Written questions by Foy.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of special educational needs and disability services for children in City of Durham constituency.

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission inspected local arrangements for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in County Durham in June 2024. The report is due to be published in August 2024. County Durham is part of the department's Delivering Better Value (DBV) programme. The DBV programme, which was established by the previous government, aims to work with selected authorities to review how services are structured and delivered to achieve better outcomes for children and young people with SEND in a sustainable way. The DBV programme achieves this by helping each of the participating local areas complete a diagnostic to work out the root causes of their challenges and identify local opportunities to sustainably improve the outcomes and experiences of the children and young people with SEND in their care. On completion of their diagnostic, County Durham created an action plan to address their key local challenges and implement service reforms. Based on this, the department provided grant funding of £1 million to support the delivery of their plans. This government is committed to providing the necessary support to improve the experiences for children and young people with SEND and their families. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach, to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and alternative provision settings, and to ensure that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.

What account she plans to take of the inequalities experienced by Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities in the development of the draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill; and if her Department will consult with Gypsy and Traveller civil society in the development of that Bill.

Our Equality (Race and Disability) Bill will include a range of measures to tackle racial inequality We will engage with a wide range of stakeholders while developing the Bill, and will ensure that Gypsy, Traveller and Roma civil society have the opportunity to share their views.

Whether he plans to meet with the Durham Miners' Association to discuss the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme.

The Scheme Rules and their operation are agreed between the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme Trustees and the Government. I will be meeting the Trustees shortly to discuss how best to deliver on our manifesto commitments.

Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) help build new grassroots football facilities and (b) renovate existing pitches for grassroots football in County Durham.

This Government recognises that grassroots sports clubs are at the beating heart of communities up and down the country. High-quality, inclusive facilities help clubs to get more people active and, by backing these clubs, the Government will support more people to get onto the pitch wherever they live.To mark the achievements of England’s senior men’s and women’s football teams, and inspire the next generation as we look ahead to hosting UEFA EURO 2028 across the UK and Ireland, we have set out plans to strengthen our support for grassroots clubs. This includes continuing delivery of funding to build and improve pitches and facilities through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme this year, and a commitment to work with the sector to develop a funding package that will support these plans in future years.Currently in England, the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme is delivered through the Football Foundation. The Foundation is working with local authorities (and local football associations and other partners) to refresh Local Football Facility Plans that identify the specific needs of local areas. These are used to inform the pipeline of projects which will receive funding from the Foundation.The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through our arm’s-length body, Sport England – which annually invests over £250 million of National Lottery and government money. Sport England’s newly established Movement Fund offers crowdfunding pledges, grants and resources to improve physical activity opportunities for the people and communities who need it the most.

How many (a) former miners and (b) former miners' widows are in receipt of a mineworkers' pension in (i) City of Durham constituency and (ii) the North East of England.

As at June 2023, there were 756 Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme members in the City of Durham constituency and 17,483 members overall in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme North East of England. The breakdown between former miners and widows is not available.

How much his Department has received from the (a) Mineworkers' Pension Scheme and (b) British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme since 1994.

As of today, the Government has received £4.8bn from the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme and £3.1bn from the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme since 1994.

Whether her Department plans to meet with representatives from the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign.

As a newly formed Government, we need time to review the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation. We will listen to all views, including those of 1950s-born women as we take this work forward. The WASPI organisation has written to me and I intend to meet with their representatives in due course.