Written questions by Shastri-Hurst.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to support the (a) documentation and (b) investigation of alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

The UK is actively involved in initiatives aimed at ensuring allegations of war crimes committed in Ukraine are fully and fairly investigated, by independent, effective, and robust legal mechanisms. This includes our work with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, where the UK has provided £11.3 million to support Ukraine's domestic accountability efforts, including to document, investigate, and prosecute alleged atrocity crimes. The UK also continues to support the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in investigating allegations of international crimes committed in Ukraine, following the referral of the situation to the Court in February 2022.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sanctions in deterring further atrocities in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

Working with partners, our Russia sanctions are restricting Putin's war machine and degrading his military. Sanctions have deprived Russia of at least $450 billion since February 2022. They are increasing equipment costs and delays and reducing equipment quality for Putin's war machine. The cost of components has risen by 30 per cent for the Russian defence sector over three years. Sanctions have prevented Russia expanding military supplies to the battlefield, despite extra investment and enormous military losses. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regularly reviews the effectiveness and impact of UK sanctions on Russia and remains committed to continuing to impose and enforce sanctions, alongside our partners, to constrain Russia's remaining sources of revenue.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of education, health and care plans across different local authority areas.

An education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment ensures that a child or young person’s needs are assessed in a joined-up way across education, health and social care services.Under this assessment process, the local authority must seek information and advice from a range of partners. These include the child or young person and their parents; their school or college (if any); health and social care partners; an educational psychologist; and other relevant professionals.If it is determined necessary for special educational provision to be made for the child or young person, the local authority must prepare an EHC plan which will say clearly what the child or young person’s needs are and what help they will be entitled to.If a child’s parent or a young person disagrees with a decision not to assess for a plan, the decision not to issue a plan, the description of needs in the plan, the educational provision set out or the educational institution named, they are able to appeal to the First-tier special educational needs and disabilities Tribunal.Latest data held by the department shows that 1,887 appeals were heard by the First-tier Tribunal in the 2023 calendar year that were not regarding a decision not to assess or the decision not to issue a plan. This includes appeals heard regarding disagreements over the description of needs in a plan and the educational provision set out in a plan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on establishing a special tribunal to prosecute crimes of aggression against Ukraine.

The UK is fully behind efforts to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, and UK officials have played an important role in this process so far. The Foreign Secretary has just returned from Lviv where, alongside representatives of the Core Group of at least 37 countries, he announced united and ardent support for the establishment of a Special Tribunal and endorsed the legal texts required for its establishment. The UK will be engaging through the Council of Europe to take this work forward.

Innovation and Technology, when the last meeting was of the National Space Council.

The National Space Council has not been reinstated under this government. However, along with the Ministry of Defence and other departments, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) remains committed to ensuring that space activities are effectively coordinated across all relevant departments. On 22 April, Ministers from across government met to discuss our approach to this policy area and to develop plans in the government’s Spending Review and Strategic Defence Review.

Whether her Department has undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed reforms in the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan.

The special educational needs and disabilities and alternative provision improvement plan was published under the previous government which did not complete a full cost-benefit analysis.The department continues to develop and test reform proposals, including building on those in the plan, to support this government’s ambition to ensure that all children and young people can access the support they need to achieve and thrive in education and as they transition to adult life.

What discussions she has had with local authorities on reducing the time taken to appeal an EHCP decision.

Whilst most education, health and care plans and assessments are agreed without recourse to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Tribunal, some families struggle to get the support they need when they need it.The department continues to work across government, with local authorities and the Tribunal to understand why appeals may take a long time to be resolved and what support we can give local authorities to improve decision-making. As an initial step, last year we jointly delivered eight training sessions on ‘SEND and the law’ for local authority SEND caseworkers to improve their knowledge of the law and help ensure that decisions are legally compliant.The Tribunal is taking steps to reduce the time that families wait for a decision on their appeal. It has recruited and trained over 70 new judges who are now hearing appeals. It has also expanded the remit of Judicial Alternative Dispute Resolution (JDAR) to determine all ‘Section I (name of school)’ appeals and recently announced a rule change to allow for judicial discretion to determine whether more appeals can be heard on paper. The use of JDAR and paper hearings reduces the need for full oral hearings and therefore the time families wait for decisions.

What steps he is taking to ensure that UK businesses trading with China are not complicit in the use of forced labour.

