Written questions by Jarvis.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing a new national agency for SEND to help address variation in provision.

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 will do this by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate.We will publish further details about plans for SEND reform in a Schools White Paper shortly. Our reforms will be underpinned by five principles: ‘early’, ‘local’, ‘fair’, ‘effective’ and ‘shared’.To support the reforms, we are strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice and help address variation in provision.For example, recently published evidence reviews from University College London highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective strategies to identify and support children with different types of needs.The department also funds a What Works in SEND programme. Their research and effective practice models are included at: https://whatworks-send.org.uk/.New research delivered by UK Research Innovation will also aim to develop effective approaches to early identification of children needing tailored educational support.

What steps he is Taking with the Secretary of State for Education, to provide mental health and wellbeing support to young carers in Eastleigh constituency.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out ambitious plans to boost mental health support across the country, including children and young people’s mental health services. As prioritised in our Medium-Term Planning Framework, we are taking action to reduce the longest waits for specialist mental health support, tackling regional disparities, and expanding access, thereby making services more productive so children and young people spend less time waiting for the treatment they need. We are also accelerating the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams in schools and colleges to reach full national coverage by 2029. As part of this, we are investing an additional £13 million to pilot enhanced training for staff so that they can offer more effective support to young people with complex needs, such as trauma, neurodivergence, and disordered eating. An additional 900,000 children and young people will have access by this spring, and this means that 60% of all pupils will have access to this early support at school, up from 44% in Spring 2024. More widely, we are, rolling out Young Futures Hubs. The Government’s first 50 Young Futures Hubs will bring together services at a local level to support children and young people, helping to ensure that young people can access early advice and wellbeing intervention. We will work to ensure there is no wrong door for young people who need support with their mental health. Through measures in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are equipping and supporting carers by making them more visible, empowering their voices in care planning, joining up services, and streamlining their caring tasks by introducing a new ‘MyCarer’ section to the NHS App. NHS England is supporting the identification of young carers and has recently published guidance for general practitioners. NHS England is also utilising data to help support greater join-up between health, education, and social care.

If she will review the three-year freeze on the salary threshold for student loan repayments announced in the 2025 Budget.

The income threshold above which repayments are required for Plan 2 loans will remain at its 2026/27 financial year level of £29,385 up to April 2030, and will increase annually with the Retail Price Index thereafter. This change will help to ensure the system remains sustainable in the long term and is able to continue benefitting future generations of students.Borrowers remain protected as repayments are determined by income, not the amount borrowed. If a borrower’s salary remains the same, their monthly repayments will also stay the same. Lower-earning graduates will continue to be protected, with any outstanding loan and interest written off at the end of the loan term.

What his expected timetable is for the implementation of measures to expand access to talking therapies, assertive outreach, and digital access to mental health support through the NHS App under the 10-Year Health Plan.

To deliver the shift from analogue to digital that is set out in the 10-Year Health Plan, we will create a digital front door for mental health care through the NHS App to boost access to early support and to empower people to take steps to manage their symptoms. This has already started, with mental health appointment management now available in eight National Health Service trusts, with a further 18 trusts now funded to come online soon. Underserved groups will be able to find and access Talking Therapies through targeted messaging from next year as well. We have also been making improvements to the self-referral pathways between NHS 111 online and NHS Talking Therapies, meaning that the 20,000 people with mental health queries who go to NHS 111 online are now better served. This is in addition to supporting people in crisis through the 111 online symptom checker that advises on what to do next. We are also planning to move all direct-to-patient communication services to NHS Notify and use NHS App-based ‘push’ notifications as the preferred method of contact so that patients can access referral and appointment details, and share and update information with ease. More widely, we support the adoption of digital technology across the NHS Talking Therapies pathway. NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provide assurance around Digitally Enabled Therapies with a strong evidence base, and 7% of NHS Talking Therapies treatments are delivered via these tools. More recently, NICE has provided assurance around Digital Front Doors into NHS Talking Therapies services and we are seeing rapid adoption of these tools, which use artificial intelligence and can improve the quality and accuracy of the assessment. The NHS 10-Year Health Plan committed to improving assertive outreach care and treatment to ensure 100% national coverage in the next decade. Following the 2025/26 Planning Guidance, systems have reviewed their provision and developed local action plans to strengthen care and treatment. This has been supported by national guidance on intensive and assertive community mental health treatment which helps local areas assess and enhance their services. Recognising all the hard work and improvements systems have already made, we will continue working with regions and integrated care boards to ensure this remains a local priority.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of legislative reform for victims of (a) domestic and (b) economic abuse to exit joint mortgages safely and promptly; and what discussions she has had with the (i) Chancellor of the Exchequer and (ii) Financial Conduct Authority on the introduction of guidance for the financial industry on this matter.

