Written questions by Vickers.

What recent steps her Department has taken to help ensure transparency in payments made to individuals (a) deported and (b) voluntarily returned from the UK since July 2024.

The information requested regarding the specific value of payments made under the Voluntary Returns Service (VRS) and Facilitated Return Scheme (FRS) are not separately available from published statistics.The Home Office publishes all available information on returns expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab)FRS and VRS are not an alternative to removal or deportation but facilitate the early removal of FNOs and those without leave to remain in the UK, helping them to re-settle in their country of origin. Voluntary removals benefit the UK taxpayer as costs of detention, appeals, and other legal challenges are significantly reduced.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the statutory guidance entitled Working together to safeguard children, last updated on 12 June 2025, in preventing grooming gang activity.

The Government is committed to protecting children and continuing to strengthen our response to combat all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, including group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse.The current Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance provides an important framework to support frontline professionals understand their responsibilities in ensuring effective safeguarding of children across the country. This clarifies that children at risk of harm outside their home, including online, should receive a coordinated multi-agency response in a timely way. Ofsted inspects the provision and quality of children’s social care services across all local authorities and is responsible for ensuring that local authorities adhere to statutory guidance including Working Together to Safeguard Children.This statutory guidance is one important tool, supported by additional measures to make sure frontline professionals have an effective and robust response to safeguarding and protecting children.This includes funding the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse work to improve information-sharing where there are concerns of child sexual abuse and work to embed the Child Sexual Abuse Response Pathway across a range of local areas. And the Prevention delivered by The Children's Society, also seeks to raise awareness of child exploitation to professionals working within the private, statutory and third sectors, as well as the general public, and upskills staff to better respond to, disrupt and prevent multiple forms of child exploitation, including child sexual exploitation.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of security measures in place at hotels used for asylum accommodation; and whether such measures are consistent across all sites.

The Home Office, and wider government, work closely with Local Authorities to discuss proposed accommodation sites in their area. Each site has its own property and planning requirements which must be complied with. The Home Office ensures that all accommodation is safe, fit for purpose and meets all regulatory requirements.As part of its assurance processes, the Home Office conducts regular inspections and monitoring of asylum accommodation sites to ensure compliance with contractual and safety standards. These checks include reviewing security arrangements, staffing levels, and physical infrastructure such as fencing and lighting. Feedback from local authorities and service users is also considered to inform improvements.All sites have security staff, but the numbers vary depending upon the size of the sites. Some sites have additional measures including fencing installed to reduce access and unmanned access points to sites.The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of this can be found here: AASC Schedule 2 - Statement of Requirements.

What guidance she provides to (a) local authorities and (b) accommodation providers on (i) fencing, (ii) lighting, and (iii) security staffing at asylum accommodation sites.

The Home Office, and wider government, work closely with Local Authorities to discuss proposed accommodation sites in their area. Each site has its own property and planning requirements which must be complied with. The Home Office ensures that all accommodation is safe, fit for purpose and meets all regulatory requirements.As part of its assurance processes, the Home Office conducts regular inspections and monitoring of asylum accommodation sites to ensure compliance with contractual and safety standards. These checks include reviewing security arrangements, staffing levels, and physical infrastructure such as fencing and lighting. Feedback from local authorities and service users is also considered to inform improvements.All sites have security staff, but the numbers vary depending upon the size of the sites. Some sites have additional measures including fencing installed to reduce access and unmanned access points to sites.The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of this can be found here: AASC Schedule 2 - Statement of Requirements.

What steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published in October 2022.

The Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update, published in April of this year, set out some of the actions we are driving forward across government to tackle all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation. This includes an update on the response to the final recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.Several of the commitments made in response to the Inquiry’s recommendations are being implemented through measures in the Crime and Policing Bill. This includes a mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse, the removal of the limitation period for child sexual abuse civil claims and reforms to the disclosure and barring service. The Government is also taking forward work to establish a new Child Protection Authority for England, with a consultation to be launched before the end of the year.

What recent estimate she has made of the number of schools with in-year budget deficits.

The latest available figures show 96% of academy trusts and 85% of local authority-maintained schools are in cumulative surplus or breaking even, with an overall cumulative surplus of almost £6.5 billion, compared to a cumulative deficit of £330 million. These figures relate to 31 August 2024 for academy trusts and 31 March 2024 for maintained schools. In the 2023/24 financial year, there were 1745 local authority-maintained schools in deficit, and 341 academies were in trusts that had an overall deficit.The department does not hold in-year information on the spending of schools and trusts.

What recent steps her Department has taken to reduce waiting times for education, health and care plans.