No company in the UK should have forced labour in its supply chains. The UK recognises the importance of ensuring UK businesses are not complicit in forced labour, in line with the UN Guiding Principle on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.Under Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, commercial businesses operating in the UK with a turnover of £36m or more must report annually on their steps to prevent modern slavery in their supply chains. The Home Office has published new statutory guidance, providing more practical and comprehensive advice for businesses to enhance their fight against modern slavery.

What steps she is taking to improve the accountability of local authorities in delivering high-quality SEND provision under the Children and Families Act 2014.

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 achieve and thrive including as they move into adult life. The department is committed to taking a community-wide approach in collaboration with local area partnerships to improving support for all children and young people with SEND.Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) introduced a strengthened area SEND inspection framework in January 2023, leading to a greater emphasis on the outcomes being achieved for children and young people. It is the primary tool to maintain a focus on high standards in the SEND system across all partners.​The department works to monitor, support and challenge local authorities as needed, working closely with NHS England to tackle weaknesses that sit with health partners. Where a council does not meet its duties, we can take action that prioritises children’s needs and supports local areas to bring about rapid improvement. We offer a range of universal, targeted and intensive support through programmes such as our Sector Led Improvement Partners, which provides peer-to-peer tailored support.The department will continue to work closely with Ofsted and CQC as they review the local area SEND inspection framework in response to feedback from the Big Listen exercise.

How many education, health and care plans were completed within the statutory timeframe in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Information on the number of requests for an education, health and care (EHC) plan issued within the statutory timeframe of 20 weeks, for each of the last 5 years, is shown in the table linked here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/1e7dc959-f459-4ef6-ba17-08dd866b22bc.The latest available figures cover the 2023 calendar year.

What recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of regional disparities in the time taken for education, health and care plan assessments; and what steps she is taking to ensure local authorities meet the statutory deadline.

The department wants to ensure that, where required, education, health and care (EHC) plan assessments are progressed promptly and, if needed, plans are issued as quickly as possible so that children and young people can access the support they need.Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have special educational needs that require an EHC plan. Plans must be issued within twenty weeks of the needs assessment commencing so that children and young people can access the support they need.The department knows that local authorities across different regions have seen an increase in the number of assessment requests and that more needs to be done to ensure that local areas deliver effective and timely services. This includes better communication with schools and families.The department continues to monitor and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plan timeliness. Where there are concerns about a local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, we help them to identify the barriers and put in place an effective recovery plan. This includes, where needed, securing the support of a specialist special educational needs and disabilities adviser to help identify the barriers to EHC plan process timeliness and put in place practical plans for recovery.

What steps she is taking to improve access to independent special schools for children with complex needs in regions where maintained provision is (a) limited and (b) oversubscribed.

The department recognises the vital role that special schools play in providing high-quality education and meeting the needs of children and young people. Independent special schools play their part in this, particularly in meeting low incidence needs. However, independent special schools typically have higher costs than their maintained equivalent, and we need to ensure that placements are used appropriately. Where a local authority has commissioned a place in an independent school, the local authority is responsible for all the funding for supporting that child or young person with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).The department wants more children and young people to receive the support they need to thrive in their local mainstream school, reducing the need for pupils to travel a long way to access a specialist placement. Many mainstream settings are already committed to delivering specialist provision locally, including through resourced provision and special educational needs units.The department has now published allocations for £740 million in high needs provision capital allocations for the 2025/26 financial year to support local authorities to deliver new places in mainstream and state-maintained special schools, reducing reliance on the independent sector to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.

What recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the coordination of (a) trade and (b) investment policies relating to the People’s Republic of China.

The UK regularly engages with international partners regarding trade and investment policies, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora such as the World Trade Organisation.With regards to China specifically, the UK's overall approach is to cooperate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must. During my visit to China in April, I held frank and honest discussions with my counterparts on the opportunities and challenges in the bilateral trade relationship, including improving overall reciprocity in market access, raising UK concerns on level playing field issues and market distorting practices and discussing economic security issues.

What recent estimate she has made of the UK’s exposure to Chinese (a) sovereign debt and (b) state-backed entities through (i) public pension funds and (ii) financial institutions.

