Written questions by Heylings.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the continued delivery of aid in (a) Gaza and (b) the West Bank.

I refer the Hon Member to my statement on 5 January.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the humanitarian situation in (a) Gaza and (b) the West Bank.

I refer the Hon Member to my statement on 5 January.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking with international partners to (a) anticipate and (b) pre-emptively mitigate humanitarian crises.

In the set of questions submitted by the Hon Member on 12 January (UIN 105089-91 and 105093-95), she mentioned a number of important elements of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO's) humanitarian and development programmes, all of which are key priorities for the Government, including our work on conflict prevention and resolution, crisis resilience, support for children in conflict zones, and the fights against global malnutrition and climate change.We provide regular updates to the House on the work we are doing in different regions towards these goals, as well as our joint international efforts through the United Nations and other multilateral organisations. The Hon Member can also find a copy of the FCDO's current humanitarian framework at the link below, which gives a good overview of our approach in all these areas: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-humanitarian-framework/uk-humanitarian-framework.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to promote the rights and well-being of children in conflict zones.

In the set of questions submitted by the Hon Member on 12 January (UIN 105089-91 and 105093-95), she mentioned a number of important elements of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO's) humanitarian and development programmes, all of which are key priorities for the Government, including our work on conflict prevention and resolution, crisis resilience, support for children in conflict zones, and the fights against global malnutrition and climate change.We provide regular updates to the House on the work we are doing in different regions towards these goals, as well as our joint international efforts through the United Nations and other multilateral organisations. The Hon Member can also find a copy of the FCDO's current humanitarian framework at the link below, which gives a good overview of our approach in all these areas: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-humanitarian-framework/uk-humanitarian-framework.

What assessment he has made of racial inequalities in maternity care.

The Government recognises that there are stark inequalities for women and babies, and that they should receive the high-quality care they deserve, regardless of their background, location, or ethnicity.In England, maternal mortality rates are higher among women from Black and Asian ethnic groups. The risk of maternal death from Black ethnic backgrounds increased between 2022 and 2024 to nearly three times higher compared to white women, while Asian women had a slightly increased risk compared to white women.The Government is committed to setting an explicit target to close the maternal mortality gap. We are ensuring that we take an evidence-based approach to determining what targets are set, and that any targets set are women and baby-centred.Actions that have been taken to reduce inequalities includes the Perinatal Equity and Anti-Discrimination Programme, Equity and Equality action plans in the most deprived areas, and inequalities dashboard to identify areas where specific populations face the greatest disparities.To further target disparities in maternal care, Baroness Amos is chairing the National Independent Maternity and Neonatal Investigation. The investigation aims to identify the drivers and impact of inequalities faced by women, babies, and families from Black and Asian backgrounds, those from deprived groups, and those from other marginalised groups when receiving maternity and neonatal care.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to address humanitarian crises (a) caused and (b) exacerbated by climate change.

In the set of questions submitted by the Hon Member on 12 January (UIN 105089-91 and 105093-95), she mentioned a number of important elements of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO's) humanitarian and development programmes, all of which are key priorities for the Government, including our work on conflict prevention and resolution, crisis resilience, support for children in conflict zones, and the fights against global malnutrition and climate change.We provide regular updates to the House on the work we are doing in different regions towards these goals, as well as our joint international efforts through the United Nations and other multilateral organisations. The Hon Member can also find a copy of the FCDO's current humanitarian framework at the link below, which gives a good overview of our approach in all these areas: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-humanitarian-framework/uk-humanitarian-framework.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support international peacekeeping efforts.

In the set of questions submitted by the Hon Member on 12 January (UIN 105089-91 and 105093-95), she mentioned a number of important elements of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO's) humanitarian and development programmes, all of which are key priorities for the Government, including our work on conflict prevention and resolution, crisis resilience, support for children in conflict zones, and the fights against global malnutrition and climate change.We provide regular updates to the House on the work we are doing in different regions towards these goals, as well as our joint international efforts through the United Nations and other multilateral organisations. The Hon Member can also find a copy of the FCDO's current humanitarian framework at the link below, which gives a good overview of our approach in all these areas: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-humanitarian-framework/uk-humanitarian-framework.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that UK Official Development Assistance reaches those most in need.

