been sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Representations received from people who have previously been sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 have been used to modernise the Mental Health Act, to give patients greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights and support, and to ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment.The Mental Health Bill has been developed with input from those with lived experience from the outset. This legislation has been informed by an Independent Review into the Mental Health Act, and a public consultation on the Reforming the Mental Health Act White Paper. The public consultation received 1,119 individual responses, a significant proportion of which said that they had experience of contact with mental health services, detention under the act, and/or were a carer for someone under the act.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting lists for ADHD treatment in Devon.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.NHS England has established an ADHD taskforce which is working to bring together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors, to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including timely and equitable access to services and support, with the report expected in the summer.In conjunction with the taskforce, NHS England has carried out detailed work to develop an ADHD data improvement plan to inform future service planning. NHS England has also captured examples from ICBs who are trialling innovative ways of delivering ADHD services and is using this information to support systems to tackle ADHD waiting lists and provide support to address people’s needs.NHS Devon advises that it has developed a local accreditation process for the Right to Choose pathway in ADHD and autism, which will enable the local NHS to assure quality and delivery on many new providers under the Right to Choose pathways.

What plans he has to increase levels of access to (a) educational psychologists, (b) speech and language therapy and (c) child and adolescent mental health services in Devon.

We know that too many children and young people are not receiving the support they need, including in Devon, and that waits for accessing mental health services and community health services, such as speech and language therapy, are too long. We are determined to change that.We are working closely with the Department for Education on reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools.As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future, we will provide access to a specialist mental health professional in every school. As set out in the NHS Planning Operational Guidance for 2025/26, we are committed to increasing the number of children and young people accessing mental health services by 345,000 compared to 2019. We are also providing £7 million to extend support for 24 Early Support Hubs that have a track record of helping thousands of young people in their community. This includes two early support hubs in Devon.In Devon, the NHS Devon Integrated Care Board, local authorities, and education and health care providers are working together to align speech and language therapists to schools alongside wider community offers, so that more children and young people can get the help they need sooner, and without long waits.

How much capital funding she plans to make available for schools in Devon in the 2026-27 financial year.

Ensuring schools have the resources and buildings they need is a key part of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.Capital funding for the 2026/27 financial year to improve the condition of the estate will be set out following the next multi-year phase of the spending review.In the 2025/26 budget, we increased capital funding to £2.1 billion to improve the condition of school buildings, up from £1.8 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. The majority of this funding is allocated to large responsible bodies such as local authorities, large multi-academy trusts and large voluntary-aided school bodies, who decide locally how to invest in their schools. Allocations and the methodology for the 2025/26 financial year are published in the ‘School capital funding’ guidance which can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding#funding-allocations-for-the-2025-to-2026-financial-year.This is on top of the continuing School Rebuilding Programme, which includes nine schools in Devon.In March 2025, the department announced that Devon County Council has also been allocated just over £15.7 million in capital funding to support it to create the mainstream school places needed by September 2028. £9.6 million of this will be paid in the 2026/27 financial year, with a further £6.1 million paid in 2027/28.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help protect beaches between the mouth of the River Exe and mouth of the River Dart.

The Environment Agency (EA) has recruited two new Water Industry Regulation teams who are increasing regulation of water company sites in Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, undertaking more compliance checks (including unannounced inspections), translating storm overflow monitoring data into regulatory intelligence, and increasing enforcement actions for pollution incidents under the Enforcement and Sanctions policy. Inspection locations are prioritised according to environmental sensitivity, such as sites impacting bathing waters, and where EDM data is showing spills are higher than they should be. The Environment Agency increased inspections in 2024-25 and will more than double these in 2025-2026. This includes water company assets in Newton Abbot constituency. It will also attend more incidents. The EA has also increased the number of farm inspections they are able to deliver and are helping to support the transition to a more sustainable and healthy farming industry. In Devon and Cornwall, dedicated farm inspection officers are currently inspecting farms and undertaking enforcement action in the highest priority catchments including the River Otter and Exe.

What steps she is taking to ensure that safeguarding teams in schools follow up with young people who have self-harmed.

The Department for Health and Social Care is primarily responsible for child mental health, including self-harm. Schools and colleges also have an important role to play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils. ‘Keeping children safe in education’, the department’s statutory guidance for schools and colleges, makes clear that schools should ensure they have clear systems and processes in place for identifying possible mental health problems, including routes to escalate concerns and clear referral and accountability systems.The department supports mental health leads in schools to embed effective approaches that help to identify issues such as self-harm and provides appropriate support along with a range of guidance and practical resources.If staff have a mental health concern about a child which is also considered to be a safeguarding concern, they should follow their child protection policy and speak to their Designated Safeguarding Lead or a deputy immediately.Designated Safeguarding Leads act as a source of support, advice and expertise for all staff and are the point of contact with local safeguarding partners. They liaise with school mental health leads and, where available, with mental health support teams where safeguarding concerns are linked to mental health issues. They also work with parents and carers to safeguard and promote the welfare of children to ensure support is in place at every stage.The government will also provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs), so every child and young person has access to early support to address problems before they escalate.By April 2026, we estimate that 60% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England will be covered by an MHST, up from 52% in April 2025.

