Written questions by Davies.

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.

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.

What the role of the Fair Work Agency will be in helping to ensure businesses observe best practice in granting paternity 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.

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.

Whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of changes in the level of National Insurance contributions on victims support services.

The Government publishes Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) for tax policy changes. TIINs give a clear explanation of the policy objective and an assessment of the impacts including on the Exchequer, individuals and families, businesses including civil society organisations and others. The TIIN for the employer NICs changes was published on 13 November 2024.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of Section 158 of the Equality Act 2010 in the context of providing white, working-class boys with access to targeted outreach programmes.

Section 158 of the Equality Act 2010 permits the use of positive action measures to alleviate disadvantage experienced by people who share a protected characteristic, reduce their under-representation in relation to particular activities, and meet their particular needs. It allows measures to be targeted to particular groups, including internships and training, to enable them to gain employment.Section 159 permits an employer to take a protected characteristic into consideration when deciding whom to recruit or promote, where people who hold the protected characteristic are at a disadvantage or are under-represented. This can only be done where the candidates are as qualified as each other. The question of whether one person is as qualified as another is not a matter only of academic qualification, but a judgement based on the criteria the employer uses to establish who is best for the job. This could include matters such as suitability, competence and professional performance. Section 159 does not allow employers to have a policy or practice of automatically treating people who share a protected characteristic more favourably than those who do not have it in these circumstances; each case must be considered on its merits.Any action taken in light of either Section 158 or 159 must be a proportionate means of addressing such disadvantage or under-representation. The Equality Act 2010 provides protections for people from discrimination in the workplace and in society which make it unlawful to treat someone unfairly or discriminate against anyone based on certain personal characteristics. This includes race and ethnicity. Guidance to help employers understand the difference between positive action and positive discrimination is available on gov.uk at www.gov.uk/government/publications/positive-action-in-the-workplace-guidance-for-employers. There are currently no plans to issue further guidance on positive action. The Department for Education is working on a number of initiatives and schemes to provide young people with a clear progression into further work-based training and employment.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of section 158 of the Equality Act 2010 in the context of providing white, working-class boys with access to vocational training.

Section 158 of the Equality Act 2010 permits the use of positive action measures to alleviate disadvantage experienced by people who share a protected characteristic, reduce their under-representation in relation to particular activities, and meet their particular needs. It allows measures to be targeted to particular groups, including internships and training, to enable them to gain employment.Section 159 permits an employer to take a protected characteristic into consideration when deciding whom to recruit or promote, where people who hold the protected characteristic are at a disadvantage or are under-represented. This can only be done where the candidates are as qualified as each other. The question of whether one person is as qualified as another is not a matter only of academic qualification, but a judgement based on the criteria the employer uses to establish who is best for the job. This could include matters such as suitability, competence and professional performance. Section 159 does not allow employers to have a policy or practice of automatically treating people who share a protected characteristic more favourably than those who do not have it in these circumstances; each case must be considered on its merits.Any action taken in light of either Section 158 or 159 must be a proportionate means of addressing such disadvantage or under-representation. The Equality Act 2010 provides protections for people from discrimination in the workplace and in society which make it unlawful to treat someone unfairly or discriminate against anyone based on certain personal characteristics. This includes race and ethnicity. Guidance to help employers understand the difference between positive action and positive discrimination is available on gov.uk at www.gov.uk/government/publications/positive-action-in-the-workplace-guidance-for-employers. There are currently no plans to issue further guidance on positive action. The Department for Education is working on a number of initiatives and schemes to provide young people with a clear progression into further work-based training and employment.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of section 158 of the Equality Act 2010 in the context of access to internship opportunities for white, working-class boys.

Section 158 of the Equality Act 2010 permits the use of positive action measures to alleviate disadvantage experienced by people who share a protected characteristic, reduce their under-representation in relation to particular activities, and meet their particular needs. It allows measures to be targeted to particular groups, including internships and training, to enable them to gain employment.Section 159 permits an employer to take a protected characteristic into consideration when deciding whom to recruit or promote, where people who hold the protected characteristic are at a disadvantage or are under-represented. This can only be done where the candidates are as qualified as each other. The question of whether one person is as qualified as another is not a matter only of academic qualification, but a judgement based on the criteria the employer uses to establish who is best for the job. This could include matters such as suitability, competence and professional performance. Section 159 does not allow employers to have a policy or practice of automatically treating people who share a protected characteristic more favourably than those who do not have it in these circumstances; each case must be considered on its merits.Any action taken in light of either Section 158 or 159 must be a proportionate means of addressing such disadvantage or under-representation. The Equality Act 2010 provides protections for people from discrimination in the workplace and in society which make it unlawful to treat someone unfairly or discriminate against anyone based on certain personal characteristics. This includes race and ethnicity. Guidance to help employers understand the difference between positive action and positive discrimination is available on gov.uk at www.gov.uk/government/publications/positive-action-in-the-workplace-guidance-for-employers. There are currently no plans to issue further guidance on positive action. The Department for Education is working on a number of initiatives and schemes to provide young people with a clear progression into further work-based training and employment.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of section 159 of the Equality Act 2010 in the context of access to training opportunities for white, working-class boys.

