Written questions by McMurdock.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of anaesthetists in the NHS.

NHS England has funded 70 additional training posts in anaesthesia in 2022, 2023, and 2024. We are committed to training the staff we need, including anaesthetists, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England and the Department will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest. To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision.  We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the number of funded training places for doctors to specialise in anaesthesia.

NHS England has funded 70 additional training posts in anaesthesia in 2022, 2023, and 2024. We are committed to training the staff we need, including anaesthetists, to ensure patients are cared for by the right professional, when and where they need it. We will ensure that the number of medical specialty training places meets the demands of the National Health Service in the future. NHS England and the Department will work with stakeholders to ensure that any growth is sustainable and focused in the service areas where the need is greatest. To reform the NHS and make it fit for the future, we have launched a 10-Year Health Plan as part of Government’s five long-term missions. Ensuring we have the right people, in the right places, with the right skills will be central to this vision.  We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade, and treat patients on time again.

If he will make an estimate of how many (a) operations and (b) procedures are being prevented from happening due to a shortage of anaesthetists.

The Government recognises too many people have been waiting for National Health Service treatment, including for operations. The Government pledged to deliver an additional two million operations, scans and appointments, as a First Step to delivering on the commitment that 92% of patients will wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment, in line with the NHS constitutional standard, by March 2029. We have exceeded this ambition and delivered over three million additional appointments since July 2024.There is no specific analysis of whether operations or procedures have been prevented. We recognise having the right workforce will be crucial to ensure we continue to make progress. We will publish a refreshed Long Term Workforce Plan to deliver the transformed health service we will build over the next decade and treat patients on time again.We will ensure the NHS has the right people, in the right places, with the right skills to deliver the care patients need when they need it.

If she will make an estimate of the number of people accessing foodbanks who work (a) full time and (b) part time.

Statistics on the number of individuals living in families that have used foodbanks in the past 30 days and 12 months are published on Stat-Xplore (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/), including breakdowns by Economic Status of the Adult, in the Households Below Average Income dataset. The latest statistics were published on 21 March 2025 and are for the financial year 2023/24.We are committed to tackling food poverty and ending mass dependence of emergency food parcels. To inform this work, DWP officials have engaged with a range of organisations to better understand the complex food poverty landscape. We also continue to provide substantial funding to Local Authorities to support those most in need, and are extending the Household Support Fund (HSF) by a further year until March 2026, providing funding of £742 million in England. This will ensure low-income households can continue to access support towards the cost of essentials, such as food.We know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty so this will be the foundation of our approach. Our plan to Make Work Pay, will help more people to stay in work, improve job security and boost living standards, including by increasing the National Living Wage to £12.21 an hour to boost the pay of three million workers. It is a core part of the mission to grow the economy, raise living standards across the country and create opportunities for all.

What recent estimate she has made of the number of secondary schools in debt.

83 local authority maintained secondary schools were operating a deficit at the end of the 2023/24 financial year, according to their financial reporting returns. Academy trusts are responsible for the combined accounts of all the academies within their trusts, and so it is not possible to accurately identify the number of individual secondary academies in deficit. At the end of the 2022/23 academic year, around 98% of academy trusts were in cumulative surplus or breaking even, while 55 academy trusts had a deficit.

What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the education system for supporting the academic attainment of boys.

