Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps with the (a) International Criminal Court, (b) International Court of Justice and (c) UN agencies to investigate allegations of genocide in Gaza during the ceasefire.

The UK is fully committed to international law. We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern.  The UK also respects the independence of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It is the UK government's long-standing position that any determination as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, and not for governments or non-judicial bodies and agencies. The ICJ South Africa v Israeli case is ongoing, and we await their decision.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help facilitate media access to Gaza.

The UK remains committed to media freedom and to championing democracy and human rights around the world. Independent media is essential to a functioning society. We understand this is an incredibly difficult time for journalists who are carrying out crucial work in disseminating accurate and impartial reporting during a time of crisis. Journalists covering conflicts are afforded protection under humanitarian law. This means that all parties must avoid deliberate attacks against them and only detain them on justified security grounds. I supported International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists and drew attention to those who risk their lives on the frontline in Gaza and the 100+ journalists and media workers who have been killed since the conflict began.

What estimate she has made of the amount of money lost annually through tax (a) avoidance and (b) evasion.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates the size of the tax gap, which is the difference between the amount of tax that should, in theory, be paid to HMRC, and what is actually paid. The tax gap statistics are published annually and are available at: Measuring tax gaps 2024 edition: tax gap estimates for 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Table 7.1 of the online tables shows the illustrative tax gap time series by behaviour, including avoidance and evasion. The tax gap for avoidance was £1.8 billion and for evasion was £5.5 billion in tax year 2022 to 2023. The online tables are available at: Measuring tax gaps tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing VAT exemptions for (a) gyms and (b) other providers of fitness services on the number of people using these services.

VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services. Tax breaks reduce the revenue available for public services and must represent value for money for the taxpayer. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government took a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the public finances, fund public services, and restore economic stability. This stability is critical to boosting investment and growth, and to making people across the UK better off. One of the key considerations for any potential new VAT relief is whether the cost saving is likely to be passed on to consumers. Evidence suggests that businesses only partially pass on any savings from lower VAT rates, meaning that cutting VAT may not be an effective way to reduce prices for consumers.

When she next plans to review the overseas scale rates.

As with all taxes and allowances, the Government keeps flat rates expenses, including Overseas Scale Rates, under review. Any decisions on future changes in this area will be taken in the context of the wider public finances.

Whether he plans to extend the Warm Home Discount beyond 2026.

The current Warm Home Discount scheme period comes to an end in March 2026. Since the scheme began in 2011, over £4 billion has been provided in support to eligible households. The Warm Home Discount is expected to support over 3 million households in Great Britain over winter 2024/25, funded through a levy on all domestic gas and electricity customers. It remains an important support mechanism as energy bills remain high. We will consult later this year on the future of the scheme beyond 2026.

If she will take steps to provide specialist SEND training to teachers.

The within school factor that makes the biggest difference to a young person’s educational outcome is high-quality teaching. Supporting expert teachers is therefore critical to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and boost the life chances for every child.All teachers are teachers of special education needs and disabilities (SEND), and the department is committed to ensuring that all pupils receive excellent support from their teachers.The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.Our recruitment and retention reforms will support all teachers. Consideration of SEND underpins both the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and early career framework (ECF), and they have been designed around how to support all pupils to succeed.We recently reviewed the mandatory ITT core content framework alongside the ECF and the new framework includes significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting all pupils with SEND.Headteachers use their professional judgement to identify any further training, including specific specialisms, for individual staff that is relevant to them, the school, and its pupils.All mainstream schools must have a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) who must be a qualified teacher, or the head teacher, working at the school. On 1 September 2024, the department introduced a new mandatory leadership level National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for SENCOs. The NPQ will play a key role in improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training.To further support the needs of pupils and students with SEND, the department has funded the Universal Services programme, backed by almost £12 million. It brings together SEND-specific continuing professional development and support for schools and the further education workforce so that the needs of children and young people with SEND are met earlier and more effectively.

Whether her Department has plans to improve SEND information, advice and support services for families.

Under the Children and Families Act (2014), it is a legal requirement that all local authorities have a Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) to ensure families are provided with the support they need to participate in discussions about their own support, such as their or their child's education, health and care plan and more strategic discussions about the wider support on offer locally, for example the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) local offer.The department funds training and support for SENDIASS services through a contract with specialist charities which support parents and carers of children with SEND. This contract is led by Contact, a national charity who we also fund to run a national telephone helpline, offering impartial information, support and advice on SEND to families.

If she will take steps to help improve the level of toilet training among children starting school in September 2025.

