Every parliamentary written question tabled by Andy McDonald this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 101–120 of 406 · this parliament
What estimate he has made of the percentage of the overall Crown Court backlog which comprises the cohort of up to three years’ imprisonment cases and would go before a Judge only court under proposed court reforms.
As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.
What estimate he has made of the percentage of the current Crown Court backlog that would be sent for judge alone trials under his proposed court reforms.
As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.
What estimate he has made of the percentage of cases in the overall Crown Court backlog which are either way cases that would be no longer eligible for jury trial under his proposed reforms.
As is usual practice, detailed impact assessments will be provided alongside the necessary legislation for these reforms. The Government will bring forward this legislation when parliamentary time allows.
When she expects to (a) receive the findings of the Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation, (b) share those findings with hon. Members and (c) publish those findings.
Following the appalling attack on a synagogue in Manchester on 2 October 2025, the Home Secretary announced an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October. The Review is being led by Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC, supported by former Assistant Chief Constable Owen Weatherill KPM.The Review is due to submit its report to the Home Secretary in Spring 2026.
Whether the findings of the Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation will be available to i) the Home Affairs Select Committee and ii) hon. Members before the Crime and Policing Bill returns to the Commons.
Following the appalling attack on a synagogue in Manchester on 2 October 2025, the Home Secretary announced an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October. The Review is being led by Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC, supported by former Assistant Chief Constable Owen Weatherill KPM.The Review is due to submit its report to the Home Secretary in Spring 2026.
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 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.
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.
Communities and Local Government, how many households owed a homelessness duty by (a) Middlesbrough Council and (b) Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council were placed in temporary accommodation (i) within the local authority area, (ii) elsewhere in the Tees Valley Combined Authority area and (iii) outside that area in each of the last three years; and what information his Department holds on the distance from the placing authority area in such cases.
The Government publishes quarterly homelessness statistics which is available on gov.uk here. We must build more homes in the areas where they are needed so we can reduce the need for out of area placements and reduce the number of people in temporary accommodation, which is why we will deliver the biggest increase to social and affordable housing in a generation. We have also increased funding for homelessness services by £316 million to a total of more than £1 billion in 2025/26 to support local authorities to deliver homelessness services. This includes a £10.9 million top up announced last month to support households in the worst forms of temporary accommodation, such as bed & breakfast or out of area accommodation. We are publishing a cross-Government homelessness strategy later this year that will get us back on track to ending homelessness.
Communities and Local Government, how many households are living in temporary accommodation (a) in England, (b) in Middlesbrough local authority area and (c) in Stockton-on-Tees local authority area; and what the i) average and ii) median lengths of stay in temporary accommodation are in each of those areas.
The Government publishes quarterly homelessness statistics which is available on gov.uk here. We must build more homes in the areas where they are needed so we can reduce the need for out of area placements and reduce the number of people in temporary accommodation, which is why we will deliver the biggest increase to social and affordable housing in a generation. We have also increased funding for homelessness services by £316 million to a total of more than £1 billion in 2025/26 to support local authorities to deliver homelessness services. This includes a £10.9 million top up announced last month to support households in the worst forms of temporary accommodation, such as bed & breakfast or out of area accommodation. We are publishing a cross-Government homelessness strategy later this year that will get us back on track to ending homelessness.
Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce (a) the duration of stays in temporary accommodation and (b) the use of out-of-area placements for households from Middlesbrough and Thornaby East.
The Government publishes quarterly homelessness statistics which is available on gov.uk here. We must build more homes in the areas where they are needed so we can reduce the need for out of area placements and reduce the number of people in temporary accommodation, which is why we will deliver the biggest increase to social and affordable housing in a generation. We have also increased funding for homelessness services by £316 million to a total of more than £1 billion in 2025/26 to support local authorities to deliver homelessness services. This includes a £10.9 million top up announced last month to support households in the worst forms of temporary accommodation, such as bed & breakfast or out of area accommodation. We are publishing a cross-Government homelessness strategy later this year that will get us back on track to ending homelessness.
