Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

What recent assessment she has made of the prevalence of child morning hunger across early years, primary and secondary school settings in England and its impact on school readiness and attendance.

The department appreciates the publication of the report and look forward to giving it our full consideration. We agree that a healthy breakfast at the start of the school day sets children up ready to learn. This is why the department is committed to delivering on the pledge to provide free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary-aged children. Since April 2025, we have delivered over seven million breakfasts and offered places to almost 180,000 pupils across the country. We are investing a further £80 million to fund approximately 2,000 additional schools between April 2026 and March 2027.Alongside the rollout of free breakfast clubs, we are going further in our mission to lift 100,000 children out of poverty by expanding free school meals to children in all households receiving Universal Credit from the 2026/27 school year.

What assessment his Department has made of the extent to which the Timms Review steering group includes people with recent lived experience of disability and of claiming Personal Independence Payment and Universal Credit; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the composition of the group commands confidence among disabled people and stakeholders.

Almost all steering group members have lived experience of disability, and the group is diverse in terms of geography, ethnicity, and sexuality. However, no single group can be fully representative of the UK’s disabled community. This is why the steering group will not work alone and will design a broader programme of participation to bring together the full range of views and voices to contribute to the Review. We are committed to transparency and there will be regular updates on the Review’s work as it progresses.In regard to type of disability, employment status, and benefit claimant status, it is for steering group members to decide whether they want to share their own sensitive personal information. Some of our steering group members have shared this information in their public facing biographies, and some have not. It is important their choice and privacy is respected. Further information on steering group members can be found here: The Timms Review: Co-Chair Update, February 2026 - GOV.UK

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Timms Review steering group reflects diverse representation across (a) types of impairment, (b) geographic region, (c) race and ethnicity, (d) gender, (e) sexual orientation, (f) age and (g) employment status.

Almost all steering group members have lived experience of disability, and the group is diverse in terms of geography, ethnicity, and sexuality. However, no single group can be fully representative of the UK’s disabled community. This is why the steering group will not work alone and will design a broader programme of participation to bring together the full range of views and voices to contribute to the Review. We are committed to transparency and there will be regular updates on the Review’s work as it progresses.In regard to type of disability, employment status, and benefit claimant status, it is for steering group members to decide whether they want to share their own sensitive personal information. Some of our steering group members have shared this information in their public facing biographies, and some have not. It is important their choice and privacy is respected. Further information on steering group members can be found here: The Timms Review: Co-Chair Update, February 2026 - GOV.UK

Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ensuring the revised National Planning Policy Framework supports national objectives to reduce health inequalities, including through tackling the potential impact of building deficiencies on health.

Both the Secretary of State and I engage regularly with ministerial colleagues and advisors on a range of matters. In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals to give substantial weight to the benefits of providing new or improved public service infrastructure, including healthcare facilities of all types. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

If she will set out how much of the teacher training proposed in the Schools White Paper will be delivered in person.

Great teaching is the most important lever schools have for improving children’s attainment.The department provides a range of funded offers to schools to help them access high-quality professional development, which includes the new courses on Reception and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) as part of the teacher training entitlement referenced in the Schools White Paper.When designing new training, the department is careful to consider how it will work with the schedules of teachers and schools, with many of them including a flexible, self-study element.For example, we have confirmed that the SEND and inclusion courses for teachers and leaders in schools and colleges will include a mixture of online self-study sessions and live facilitated sessions.We have also announced a package of materials for schools and colleges to support the development and delivery of in-house, in person training.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Israeli Government's plans to develop the E1 settlement corridor east of Jerusalem, including on the viability of a negotiated two-state solution.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 January in response to Question 907375.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the decision in England to end or restrict gluten free prescriptions on (a) the health of affected patients and (b) additional costs faced by affected patients.

No recent assessment has been made. In 2017, the Government at the time decided to restrict gluten-free prescribing to bread and mixes only. The majority of consultation responses were in favour of this. An analysis of the anticipated impact of the decision was published alongside the consultation response and is available on the GOV.UK website at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/availability-of-gluten-free-foods-on-nhs-prescription

If he will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to publish a cross-government strategy to reduce health inequalities including tackling the potential impact of damp, cold and mould on people's health.

The Government is driving action to reduce health inequalities through the 10-Year Health Plan, which stated our commitment to halve the gap in the healthy expectancy between the richest and poorest regions.The 10-Year Health Plan recognises that people’s health and wellbeing are influenced by factors other than health service. The plan sets out actions being taken across the Government to tackle the wider determinants of health, for example, action is being taken to address poor-quality housing and the impact of damp, mould, and excess cold on health. This includes working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to implement the new Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law, and with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, to implement the Warm Homes Plan and Fuel Poverty Strategy for England.By improving the standard of rented homes and through the £15 billion of investment announced in the Warm Homes Plan, we will help to make homes warmer, more comfortable, and more energy-efficient to improve health and reduce health inequalities.Further cross-Government action includes legislating for a new statutory health and health inequalities duty for strategic authorities, the Homelessness Strategy, and the Child Poverty Strategy.