Pursuant to the answer of 2 May 2025 to Question 48655 on Shellfish; Animal Experiments, for what reason her Department is awaiting a decision from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the Animal Welfare Act; and what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State on that topic.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which provides a framework for animal protection and welfare. It is therefore within Defra's expertise to consider if decapods should come under the Animal Welfare Act. Such action would then have implications for the use of decapods in scientific research.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 46277 on Forests: Commodities, what his planned timetable is to set out plans for tackling deforestation.

The Government recognises the need to take action to ensure that UK consumption of forest risk commodities is not driving deforestation and we will set out our approach to addressing this in due course.

Pursuant to the Answer of 29 April 2025 to Question 46274 on Schools: Uniforms, if she will take steps to provide further support for low income households to assist in the purchase of school uniforms.

This government recognises that parents are struggling with the cost of uniform and that in England some local authorities provide discretionary grants to help with buying school uniforms in cases of financial hardship.Rather than subsidising expensive uniforms through providing additional financial support, this government has chosen to reduce the cost of uniforms for all parents by legislating to limit the number of expensive branded items schools can require.Departmental research shows that the average cost of uniform is significantly lower when parents are allowed to buy items from a range of outlets. Based on previous department surveys of parents, we estimate that the aggregate savings of the new limit on compulsory branded items to parents with children in primary school is around £21 million per year, and for those with children in secondary school is around £52 million per year. We estimate that some families will save over £50 on the back-to-school shop.Therefore, a legislative limit is the most effective way to make schools remove unnecessary and expensive branded items and bring down costs for parents.

How many new school based nurseries will be located in the (a) Plymouth Unitary Authority, (b) Torbay Unitary Authority and (c) Devon County Council area.

Under the School-Based Nurseries Capital Grant 2024 to 2025 schools could apply to create or expand school-based nursery provision. Three schools received funding in Plymouth Unitary Authority, two in Torbay Unitary Authority and five in Devon County Council.

What steps he is taking to ensure that deafblind people are able to access care needs assessments.

Under the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that deafblind people in their area access the right care and support. This includes making contact with, and keeping a record of, all deafblind people in their area, and ensuring that needs assessments are carried out by a person who has specific training and expertise relating to individuals who are deafblind. In addition, under the Equality Act (2010), local authorities must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to the access and provision of care and support for deafblind people. Support for deafblind people will form part of the CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care. In that context, the CQC will report on it when there is something important to highlight, for example, something being done well, an innovative practice, or an area for improvement. So far, the CQC has published over twenty assessments, with ratings of Requires Improvement, Good, and Outstanding. By identifying local authorities’ strengths and areas for improvement, CQC assessments facilitate the sharing of good practice and help us to target support where it is most needed. These steps will help ensure deafblind people are accessing needs assessments and appropriate care.

What steps he is taking to ensure that deafblind people are able to access appropriate social care.

Under the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support (Assessment) Regulations 2014, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that deafblind people in their area access the right care and support. This includes making contact with, and keeping a record of, all deafblind people in their area, and ensuring that needs assessments are carried out by a person who has specific training and expertise relating to individuals who are deafblind. In addition, under the Equality Act (2010), local authorities must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled people are not disadvantaged.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how well local authorities in England are performing against their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, including their duties relating to the access and provision of care and support for deafblind people. Support for deafblind people will form part of the CQC’s overall assessment of local authorities’ delivery of adult social care. In that context, the CQC will report on it when there is something important to highlight, for example, something being done well, an innovative practice, or an area for improvement. So far, the CQC has published over twenty assessments, with ratings of Requires Improvement, Good, and Outstanding. By identifying local authorities’ strengths and areas for improvement, CQC assessments facilitate the sharing of good practice and help us to target support where it is most needed. These steps will help ensure deafblind people are accessing needs assessments and appropriate care.

If he will publish a national cardiovascular disease plan.

The Government is committed to ensuring that fewer lives are lost to the biggest killers, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). That is why, building on the 2019 NHS Long-Term Plan’s commitment to prevent 150,000 heart attacks, strokes, and dementia cases by 2029, the Government has set a CVD-specific mission to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and strokes by 25% within a decade.To deliver on the Government’s ambition, the Department and NHS England are working together to understand both the scale of the challenge and the opportunities for progress across the prevention, treatment, and management of CVD, as part of our 10-year plan.The 10-Year Health Plan will describe a shared vision for the health and care system in 2035, drawing directly from the extensive engagement underway with the public, patients, and staff. The plan will include how care models and pathways will need to change or evolve to better meet their needs, and the cultural and behavioural changes we want to see.