Written questions by Glindon.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding the eligibility criteria for the Holiday Activities and Food programme to include all children living in poverty.

Awaiting answer.

If she will publish her Department's (a) business case, (b) workforce plan, (c) equality impact assessment and (d) redundancy mitigation measures for the plans to close six offices.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education does not plan to publish the business case, workforce plan, equality impact assessment or redundancy mitigation measures for the department’s plans to close six offices. This is an internal business decision and does not impact the department’s remit, strategy or delivery plans, nor have any direct impact on the sector. As such, it is not appropriate for the department to comment on the plans externally.

If she will (a) complete a full skills audit of staff within her Department and (b) share that audit with trade unions.

The department supports 15 professions to which we encourage staff to align themselves, and we collect data monthly on the number of members of each. As part of the Government Skills Campus platform, which is currently in development, the department is exploring the most effective ways to capture the live skills of staff. The department will then seek to agree with trade unions an appropriate approach to sharing this data.

Whether she plans to publish plans for office closures within her Department.

As part of the department’s People Strategy and in line with the government's commitment to a more productive, agile and efficient civil service, the department has developed a long-term locations strategy. This includes closing six of our smaller sites and moving towards a focused 8-site model, with locations at Bristol, Cambridge, Coventry, Darlington, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield. My noble Friend, the Secretary of State for Education does not plan to publish plans for office closures. Our external communications are focused on the department's strategy, delivery and changes impacting the sector. This is an internal issue for the department.

What the savings targets are for each directorate in her Department for (a) 2026-27, (b) 2027-28 and (c) 2028-29.

Each year, the department must make tough decisions to ensure every pound of taxpayers’ money is driving high and rising standards for our children, ensuring every child has the best start in life.The department considers priorities across the department to determine how best to allocate its available funding.A breakdown of the department’s funding for 2026/27 will be published in due course in the 2026/27 Main Estimate and in each subsequent year. This will be published on GOV.UK.The 2025/26 Main Estimate can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/main-supply-estimates-2025-to-2026.

What steps she is taking to improve accessibility to higher education for people with progressive neurological conditions such as Friedreich’s ataxia.

This government is committed to ensuring that all students are supported to both access higher education (HE) and to thrive while they are there. For example, in our recent Skills White Paper we committed to significantly increasing the take-up of the Adjustment Planner. This allows all individuals to go through the support that they think would be right for them and discuss this with the people they are studying with.It also remains the case that HE providers have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for all their disabled students.Wherever possible, disabled students should expect to have their needs met through inclusive learning practices and individual reasonable adjustments made by their provider.In addition to reasonable adjustments, the Disabled Students’ Allowance is available for the provision of more specialist support. For students with progressive neurological conditions, such as Friedreich’s ataxia, this may include assistive technology.

What steps she is taking to support kinship carers in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend constituency.

Local authorities in England are responsible for setting out a Kinship Local Offer, which outlines the support available to kinship carers and the children they care for.This offer should cover all types of kinship care arrangements, both formal and informal, and can include information on financial support, legal advice, training and peer support, and educational and emotional wellbeing services.Nationally, support is available to kinship carers through peer-to-peer support groups and a programme of training, delivered by the charity Kinship. This includes free workshops, events and access to advice and guidance. Virtual School Heads also work with schools to promote the education of children in kinship care and ensure their needs are met and kinship carers in Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend can benefit from this.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring that adult (a) mental health services and (b) social care are involved in improving information-sharing through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

No discussions have been had regarding either aspect. The focus in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is to improve information sharing by introducing a consistent identifier for children up to the age of 18. We will consider the role both the adult and child identifiers can play in the transition to adulthood as this work moves forward.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to PhD researchers with the costs of childcare.