Section 158 of the Equality Act 2010 permits the use of positive action measures to alleviate disadvantage experienced by people who share a protected characteristic, reduce their under-representation in relation to particular activities, and meet their particular needs. It allows measures to be targeted to particular groups, including internships and training, to enable them to gain employment.Section 159 permits an employer to take a protected characteristic into consideration when deciding whom to recruit or promote, where people who hold the protected characteristic are at a disadvantage or are under-represented. This can only be done where the candidates are as qualified as each other. The question of whether one person is as qualified as another is not a matter only of academic qualification, but a judgement based on the criteria the employer uses to establish who is best for the job. This could include matters such as suitability, competence and professional performance. Section 159 does not allow employers to have a policy or practice of automatically treating people who share a protected characteristic more favourably than those who do not have it in these circumstances; each case must be considered on its merits.Any action taken in light of either Section 158 or 159 must be a proportionate means of addressing such disadvantage or under-representation. The Equality Act 2010 provides protections for people from discrimination in the workplace and in society which make it unlawful to treat someone unfairly or discriminate against anyone based on certain personal characteristics. This includes race and ethnicity. Guidance to help employers understand the difference between positive action and positive discrimination is available on gov.uk at www.gov.uk/government/publications/positive-action-in-the-workplace-guidance-for-employers. There are currently no plans to issue further guidance on positive action. The Department for Education is working on a number of initiatives and schemes to provide young people with a clear progression into further work-based training and employment.

When she next plans to review the departmental ministerial disability champions programme.

Ministerial Disability Champions were an initiative of the previous administration.On 3 December 2024, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I was pleased to announce new Lead Ministers for Disability in every Government department. https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/lead-ministers-for-disabilityThe Lead Ministers for Disability will help to break down barriers to opportunity right across our long-term missions, and to fulfil the manifesto commitment to ensure the views and voices of disabled people are properly heard.I chaired our first meeting on 17 December and we will meet regularly to make sure that this Government is delivering on that manifesto commitment and our missions, right across every department.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of section 159 of the Equality Act 2010 in the context of access to recruitment opportunities for white, working-class boys.

Section 158 of the Equality Act 2010 permits the use of positive action measures to alleviate disadvantage experienced by people who share a protected characteristic, reduce their under-representation in relation to particular activities, and meet their particular needs. It allows measures to be targeted to particular groups, including internships and training, to enable them to gain employment.Section 159 permits an employer to take a protected characteristic into consideration when deciding whom to recruit or promote, where people who hold the protected characteristic are at a disadvantage or are under-represented. This can only be done where the candidates are as qualified as each other. The question of whether one person is as qualified as another is not a matter only of academic qualification, but a judgement based on the criteria the employer uses to establish who is best for the job. This could include matters such as suitability, competence and professional performance. Section 159 does not allow employers to have a policy or practice of automatically treating people who share a protected characteristic more favourably than those who do not have it in these circumstances; each case must be considered on its merits.Any action taken in light of either Section 158 or 159 must be a proportionate means of addressing such disadvantage or under-representation. The Equality Act 2010 provides protections for people from discrimination in the workplace and in society which make it unlawful to treat someone unfairly or discriminate against anyone based on certain personal characteristics. This includes race and ethnicity. Guidance to help employers understand the difference between positive action and positive discrimination is available on gov.uk at www.gov.uk/government/publications/positive-action-in-the-workplace-guidance-for-employers. There are currently no plans to issue further guidance on positive action. The Department for Education is working on a number of initiatives and schemes to provide young people with a clear progression into further work-based training and employment.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to employers' National Insurance contributions on women-owned businesses.

The Government publishes Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) for tax policy changes. TIINs give a clear explanation of the policy objective and an assessment of the impacts including on the Exchequer, individuals and families, businesses including civil society organisations and others. The TIIN for the employer NICs changes was published on 13 November 2024. The Government is partnering with business to maximise women’s contribution to the economy. In line with the ambition of the Invest in Women Taskforce to expand access to funding for female entrepreneurs, the British Business Bank is investing £50 million in women-led funds. HMT’s Women in Finance Charter is supporting financial services firms to make the most of their female talent.

If he will make it his policy to appoint a men's health champion.

On 28 November 2024, my Rt. Hon. friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced plans for England’s first Men’s Health Strategy at the Men’s Health Summit, held in partnership with Movember and hosted by Arsenal and the Premier League.We will shortly be launching a call for evidence to seek views on what is currently working and what more needs to be done to support the health of all men. Through the strategy, we will explore all avenues to improve men’s health, including on leadership.

How many hotels are (a) providing and (b) in negotiations to provide accommodation to asylum seekers in East Grinstead and Uckfield constituency.

This government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.We took immediate action to resolve that chaos by restarting asylum processing, establishing the new Border Security Command to tackle the people-smuggling gangs, cracking down on illegal working across the country, and increasing the return and removal of people with no right to be here.Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Home Office has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. But this is not a permanent solution, and the small increase in the number in use at the end of last year was just a temporary but necessary step to manage pressures in the system, which is now in the process of being reversed.It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs. In the interim, we are also continuing to increase our operational activity against smuggling gangs and illegal working, and we have increased returns to their highest level since 2018, with 16,400 people removed in the first six months this government was in charge.Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

What progress her Department has made on rolling out youth hubs.

