Written questions by Law.

If she will take steps to ensure Free Breakfast Clubs use food which is procured from British sources.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she is taking to ensure Free Breakfast Clubs include the most nutritional food possible.

Awaiting answer.

If she will take steps with local authorities to that ensure travel distance is taken into account when (a) calculating school catchment zones and (b) offering school places.

Admission arrangements are set and applied locally by a school’s admission authority, which for academies is the academy trust and for maintained schools is either the governing body or the local authority.Admission authorities must determine the criteria that they will use to allocate places if a school receives more applications than it has places available. These must be fair, clear and transparent, and comply with the statutory School Admissions Code.Admission authorities are already able to prioritise applications on the basis of distance to the school, including through the use of designated catchment areas. In setting such criterion, admission authorities must ensure they are reasonable and clearly defined, including making clear how distance from the child’s home to the school will be measured.Where a school is not oversubscribed, every applicant must be offered a place.

What her planned timetable is for the roll out of free breakfast clubs to all state‑funded schools with primary‑aged children; and what support her Department plans to provide schools to facilitate implementation of that programme.

The government is committed to delivering on its pledge to provide a free breakfast club in every state funded school with primary-aged children. This will ensure every child, regardless of circumstance, has a supportive start to the school day.From the start of summer term 2025, the department has funded 750 schools to deliver a free breakfast club to early adopters.We are currently working through the outcomes of the latest spending review and the departmental business planning processes. Further details will follow in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that children who are home educated have access to (a) resources and (b) support comparable to those available to children educated in schools.

Home education is a proactive choice made by parents. In electing to home educate they choose to leave the state school system and the associated support and access to facilities which are available as part of having a school place.Special educational needs (SEN) support, including access to therapies, is not conditional on the child being in school. Children are able to gain access to SEN support and mental health support when educated not in school.Non-school based SEN and mental health support can be accessed through the local authority, via an education, health and care plan, and the NHS. Access to services is determined based on individual need, not how a child is educated.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of providing Elective Home Education officers with training in (a) neurodiversity and (b) mental health.

Home education is a proactive choice made by parents. In electing to home educate they choose to leave the state school system and the associated support and access to facilities which are available as part of having a school place.Special educational needs (SEN) support, including access to therapies, is not conditional on the child being in school. Children are able to gain access to SEN support and mental health support when educated not in school.Non-school based SEN and mental health support can be accessed through the local authority, via an education, health and care plan, and the NHS. Access to services is determined based on individual need, not how a child is educated.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of including geology in the Key Stage 3 curriculum, in the context of the Critical Minerals Strategy.

The national curriculum in England provides a broad framework within which schools have the flexibility to develop the content of their own curricula. Topics related to geology can be taught within the geography and science curricula.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review for England, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review wants to ensure a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The Review Group published an interim report on 18 March, and the final report with recommendations will be published in the autumn.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the construction skills package creates (a) apprenticeships, (b) Technical Excellence Colleges and (c) Skills Bootcamps in (i) all parts of the UK and (ii) Cornwall.

On 23 March 2025, the government announced a construction support package worth over £600 million to tackle the acute shortage of skilled workers in the construction sector. This investment is a key part of our wider strategy to support national infrastructure projects, meet ambitious housing targets, and enable the transition to a clean energy economy.The package includes funding for a range of initiatives, such as expanding construction courses, launching additional skills bootcamps and foundation apprenticeships, providing more industry placements, and establishing ten new Technical Excellence Colleges.Skills England will engage and work closely with the devolved administrations to ensure alignment and coherence in addressing skills needs across the UK.The department are keen to work closely with Mayoral Combined Authorities and local leaders who will be essential to delivering the devolved elements of this package, including adult skills funding.Additional information regarding allocations at regional and provider level will be shared in due course.

What her planned timetable is for the rollout of Young Futures Hubs.

This government is committed to breaking down barriers to success and opportunity. Too many children and young people today do not have access to the same enrichment opportunities as their peers, suffer from poor mental health and, in some cases, end up being drawn into crime rather than going on to achieve and thrive. Young Futures Hubs will bring together services to improve access to opportunities and support for young people at community level, promoting positive outcomes and enabling them to thrive. As part of the development process, we are engaging with local areas, communities, statutory partners, charities, and other key stakeholders to support the design of the Young Futures Hubs and explore options for their delivery. The Autumn Budget 2024 committed to launching early adopter Hubs in 2025/26. The number of Hubs, their specific locations, and their reach are still being determined, and we will share further information on the timing of their rollout in due course.

What steps she is taking to ensure the implementation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training in schools.

All state-funded schools in England are required to teach first aid as part of statutory health education, which is taught as part of relationships, sex and health education (RSHE). This includes basic first aid training and how to deal with common injuri...

What analysis Skills England is undertaking to determine the skills needs of nascent industries over the next five years.

Meeting the skills’ needs of the next decade is central to delivering the government's missions across all regions and nations. Skills England will provide an authoritative assessment of England’s national and regional skills’ needs now and in the future,...