Student parents are eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds regardless of family circumstances. Students who work in addition to studying may be eligible for 30 hours free childcare if they meet the income requirements.The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in higher education to support them with childcare. Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.The government introduced new support packages for students starting postgraduate master’s degree courses from the 2016/17 academic year onwards and postgraduate doctoral degree courses from 2018/19 onwards. These loans are not based on income and are intended as a contribution to the cost of study. They can be used by students according to their personal circumstances to cover the costs of fees and living costs including childcare. The new support packages have provided a significant uplift in support for postgraduate students while ensuring the student support system remains financially sustainable.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of childcare support for PhD researchers on the demographics of people who take up studentships.

Student parents are eligible for the universal 15 hours of free early education which is available to all 3 and 4-year-olds regardless of family circumstances. Students who work in addition to studying may be eligible for 30 hours free childcare if they meet the income requirements.The government recognises the value of parents continuing in education and provides a range of support for students in higher education to support them with childcare. Further information on the childcare offers available to parents can be found at: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.The government introduced new support packages for students starting postgraduate master’s degree courses from the 2016/17 academic year onwards and postgraduate doctoral degree courses from 2018/19 onwards. These loans are not based on income and are intended as a contribution to the cost of study. They can be used by students according to their personal circumstances to cover the costs of fees and living costs including childcare. The new support packages have provided a significant uplift in support for postgraduate students while ensuring the student support system remains financially sustainable.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of local government finances on the ability of local authorities to fund additional therapy above the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund's fair access limit.

The adoption and special guardianship support fund provides up to £3,000 per child annually for therapeutic support. The department has assessed that £3,000 can fund an average of 19-20 hours of therapy, on the basis of median hourly rates for contact time, and allowing for additional costs. Decisions to fund additional therapy beyond this fair access limit rest with individual local authorities. Adoptive and kinship families can also receive help from local authority Family Help services. The government is doubling investment in these services to over £500 million in 2025/26.

If she will make an estimate of the number of children with approved Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund applications in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne and (b) North Tyneside in (i) 2023-24 and (ii) 2024-25.

The table below confirms the information requested. Financial yearNewcastle upon Tyne North Tyneside ApplicationsMatch fundedApplicationsMatch funded2023/245725302024/25431441

If she will make an estimate of the number of Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund applications that received match-funding in (a) Newcastle upon Tyne and (b) North Tyneside in (i) 2023-24 and (ii) 2024-25.

The table below confirms the information requested. Financial yearNewcastle upon Tyne North Tyneside ApplicationsMatch fundedApplicationsMatch funded2023/245725302024/25431441

Whether she plans to consult charities on SEND reform.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education and I continue to engage with special educational needs and disabilities charities, stakeholders and parent carers, and are conducting weekly engagement sessions via webinars, meetings and visits. We are also engaging via roundtables with the voluntary, charity and community sectors, the most recent being in June 2025.These engagements will carry on throughout the White Paper consultation period into the autumn and beyond.

When she plans to answer Question 53853, tabled by the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend on 21 May 2025.

I can confirm that a response has been submitted to my hon. Friend, the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend to Question 53853.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of levels of funding in the higher education sector on the performance of British universities in the QS World University Rankings 2026, published on 19 June 2025.

To maintain the UK higher education (HE) sector's world-leading status, universities need a stable financial footing. This government is committed to securing our universities’ future, which is why we have acted quickly to address the sector’s financial challenges.The Office for Students (OfS) continues to dedicate significant resources to ensure the sector's financial sustainability. The department has appointed Professor Edward Peck as OfS Chair, where he will play a key role in strengthening this commitment. Additionally, we made the difficult decision to uplift tuition fee limits by 3.1% (in line with inflation) from the 2025/26 academic year. The department will publish its plans for HE reform as part of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper this summer.We also recognise that research funding is integral to universities’ financial sustainability. This government has committed to record funding of research and development (R&D). The Department for Science, Technology and Innovation’s (DSIT) R&D budget has increased in real terms by 8.5% from 2024/25 to 2025/26, and DSIT's allocation to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is £8.8 billion, sustaining unprecedented levels of investment to support the UK’s R&D ambitions.This government is determined to work with the sector to transition to sustainable research funding models, including by increasing research grant cost recovery, as announced by UKRI in March.