Seven of the eight largest Public Service Pension Schemes (PSPSs) are unfunded, which means that they do not hold or invest assets against their pension liabilities and instead the Exchequer pays pensions as they come due. The largest funded PSPS is the Local Government Pension Scheme in England & Wales (LGPS). The LGPS is managed locally by 86 Administering Authorities and each publish asset allocation data in their yearly Annual Report and Accounts.The Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee closely monitor risks to the financial system, including those stemming from UK financial institutions’ global exposures. The Bank’s most recent stress test (Financial Stability Report, November 2024), shows that the UK banking system is resilient to severe global scenarios.

What steps she is taking to ensure children with SEND are not disproportionately affected by (a) school exclusions and (b) informal off-rolling in mainstream schools.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities receive the right support to succeed in their education. We are committed to ensuring earlier intervention in mainstream schools for pupils with special educational needs and introducing a new annual review of safeguarding, attendance and pupil movement, including off-rolling.In all cases, school leaders should consider early intervention strategies to address the underlying causes of a pupil’s disruptive behaviour before issuing any exclusion. In the most serious cases, exclusion may be necessary to ensure every child can learn in a safe, calm classroom.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken to provide advice on Standard Individual Export Licence applications for dual-use goods to Ukraine on (a) UK defence technology exports and (b) Ukraine's non-military resilience; and what steps he is taking to ensure that those applications are processed in a timely manner.

All export licence applications to Ukraine are treated with the highest priority by the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU). As with all export licence applications, assessments are made on a case-by-case basis according to the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. Assessments for Ukraine, given the situation within the country and the nature of the goods often being exported, mean these cases are some of the most complex for ECJU to process. In the most recent period covered by our official statistics in development i.e. July to September 2024, we processed 79% of SIELs for Ukraine within 20 working days, exceeding our public target of 70%.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to (a) evaluate and (b) mitigate the impact of global health crises on the United Kingdom's (i) national security, (ii) public health, (iii) economic stability, and (iv) military readiness.

The Government recognises the threat global health crises pose for UK national security and prosperity, noting that the threat of another global pandemic is specifically highlighted in the UK National Risk Register. The Government has a multifaceted approach to mitigating this threat which includes multilateral initiatives such as strengthening the World Health Organisation and bilateral initiatives aimed at supporting partner countries and regional institutions to prevent, detect and respond to health threats by building stronger, more resilient health systems.

What recent steps his Department has taken to improve the (a) resilience and (b) sustainability of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise; and what estimate he has made of the (i) current and (ii) future workforce requirements to support the nuclear deterrent.

The Government has an unwavering commitment to ensuring the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) is resilient and sustainable through significant investment in our infrastructure, people and places. This includes recapitalising critical elements of our infrastructure, modernising our naval bases and manufacturing processes, and working with industry partners to safeguard the DNE supply chain for the future. Our investment in Barrow-in-Furness, through the Plan for Barrow, recognises its crucial role in supporting and sustaining the DNE. The Nuclear Skills Plan is aiding the growth of the UK defence nuclear workforce to meet the skills demand across the sector, with the DNE workforce set to expand from around 47,600 to around 65,000 by 2030.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of global health crises on fragile states; and what steps he is taking to support these countries in (a) strengthening their healthcare systems and (b) mitigating the risks to stability and security.

The Government recognises that global health crises pose a major threat to the heath, stability, and economic prosperity of fragile states. Working in fragile states is complex and each setting has its own unique challenges, and where possible the UK works with national health systems. The UK is not prescriptive in terms of our approach to health system strengthening in fragile states, but we focus our funding and technical assistance to ensure our investments are coordinated, context-specific, integrated, adaptive and flexible as changes occur over time. A strong health system supports better mental and physical health for everyone, protects people from financial hardship due to the costs of care, and enhances resilience to threats including infectious disease outbreaks that can occur frequently in fragile states.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UK sanctions against (a) individuals and (b) entities connected to the Russian Federation; and what steps he is taking to ensure robust enforcement of those sanctions (i) domestically and (ii) in coordination with international partners.

Our sanctions have deprived Russia of at least $450 billion since February 2022. The Russian economy is battling high and rising inflation. High interest rates have made Russian government borrowing extremely costly. This Government is committed to ensuring robust sanctions enforcement. To this end, with the support of Ministerial colleagues, I launched the cross-government review of sanctions at the first Small Ministerial Group on enforcement in October. The review concluded in April and Parliament will shortly be updated on the review conclusions. The UK continues to work with our international partners to share best practice on sanctions enforcement and to ensure that a joined-up approach to enforcement is adopted internationally.