Written questions by Brown-Fuller.

Whether she has had discussions with the service provider Missing to address the number of children going missing in care.

The government takes the issue of any child going missing, from home or care, extremely seriously. Local safeguarding partners should work together to reduce the chances of children going missing and respond effectively when they do. The department has provided statutory guidance about responsibilities for children who go missing. Our ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance sets out the importance of sharing information and that practitioners should be alert to those who frequently go missing.The latest relevant publication covers 2021 to 2025 and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2025 (data for earlier years is in previous releases, changes in the way data is reported means comparisons over time should not be made). In 2025, 86,900 missing incidents were reported for 12,720 looked after children (11%), an average (mean) of 6.8 missing incidents per child who went missing. Most (91%) missing incidents lasted for two days or less.The department also published ad hoc statistics, which indicated that going or being missing may be a co-occurring factor for some children who have experienced sexual exploitation. Just over a third (34%) of children assessed as having been affected by sexual exploitation were also assessed as at risk of going missing.The department is working to reduce the number of children who go missing. Measures from the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and Crime and Policing Bill, reforms being delivered through the Families First Partnership Programme (supported by £2.4 billion), updates to the ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance, and oversight from the Keeping Children Safe ministerial board will ensure that we better respond when children go missing and intervene earlier to tackle the underlying drivers. Officials engage with stakeholders, including Missing. A senior civil servant from the department attended the recent All-Party Parliamentary Group for Missing Children and Adults interactive parliamentary session.

What assessment has her Department on trends in the level of children going missing in care.

The government takes the issue of any child going missing, from home or care, extremely seriously. Local safeguarding partners should work together to reduce the chances of children going missing and respond effectively when they do. The department has provided statutory guidance about responsibilities for children who go missing. Our ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance sets out the importance of sharing information and that practitioners should be alert to those who frequently go missing.The latest relevant publication covers 2021 to 2025 and is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions/2025 (data for earlier years is in previous releases, changes in the way data is reported means comparisons over time should not be made). In 2025, 86,900 missing incidents were reported for 12,720 looked after children (11%), an average (mean) of 6.8 missing incidents per child who went missing. Most (91%) missing incidents lasted for two days or less.The department also published ad hoc statistics, which indicated that going or being missing may be a co-occurring factor for some children who have experienced sexual exploitation. Just over a third (34%) of children assessed as having been affected by sexual exploitation were also assessed as at risk of going missing.The department is working to reduce the number of children who go missing. Measures from the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and Crime and Policing Bill, reforms being delivered through the Families First Partnership Programme (supported by £2.4 billion), updates to the ‘Working together to safeguard children’ statutory guidance, and oversight from the Keeping Children Safe ministerial board will ensure that we better respond when children go missing and intervene earlier to tackle the underlying drivers. Officials engage with stakeholders, including Missing. A senior civil servant from the department attended the recent All-Party Parliamentary Group for Missing Children and Adults interactive parliamentary session.

Whether her Department has reviewed the potential effects of digital device use, including tablets, amongst young children on school attendance.

The department recognises that while technology can support learning and development, we are aware of concerns regarding its impact on wellbeing and the potential for this to affect attendance. In response to these concerns, the government has recently launched a consultation, inviting views from parents, educators and experts to help shape guidance on the use of technology by children. This consultation aims to ensure that our approach is evidence-based and reflects the needs and experiences of those directly affected.As part of our commitment to understanding the impact of digital device use, we are also funding EdTech (education technology) testbeds to evaluate the impact of digital tools on issues such as workload, wellbeing and inclusion.We continue to review emerging research and collaborate with experts to understand the broader effects of technology on children’s wellbeing.Our priority remains supporting regular attendance and the best outcomes for all pupils.

Pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2025 to Question 84161 on Teachers Pensions, what her updated planned timetable is for issuing cash equivalent transfer value details from Teachers’ Pensions.

As of the end of December 2025, 402 cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) cases were outstanding. There will always be a number of CETV cases in progress at any given time, as new CETV applications are made. Capita, the scheme administrator, is continuing to work through the most complex cases for members who have retired. Due to the level of complexity, 329 of these cases can only be processed clerically and the estimated average calculation times are between 20 and 30 hours per processed case. The scheme administrator is working as quickly as possible to complete all outstanding cases. This issue remains a top priority for the department and the scheme administrator.

What steps she is taking to reduce delays for members of the Teachers Pension who have submitted their remedial service statement.