All young people should have every opportunity to succeed, no matter who they are or where they are from. That is why, through our work to deliver the Opportunity Mission, the department will improve opportunities and life chances across the country for all children and young people. As in previous years the latest attainment data shows girls continue to do better than boys across all headline measures, however, the gap has narrowed when comparing the 2023/24 academic year to the 2018/19 academic year. The department publishes attainment data by sex on an annual basis in the autumn term, which can be broken down by specific local authorities, including Essex. Further data can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance/2023-24. High and rising standards across schools are the heart of our mission and the key to unlocking stronger outcomes for every child and young person, regardless of their gender. The department aims to deliver these improvements through excellent teaching and leadership, a high quality curriculum and a system which removes the barriers to learning that hold too many children back. The quality of teaching is the single most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for all children, which is why the department is committed to recruiting 6,500 new expert teachers. We have also launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which is closely examining the key challenges to attainment for young people and the barriers that hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve. To strengthen school improvement, the new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams will provide both mandatory targeted intervention for schools identified by Ofsted as needing to improve and a universal service, acting as a catalyst for a self-improving system, for all schools. The department also engages regularly with teachers and headteachers and their representative bodies on a range of issues, including attainment, behaviour and attendance. This includes engagement through the department’s teacher and headteacher reference groups. Alongside this, the department regularly engages with school leaders and teachers to develop its attendance policy. During the spring term the department delivered a programme of nine regional attendance conferences across England, giving secondary school leaders and teachers the chance to hear how other schools are tackling attendance challenges and spread best practice across the system. The conference in the East of England was held on 17 March.

What recent discussions her Department has had with secondary school teachers on the (a) attainment, (b) behaviour and (c) attendance of boys in schools in (i) England and (ii) Essex.

All young people should have every opportunity to succeed, no matter who they are or where they are from. That is why, through our work to deliver the Opportunity Mission, the department will improve opportunities and life chances across the country for all children and young people. As in previous years the latest attainment data shows girls continue to do better than boys across all headline measures, however, the gap has narrowed when comparing the 2023/24 academic year to the 2018/19 academic year. The department publishes attainment data by sex on an annual basis in the autumn term, which can be broken down by specific local authorities, including Essex. Further data can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance/2023-24. High and rising standards across schools are the heart of our mission and the key to unlocking stronger outcomes for every child and young person, regardless of their gender. The department aims to deliver these improvements through excellent teaching and leadership, a high quality curriculum and a system which removes the barriers to learning that hold too many children back. The quality of teaching is the single most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for all children, which is why the department is committed to recruiting 6,500 new expert teachers. We have also launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which is closely examining the key challenges to attainment for young people and the barriers that hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve. To strengthen school improvement, the new regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) teams will provide both mandatory targeted intervention for schools identified by Ofsted as needing to improve and a universal service, acting as a catalyst for a self-improving system, for all schools. The department also engages regularly with teachers and headteachers and their representative bodies on a range of issues, including attainment, behaviour and attendance. This includes engagement through the department’s teacher and headteacher reference groups. Alongside this, the department regularly engages with school leaders and teachers to develop its attendance policy. During the spring term the department delivered a programme of nine regional attendance conferences across England, giving secondary school leaders and teachers the chance to hear how other schools are tackling attendance challenges and spread best practice across the system. The conference in the East of England was held on 17 March.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of growing class sizes on (a) the academic attainment of students and (b) the quality of lessons.

Our school system will drive high and rising standards, across every school and for every child. We aim to deliver these improvements through excellent teaching and leadership, a high-quality curriculum, robust accountability and faster school improvement, and a system which removes additional barriers to learning.Class sizes in primary and infant classes have been on a downwards trend in recent years, while secondary school classes have increased only slightly in line with demographic trends.The quality of teaching is the most significant within-school factor in improving outcomes for children. This is why as our first steps for change, we are committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across our schools, both mainstream and specialist, and our colleges over the course of this Parliament, reflecting the demographic trend of more pupils moving into upper secondary school and 16 to 19.To further strengthen the foundations of learning, we have also launched an independent, expert-led curriculum and assessment review which seeks to deliver an excellent foundation in the core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics, and a broader, high-quality knowledge-rich curriculum that readies young people for life and work.

What recent estimate she has made of (a) the average class size in secondary schools and (b) the number of secondary school places available to young people in (i) England and (ii) Essex.

The department publishes information on class sizes in England in the annual accredited official statistics, ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’. The most recent data can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2023-24. The average class sizes for secondary schools in the Essex region and across England for the 2023/24 academic year are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/aada0205-1f9a-48fc-a8c1-08dd736ca4ba. Data on state-funded school places is published at national and local authority level in the annual school capacity statistics publication. The latest data is for academic year 2023/24 and can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2023-24. The number of school places in mainstream state secondary schools in England and Essex as of 1 May 2024, as well as how many were unfilled, can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/8e1c8b2e-fc28-436c-9b02-08dd7377d1ad. The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the quality of (a) buildings and (b) facilities in state secondary schools in England.