The department does not hold this information but surveys of teachers such as the most recent ‘School Readiness Survey’ conducted by Kindred2, found that one in four children start reception not toilet trained. The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all registered early years providers in England must meet to ensure that children have the knowledge and skills they need to start school. The EYFS framework includes seven educational programmes, which are high level curriculum summaries, under each statutory area of learning that must shape the early years curriculum. Personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is one of the three prime areas of learning in the EYFS. Children’s PSED is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives and is fundamental to their cognitive development. Through adult modelling and guidance, children are expected to learn how to look after their bodies and manage personal needs independently. The EYFS Profile statistics on teacher assessments of children’s development at the end of the academic year in which children turn five shows that, in 2023/24, 82.9% of children were at the expected level of development for the PSED area of learning, further information can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results/2023-24. The department will continue to collaborate with the Department of Health and Social Care to consider what further steps can be taken to help improve the level of toilet training among children starting school.

If she will take steps to including a tiered assessment model within the education, health and care plan process.

For too long the education system has not met the needs of all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with parents struggling to get their children the support they need and deserve. The department knows that parents have struggled to get the right support for their children, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes.Schools, further education colleges, sixth form colleges and 16 to 19 academies are required to identify and address the special educational needs (SEN) of the pupils they support and, in the case of mainstream settings, to use their best endeavours to make sure that a child or young person who has SEN gets the support they need.All schools should apply the ‘graduated approach’ outlined in the SEND Code of Practice, which means identifying a child’s needs, planning appropriate support, implementing that support and reviewing it regularly to ensure it continues to meet the identified needs. Through this, schools should develop personalised approaches to supporting the unique needs of individual pupils. The Code can be accessed at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/398815/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf.If necessary, a local authority can be asked to carry out an EHC needs assessment. If a local authority is planning to undertake an assessment of a child or young person’s SEN, it will be to help to ensure that they receive appropriate support both now and in the future. They will do this by looking at what difficulties the child or young person is encountering, assessing the support that is currently in place and considering what else may be needed. The local authority will involve appropriate professionals from the school or college, health and social care in this assessment, to obtain as complete a picture as possible of the child or young person’s needs.This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is working closely with experts on reforms, recently appointing 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 the next steps for the future of SEND reform.

If she will take steps to implement dedicated SEND units in mainstream schools.

This government is committed to encouraging schools to set up special educational needs (SEN) units or resourced provision to increase capacity in mainstream schools. These are SEN provisions within mainstream schools, formally recognised by the local authority and which receive high needs funding. In December 2024, the department announced £740 million of capital investment to allow more pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to achieve and thrive in mainstream schools, including through SEN units and resourced provision. SEN units and resourced provision have an important role to play in a more inclusive mainstream system, enabling children to benefit from and remain part of mainstream education and wider school life whilst still receiving the additional support that they need. The department knows that there are many excellent examples of mainstream schools delivering specialist provision through SEN units and resourced provision and that schools and local authorities are interested in setting up more of this type of provision. We will work with the sector to increase capacity and extend best practice across the system.

What information her Department holds on the number and proportion children who started school that were not toilet trained in September 2024.

The department does not hold this information but surveys of teachers such as the most recent ‘School Readiness Survey’ conducted by Kindred2, found that one in four children start reception not toilet trained. The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements that all registered early years providers in England must meet to ensure that children have the knowledge and skills they need to start school. The EYFS framework includes seven educational programmes, which are high level curriculum summaries, under each statutory area of learning that must shape the early years curriculum. Personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is one of the three prime areas of learning in the EYFS. Children’s PSED is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives and is fundamental to their cognitive development. Through adult modelling and guidance, children are expected to learn how to look after their bodies and manage personal needs independently. The EYFS Profile statistics on teacher assessments of children’s development at the end of the academic year in which children turn five shows that, in 2023/24, 82.9% of children were at the expected level of development for the PSED area of learning, further information can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results/2023-24. The department will continue to collaborate with the Department of Health and Social Care to consider what further steps can be taken to help improve the level of toilet training among children starting school.

What plans he has to reform the NHS pay structure.

In 2024, the Government accepted the NHS Pay Review Body’s recommendations for the 2024/25 financial year in full. One of those recommendations was to deliver a funded mandate to deliver reforms to the Agenda for Change pay structure through the NHS Staff Council.The Government remains committed to delivering this mandate and has asked the NHS Pay Review Body to provide a view, as part of its 2025 to 2026 report, on the level of funding that should be provided.

Whether he plans to replace the NHS pay review body process with collective bargaining.

There are no plans to replace the National Health Service’s Pay Review Body process with direct negotiation. We published written evidence to the Pay Review Bodies as per the usual process on 10 December 2024, and oral evidence sessions are due to take place in January and February 2025.

If he will provide additional resources to healthcare trusts to enable them to bring outsourced services back in-house.

Responsibility for spending decisions rests with individual National Health Service trusts. As public bodies, NHS trusts should maintain the highest standards of rigour, value for money and propriety in the use of public funding. All spending must contribute to organisational objectives and support the delivery of high-quality patient care.Regardless of how staff are employed, the expectation from the Government is that their pay, terms and conditions remain attractive to support recruitment and retention.

Food and Rural Affairs, if his Department will introduce a ban on the imports of dogs with cropped ears as soon as possible.

