Written questions by Dhesi.

What recent estimate she has made of the average waiting time for a child to receive an education, health and care plan in (a) England, (b) Berkshire and (c) Slough constituency.

The department publishes official statistics on education, health and care (EHC) plans annually and these can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans. This includes data at local authority level on the rate of EHC plans issued within the statutory deadline of twenty weeks.The table linked below shows the number of plans issued within the statutory 20-week deadline for each of the 6 unitary authorities in Berkshire, and the overall figure for England, for the 2023 calendar year:https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/929ca39b-d31e-43d9-ce9b-08dd66bfee22.Information at constituency level is not available.

If she will make an assessment of recent trends in the levels of welding training courses available.

The department supports learners who wish to have a career in welding through our technical education offer, with a range of high-quality qualifications and apprenticeship opportunities available at all levels. This includes the level 2 welder apprenticeship standard and the plate welder and pipe welder apprenticeship standards at level 3. T Levels in engineering, manufacturing, processing and control are now being taught across the country, providing students with the core knowledge and skills in fabrication and welding technologies. Welding is predominately a level 2 occupational entry point and, at level 1 and 2, there are seventeen qualifications in welding available to young people and adults, including two new reformed level 2 technical qualifications approved for funding from 1 August 2025.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of school uniform costs on families in Slough.

The department published its latest research on the cost of school uniform in September 2024, which surveyed parents and carers of children aged 4 to 16 attending state-funded schools in England. The research can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms-survey-2023.This research found that the average total expenditure on school uniform and physical education (PE) kit, based on the items required in 2023, was £381.92. There were higher levels of expenditure for children in secondary schools, at £442.25, than in primary schools, at £343.28, and within both phases for girls (secondary: £454.31; primary: £357.28) compared to boys (secondary: £430.40; primary: £330.78).The data was sampled to be representative of the population at primary and secondary level. The sample size was not large enough to make robust comparisons at a regional level.Too many families still tell the department that the cost of school uniform remains a financial burden. ​This is why we have introduced legislation to limit the number of branded items of uniform and PE kit that schools can require to bring down costs for parents and remove barriers from children accessing sport and other school activities. This will give parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allow them greater flexibility to make the spending decisions that suit their circumstances.

What recent discussions she has had with universities on (a) support and (b) accommodations for students who receive a cancer diagnosis during their studies.

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Slough to the answer of 29 March 2025 to Question 34303.

What recent discussions she has had with Student Finance England on potential accommodations for students who have to pause studies for medical reasons.

Students who are absent from their course for more than 60 days due to illness and have agreed with their higher education (HE) provider to suspend their studies can apply to Student Finance England (SFE) to continue their cost of living support payments.The HE provider must notify SFE that the student is suspending their studies, giving the reasons for suspending and providing an agreed date of return, generally up to a maximum of one year’s absence or up to two years in exceptional circumstances. SFE will consider each case on its own merits, including the reasons for the absence, whether the student will face financial hardship during their absence, whether the student has dependants and the prospect of the student returning to the course.If a student needs to repeat a year of study due to compelling personal reasons (CPR), they may be entitled to an additional year of tuition fee funding in addition to their standard entitlement. SFE will request evidence to support a claim that the repeat year was for CPR. For instance, the student might be able to provide medical evidence from their GP. Ultimately, the decision is for SFE to make based on the evidence provided and the individual merits of each case.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of continually accrued student loan interest on students when they pause their studies due to unforeseen circumstances.

UK higher education creates opportunity, is an engine for growth in the economy, and supports local communities. The department is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university.Student loans are subject to interest to ensure that those who can afford to do so contribute to the full cost of their degree.Interest is charged from the first payment of the student loan is made until the loan has been repaid in full or cancelled, with interest added to the principal balance each month. Interest will continue to accrue even if a student suspends or withdraws from their course, including for students pausing their studies due to unforeseen circumstances. Borrowers will be liable to repay after leaving study only when earning over the relevant student loan repayment threshold.After study, unlike commercial loans, student loans carry significant protections for borrowers. Regular student loan repayments are based on a borrower’s monthly or weekly income, not the interest rate or amount borrowed, and no repayments are made for earnings below the relevant student loan repayment threshold. Any outstanding debt, including interest built up, is written off at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of specialist school placements available within Slough.