Recalculating benefits for retired members is a complex process. For those members retiring, these cases are relatively straightforward as no benefits are already in payment. For retired members, additional complications around tax, interest rules and system functionality required extensive consultation.Capita, as the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme (TPS) administrator, are processing Remediable Service Statement (RSS) choices and aim to complete payments as quickly as possible.The issuing and payment of members’ RSS choices is a high priority and the department is continually exploring ways to improve payment times with Capita, which includes recruiting additional staff and automating functions wherever possible. Members’ original pension benefits will continue to be paid until their choice has been implemented.In summer 2026, administration of the TPS will become the responsibility of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The department is working with TCS to finalise the timeline for issuing all RSSs and any subsequent payments.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of schools being required to have specialist allergy nurses.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. Any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs should have received suitable training. School nursing services provide health and wellbeing support for children and young people from age 4 up to 19. They provide specialist advice to schools on the management of medical conditions, including allergies.Schools must have regard to the ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ statutory guidance, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.The department has committed to reviewing this guidance and intends to issue a consultation on an updated version of this statutory guidance.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available for the transition into adulthood at age 18 for young people who were in care during early childhood before being (a) adopted or (b) placed under alternative permanency arrangements.

I refer the hon. Member for Chichester to the answer of 29 October 2025 to question 84112.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the support available to young people up to the age of 25 with education, health and care plans who are no longer accessing education.

I refer the hon. Member for Chichester to the answer of 29 October 2025 to Question 84047.

Whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the system of fining parents for taking their children out of school.

Tackling absence is central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Thanks to the efforts of schools and local authorities, attendance is moving in the right direction. Children attended over 5.3 million additional days in the 2024/25 school year compared to the 2022/23 school year, with over 140,000 fewer pupils persistently absent.The ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets out a support-first approach, ensuring penalty notices are used only when appropriate.The national framework for penalty notices, introduced in August 2024 following national consultation, is designed to improve consistency and fairness across the country. Penalty notices must be considered on an individual basis, preventing schools from having blanket rules. Schools or local councils may choose to issue a ‘notice to improve’ instead of a penalty notice as a further offer of support before a penalty notice is issued.The department is monitoring the impact of these reforms alongside wider attendance measures, including regional improvement for standards and excellence Attendance and Behaviour Hubs and Attendance Mentors, which are helping to drive improvements.

What steps she is taking to ensure T level qualifications are (a) recognised and (b) accepted for university admissions on an equivalent basis to A Levels.

The department regularly engages with the higher education (HE) sector to ensure T Levels are recognised as excellent preparation for higher study. We encourage the sector to accept T Levels on an equivalent basis to A levels by assigning them UCAS points in line with three A levels. For example, the highest overall T Level grade, Distinction*, is awarded the same number of points as three A*s at A level. T Level progression into HE is increasing year on year, as we are seeing more subjects become accessible to T Level graduates, with prestigious courses such as medicine now open to T Level learners in some institutions. Whilst thousands of T Level students go on to HE each year, not all providers give full clarity on their entry requirements. We are working closely with the sector to address this and continue to inform the sector on the merits of T Levels as a qualification of choice.

What steps her Department is taking to promote parity of esteem for T Level qualifications in university admissions processes.

The department regularly engages with the higher education (HE) sector to ensure T Levels are recognised as excellent preparation for higher study. We encourage the sector to accept T Levels on an equivalent basis to A levels by assigning them UCAS points in line with three A levels. For example, the highest overall T Level grade, Distinction*, is awarded the same number of points as three A*s at A level. T Level progression into HE is increasing year on year, as we are seeing more subjects become accessible to T Level graduates, with prestigious courses such as medicine now open to T Level learners in some institutions. Whilst thousands of T Level students go on to HE each year, not all providers give full clarity on their entry requirements. We are working closely with the sector to address this and continue to inform the sector on the merits of T Levels as a qualification of choice.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the support available to young people up to the age of 25 with education, health and care plans who are no longer accessing education.

As part of our Plan for Change we are determined to improve outcomes for young people. We will set out plans for SEND reform in our Schools White Paper.We are already taking action to improve preparation for adulthood, including continuing to invest in supported internships by providing up to £12 million to March 2026, delivered through the Internships Work consortium, building on previous investment from 2022-25. Supported internships are a work-based study programme for young people aged 16 to 24 who have an education health and care (EHC) plan, want to move into employment and need extra support to do so.Arrangements under an EHC plan can continue up to age 25. As a young person is nearing the end of their time in formal education and their EHC plan is likely to be ceased within the next 12 months, the annual review should consider good exit planning.Support, provision and outcomes should be agreed that will ensure the young person is supported to make a smooth transition to whatever they will be doing next, such as moving on to higher education, employment, independent living or adult care.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available at age 18 to young people who were in care during early childhood before being (a) adopted or (b) placed under alternative permanency arrangements.

