Written questions by McDonald.

How her Department ensures compliance with data protection requirements relating to the processing of special category data, including data relating to health or protected characteristics.

Awaiting answer.

Whether the Department maintains a public register or internal inventory of automated decision-making systems; and whether it plans to publish such information.

Awaiting answer.

What guidance her Department has issued internally to help ensure compliance with the provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 in relation to automated decision-making.

Awaiting answer.

What safeguards have been implemented to ensure compliance with statutory requirements relating to automated decision-making, including rights to information, human review, and challenge.

Awaiting answer.

Given the passage of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 how individuals are informed that decisions affecting them have been taken, in whole or in part, by automated means.

Awaiting answer.

What processes are in place to enable individuals to seek human review and to challenge decisions made by automated systems.

Awaiting answer.

How her Department define and ensure meaningful human involvement in decisions supported or made by automated systems.

Awaiting answer.

On what lawful basis are significant Automated Decision-Making being made or intended to be made.

Awaiting answer.

Given the passage of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 what measures are in place to ensure that human oversight is substantive and effective, rather than limited to formal or nominal review.

Awaiting answer.

To what extent are automated decision-making systems used in relation to civil service employment, including recruitment, performance management, discipline, or allocation of work.

Awaiting answer.

What recent discussions she has had with trade union representatives on the introduction or use of automated decision-making systems affecting staff.

Awaiting answer.

What steps has her Department taken to assess and mitigate risks of bias or discrimination arising from the use of automated decision-making systems.

Awaiting answer.

What guidance her Department provides to local authorities on the SEND support that should be available to children with education, health and care plans while families are awaiting the outcome of a tribunal appeal.

The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice is statutory guidance for local authorities and other organisations that work with children with SEND. It explains the duties, policies and procedures in Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014. The Code sets out the support that families should receive from local authorities whilst they are awaiting the outcome of their Tribunal appeal. It explains that, in such circumstances, local authorities should continue to ensure the provision that is set out in an education, health and care (EHC) plan is delivered. It also stipulates that amendments to the cessation of EHC plans are not lawful whilst an appeal is ongoing. This is to ensure continuity of support for children and young people.

How many pupils with education, health and care plans in the Tees Valley combined authority area and its Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees local authority areas were initially placed in mainstream schools and subsequently secured a specialist placement following a successful tribunal appeal in each of the last three years.

The information requested is not held by the department.

What the expected delivery timescales and associated capital funding allocations are for new specialist school places in Tees Valley combined authority area and its Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees local authority areas.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities. To support this, the department has announced at least £3 billion of high needs capital funding for 2026/27 to 2029/30. We will confirm local authority allocations for the 2026/27 share of this funding in the spring.This builds on the £740 million invested in 2025/26. Of this funding, Middlesbrough has been allocated just over £1.4 million and Stockton-on-Tees has been allocated just over £2.2 million.Additionally, there are two planned schools in the special and alternative provision free schools pipeline in these local authorities: a 100 place special school in Middlesbrough and a 100 place alternative provision in Stockton-on-Tees. The local authorities have the option to continue with central delivery of these schools but are currently considering our offer of alternative funding to deliver these places themselves, in line with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s written statement of 15 December 2025.High needs revenue funding allocations for specialist provision in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees have increased to over £44 million and over £46 million respectively in the 2025/26 financial year and will continue at these increased levels in 2026/27.

What capital and revenue funding allocations have been made to local authorities in Tees Valley combined authority area and its Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees local authority areas for specialist school places and SEND resource bases in the current spending period.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities. To support this, the department has announced at least £3 billion of high needs capital funding for 2026/27 to 2029/30. We will confirm local authority allocations for the 2026/27 share of this funding in the spring.This builds on the £740 million invested in 2025/26. Of this funding, Middlesbrough has been allocated just over £1.4 million and Stockton-on-Tees has been allocated just over £2.2 million.Additionally, there are two planned schools in the special and alternative provision free schools pipeline in these local authorities: a 100 place special school in Middlesbrough and a 100 place alternative provision in Stockton-on-Tees. The local authorities have the option to continue with central delivery of these schools but are currently considering our offer of alternative funding to deliver these places themselves, in line with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s written statement of 15 December 2025.High needs revenue funding allocations for specialist provision in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees have increased to over £44 million and over £46 million respectively in the 2025/26 financial year and will continue at these increased levels in 2026/27.