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.
What data his Department holds on the number of GP appointments (a) offered, (b) attended and (c) cancelled by practices in Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency in the most recent year for which data is available; and if will make it his policy to monitor trends in practice-cancelled appointments.
General Practice Appointment Data is published monthly by NHS England and captures information on appointments that have occurred, rather than those that are offered. The data also only includes appointments that were attended or marked as 'Did Not Attend' (DNA), not those that are cancelled.Since cancelled slots can often be rebooked and used by other patients, the most reliable and meaningful data to collect are both attended appointments and DNAs.In September 2025, in the Middlesbrough and Thornaby East Constituency, 1.04 million appointments were delivered, and 54,000 appointments were not attended.
How many dental practices are currently accepting new NHS patients in Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency; and what data his Department holds on waiting times for NHS dental treatment in that constituency for the latest available period.
Patients in England are not registered with a National Health Service dental practice, although many NHS dental practices do tend to see patients regularly. There is no geographical restriction on which practice a patient may attend. Some dental practices may operate local waiting list arrangements. Therefore, data on waiting times for NHS dental treatment is not held centrally.As of 3 November 2025, there were six NHS dentist practices in the Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency, with one showing as ‘accepting new child patients when availability allows’ and zero showing as ‘accepting new adult patients when availability allows’. This data is sourced from the Find a Dentist website and is matched to constituencies based on the postcode data shown on the website, at the following link:https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentistIntegrated care board (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population. For the Middlesbrough and Thornaby East constituency, this is the North East and North Cumbria ICB.We have asked ICBs to commission extra urgent dental appointments across the country, with appointments more heavily weighted towards those areas where they are needed the most. The Government is also considering the outcomes of the consultation on immediate improvements to dental care and will publish a response shortly.We are committed to reforming the dental sector and we will deliver fundamental contract reform before the end of this Parliament.
What steps she is taking to improve provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities in Middlesbrough and Thornaby East ahead of the publication of the forthcoming SEND White Paper.
As part of our Plan for Change, the department is determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore the trust of parents. We expect mainstream schools to welcome pupils from across the whole community, including pupils who may need additional support. All schools have a duty to support children and young people with SEND and to cooperate with local partners.Ofsted’s new focus on inclusion during inspection will strengthen accountability on schools for meeting the needs of children with SEND. Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission last inspected Middlesbrough Local Area Partnership (LAP) in 2023, where the partnership received a positive inspection outcome.The department will support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage schools to set up Resourced Provision or SEN units to increase capacity in mainstream schools. Departmental officials meet with Middlesbrough Council regularly to discuss the delivery of SEND services. In meetings, the LAP is challenged on current data and how future plans will improve services and support children and young people with SEND in Middlesbrough.The department is providing an increase of £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the 2025/26 financial year. Total high needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND is over £12 billion in 2025/26. Of that total, Middlesbrough is being allocated over £41 million through the high needs funding block of their dedicated schools grant.
What data her Department holds on the impact of long-term stays in temporary accommodation on (a) children’s physical and mental health and (b) children’s educational outcomes; and what steps they are taking to mitigate any negative effects identified.
The Child Poverty Strategy sets out a range of measures to support families in need of temporary accommodation.The government will end the unlawful placement of families in bed and breakfasts beyond the six-week limit and work with the NHS to end the practice of discharging mothers with newborn babies into bed and breakfasts or other unsuitable housing.The government will provide £950 million through the fourth and largest round of the Local Authority Housing Fund from April 2026 to deliver up to 5,000 high quality homes for better temporary accommodation by 2030.A new legal duty will also be introduced for councils to notify schools, health visitors, and GPs when a child is placed in temporary accommodation, so no child is left without support.The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will also introduce a clinical code on children in temporary accommodation to improve data collection, with the aim of preventing further deaths caused by gaps in health care provision.