The department wants to ensure that education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, high quality EHC plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.We continue to monitor, challenge 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 ensure that the cause of these problems is identified with the local authority and that an effective recovery plan is implemented. Where needed, the department deploys specialist special educational needs and disabilities advisors to help identify the barriers to carrying out the EHC plan process in a timely way and to address these barriers through practical plans for recovery, whilst also addressing any other areas of weakness in provision.

What steps she is taking to improve recruitment and retention of teachers in STEM subjects.

The department is making good progress on our pledge to deliver 6,500 more teachers. The workforce has grown by 2,346 FTE between 2023/24 and 2024/25 in secondary and special schools, the schools where they are needed most. Additionally, 12% more trainees have accepted offers to train as secondary teachers, and in STEM, acceptances are up 25% compared to last year.Workforce shortages are more acute in some subjects, which is why the department is offering bursaries worth up to £29,000 tax-free and scholarships worth up to £31,000 tax-free, to encourage more talented people to train in key subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing.The department is also offering a targeted retention incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for teachers of these subjects in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools or teach technical subjects in further education colleges.The department undertakes regular reviews to ensure we are prioritising the subjects where teachers are needed most, for example, through our bursaries, which are evaluated annually.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the pupil premium on educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity so that all our children can achieve and thrive in education.We are providing over £3 billion of pupil premium funding in the 2025/26 financial year to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in state funded schools in England.In March 2025, the department published a pupil premium and recovery premium evaluation. The findings were positive about schools’ approaches to planning pupil premium spend being driven by high quality data and evidence, and schools felt the funding had a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes. For example, 85% of schools and 91% of trusts agreed that having pupil premium meant they had a better strategy for meeting disadvantaged pupils’ needs.Schools must spend their pupil premium funding in line with the department’s 'menu of approaches' which is informed by evidence of how best to improve disadvantaged pupils’ attainment.

Whether she has had recent discussions with local authorities on expanding post-16 provision in areas experiencing population growth.

The department knows that the 16 to 19 population has been increasing in some parts of England and that extra capacity has been needed in post-16 places in some areas.The post-16 Capacity Fund has already invested £282 million between 2021 and 2025 for additional capacity and we will be investing a further £375 million between 2026/27 and 2029/30 to provide additional places.In due course, we will make announcements and provide further information about the delivery of the £375 million capital funding secured for the post-16 sector.For institutions with a significant growth in students, we recognise that there are additional costs and we provide in year 16 to 19 funding to help with these costs. The department announced its plans to support providers in offering places to young people across the country on 27 August 2025.In support of local authorities’ statutory duty to secure suitable provision in an area, we will consider their requests to fill a gap in provision. Information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-market-entry.

What discussions her Department has had with teacher training providers on ensuring sufficient placement opportunities for trainees.

The department works closely with initial teacher training (ITT) providers to support them in securing high-quality school placements. This includes engagement through dedicated forums and collaboration with sector bodies such as the Universities’ Council for the Education of Teachers and the National Association of School-Based Teacher Trainers.The department monitors data from our digital recruitment services to identify trends and challenges across the sector. Where providers experience difficulties in sourcing placements, we encourage them to share their concerns with us so that appropriate support can be considered. We also expect providers to work collaboratively with each other and offer mutual support where needed.To further strengthen the system, the department is piloting a new digital service this year designed to improve the visibility of placement opportunities. This service allows schools to express an interest in hosting ITT placements, making it easier for providers to identify and connect with schools in their area.The department recognises that a key challenge for schools is the time and cost associated with hosting trainees. That is why we have introduced funding to support schools for the time their mentors spend in training. This funding is available to all schools hosting ITT placements.

What assessment he has made of recent trends in the length of NHS waiting lists.

We are clear that the extent of waits for vital treatment is unacceptable, and cutting waiting lists is a key priority for the Government. We have committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks from Referral to Treatment by March 2029.We are making good progress. As of August 2025, there has been a reduction in the waiting list of over 206,000 since the Government came into office, despite over 24.5 million referrals onto the list in that period. Between July 2024 and June 2025, we delivered 5.2 million additional appointments compared to the previous year, more than double our pledge of two million. This marks a vital first step towards delivering the constitutional standard.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the number of special school places in each local authority area.

It is the responsibility of local authorities to ensure there are sufficient school places for pupils in their area, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. If a local authority identifies a shortage of places, resulting in a significant number of pupils needing to travel a long way to access a placement, they should consider creating, adapting, or expanding provision to meet that need.The department has published allocations for £740 million in high needs capital funding in 2025/26, supporting local authorities to fulfil that duty. This can be used to create SEN units and resourced provision, or to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of the mainstream school environment, alongside providing places in special schools for pupils with the most complex needs.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of education investment areas on attainment in regions with historically lower performance.