How many new specialist school places are planned to be created in Tees Valley combined authority area and its Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees local authority areas under Departmental programmes in each of the next five years.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities. To support this, the department has announced at least £3 billion of high needs capital funding for 2026/27 to 2029/30. We will confirm local authority allocations for the 2026/27 share of this funding in the spring.This builds on the £740 million invested in 2025/26. Of this funding, Middlesbrough has been allocated just over £1.4 million and Stockton-on-Tees has been allocated just over £2.2 million.Additionally, there are two planned schools in the special and alternative provision free schools pipeline in these local authorities: a 100 place special school in Middlesbrough and a 100 place alternative provision in Stockton-on-Tees. The local authorities have the option to continue with central delivery of these schools but are currently considering our offer of alternative funding to deliver these places themselves, in line with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s written statement of 15 December 2025.High needs revenue funding allocations for specialist provision in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees have increased to over £44 million and over £46 million respectively in the 2025/26 financial year and will continue at these increased levels in 2026/27.

What assessment her Department has undertaken of specialist school place sufficiency in Tees Valley combined authority area and its Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees local authority areas in each of the next five years.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities. To support this, the department has announced at least £3 billion of high needs capital funding for 2026/27 to 2029/30. We will confirm local authority allocations for the 2026/27 share of this funding in the spring.This builds on the £740 million invested in 2025/26. Of this funding, Middlesbrough has been allocated just over £1.4 million and Stockton-on-Tees has been allocated just over £2.2 million.Additionally, there are two planned schools in the special and alternative provision free schools pipeline in these local authorities: a 100 place special school in Middlesbrough and a 100 place alternative provision in Stockton-on-Tees. The local authorities have the option to continue with central delivery of these schools but are currently considering our offer of alternative funding to deliver these places themselves, in line with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s written statement of 15 December 2025.High needs revenue funding allocations for specialist provision in Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees have increased to over £44 million and over £46 million respectively in the 2025/26 financial year and will continue at these increased levels in 2026/27.

What proportion of Education, Health and Care Plan assessments for children in the Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency were completed within the statutory 20-week timescale in the last year; and how many decisions in those cases were subsequently overturned or amended following SEND tribunal proceedings.

Information on the number of education, heath and care (EHC) plans issued with 20 weeks during 2024, in both Middlesbrough and Stockton on Tees local authorities, is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d93eb816-ebba-4148-eb03-08de29d3af56. Information on the number of EHC needs assessments undertaken, their outcomes and the numbers which were subject to a tribunal during 2024 is shown in the table below:Number of EHC needs assessments where the outcome was to issue an EHC planNumber of EHC needs assessments where the outcome was not to issue an EHC planMiddlesbrough Total number of EHC needs assessments3140Number of tribunals related to the assessment decision00Number of tribunals related to the assessment for other reasons70Stockton on TeesTotal number of EHC needs assessments43341Number of tribunals related to the assessment decision94Number of tribunals related to the assessment for other reasons100 An EHC needs assessment may be subject to a tribunal relating to the outcome of the assessment, or for other reasons relating to the content of any EHC plan that is subsequently issued. Information at constituency level is not available.

How many (a) specialist school places and (b) resourced mainstream places for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans are available in (i) Middlesbrough local authority area and (ii) Stockton-on-Tees local authority area; and what plans she has to increase specialist provision in those areas.

As of May 2024, Middlesbrough has 681 special school places, and 369 special educational needs (SEN) unit or resourced provision places. Stockton-on-Tees has 667 special school places and 207 SEN unit or resourced provision places.The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), sits with local authorities. The department supports local authorities to provide suitable school places for children and young people with SEND through annual high needs capital funding, including through the £740 million confirmed for the 2025/26 financial year. Of this funding, Middlesbrough has been allocated £1.4 million and Stockton-on-Tees has been allocated £2.2 million.This funding is intended to create resourced provision adapted to support pupils needs. It can also be used to adapt mainstream schools to be more accessible and to create special school places for pupils with the most complex needs.