This Government recognises the devastating impact economic abuse can have on victims. ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025, outlined a package of commitments to tackle economic abuse. This included a commitment from His Majesty’s Treasury (HMT) to work with key stakeholders, including industry and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to explore how joint mortgages are used as a tool of abuse and how victims and survivors can be better supported. This commitment was also included in HMT’s recent Financial Inclusion Strategy.The Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls met with the Economic Secretary to the Treasury as both strategies were developed, and remains committed to working closely with her HMT counterparts as they deliver on this agenda.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement on the delivery of non-statutory services in Hampshire.

This Local Government Finance Settlement is our most significant move yet to make English local government more sustainable. The provisional Settlement 2026-27 will make available almost £78 billion in Core Spending Power for local authorities in England, a 5.7% cash-terms increase compared to 2025-26. For Hampshire we are making available up to £1,360.0 million in 2027-28 in Core Spending Power, an increase of 18% compared to 2024-25. The majority of funding in the Local Government Finance Settlement is unringfenced recognising that local leaders are best placed to identify local priorities.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the administration of the Civil Service Pension Scheme; and what steps his Department is taking to help tackle reported delays, unanswered correspondence, and difficulties accessing civil service pension records.

In November 2023, the Cabinet Office awarded the contract to administer the Civil Service Pension Scheme to Capita. This was under the previous government. The Scheme transferred to Capita on 1 December 2025. We are aware that Capita’s current performance is having a detrimental impact on some members. We are working urgently with Capita to resolve these issues, and to ensure that civil servants, both former and serving, receive the quality of service and support they deserve. We have established a cross-departmental team to work with Capita to develop and implement a recovery plan. Alongside this, Capita is increasing staffing in key areas, to increase processing times in relation to new retirements and support for members, particularly those impacted by delays.

How she plans to monitor and evaluate the impact of the SEND teacher training programme on inclusion, attendance and educational outcomes for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

The department recently announced investment in a new package of training for staff in nurseries, schools and colleges, with the aim to ultimately improve support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. The new training programmes will also go through stages of quality assurance to ensure they are aligned with evidence of best practice. A full monitoring and evaluation plan will be developed, and officials are currently scoping options for an independent evaluation. The new package builds on training that is already available, such as special educational needs and disabilities and inclusion content woven through the suite of national professional qualifications, for which evaluation is already underway and interim reports are available on GOV.UK.

What progress her Department has made towards the development of the Enrichment Framework; and if she will set out a timetable for its publication and implementation.

The department will publish the new Enrichment Framework in early 2026. The framework has been developed following extensive research and collaboration with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and a working group of experts from schools, youth, sports and arts organisations. We are also putting in place a range of support to help schools further, including PE and school sport partnerships, the national network of Music Hubs, £24million for the TechYouth programme and £22.5 million from DCMS over three years to create a tailored enrichment offer in up to 400 schools. A further £132.5 million of dormant assets funding is being targeted towards services, facilities and opportunities to meet the needs of young people, particularly those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds. More specifically, the government is continuing to invest an additional £3.6 million per year to support and maintain cadet units in schools as part of the Cadet Expansion Programme.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of establishing an enrichment premium for schools.

The department will publish the new Enrichment Framework in early 2026. The framework has been developed following extensive research and collaboration with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and a working group of experts from schools, youth, sports and arts organisations. We are also putting in place a range of support to help schools further, including PE and school sport partnerships, the national network of Music Hubs, £24million for the TechYouth programme and £22.5 million from DCMS over three years to create a tailored enrichment offer in up to 400 schools. A further £132.5 million of dormant assets funding is being targeted towards services, facilities and opportunities to meet the needs of young people, particularly those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds. More specifically, the government is continuing to invest an additional £3.6 million per year to support and maintain cadet units in schools as part of the Cadet Expansion Programme.