Whether the government has conducted any assessment of the efficacy of SEND reforms in Wales whilst developing the Schools White paper.

The department has already consulted with colleagues in the Welsh government on analysis published in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) consultation document comparing rates of special education needs across both nations. The use of data to assess the efficacy of the Welsh SEND reforms introduced in 2021 was not feasible due to variation at school and local authority level.We will continue to work with the devolved governments as we progress the proposals set out in the SEND consultation document, as well as preparations for future legislation, to ensure that legislative impacts are fully understood and addressed.

Whether the government has conducted an assessment of the number and availability of trained professionals needed to meet the Experts at Hand plan published in the Schools White Paper.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Poole to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 121419.

Whether the government has conducted a risk assessment of whether, as a result of the proposed reforms to the END system, schools could be discouraged from identifying children as having SEND due to inadequate resourcing and capacity.

Effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In the SEND reform consultation document, we stated that the department intends to create clear statutory duties for schools, including identifying and meeting needs as early as possible and ensuring that they monitor children and young people’s progress to ensure timely and effective interventions. Parents can also continue to seek a needs assessment and obtain resolution via mediation or through appealing to the tribunal if necessary.To support schools to meet this legal duty, the department will develop National Inclusion Standards that set out evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches for educators to draw on to identify and support children and young people with additional needs. By 2028, we will have invested up to £15 million to build the evidence base for and then bring into effect National Inclusion Standards.This comes alongside significant investment to bolster capacity and expertise. This includes £4 billion over three years, which includes £1.8 billion so every community has access to Experts at Hand, £1.6 billion directly to schools for early intervention, and over £200 million to train all staff across early years, schools and colleges.The children’s rights impact assessment conducted by the department on the proposed reforms in the SEND consultation document is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69985b75047739fe61889ebe/SEND_reform_child_s_rights_impact_assessment.pdf.For schools and colleges, we will over time rebalance funding, by moving a portion of funding currently distributed through local authorities from high needs budgets directly into mainstream core budgets, to support earlier intervention and a more proactive approach to meeting needs. Alongside this, mainstream settings will continue to receive high needs funding from local authorities which covers the costs of delivery of a specialist provision package for those with the most complex needs, including through specialist bases.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring that tax is not paid on state pensions.

Exempting the State Pension from income tax entirely would reduce tax receipts substantially undermining the public services we all rely on – especially the NHS. However, I can confirm that those whose sole income is the basic and full new State Pension, without any increments, will not pay any income tax this tax year or next.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made on the potential impact of 31% of libraries now using unstaffed hours on early literacy rates and access to libraries for children.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources, including the opening hours, staffed and unstaffed, of its libraries. This includes ensuring children and young people have access to their services.As the libraries development agency for England, Arts Council England collects and publishes data on library opening hours in its annual English Public Libraries Location Dataset.The ACE English Public Libraries Location Dataset 2024 indicates that 408 statutory static libraries have an automated system to support the public when this facility is open but unstaffed.DCMS recognises the vital role libraries play in supporting children and young people in their literacy and providing a safe place to study. DCMS’s 2024-25 Participation Survey shows that 16-19 year olds are more likely to use library services than the average adult. DCMS’s Youth Participation Pilot Survey, published in 2024, also shows that 43% of young people (10-19) visited a library in the 12 months prior. DCMS will be considering a range of evidence and best practice in development of the forthcoming Libraries Strategy.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for her policies of the decline in council run library hours and what steps he is taking with local authorities to help protect library opening hours.

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local authorities on the potential impact of the increased use of unstaffed hours at community libraries on access to local library services.

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with local authorities to help increase pay for library workers.

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with local authorities to help increase access to local library services.

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions he has had with local authorities on the potential impact of reductions in library staff numbers since 2010 on access to library services for the most vulnerable.

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.

If she will introduce age restrictions of 18 plus for the purchasing of catapults and slingshots.

The Government shares concerns over the misuse of catapults, whether against people, property or wildlife.There is existing legislation relating to the carrying and use of offensive weapons, Anti-Social Behaviour and wildlife crime; however, the Government is aware of continuing concerns about the problems caused by catapults.We have noted the proposals for new restrictions, including age restrictions, and we are actively considering all proposals as part of wider considerations of what more might be done around enforcement.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for her policies of UNISON research that indicated that library opening hours have decreased in England by 22% since 2010, with 4 in 5 councils cutting back on library opening hours.

This government is delivering fairer funding for local authorities, targeting money where it is needed most through the first multi-year Settlement in a decade. The final 2026-27 Local Government Finance Settlement will make available £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England in 2026-27, a 6.1% increase compared to 2025-26. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities, including public libraries provision. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for public library policy and the Libraries Improvement Fund. DCMS intends to publish a new English public library strategy later this year to emphasise and support their position at the heart of communities and their pivotal role in improving the lives of working people.