With reference to her oral contribution in response to the question from the hon. Member for Bath of 9 December 2024, Official Report, column 651, what recent discussions her Department has had with the School Teachers Review Body on maternity pay.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is responsible for the overall policy on maternity pay and leave, but how it applies in schools specifically is covered by the Burgundy Book, a national agreement negotiated with employers by the six teachers’ organisations.Further information can be found on the Local Government Association website. The Department for Education currently has no authority or responsibility for the Burgundy Book.However, the department has engaged with the School Teachers Review Body (STRB) on other challenges that could support teachers who find it difficult to combine work with family life, as in the oral contribution referenced. In the recently concluded 2024/25 pay round, we asked the STRB to make an assessment of any changes to flexibilities around Teaching and Learning Responsibility payments, concerning the existing pro-rata rule. We subsequently accepted in full the STRB’s recommendations. The government’s full response can be found here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-05-22/hcws664.From September 2026, these additional payments will be paid based on the proportion of responsibility a teacher carries out rather than their contracted hours. Early adoption is also encouraged from September 2025. This will improve equality of opportunity for part-time workers, better enabling them to move into leadership roles.Alongside this, the department will be promoting flexible working in schools by adding reference into the school teachers’ pay and conditions document for the first time. This will make clearer to schools the expectation that they should be aiming to support flexible working requests where operationally feasible. This will better support teachers to stay in the profession, where they otherwise may have left.

Whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the provision of education, health and care plans to children in mainstream schools on the number of applications made to specialist schools.

The vast majority of children with special educational needs (SEN) have always been taught in mainstream schools and the Children and Families Act 2014 sets a presumption in law that all children, including those with SEN, should be taught in mainstream settings where possible.The department recognises that some children and young people will need specialist support or a different environment.Children and young people should only be educated in special schools where they have complex needs requiring an education, health and care (EHC) plan, and the needs assessment process identifies that specialist provision is required. The most recent data shows that, of all the new EHC plans issued in 2023, 74.9% named a mainstream school and 10.5% named a special school.The department has been clear that a more inclusive education system is needed to give children and young people the opportunities they need to achieve and thrive. We want more children and young people to receive the support they need to achieve and thrive in their local mainstream school.

What plans her Department has to review the (a) process for agreeing and (b) number of Education, Health and Care Plans issued for children with SEND.

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.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.An education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment must identify a child or young person’s special educational needs, together with any relevant health or social care needs. If a needs assessment determines that it is necessary for special educational provision to be made for the child or young person, the local authority must prepare an EHC plan.Local authorities have seen an increase in EHC needs assessment requests. Latest data shows that there are 576,000 children and young people with EHC plans, as of January 2024.The department knows that parents have struggled to get their children the support they need and deserve, through long and difficult EHC plan processes.We have listened to parents, local authority colleagues and partners across education, health and social care and are considering carefully how to improve access to support for children with SEND. We are also reflecting on what practice could or should be made consistent nationally.

Whether she has made a recent assessment of the merits of Education, Health and Care Plans on (a) academic attainment and (b) mental health in mainstream schools.

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.There is a growing number of children and young people with education, health and care (EHC) plans due to their social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. Currently, 15.5% of those with an EHC plan who are attending school have SEMH recorded as their primary need.While no recent assessment has been made specifically on the impact of EHC plans on mental health, we are responding to this increase by significantly expanding access to specialist mental health professionals and early support. This includes the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools, the recruitment of 8,500 additional mental health professionals, and the launch of Young Futures hubs to provide accessible, community-based mental health services.Improving the SEND system is a key priority for this government. We are working with families, schools, local authorities and wider partners to deliver reforms that improve support for children and parents and provide consistency across the country.