Written questions by Davies.

Whether her Department plans to allow local authorities to influence inclusivity guidelines for schools under their jurisdiction.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to improving expertise and enabling high-quality and inclusive practice in mainstream schools. This work forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, which will break the unfair link between background and opportunity, starting with giving every child, including those with SEND, the best start in life. This includes building a robust and credible evidence base on what works to drive inclusive education. To support this, an expert advisory group for inclusion has been established, led by Tom Rees, that consist of experts across the SEND sector. This group will advise Ministers on how to drive inclusive practice across the whole system and improve mainstream education outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND. Members of the group will use their collective expertise to ensure children and young people are effectively supported to achieve and thrive. To support the department's ambition to strengthen the evidence base on inclusive practice, we have commissioned evidence reviews to identify the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs. The department will also work with Ofsted to strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage local authorities and schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

Whether her Department plans to allow schools to set their own inclusivity guidelines.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to improving expertise and enabling high-quality and inclusive practice in mainstream schools. This work forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, which will break the unfair link between background and opportunity, starting with giving every child, including those with SEND, the best start in life. This includes building a robust and credible evidence base on what works to drive inclusive education. To support this, an expert advisory group for inclusion has been established, led by Tom Rees, that consist of experts across the SEND sector. This group will advise Ministers on how to drive inclusive practice across the whole system and improve mainstream education outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND. Members of the group will use their collective expertise to ensure children and young people are effectively supported to achieve and thrive. To support the department's ambition to strengthen the evidence base on inclusive practice, we have commissioned evidence reviews to identify the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs. The department will also work with Ofsted to strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage local authorities and schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

Whether her Department plans to issue guidance on improving (a) inclusivity and (b) expertise in mainstream schools.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to improving expertise and enabling high-quality and inclusive practice in mainstream schools. This work forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, which will break the unfair link between background and opportunity, starting with giving every child, including those with SEND, the best start in life. This includes building a robust and credible evidence base on what works to drive inclusive education. To support this, an expert advisory group for inclusion has been established, led by Tom Rees, that consist of experts across the SEND sector. This group will advise Ministers on how to drive inclusive practice across the whole system and improve mainstream education outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND. Members of the group will use their collective expertise to ensure children and young people are effectively supported to achieve and thrive. To support the department's ambition to strengthen the evidence base on inclusive practice, we have commissioned evidence reviews to identify the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs. The department will also work with Ofsted to strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage local authorities and schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

Whether local authorities will be responsible for providing inclusivity training to schools within their jurisdiction.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to improving expertise and enabling high-quality and inclusive practice in mainstream schools. This work forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission, which will break the unfair link between background and opportunity, starting with giving every child, including those with SEND, the best start in life. This includes building a robust and credible evidence base on what works to drive inclusive education. To support this, an expert advisory group for inclusion has been established, led by Tom Rees, that consist of experts across the SEND sector. This group will advise Ministers on how to drive inclusive practice across the whole system and improve mainstream education outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND. Members of the group will use their collective expertise to ensure children and young people are effectively supported to achieve and thrive. To support the department's ambition to strengthen the evidence base on inclusive practice, we have commissioned evidence reviews to identify the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs. The department will also work with Ofsted to strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage local authorities and schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools.

What her planned timetable is for introducing measures to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need. The department will also strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, including through Ofsted, and encourage schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools. We are already making progress by investing £1 billion into SEND and £740 million for councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools. Additionally, the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers over the course of this Parliament. To support all teachers, we are also implementing a range of teacher training reforms to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with SEND. This support includes a new mandatory leadership level qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) which the government introduced in September 2024. The qualification will play a key role in improving outcomes for pupils with SEND, by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training on how best to support children with SEND.

What her planned timetable is for establishing specialist rape courts in every Crown Court location in England and Wales.

We know that, due to the complexity of the cases, victims of rape can wait longer than victims of other offence types for their case to complete in court. We remain committed to delivering our manifesto pledge to fast-track rape cases.The fast-tracking of rape cases has dependencies with, and impacts on, the rest of the criminal justice system, including the wider Crown Court caseload and the capacity of the rape and serious sexual offences specialist legal workforce. We are carefully considering how best to deliver this. We plan to work closely with the judiciary and will be able to say more in due course.We are also considering what changes could make victims feel better supported at court. Over 400 professionals, including court staff, CPS and the police, have already received trauma-informed training at Snaresbrook, Leeds and Newcastle Crown Courts. In some courts, witness waiting rooms and in-court technology have also been upgraded.

Whether her Department’s sentencing review will include sexual violence offences.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government. This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.Our manifesto committed to a review of sentencing to ensure the framework is up to date. In October 2024, the Government launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke.The Sentencing Review will be guided by three principles. Firstly, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public – there must always be space in prison for the most dangerous offenders.Secondly, sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime, cutting crime by reducing reoffending. Thirdly, we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.The Review has a broad remit. It will be up to the chair to decide on the areas of focus, but we have asked the Review to specifically look at the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

Whether her Department’s sentencing review will consider the potential merits of designating misogyny as a hate crime.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government. This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.Our manifesto committed to a review of sentencing to ensure the framework is up to date. In October 2024, the Government launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke.The Sentencing Review will be guided by three principles. Firstly, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public – there must always be space in prison for the most dangerous offenders.Secondly, sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime, cutting crime by reducing reoffending. Thirdly, we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.The Review has a broad remit. It will be up to the chair to decide on the areas of focus, but we have asked the Review to specifically look at the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

What timetable she has set for establishing specialist rape and sexual offences teams in every police force.