Ensuring schools and colleges have the facilities and buildings they need is a key part of the department’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every young person the best start in life. The department supports local authorities, academy trusts and voluntary-aided school bodies responsible for the school estate by providing capital funding, delivering major rebuilding programmes and offering guidance and support. We have increased funding to improve the condition of the estate for the 2025/26 financial year to £2.1 billion, up from £1.8 billion last year. This is in addition to our continued investment in the school rebuilding programme. From 2021 to 2026, the department’s Condition Data Collection 2 programme is visiting every government-funded school and college in England to collect data about the condition of their buildings. This data will provide a comprehensive picture of the condition of the school estate in England to support our capital funding programmes. In addition, the department has commissioned new research, due to complete by spring 2026, to better understand the performance of post-war education buildings.

What support is available for secondary schools facing financial pressures that require (a) new facilities and (b) building repairs.

This government is committed to ensuring that secondary and other schools have the resources and buildings that they need to help every child achieve and thrive.The department supports academy trusts, local authorities and voluntary-aided school bodies, who are responsible for managing the safety and maintenance of their schools, with capital funding, rebuilding programmes and extensive guidance on effective estate management.The department has recently confirmed the details of £2.1 billion of capital funding for the 2025/26 financial year to improve the condition of the school estate, up from £1.8 billion committed for the 2024/25 financial year. Provisional allocations for all eligible responsible bodies have been published on GOV.UK and the outcomes for the bid-based Condition Improvement Fund will be announced later in the spring.This is on top of the continuing school rebuilding programme (SRP) which is rebuilding or significantly refurbishing buildings at 518 schools and sixth form colleges across England. There are five SRP schools in South Basildon and East Thurrock, including St Clere’s Secondary School. By tackling schools in the worst condition, the programme will dramatically reduce the funding these schools require annually, enabling the sector to invest more of their capital funding in other schools.Where the department is alerted to significant safety issues with a building, that cannot be managed within local resources, we provide additional advice and support on a case-by-case basis.Capital funding to improve school buildings beyond the 2025/26 financial year will be confirmed following the next phase of the spending review.The department also provides capital funding through the basic need grant to support local authorities meet their statutory duty to secure sufficient school places. On 27 March, the department announced over £1 billion to support local authorities to create mainstream school places needed by September 2028. This funding, £640 million of which will be paid in the 2026/27 financial year, with a further £400 million paid in the 2027/28 financial year, is on top of almost £1.5 billion of basic need capital funding that has previously been announced to create new mainstream school places needed in the current and next two academic years.The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities. The department provides capital funding through the basic need grant to support local authorities to provide school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and school capacity data. They can use this funding to provide places in new schools or through expansions of existing schools.

Whether her Department monitors political impartiality in schools.

In 2022 the department published comprehensive guidance to support schools to meet their duties on political impartiality. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools. The guidance is clear that all schools should take full responsibility for ensuring lessons and materials are age appropriate, suitable and politically impartial, particularly when using materials produced by external organisations. The guidance also highlights that legal duties on political impartiality are unlikely to be relevant when teaching about political events from previous historical periods. However, the guidance is clear that, when teaching about more recent historical events, it is important to ensure that political issues that remain contentious today are presented to pupils in a balanced manner.

What recent discussions she has had with teachers on political impartiality in schools.

In 2022 the department published comprehensive guidance to support schools to meet their duties on political impartiality. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools. The guidance is clear that all schools should take full responsibility for ensuring lessons and materials are age appropriate, suitable and politically impartial, particularly when using materials produced by external organisations. The guidance also highlights that legal duties on political impartiality are unlikely to be relevant when teaching about political events from previous historical periods. However, the guidance is clear that, when teaching about more recent historical events, it is important to ensure that political issues that remain contentious today are presented to pupils in a balanced manner.