The Government recently announced its support for the Animal Welfare (Import of Dogs, Cats and Ferrets) Bill, a Private Members’ Bill sponsored by the hon. Member for Winchester. The Bill will give the Government powers to prevent the supply of low-welfare pets to the United Kingdom. We will use these powers to prohibit the bringing into Great Britain of dogs with non-exempted mutilations such as cropped ears. We are fully supportive of this Bill and would like to see it pass through both Houses as soon as parliamentary time allows.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of library provision in primary schools.

School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. The national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. There are a number of strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment. For example, the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study report found a 34 point difference in reading performance between pupils in England who “very much” liked reading and pupils who “do not” like reading. Additionally, the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment study found that enjoyment of reading links to pupils’ reading engagement, and that reading engagement was strongly positively correlated with reading performance. There is also a strong evidence base linking reading for pleasure to other positive effects, such as improved text comprehension and grammar, increased general knowledge and character development.It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils, including whether to employ a qualified librarian. Headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by the department. The Autumn Budget 2024 announced an additional £2.3 billion for schools for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25, bringing the total core schools budget to almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26.Given this autonomy, the department does not collect information on the number of school libraries or school librarians. ​​There are currently no plans to make it a statutory requirement for primary schools to have a library, although we will continue to keep this matter under review.​The government’s reading framework offers non-statutory guidance for teachers and school leaders, including helpful guidance for schools on how to organise their school library, book corner or book stock to make reading accessible and attractive to readers.

What steps her Department is taking to encourage reading in schools.

​​High and rising school standards, with excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics, are at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every child the best start in life.​We know that reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits. There are a number of strong links with attainment. For example, the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study report found a 34 point difference in reading performance between pupils in England who “very much” liked reading and pupils who “do not” like reading. Additionally, the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment study found that enjoyment of reading links to pupils’ reading engagement, and that reading engagement was strongly positively correlated with reading performance. There is also a strong evidence base linking reading for pleasure with other positive effects, such as expanding pupils’ knowledge about the world and about language, as well as their understanding of subject-specific academic and technical vocabulary.​​Further, pupils who read regularly report heightened levels of social and emotional wellbeing. For many, reading is a form of relaxation, a place to escape everyday challenges, or a source of entertainment. Reading allows readers to adopt new perspectives, develop empathy and become more socially conscious.​​In recognition of this, the department has implemented a range of measures to support reading for pleasure. The English Hubs programme supports the teaching of phonics, early language development and reading for pleasure with a further £23 million committed for the 2024/25 academic year to support this work. Further, the government’s reading framework provides guidance on improving the teaching of reading, to ensure that every child is not only able to read proficiently, but also develops a genuine love of reading.​​The current national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information.​​The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which will look closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, in line with the government’s ambition for a curriculum that delivers excellent foundations in reading, writing and mathematics.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take legislative steps to allow local authorities to reject planning applications for (a) new and (b) expanding factory farms.

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to, and enhance, the natural and local environment. National planning policy in this area needs to be taken into account when determining applications relating to factory farms.The planning system is concerned with whether proposed development is an acceptable use of land, rather than the control of processes or emissions subject to separate pollution control regimes. The Environmental Permitting Regulations apply to the largest intensive pig (2000+ pigs) and poultry (40,000+ birds) farms and require such farms to hold an environmental permit to operate, and to adopt Best Available Techniques to reduce pollution to air, land and water. This is regulated by the Environment Agency.

What steps she is taking to monitor library provision in primary schools.

School libraries complement public libraries by giving pupils access to a range of books and other kinds of texts, both in and out of school. The national curriculum states that teachers are expected to encourage pupils to develop the habit of reading widely and often, for both pleasure and information. There are a number of strong links between reading for pleasure and attainment. For example, the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study report found a 34 point difference in reading performance between pupils in England who “very much” liked reading and pupils who “do not” like reading. Additionally, the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment study found that enjoyment of reading links to pupils’ reading engagement, and that reading engagement was strongly positively correlated with reading performance. There is also a strong evidence base linking reading for pleasure to other positive effects, such as improved text comprehension and grammar, increased general knowledge and character development.It is for individual schools to decide how best to provide and maintain a library service for their pupils, including whether to employ a qualified librarian. Headteachers have autonomy to decide how best to spend the core schools funding that is allocated to them by the department. The Autumn Budget 2024 announced an additional £2.3 billion for schools for the 2025/26 financial year, compared to 2024/25, bringing the total core schools budget to almost £63.9 billion in 2025/26.Given this autonomy, the department does not collect information on the number of school libraries or school librarians. ​​There are currently no plans to make it a statutory requirement for primary schools to have a library, although we will continue to keep this matter under review.​The government’s reading framework offers non-statutory guidance for teachers and school leaders, including helpful guidance for schools on how to organise their school library, book corner or book stock to make reading accessible and attractive to readers.