This Government recognises the devastating impact of sexual violence and that’s why tackling rape and sexual offences is a key part of our mission to halve Violence Against Women and Girls.It is essential for police forces to have the right specialist capability to support victims and bring perpetrators to justice. This is why we are working closely with policing to ensure every force has a specialist rape and sexual offences team.Further details will be announced in due course.

Whether she plans to amend police funding to help tackle extreme misogyny.

The Home Office announced the 2025-2026 police funding settlement before Christmas. It provides funding of up to £19.5 billion for the policing system in England and Wales, an overall increase of up to £1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement, and equating to a 5.5% cash increase, and 3% real terms increase in funding. Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.4 billion, an increase of up to £987 million compared to the 2024-25 settlement. Decisions on how funding is used is an operational matter for Chief Constables and locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners.We are also working closely with the policing sector to deliver improvements in the police response to violence against women and girls (VAWG), including by embedding domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms.

Whether her Department’s sentencing review consider the suitability of sentences for doxing offences.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government. This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.Our manifesto committed to a review of sentencing to ensure the framework is up to date. In October 2024, the Government launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke.The Sentencing Review will be guided by three principles. Firstly, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public – there must always be space in prison for the most dangerous offenders.Secondly, sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime, cutting crime by reducing reoffending. Thirdly, we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.The Review has a broad remit. It will be up to the chair to decide on the areas of focus, but we have asked the Review to specifically look at the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

What timetable she has set to introduce a victims’ legal advocate in every police force area.

We remain committed to delivering our manifesto commitment to introduce free independent legal advisors for victims and survivors of adult rape.The Government plans to launch a single national service which will serve all police force areas. Once the service is rolled out in full, every victim of adult rape will have the opportunity to access a legal advisor no matter where they live.We plan to introduce the service later this year, with a phased rollout. A phased rollout will enable us to better understand the costs, demand, benefits for victims, and wider impacts on the justice system. We are currently in the process of designing how this phased rollout will take place.

What steps her Department is taking to encourage uptake of the SafeLives Independent Domestic Violence Advisor training course.

Under Section 16(1) of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (“the Act”), the Secretary of State is required to issue guidance on victim support roles which are specified in regulations. The Government will shortly consult on draft statutory guidance on Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs). The IDVA guidance aims to improve the consistency of support delivered to victims by providing best practice recommendations, including on minimum training requirements.

Whether her Department’s sentencing review will consider the suitability of sentences for stalking offences.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government. This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.Our manifesto committed to a review of sentencing to ensure the framework is up to date. In October 2024, the Government launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke.The Sentencing Review will be guided by three principles. Firstly, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public – there must always be space in prison for the most dangerous offenders.Secondly, sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime, cutting crime by reducing reoffending. Thirdly, we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.The Review has a broad remit. It will be up to the chair to decide on the areas of focus, but we have asked the Review to specifically look at the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

Whether her Department’s sentencing review will include domestic abuse offences.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government. This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.Our manifesto committed to a review of sentencing to ensure the framework is up to date. In October 2024, the Government launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke.The Sentencing Review will be guided by three principles. Firstly, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public – there must always be space in prison for the most dangerous offenders.Secondly, sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime, cutting crime by reducing reoffending. Thirdly, we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.The Review has a broad remit. It will be up to the chair to decide on the areas of focus, but we have asked the Review to specifically look at the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

What timetable she has set to introduce domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms.

From early this year, under a new approach named ‘Raneem’s Law’, domestic abuse specialists will begin to be embedded in 999 control rooms to advise on risk assessments, work with officers on the ground and ensure that victims are referred to appropriate support services swiftly. Exact timings will be confirmed in due course.

What steps she plans to take to implement inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, restoring parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need. The department will also strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, including through Ofsted, and encourage schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools. We are already making progress by investing £1 billion into SEND and £740 million for councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools. Additionally, the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers over the course of this Parliament. To support all teachers, we are also implementing a range of teacher training reforms to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with SEND. This support includes a new mandatory leadership level qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCOs) which the government introduced in September 2024. The qualification will play a key role in improving outcomes for pupils with SEND, by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training on how best to support children with SEND.

Whether she plans to review sentencing guidelines for extreme misogyny.

This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade. We will use every tool within our power to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence. We will also work with key partners and organisations that support victims of these crimes.Sentencing guidelines are developed and reviewed by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales, in fulfilment of its statutory duty to do so. The guidelines produced provide the Court with guidance on factors that should be considered, which may affect the sentence given. They set out different levels of sentence based on the harm caused and how culpable the offender is. As an independent body, the Council decides its own work plan and priorities.The Government has launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke. The review has been asked to specifically examine the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

Whether her Department’s sentencing review will consider the suitability of sentences for honour-based violence.

Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for this Government. This Government has made a clear commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.Our manifesto committed to a review of sentencing to ensure the framework is up to date. In October 2024, the Government launched an independent Sentencing Review, chaired by David Gauke.The Sentencing Review will be guided by three principles. Firstly, sentences must punish offenders and protect the public – there must always be space in prison for the most dangerous offenders.Secondly, sentences must encourage offenders to turn their backs on a life of crime, cutting crime by reducing reoffending. Thirdly, we must expand and make greater use of punishment outside of prison.The Review has a broad remit. It will be up to the chair to decide on the areas of focus, but we have asked the Review to specifically look at the sentencing of offences primarily committed against women and girls.

What role the Fair Work Agency will play in ensuring businesses observe best practice when granting their employees maternity leave.

We are creating the Fair Work Agency to deliver a much-needed upgrade to enforcement of workers’ rights. The Fair Work Agency will work closely with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS), which already provides guidance for both employers and workers in these specific areas, to deliver appropriate support to the majority of businesses who want to comply with the law.