How much funding from the SEND teacher training programme will be allocated to schools and early years settings in Eastleigh constituency; and how many teachers, teaching assistants and support staff in Eastleigh will be supported by that programme.

The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) teacher training offer comprises an investment of over £200 million over the course of this Parliament. This significant investment, forms a central pillar of the government’s SEND reform plans, helping to secure a fairer system where effective support is available for every child with SEND from early years to the age of 25.This training offer will be freely available to all leaders, teachers and teaching assistants working in schools, colleges, childminders and nurseries across England, including those in Eastleigh. Training packages will be developed with the needs of different educators and sectors in mind. Some training will be accessible at any time, while other elements may require registering with a provider. More details on how to access the different packages will be published on GOV.UK in due course.

What steps she is taking to help mitigate the potential impact of the (a) removal of the 40% business rates relief and (b) planned revaluation of business rates revaluation on (i) gyms, (ii) swimming pools and (iii) leisure centres.

The amount of business rates paid on each property is based on the rateable value of the property, assessed by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), and the multiplier values, which are set by the Government. Rateable values are re-assessed every three years. Revaluations ensure that the rateable values of properties (i.e. the tax base) remain in line with market changes, and that the tax rates adjust to reflect changes in the tax base.    At the Budget, the VOA announced updated property values from the 2026 revaluation. This revaluation is the first since Covid, which has led to significant increases in rateable values for some properties as they recover from the pandemic. To support with bill increases, at the Budget, the Government announced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years, including protection for ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. As a result, over half of ratepayers will see no bill increases, including 23% seeing their bills go down. This means most properties seeing increases will see them capped at 15% or less next year, or £800 for the smallest.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill on the ability of UK-resident graduates of UK medical schools who studied at overseas campuses to work in the NHS.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 13 January 2026. The bill delivers the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, published in July 2025, to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training.Subject to the parliamentary passage of the bill, British citizens who have graduated from medical schools outside of the UK will not be prioritised for foundation training places, and a graduate from a medical school in the UK or Ireland will not be prioritised if they spent the majority of their time studying outside the British Islands.For specialty training places starting in 2026, NHS experience is being represented by immigration status as people with a settled immigration status are more likely to have worked in the NHS for longer. The effect of this is that British citizens and those with certain other immigration status will be prioritised. For specialty training posts starting from 2027 onwards, this provision will not apply automatically. Instead, it will be possible to make regulations to specify additional groups who will be prioritised, where they are likely to have significant experience working as a doctor either in the NHS in England, Scotland or Wales, or in health and social care in Northern Ireland, or by reference to their immigration status.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of designating Portage services as a targeted early years and SEND support offer across all local authorities; what steps she is taking to address regional variation in access to Portage provision; and what consideration she has given to providing (a) sustainable and predictable funding, (b) national training standards and (c) further research and evaluation to support the consistent delivery of evidence-based early intervention services.

Help for families of children with additional needs is central to the Best Start in Life Strategy, which spotlights high-quality, inclusive and joined-up services.The department is considering delivery expectations for how Best Start Family Hubs (BSFHs) can deliver special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support, alongside flexibility to meet community needs.From April, BSFHs will receive funding to recruit a dedicated SEND practitioner for every hub to support parents, identify emerging needs sooner and coordinate services. Evaluation of BSFHs will build the evidence base to inform future reform.We will fund partnerships between early years settings and schools to test and implement different approaches to improving transitions to reception, including for children with SEND. These will allow staff to spend time to share expertise, help parents and children build relationships with schools and help teachers spot issues early.Plans for reform will be in the upcoming Schools White Paper.

What assessment he has made of delays experienced by families in receiving local authority financial assessments for care home placements; and what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the timeliness of assessment and communications with families while assessments are outstanding.

Where local authorities decide to charge for the provision of care and support, they must follow the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, and they must act under the Care and Support Statutory (CASS) guidance. Responsibility for interpreting and applying the regulations and guidance rests with local authorities.While the CASS guidance does not set specific timelines for completing financial assessments, it does place clear communication duties on local authorities, including providing information relevant to a person’s circumstances and on ways to pay for care, in order to fulfil its duty under section 4 of the Care Act 2014.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating NICE’s guideline on anxiety disorders; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the guideline in reflecting patient choice of therapies.