As of January 2025, there were 111 Youth Hubs fully opened across Great Britain with a further three in development. Youth Hubs are based in external-partner-owned premises. Local DWP teams and external partners delivering Youth Hubs jointly discuss the ongoing need for the hubs in particular areas. These discussions take account of a range of factors, notably the number of young people claiming Universal Credit who are searching for employment in that local area, consequently, the number of operational Youth Hubs may fluctuate month by month. The ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper sets out this government’s plan to Get Britain Working and includes a new Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education led Youth Guarantee for all young people in England aged 18-21. Our approach to the Youth Guarantee is to help all young people aged 18-21in England to earn or learn. We will work in partnership with organisations at the national and local level to offer exciting and engaging opportunities to young people. This could include apprenticeships, work experience, training courses or employability programmes. Work is underway on the design and delivery of the new Youth Guarantee. Starting in spring 2025, eight Mayoral Authorities in England will pilot the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers. These 12-month Trailblazers are an opportunity to develop the Youth Guarantee and test different interventions ahead of a national roll out. We will assess and incorporate our findings for future delivery and rollout of the Youth Guarantee across the rest of England, working with Mayoral Authorities and Local Authorities in our roll out plans.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase the number of white working-class boys taking up apprenticeships.

Meeting the skills needs of the next decade is central to delivering all of the government's five missions – economic growth, opportunity for all, a stronger NHS, safer streets, and clean energy. Through delivering the Opportunity and Growth Missions, we will ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs, aligned with the Industrial Strategy and break down the barriers to opportunity for learners.The department is developing new foundation apprenticeships to give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives, whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth.Foundation apprenticeships will be a work-based training offer that will provide young people with clear progression pathways into further work-based training and employment.The department is engaging with relevant stakeholders to inform our thinking to maximise the positive impact of foundation apprenticeships on young people, including those in disadvantaged areas. More detail on foundation apprenticeships will be set out in due course.The department continues to pay additional funding to employers and training providers to support them to take on young apprentices, apprentices with learning difficulties and disabilities, and care leavers.The department also continues to promote apprenticeships through the Skills for Life campaign and in schools and colleges through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) Programme. Through the ASK Programme, the department increases awareness of apprenticeships amongst students in years 10 to 13, as well as parents, carers, teachers and careers advisers. During the 2023/24 academic year, ASK engaged with 2,366 schools and colleges and reached over 575,000 students.There were 82,080 apprenticeship starts by white male apprentices that were aged under 25 in the 2023/24 academic year.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase the number of white working-class boys attending university.

This government will act to address the persistent gaps for different groups and break down the barriers to opportunity. Opportunity should be available to all but too many people across our country do not get the chance to succeed. Whilst many higher education (HE) providers have demonstrated positive examples of supporting all working-class students, including targeted outreach, on course bursaries and mentoring, we are keen to see the sector to go further. By summer, we will set out our plan for HE reform and we expect providers to play an even stronger role in improving access and outcomes for all disadvantaged students.

What progress her Department's appointed menopause champion has made.

The Government’s Menopause Employment Ambassador Mariella Frostrup has been working with policy officials to develop an action plan for her term of engagement. She has also spoken with government departments to promote and champion the role of women in the economy and is engaging with businesses in raising awareness and influencing workplace policies.

How many youth hubs led by her Department are still in place.

Youth Hubs bring together employment support from a Jobcentre work coach alongside external partners on external-partner premises for up to six months. Wider support available from partners in the Hubs is place-based, but could include skills and training provision, mental health, budgeting, and housing support. As of January 2025, there were 111 Youth Hubs fully opened across Great Britain with a further three in development. Youth Hubs are based in external-partner-owned premises. Local DWP teams and external partners delivering Youth Hubs jointly discuss the ongoing need for the hubs in particular areas. These discussions take account of a range of factors, notably the number of young people claiming Universal Credit who are searching for employment in that local area, consequently, the number of operational Youth Hubs may fluctuate month by month. The ‘Get Britain Working’ White Paper sets out this government’s plan to Get Britain Working and includes a new Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education led Youth Guarantee for all young people in England aged 18-21. Our approach to the Youth Guarantee is to help all young people aged 18-21 in England to earn or learn. We will work in partnership with organisations at the national and local level to offer exciting and engaging opportunities to young people. This could include apprenticeships, work experience, training courses or employability programmes. Work is underway on the design and delivery of the new Youth Guarantee. Starting in spring 2025, eight Mayoral Authorities in England will pilot the Youth Guarantee Trailblazers. These 12-month Trailblazers are an opportunity to develop the Youth Guarantee and test different interventions ahead of a national roll out. We will assess and incorporate our findings for future delivery and rollout of the Youth Guarantee across the rest of England, working with Mayoral Authorities and Local Authorities in our roll out plans.