For too long the education and care 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. We recognise the vital role that special schools play in catering to those with the most complex needs. We also want more children and young people to receive the support they need to achieve and thrive in their local mainstream school, reducing the need for pupils to travel a long way to access a specialist placement. Many mainstream settings are committed to delivering specialist provision locally, including through resourced provision and special educational needs (SEN) units. The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to ensure there are sufficient school places for all pupils, including those with SEND. If a local authority identifies a shortage of special school places, resulting in a significant number of pupils needing to travel a long way to access a placement, they should consider creating or expanding local provision to meet that need. The department’s officials in Regions Group will continue to work closely with Slough to provide support and advice to the local authority in meeting its statutory duty to provide sufficient places for pupils with SEND. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has now announced £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision. This new funding can be used to adapt classrooms to be more accessible for children with SEND, or to create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs, as well as continuing to provide places to support pupils in special schools with the most complex needs. We will confirm local authority allocations to Slough for high needs capital funding in the spring.

What steps she is taking with local authorities to ensure adequate educational provision for schoolchildren with an education, health and care plan.

For too long the education and care 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, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes. The department is working closely with experts on reform, including 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 next steps. The department has also listened to parents, local authority colleagues, and partners across education, health and social care and are considering carefully how to address and improve the experience of the EHC plan process for families and reflecting on what practice could or should be made consistent nationally. We are committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools so that more children and young people can achieve and thrive in their local mainstream school, reducing the need for pupils to travel a long way to access a specialist placement. The department will strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive and support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise. Many mainstream settings are committed to delivering specialist provision locally including through resourced provision and special educational needs unit. Alongside this, we recognise the vital role that special schools play catering to children and young people with the most complex needs. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has now announced £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26 to support children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision. This new funding can be used to adapt classrooms to be more accessible for children with SEND, create specialist facilities within mainstream schools that can deliver more intensive support adapted to suit the pupils’ needs, alongside continuing to provide places to support pupils.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national plan for religious education.

Religious education (RE) is an important subject that should provide pupils with an opportunity to learn about a wide range of religious and non-religious beliefs. RE should help pupils to better understand the values and traditions of different religious communities, which is why it remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools in England for each pupil up to the age of 18.The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review led by Professor Becky Francis. It will publish an interim report in the early spring and a final report with recommendations later this year.

What steps she is taking to help increase the number of construction apprenticeships in (a) Slough constituency and (b) the South East.

This government has committed to widening the apprenticeships offer into a growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners across the country, including in Slough and the South East. It will also align with the industrial strategy, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, such as construction.As a first step, this will include shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors, helping more people learn new high-quality skills at work, fuelling innovation in businesses across the country and providing high quality entry pathways for young people.In addition, as part of this government’s ambitious plan to rebuild Britain and deliver 1.5 million homes in England in this Parliament, 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs will deliver fast-track training in critical areas such as bricklaying, groundwork, and site carpentry to boost housebuilding and drive forward the government’s growth mission. Hubs will be established in areas where large-scale homebuilding projects lead to a surge in demand. These Hubs will help deliver around 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places per year by 2027/28, through a £140 million industry investment to get Britain building again.

Whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on increased demand for SEN support in schools.

Over the last ten years there has been an international increase in identified special educational needs (SEN). Between 2016/17 and 2021/22, England saw a 40% increase in the percentage of pupils with an official SEN designation, whilst France saw a 49% increase and Germany a 19%. Improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools is a key part of this government’s ambition to ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need, in the most appropriate setting. Conversations are ongoing between the department and the Department for Health and Social Care, including at Ministerial level, as we work closely on addressing the increased demand for SEN support in schools.

Whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that there is equal service provision by local authorities for the (a) issuing and (b) delivery of education, health and care plans.

The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to work with a wide range of partners, including schools and colleges, health and social care partners and, crucially, parents and young people, to develop their Local Offer of services and provision for special educational needs (SEN). This recognises the differing circumstances of each local area and places decision-making with the local authority. In responding to different local needs, the department would expect to see variation in the way needs are met across local authorities, including variation in the rates of education, health and care (EHC) plans. Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have SEN that require an EHC plan. A local authority must conduct an EHC needs assessment if the child or young person has or may have SEN and it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made in accordance with an EHC plan. If the local authority issues an EHC plan, it must secure the special educational provision it specifies, working with its health and social care partners, who have separate duties. Local authorities identified as having issues with EHC plan timeliness are subject to additional monitoring by the department who work with the specific local authority. Where the department has concerns about the local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, it has secured specialist special educational needs and disabilities advisor support to help identify the barriers to EHC plan process timeliness and put in place practical plans for recovery.