Young people who were in care before being adopted or placed under a Special Guardianship Order or Care Arrangements Order remain eligible for the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund until the age of 21, or 25 if they have an education, health and care plan.Adopted individuals aged 18 and over also have the legal right to access their birth and adoption records. Support is available through local authorities and registered adoption agencies to help them understand their adoption history and, where appropriate, reconnect with birth relatives.Additionally, some children with kinship foster carers are entitled to leaving care support. This includes support from a Personal Adviser up to the age of 25, and support to engage in education, employment or training. This also includes providing continuity of support and relationships through the Staying Put programme and investing in family-finding, mentoring and befriending programmes.

What steps her Department is taking to help support the funding of training for young dancers from (a) disadvantaged backgrounds and (b) all backgrounds; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of such support on the future of the (a) performing acts and (b) creative industries sectors.

The department provides funding for the Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) for means-tested bursaries for 11 to 19 year-olds and the Dance and Drama Awards (DaDA) means-tested grants for 16 to 19 year-olds to improve access to specialist dance education. These routes give students training at professional level in contemporary dance and classical ballet, and the funding is targeted towards those from lower income households.Dance is an important part of our creative industries. The creative industries have been announced as one of eight growth-driving sectors within the Industrial Strategy published in the summer, alongside the Creative Industries’ Sector Plan.The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is considering dance as part of the physical education (PE) national curriculum, and the Review’s final report and government response will be published in the autumn.The department will launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education next year, to promote high quality arts education in schools, including in dance. We will also support dance teaching as part of PE through the new PE and School Sport Partnerships.

If the Government will consider appointing a Cabinet Minister for Children and Young People.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has responsibility for children and young people at Cabinet.

When the international student levy will be introduced.

This government is committed to supporting the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to attend higher education (HE). We must, therefore, reform the HE system to better support disadvantaged students.That is why the government will introduce targeted means-tested maintenance grants for students in low-income households studying on courses that support our missions and industrial strategy, funded by a levy on income from international student fees.The government will set out further details on the International Student Levy and targeted means-tested maintenance grants at the Autumn Budget.

What measures her Department is taking to help support access to dance education in schools.

The department provides funding for the Music and Dance Scheme (MDS) for means-tested bursaries for 11 to 19 year-olds and the Dance and Drama Awards (DaDA) means-tested grants for 16 to 19 year-olds to improve access to specialist dance education. These routes give students training at professional level in contemporary dance and classical ballet, and the funding is targeted towards those from lower income households.Dance is an important part of our creative industries. The creative industries have been announced as one of eight growth-driving sectors within the Industrial Strategy published in the summer, alongside the Creative Industries’ Sector Plan.The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review is considering dance as part of the physical education (PE) national curriculum, and the Review’s final report and government response will be published in the autumn.The department will launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education next year, to promote high quality arts education in schools, including in dance. We will also support dance teaching as part of PE through the new PE and School Sport Partnerships.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle the use of smartphones by pupils in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Mobile phones have no place in our schools.Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024.The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.Research from the Children’s Commissioner, with responses from nearly all schools and colleges in England, shows that the overwhelming majority of schools, 99.8% of primary schools and 90% of secondary schools, already have policies in place that limit or restrict the use of mobile phones during the school day.

What progress her Department has made on tackling delays in processing valuations by the teachers' Pension Scheme; and whether her Department is taking steps to put special measures in place for teachers who are unable to finalise divorce settlements until these valuations are made.

As at 4 September 2025, the number of unresolved cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) cases has been reduced to 433 from 3,062 at the end of October 2024. This includes recent CETV applications and as such there will always be a number of outstanding CETV cases at any given time.The scheme administrator is now working through the most complex cases for members who have retired. These cases can currently only be processed clerically and the estimated calculation times are between 20 and 65 hours per case. Therefore, the department is funding IT changes for the scheme administrator that are expected to significantly reduce calculation times.This issue remains a top priority for the department and the scheme administrator, and the above actions are currently expected to result in the delayed CETVs being fully cleared by spring 2026.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allocating additional funding for (a) dyslexia screening and (b) dyslexia-specific teacher training in Chichester constituency.

​​I refer the hon. Member for Chichester to the answer of 1 August 2025 to Question 61402.