Written questions by Welsh.

What assessment she had made of the potential merits of using the Consumer Prices Index for the calculation of interest charges on students loans.

Interest rates on student loans have been consistently linked to a widely recognised and adopted measure of inflation. Interest rates are set in legislation in reference to the Retail Price Index (RPI) from the previous March and are applied annually on 1 September until 31 August.The Office for National Statistics has undertaken a substantial programme of work over the past two years to enhance how inflation is measured and this will be carried over into student loans. The Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed that from 2030 (at the earliest), movements in RPI will be aligned with The Consumer Prices Index, including owner occupiers' housing costs as viewed here: https://obr.uk/box/the-long-run-difference-between-rpi-and-cpi-inflation/.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure adequate access to education for children who are certified blind in Sherwood Forest constituency.

The government’s ambition is that all children and young people receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring sp...

What recent guidance her Department has issued on whether parents may make enquiries in respect of the availability of state school places for their children to more than one (a) local authority and (b) academy

The rights of parents to make enquiries about the availability of school places, including across multiple local authorities or academy trusts, is set out in the School Admissions Code. This is mandatory and imposes requirements and guidelines relating to...

What steps she plans to take to help alleviate child poverty in Sherwood Forest constituency.

Tackling child poverty everywhere is at the heart of breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving the life chances for every child. For too many children, living in poverty robs them of the opportunity to learn and to prosper. Child poverty has gon...

What the level of real-terms funding per pupil in (a) primary and (b) secondary school in Sherwood Forest constituency was in each financial year since 2010.

The table below provides per pupil funding units from academic years 2020/21 to 2024/25, which represents the funding provided for schools in Sherwood Forest constituency.The department cannot provide comparable funding data for each of the last 10 years ...