What recent estimate she has made of the proportion of local councils who have failed to meet the time limit of 20 weeks for the issuing of an Education, Health and Care Plan within the last year.

Information on the number and percentage of education, health and care plans issued within the statutory 20 week deadline, with and without statutory exceptions to that deadline applying, is published as part of the statistical release, ‘Education, health and care plans – reporting year 2024’, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.The figures for each local authority for the 2023 calendar year can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7b372ed7-8c76-42df-5a32-08dd3479441b.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) support and (b) guidance available to (i) parents and (ii) guardians of children who require an Education, Health and Care Plan to navigate the process.

The department is aware of the challenges that families face in accessing support for children and young people through the long, difficult and adversarial education, health and care (EHC) plan process.The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice is clear that local authorities must consult and work collaboratively with children, young people and their parents throughout the process of assessment and production of an EHC plan. This statutory guidance can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dcb85ed915d2ac884d995/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf. The department recognises that more efficient and effective communication with schools and families is pivotal to rebuilding and reforming this system. We have listened to parents, local authority colleagues, and partners across education, health and social care and are considering carefully how to address and improve the experience of the EHC plan process for families, including reflecting on what practice could or should be made consistent nationally.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 Services (SENDIASS). This is to ensure families are provided with the support necessary to enable them to participate in discussions and decisions about their support, for example through their EHC plan, and strategically, for example through SEND local offers.The department funds training and support for SENDIASS services through a contract with specialist charities which supports parents and carers of children with SEND. This contract is led by Contact, a national charity who support families with SEND. In addition, Contact also runs a national telephone helpline which offers impartial support and advice on SEND.The department also provides grant funding to Parent Carer Forums throughout England who provide a supportive forum for parents. They work alongside local authorities, education, health and other service providers to ensure the services they plan, commission, deliver and monitor, meet the needs of children and families locally.

What steps she is taking to ensure meals provided in free breakfast clubs meet nutritional guidelines set for schools.

This government is committed to delivering on our pledge to provide free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary aged children. We have made fast progress with up to 750 schools starting to deliver from this April. Free, universal breakfast clubs will mean that every primary school child, no matter their circumstances, is well prepared to learn, including through the provision of a healthy, nutritious breakfast, giving children the energy they need to start the school day.The school food standards, which regulate the food and drink provided at school, already apply to breakfasts. The standards restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods, and ensures that pupils always have healthy options.Alongside the existing ‘School food standards’ statutory guidance, earlier this month we published guidance for the early adopter schools, which provides additional helpful guidance on which foods should be served at breakfast clubs to ensure that the school food standards are met.More broadly, the department’s aim is to deliver better life chances for all through a system which works for all. As part of this, as with all government programmes, we will keep our approach to the school food standards under continued review.

If she will review school food standards to ensure they adequately address the nutritional content of meals provided in breakfast clubs.

This government is committed to delivering on our pledge to provide free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary aged children. We have made fast progress with up to 750 schools starting to deliver from this April. Free, universal breakfast clubs will mean that every primary school child, no matter their circumstances, is well prepared to learn, including through the provision of a healthy, nutritious breakfast, giving children the energy they need to start the school day.The school food standards, which regulate the food and drink provided at school, already apply to breakfasts. The standards restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods, and ensures that pupils always have healthy options.Alongside the existing ‘School food standards’ statutory guidance, earlier this month we published guidance for the early adopter schools, which provides additional helpful guidance on which foods should be served at breakfast clubs to ensure that the school food standards are met.More broadly, the department’s aim is to deliver better life chances for all through a system which works for all. As part of this, as with all government programmes, we will keep our approach to the school food standards under continued review.

What recent steps she has taken to increase awareness of financial support available to students.

Information on the student support package for the 2024/25 academic year, is available on GOV.UK at: https://studentfinance.campaign.gov.uk/currently-a-student/.The higher education (HE) sector needs a secure financial footing to face the challenges of the next decade, and to ensure that all students have confidence that they will receive the world-class HE experience they deserve.In line with this approach, on 4 November 2024, this government announced that from 1 August 2025 it will be increasing both the maximum cap for tuition fees, and maintenance loans for students, in line with inflation.There is much more to do to expand access and improve outcomes for disadvantaged students. That is why we have announced that we expect the HE sector to do more to support students by working with the government and the Office for Students, and by making the most of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. We will be setting out longer-term plans for the sector next year.Further information for prospective students is provided on the Student Finance England website, available here: https://studentfinance.campaign.gov.uk/student-toolkit/.The government will announce further details of the student finance package for the 2025/26 academic year soon.