Between 2022 and 2025, key stage 2 outcomes in Education Investment Areas (EIAs) improved slightly faster than in non-EIAs, with the attainment gap narrowing by one percentage point. At key stage 4, the Attainment 8 gap between EIAs and non-EIAs remained stable. Multiple influences are likely to have contributed to these trends and we cannot attribute any changes solely to the EIA programme.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of workload reduction measures on teacher retention rates.

The best recruitment strategy is a strong retention strategy, and this government has provided a near 10% pay award for teachers to ensure teaching is once again a respected and attractive profession.The department is undertaking a range of initiatives to help teachers manage workload and improve retention. Our ‘Improve workload and wellbeing for school staff’ service, developed alongside school leaders, contains a range of supportive resources for schools to reduce workload. Our education staff wellbeing charter, now with over 4,200 signatories, sets out commitments from government, schools, and colleges to improve staff wellbeing, including commitments to help reduce teacher workload.The department is seeing signs of improvement. 2024/25 saw one of the lowest leaver rates since 2010, with 1,300 fewer teachers leaving the state-funded sector, and the workforce has grown by 2,346 FTE from the previous year in secondary and special schools, the schools where teachers are needed most.

What steps she has taken to ensure fair funding across local authorities under the National Funding Formula.

Every year, the department uses the schools national funding formula (NFF) to distribute core funding for 5 to 16-year-old pupils in mainstream state-funded schools in England. This ensures that funding is distributed based on a fair and consistent assessment of need.The vast majority of funding is distributed on the basis of pupil numbers and characteristics. In 2025/26, 74.2% of the schools NFF has been allocated through basic entitlement funding, which every pupil attracts. A further 17.8% (£8.6 billion) of all funding has been allocated through additional needs factors based on deprivation, low prior attainment, English as an additional language and mobility. It is right that schools with more pupils with additional needs receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.The government will continue to keep all the unit values and the wider operation of the schools NFF under review for 2026/27 and in future years.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of school funding allocations to meet increased costs associated with (a) energy, (b) staffing and (c) materials in the 2025-26 financial year.

School funding is increasing by £3.7 billion in financial year 2025/26, meaning that core school budgets will total £65.3 billion, compared with £61.6 billion in 2024/25.In May, the government announced a further £615 million of additional funding for schools in 2025/26 to support them with their overall costs, including staff pay awards. Schools will, on average, be expected to find the first 1% of pay awards through plans to realise and sustain better value from existing spend. Schools will not be alone in making these decisions. The department will support schools to tackle the systemic issues that drive costs and prevent schools getting the best value for money, such as with energy, through our Energy for Schools Service.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure schools have equitable access to (a) capital funding and (b) teacher recruitment incentives in the North East.

The department is committed to ensuring all schools, including those in the North East, have equitable access to funding for capital and teacher recruitment incentives.This government has given a long-term commitment to improve the condition of our schools and colleges across England. We are investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26. Funding is allocated on a consistent basis across the country, partly informed by data on the relative condition of schools. Information on capital funding and methodology can be found on GOV.UK. We are also investing almost £20 billion through to 2034/35 to continue and expand the School Rebuilding Programme.The department is offering trainee bursaries worth £29,000 tax-free and scholarships worth up to £31,000 tax-free to encourage more talented people to train to teach key subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing. We are also offering a Targeted Retention Incentive worth up to £6,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who work in disadvantaged schools. In the North East,179 schools are eligible for this incentive.

What recent discussions she has had with local authorities on increasing the level of capital funding for school building (a) repairs and (b) maintenance.

Ensuring schools and colleges have the resources and buildings they need is a key part of our mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every young person the best start in life.The government has given a long-term commitment for capital investment through to 2034/35 to improve the condition of schools and colleges across England, including those overseen by local authorities. We are investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal to improve the condition of the school and college estate, rising from £2.4 billion in 2025/26.This is in addition to investment of almost £20 billion in the School Rebuilding Programme through to 2034/35, delivering rebuilding projects at over 500 schools across England within the existing programme, with a further 250 schools to be selected within the next two years.The department engages regularly with representatives from local authorities about capital policy and programmes.

What progress her Department has made towards meeting teacher training targets in the 2024–25 academic year.

​​Performance against the postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT) recruitment targets for the 2024/25 academic year is published in the ITT Census here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2024-25.​In 2024/25, 88% of the postgraduate ITT recruitment target was met for Primary ITT, and 62% for Secondary ITT. This was a significant increase in secondary, where just 48% of the target was met in 2023/24. For science, technology, engineering, and mathematics subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Computing), there were positive improvements, with 61% of the postgraduate ITT target met, compared to 47% in 2023/24. We are working hard to build on these improvements, as the government reestablishes teaching as a respected, valued profession once again.