The Department has made no assessment of the potential merits of updating the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on anxiety disorders or the adequacy of the guideline in reflecting patients’ choice of therapies.NICE is an independent body and its guidelines are developed by experts on the basis of a thorough assessment of the evidence and through extensive engagement with interested parties. NICE is also responsible for making decisions on whether its published guidelines should be updated in light of new evidence or emerging issues not in the scope of the original guideline.

What steps his Department is taking to help close the gender pension gap in the Civil Service Pension Scheme.

The gender pension gap can be measured in different ways. In order to answer this question, we have used the difference in average pension in payment for men and women, expressed as a percentage of the average pension for men. Based on the latest data available, from 2024, the gap has reduced from 47% in 2016 to 42%. We fully expect this position to continue to improve as the equality employment legislation reduces historical differences in both the gap in pay and pensions accruing. The Cabinet Office will be commissioning the Government Actuary’s Department to carry out further analysis of the current position and will then consider next steps.

What steps he is taking to ensure consistent implementation of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance by Integrated Care Boards across England.

National Health Service commissioners have a statutory responsibility to make funding available for a medicine or treatment recommended in a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) technology appraisal (TA) or highly specialised technology evaluation within the timeframe recommended in that guidance, usually within three months of the publication of NICE’s final guidance. The Innovation Scorecard reports on the use of medicines and medical technologies which have received a positive recommendation within the last five years by NICE; it can be used by local NHS organisations to monitor progress in implementing NICE TA recommendations. The Estimates Report provides a comparison of expected uptake to the actual volume of medicines used in the NHS in England.Additionally, as part of commitments made in the 2024 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing, access and growth, NHS England agreed to the development of a local formulary national minimum dataset to increase visibility of local variation in the implementation of NICE guidance, identify where variation in local formularies may be creating barriers to access and to provide assurance to NHS England when a NICE recommended treatment has been listed on a local formulary.Furthermore, the 10-Year Health Plan for England set out a commitment to move towards a Single National Formulary (SNF) for medicines within the next two years. Over time, an SNF is expected to replace local formulary processes and will be designed to help address inequity and variation in the use of approved medicines; helping to ensure every patient has equitable access to medicines, and that the same medicines are available to patients in an equitable way, in all parts of the country. Work is already underway to deliver the SNF through a phased approach. NHS England will work collaboratively with key stakeholders including NICE and industry throughout the implementation.

What assessment his Department has made of variation between Integrated Care Boards in the availability of Xonvea; and whether he plans to issue further advice or guidance to Integrated Care Boards to help improve access.

The Department recognises the importance of access to medication to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, and hyperemesis gravidarum. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on antenatal care includes guidance on the advantages and disadvantages of the range of pharmacological treatments for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy to support shared decision making.Whilst no specific assessment has been made, the Department recognises that there is currently regional variation in the availability of certain medicines like Xonvea between integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are responsible for developing local formularies setting out the use of medicines for their local populations, informed by national guidance on clinical effectiveness. This can lead to variation with different local areas taking different decisions to reflect the needs of their local population.This is why we are progressing the Single National Formulary (SNF), as announced in our 10-Year Health Plan which set out a commitment to move towards a SNF for medicines within the next two years. Over time, an SNF is expected to replace local formulary processes and will be designed to help address inequity and variation in the use of approved medicines; helping to ensure every patient has equitable access to medicines, and that the same medicines are available to patients in an equitable way, in all parts of the country. Work is already underway to deliver the SNF through a phased approach. NHS England will work collaboratively with key stakeholders including NICE and industry throughout the implementation.

What steps her Department is taking to monitor the impact of the introduction of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax on childminders and other home-based childcare providers; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of replacing the wear and tear allowance with expense-based tax relief on the sustainability of those businesses.

Childminders play a vital role in childcare. The Government has eased rules on working from schools and community centres and increased early years funding rates above 2023 average fees. These increases reflect increased costs, and from April 2026, local authorities must pass at least 97 per cent of funding to providers. Childminders can continue to claim tax relief for wear and tear by deducting the actual cost of buying, repairing or replacing items. They can also deduct the cost of business expenses such as utilities, cleaning and equipment. This ensures childminders receive tax relief for all of the costs that they incur in relation to their childminding business. The government will monitor the impact of Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income tax on childminder and other home-based childcare providers in the same way as it will for all sole traders moving to MTD for Income Tax.