In the set of questions submitted by the Hon Member on 12 January (UIN 105089-91 and 105093-95), she mentioned a number of important elements of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO's) humanitarian and development programmes, all of which are key priorities for the Government, including our work on conflict prevention and resolution, crisis resilience, support for children in conflict zones, and the fights against global malnutrition and climate change.We provide regular updates to the House on the work we are doing in different regions towards these goals, as well as our joint international efforts through the United Nations and other multilateral organisations. The Hon Member can also find a copy of the FCDO's current humanitarian framework at the link below, which gives a good overview of our approach in all these areas: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-humanitarian-framework/uk-humanitarian-framework.

What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of Crown Estate leasing costs on the strike prices for future Contracts for Difference auctions for offshore wind.

The Crown Estate own and manage the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They run transparent, competitive processes that treat bidders equally and balance commercial outcomes alongside its wider environmental, social and economic objectives.Delivering value for money is the Government’s top priority. The Government has made reforms to the Contracts for Difference auction to maximise competition between bidders and reduce the costs to consumers.The Government won’t buy at any price and if specific projects or technologies aren’t competitive, we will look elsewhere.

What discussions she has had with the Crown Estate on the steps it is taking to manage its assets in the public interest alongside profit maximisation when it is auctioning off plots of seabed to offshore wind developers.

The Crown Estate is an independent commercial business established by Parliament and returns its net profits to the Consolidated Fund. It has a statutory duty to secure best consideration while exercising good management. HM Treasury Ministers and officials engage regularly with The Crown Estate. The Crown Estate runs transparent, competitive processes in offshore wind leasing that treat bidders equally and balance commercial outcomes alongside its wider environmental, social and economic objectives.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Crown Estate's auctions for seabed leases on the cost of offshore wind contracts.

The Crown Estate own and manage the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. They run transparent, competitive processes that treat bidders equally and balance commercial outcomes alongside its wider environmental, social and economic objectives.Delivering value for money is our top priority. The Government has made reforms to the Contracts for Difference auction to maximise competition between bidders and reduce the costs to consumers.The Government won’t buy at any price and if specific projects or technologies aren’t competitive, we will look elsewhere.

What steps she is taking to ensure that schools are not required to subsidise EHCP provision from their core budgets.

Since 2014, local authorities are have been required to allocate funding to their local mainstream schools according to a formula that includes factors relating to the likely incidence of special educational needs (SEN) amongst their pupils, and to identify an amount within each school’s overall budget as a guide to what they might need to spend on supporting those pupils, including those with education, health and care plans. Schools are then expected to cover additional costs in respect of SEN pupils up to £6,000 per pupil. For annual costs in excess of £6,000, the local authority should allocate top-up funding from their high needs budgets. The government is providing over £12 billion high needs funding to local authorities in the 2025/26 financial year.Mainstream school funding is increasing by 2.6% per pupil in the 2026/27 financial year compared to 2025/26. This will support mainstream schools with ongoing costs, including the costs of SEN support. When the Schools White Paper is published later this year, it will set out additional funding for both schools and local authorities to drive forward much needed reform of the SEN and disability system.

What recent estimate she has made of the number of children in South Cambridgeshire constituency waiting more than 20 weeks for an EHCP assessment.

The department does not hold information on the length of time that children and young people wait for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment to be carried out.The department does publish information on the number of EHC plans that are issued within the statutory 20-week timeframe. The number and percentage of plans issued within this timeframe (excluding cases where exceptions apply) for both Cambridgeshire and England are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b46a4968-aafd-4bd6-948a-08de4155ee12.Information at constituency level is not available.Information on EHC plans maintained by local authorities, including requests for an EHC needs assessment, the number of assessments carried out, the number where a decision is made to assess, and the number of plans issued within 20 weeks, are included in the annual statistical release. The latest January 2025 statistics were published in June 2025 here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Government's SEND reforms on children and young people in South Cambridgeshire.