If she will take steps to ensure teaching materials used in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools are (i) politically impartial and (ii) present a balanced view of (A) political and (B) historical events.

In 2022 the department published comprehensive guidance to support schools to meet their duties on political impartiality. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools. The guidance is clear that all schools should take full responsibility for ensuring lessons and materials are age appropriate, suitable and politically impartial, particularly when using materials produced by external organisations. The guidance also highlights that legal duties on political impartiality are unlikely to be relevant when teaching about political events from previous historical periods. However, the guidance is clear that, when teaching about more recent historical events, it is important to ensure that political issues that remain contentious today are presented to pupils in a balanced manner.

If she will take steps to promote transparency between teachers and parents on politically sensitive topics in schools.

In 2022 the department published comprehensive guidance to support schools to meet their duties on political impartiality. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools. The guidance is clear that all schools should take full responsibility for ensuring lessons and materials are age appropriate, suitable and politically impartial, particularly when using materials produced by external organisations. The guidance also highlights that legal duties on political impartiality are unlikely to be relevant when teaching about political events from previous historical periods. However, the guidance is clear that, when teaching about more recent historical events, it is important to ensure that political issues that remain contentious today are presented to pupils in a balanced manner.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that teachers remain (a) politically impartial and (b) balanced, in line with Section 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996.

In 2022 the department published comprehensive guidance to support schools to meet their duties on political impartiality. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/political-impartiality-in-schools/political-impartiality-in-schools. The guidance is clear that all schools should take full responsibility for ensuring lessons and materials are age appropriate, suitable and politically impartial, particularly when using materials produced by external organisations. The guidance also highlights that legal duties on political impartiality are unlikely to be relevant when teaching about political events from previous historical periods. However, the guidance is clear that, when teaching about more recent historical events, it is important to ensure that political issues that remain contentious today are presented to pupils in a balanced manner.

What assessment he has made of the long-term sustainability of the solar panels being installed under the Great British Energy scheme in relation to their (a) lifespan, (b) efficiency degradation and (c) recyclability.

We expect panels delivered under this scheme to have an estimated lifespan of 30 years [with a 0.5% yearly attrition rate] which is based on our published assumptions. Recyclability is a critical factor in the sustainability of solar panels and the schools and NHS trusts receiving solar panels under this scheme will be responsible for ensuring appropriate end-of-life management of panels under this scheme.

What steps he is taking to (a) consult and (b) compensate local communities impacted by new electricity network infrastructure projects.

The Government has announced measures to ensure that communities directly benefit from hosting clean energy infrastructure, to help support the rollout of grid infrastructure which will deliver our new renewable generation to homes and businesses. This includes community funds guidance that sets out the government’s recommendations on how communities can benefit from hosting clean energy infrastructure, which provides a level of funding of £200,000 per km of overhead line and £530,000 per substation, and an electricity bill discount scheme providing a discount of up to £250 per year over up to 10 years for households within 500m of new or significantly upgraded transmission network infrastructure. Additionally, the Government intends to carry out further stakeholder engagement on the bill discount scheme in due course to gather evidence and feedback from stakeholders, including local communities.

What steps his Department is taking to support (a) primary and (b) secondary schools with high energy costs.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

What recent estimate she has made of the number of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in debt in (i) England and (ii) Essex.

The department trusts schools to manage their own budgets, and the vast majority are operating with a cumulative surplus, with only a small percentage having a deficit.The latest published figures for academies show that at a national level, 98% of academy trusts are in cumulative surplus or breaking even nationally. These figures for academy trusts relate to 31 August 2023.For maintained schools, at national level, 14.7% of maintained primary schools and 13% of maintained secondary schools were in deficit. In the Essex local authority 6.9% of maintained primary schools and no secondary schools were in deficit in the same period. The figures for maintained schools relate to 31 March 2024.The department does not hold local authority level figures for academies, since their funding is managed at Trust level, and many Trusts operate across local authorities’ boundaries. The financial benchmarking and insights tool on GOV.UK provides resources to review the finances of individual academies. This tool is available at: https://financial-benchmarking-and-insights-tool.education.gov.uk/data-sources.