What her planned timetable is for implementing alternative student finance following the introduction of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement in the 2025-26 academic year.

The department is committed to introducing an alternative student finance (ASF) product, compatible with Islamic finance principles, as quickly as we can. To support this, the department has reconvened an expert working group made up of representatives from the Islamic community and the finance sector. The department has also appointed a secretariat to take forward the certification of the product as compatible with Islamic finance principles.The delivery of the ASF product will need to follow the introduction of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), which will replace the existing student finance system when introduced. The first LLE-funded courses and modules will begin in January 2027 and the department intends to introduce ASF as soon as possible after this.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the impact of socio-economic disadvantage on future earnings.

Every child should have every opportunity to succeed, no matter who they are, where they are from, or how much their parents earn. Too often opportunity for children and young people is defined by their background.That is why this government is committed to breaking the link between a child’s background and their future success. The Opportunity Mission will set every child up for the best start in life, help every child to achieve and thrive at school, build skills for opportunity and growth, and build family security, tackling the underlying barriers to opportunity that hold too many children and young people back. The Plan for Change sets out more details on our priorities for the Opportunity Mission: https://www.gov.uk/missions.Tackling child poverty 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.On 23 October 2024 the government published ‘Tackling Child Poverty: Developing Our Strategy’, which sets out how the government will develop the Strategy, which will harness all available levers to deliver a reduction in child poverty this parliament as part of an ambitious ten year strategy. The report is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-child-poverty-developing-our-strategy.The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience, and better local support, especially in the early years.This government will also, at last, commence the socio-economic duty in Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010. The duty will require public bodies, when making strategic decisions, to actively consider how their decisions might help to reduce the inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage. We will be updating Parliament on this in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle persistent absence in schools in Slough constituency.

This government is determined to tackle the generational challenge of school absence which is a fundamental barrier to learning and life chances. Missing school regularly is harmful to a child’s attainment, safety and physical and mental health, which limits their opportunity to succeed. There is evidence that more students are attending school this year compared to last, thanks to the sector’s efforts although around 1.6 million children remain persistently absent and miss 10% or more of lessons.The department has a national approach to supporting all schools to tackle absence, including those in the Slough constituency. Central to this approach are stronger expectations of local authorities and schools, as set out in the ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance, which was made statutory on 19 August 2024. The guidance promotes a 'support first' approach, encouraging schools, trusts and local authorities to work with families in addressing attendance barriers. Every state school in England should now be sharing their daily attendance register data with the department, local authorities and trusts. These bodies can access this data through a secure, interactive dashboard which is maintained by the department, allowing them to target attendance interventions more effectively.The department recognises the importance of creating opportunities within the sector to share existing best practice on how to improve attendance. This is why the department has set up a network of 31 attendance hubs, who have offered support to 2000 schools and shared their strategies and resources for improving attendance.In addition to this work, the department also aims to improve the existing evidence on which interventions work to improve attendance. Over £17 million is being invested across two mentoring projects that will support at least 12,000 pupils in 15 areas. These programmes will be evaluated and the effective practice shared with schools and local authorities nationally.From early 2025, new Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) teams will support all state schools by facilitating networking, sharing best practice across areas, including attendance, and empowering schools to feel they can better access support and learn from one another. For schools requiring more intensive support, RISE teams and supporting organisations will work collaboratively with their responsible body to agree bespoke packages of targeted support, based on a school’s particular circumstances.School attendance is also supported by broader investments, such as funded breakfast clubs, across all primary schools to ensure children start their day ready to learn. The department will also initiate new annual Ofsted reviews focusing on safeguarding, attendance and off-rolling.We are working across government on plans to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults.Data published in May this year showed that, in Slough local authority, 42% of schools and colleges worked with a Mental Health Support Team in March 2024 compared to 34% nationally, and 78% of schools and colleges had signed up for a senior mental health lead training grant, compared to 74% nationally.Schools can also allocate pupil premium funding, which has now increased to over £2.9 billion for the 2024/25 financial year, to support pupils with identified needs to attend school regularly.