The department will set out the full Schools White Paper later in the new year, building on the work we have already done to create a system that is rooted in inclusion, where children receive high quality support early on and can thrive at their local school. Impact assessments will be produced alongside final reform proposals when published in the Schools White Paper.

What recent estimate she has made of the number of children waiting more than 20 weeks for an EHCP assessment.

The department does not hold information on the length of time that children and young people wait for an education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment to be carried out.The department does publish information on the number of EHC plans that are issued within the statutory 20-week timeframe. The number and percentage of plans issued within this timeframe (excluding cases where exceptions apply) for both Cambridgeshire and England are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b46a4968-aafd-4bd6-948a-08de4155ee12.Information at constituency level is not available.Information on EHC plans maintained by local authorities, including requests for an EHC needs assessment, the number of assessments carried out, the number where a decision is made to assess, and the number of plans issued within 20 weeks, are included in the annual statistical release. The latest January 2025 statistics were published in June 2025 here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of administrative and bureaucratic barriers within local authorities on the timeliness of EHCP assessments.

The department understands that some families face challenges with securing education, health and care (EHC) plans in a timely way. We are committed to restoring confidence in the system of support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) so that they all get the opportunities they need to achieve and thrive in their education.The department publishes annual SEN2 data on EHC plans and assessments, including timeliness. This informs performance monitoring and targeted support. Local authorities performing poorly receive additional oversight and specialist advice.The department continues to monitor and work closely with local authorities that have issues with EHC plans timeliness. This includes, where needed, providing specialist SEND Adviser support to help identify the barriers to carrying out the EHC plan process in a timely way and to put in place practical plans for recovery.A new SEND inspection framework launched in January 2023, with all local areas to be inspected by 2027, to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

Whether she is taking to protect motorists from facing increased motor insurance premiums following a non-fault road traffic accident.

Motor insurers are responsible for setting the terms and conditions of the policies that they offer and decide the level of risk that they take in issuing any policy to a given applicant. Drivers need to declare incidents that they are involved in, regardless of who or what was at fault. However, we know that the majority of motorists are responsible and law abiding, but not unreasonably, they and other road users want to see law breaking dealt with, to make all our communities safer. As part of the Road Safety Strategy, we have published a consultation on reforms to motoring offences, including lowering the drink drive limit in England and Wales and introducing tougher penalties for driving without insurance or without a licence.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of requiring schools to fund extended periods of education following exclusion on safeguarding.

It is for local authorities, under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996, to arrange and fund suitable education for children of compulsory school age who, because of exclusion, illness or other reasons, may otherwise not receive suitable education. Local authorities are required to arrange alternative provision for a permanently excluded child as soon as possible, and at the latest by the sixth school day of the child’s absence.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of school funding settlements in meeting pupil need and demographic growth.

Spending per pupil was at its highest ever level in the 2024/25 financial year, in real terms, and there has been further real terms growth in spending in 2025/26. The school funding settlement announced at the Spending Review more than protects per pupil funding in real terms, with a further £1.7 billion increase in 2026/27. Every year, the department uses the schools national funding formula to distribute core funding for 5 to 16-year-old pupils, in mainstream state-funded schools in England. This ensures that funding is distributed based on a fair and consistent assessment of need, based first and foremost on pupil numbers. We recognise the pressures caused by demographic changes in some areas. The lagged funding system helps to give schools more certainty over funding levels. This aids their planning and is particularly important in giving schools with falling rolls time to re-organise their staffing and costs. The department also provides local authorities with growth funding, which they use to support schools whose pupil numbers are rising.

When schools will be reimbursed for the increase in National Insurance contributions.

We have provided schools with over £1.1 billion to support them with the increases to employer National Insurance contributions from April 2025.We published schools’ allocations in May 2025, and payments were made in September and October 2025.