Written questions by Berry.

Whether proposed SEND reforms will consider the experiences of SEND children with regards to SATs.

Statutory tests and assessments at primary school help measure the attainment of pupils in relation to the standards set out in the national curriculum and help teachers and parents identify where pupils may need additional support in a certain subject area. The department’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms are designed to ensure that every child can access a high quality, inclusive education, with early and consistent support in place across the system.Key stage 2 tests are subject to robust test development processes, which include reviews involving serving teachers and experts in SEND, as well as trials with hundreds of year 6 pupils. Children with SEND have a range of needs and abilities, and it is important they can participate in assessments to demonstrate their achievements. Schools can utilise a range of access arrangements where appropriate, while for any children with SEND and others who are working below the standards of the national curriculum assessments there are alternative teacher assessments.Primary assessments were reviewed as part of the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review 2025, led by Professor Becky Francis. In line with the Review’s recommendations, we are strengthening the national curriculum so that it is more accessible and ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND.

In the context of recent uncertainty about the future of the ASGSF, what steps her Department is taking to ensure consistent, high quality therapeutic support for adopted children and their families and Regional Adoption Authorities (RAAs) is continued beyond 2028.

The government has carefully considered the impact of changes to adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) funding as part of the wider Spending Review process. That is why we have confirmed continued funding through to 2027/28, alongside consultation on reform, to ensure families continue to receive support while we improve how it is delivered.The current consultation, available at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/adoption-and-special-guardianship-support-fund-team/adoption-support-that-works-for-all/supporting_documents/adoption-support-that-works-for-all-consultation-document-feb-2026pdf recognises that while many adopted and kinship children thrive, support can be slow, fragmented and inconsistent when needs arise. It sets out a vision for a more predictable and joined-up system, with universal and targeted early help, clearer support pathways and stronger multi‑disciplinary working across social care, health and education where people need more intensive support. The consultation is also a key opportunity for stakeholders to share their views on what support is effective for children. A report on the outcomes of the consultation, together with next steps, will be published later this year.

What steps she is taking to hold universities to account on their duty of care to students.

The department’s position is that a duty of care in higher education (HE) may arise in certain circumstances. Such circumstances would be a matter for the courts to decide, based on the specific facts and context of the case being considered, and will be dependent on the application by a court of accepted common law principles.The department continues to work closely with students, parents, mental health experts and the HE sector to drive meaningful change in mental health practice through the HE mental health implementation taskforce. The taskforce published its second stage report, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/higher-education-mental-health-implementation-taskforce.

Whether the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will explicitly apply to all universities.

The duty of candour and assistance will apply to any body when exercising public functions. This would capture some aspects of the work of universities and other Higher Education Institutions. The duty also extends to those with a relevant health and safety responsibility; as well as relevant public sector contractors.

When she plans to announce the future funding settlements for the Music and Dance Scheme Schools; and whether Music and Dance Scheme Schools will receive a long-term settlement.

I refer the hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion to my answer of 12 February 2026 to Question 111335.​

With reference to the decision made to remove funding for Specialist Assessments for adopted children and children under special guardianship orders, and in the context of long waiting times experienced by constituents in Brighton Pavilion constituency for assessments through the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), if she will publish details of how CAMHS will be supported to provide these specialised services.

Up to £2,500 of Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) funding may still be used for children to access a specialist assessment. ASGSF-funded assessments are not intended as an alternative to the specialised mental health services available through the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS).The current consultation ‘Adoption support that works for all’ includes proposals for a higher quality approach to assessing the needs of adoptive and eligible kinship families. This includes improved multi-disciplinary assessments and greater linkages between social care, health, and education practitioners to ensure every child gets the right support.For 2026/27, NHS mental health spending will rise to £16.1 billion, a real terms increase of around £140 million, to support service improvements, including CAMHS. The mental health investment standard means spending must at least keep pace with inflation, supporting local systems to maintain and improve specialist services for children.

With reference to her proposals for SEND reform, if she will give assurance to adopters and special guardians that their children, a majority of whom require active in-school additional support, which is currently funded through a patchwork of Pupil Premium Plus at school level and by individual EHCPs, will have their particular needs taken account of in her Department’s decisions on this issue.

As part of our reforms, we will ensure children get the right support in their early years setting, school, and college. We will do this by investing in new training for all staff, early intervention, better buildings and equipment, and making sure that every setting has access to expert professional support when it is needed.The department's consultation ‘Adoption support that works for all’ sets out a vision for more predictable, joined up support for adoptive and kinship children, including stronger multi-disciplinary work across social care, health and education. The consultation runs until 5 May 2026 and the outcomes and next steps will be published later this year. For adoptive special guardianship children, this forms an important backdrop to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) proposals. More details on the consultation are available here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/adoption-and-special-guardianship-support-fund-team/adoption-support-that-works-for-all/supporting_documents/adoption-support-that-works-for-all-consultation-document-feb-2026pdf.Alongside this, Individual Support Plans will be developed by settings, parents and young people, giving every child or young person receiving targeted or specialist support a clear and consistent record of their needs. This will be backed by £1.6billion funding flowing directly to schools, colleges and nurseries to meet needs earlier and get support in place, as part of the £4 billion more we are investing over three years.We also want families’ voices and experiences to shape SEND policy and local delivery, ensuring families can influence decision-making around the support they receive. Nationally we will improve access to services by increasing investment in the national helpline. Additionally, we will continue to work with and expand parent carers in strategic partnership roles to support system-wide improvements.We are consulting on the reforms proposed in the recently published “SEND reform: putting children and young people first”, and you can access the consultation here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-strategy-division/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-firs/.

Whether she will consider the experiences of SEND children in SATs, and include reform of SATs and other statutory assessment in the government's plans to put inclusion at the heart of education.

Statutory tests and assessments at primary school help measure the attainment of pupils in relation to the standards set out in the national curriculum and help teachers and parents identify where pupils may need additional support in a certain subject area. The department’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms are designed to ensure that every child can access a high quality, inclusive education, with early and consistent support in place across the system.Key stage 2 tests are subject to robust test development processes, which include reviews involving serving teachers and experts in SEND, as well as trials with hundreds of year 6 pupils. Children with SEND have a range of needs and abilities, and it is important they can participate in assessments to demonstrate their achievements. Schools can utilise a range of access arrangements where appropriate, while for any children with SEND and others who are working below the standards of the national curriculum assessments there are alternative teacher assessments.Primary assessments were reviewed as part of the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review 2025, led by Professor Becky Francis. In line with the Review’s recommendations, we are strengthening the national curriculum so that it is more accessible and ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND.

Pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2025 to question 69493, how many: (a) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) reviews, and (b) Additional Family Member (AFM) reviews have been completed since 17 July 2025, what is the current mean average time for all ARAP and AFM reviews, and how many of each remain outstanding.

Since 17 July 2025, the MOD have made decisions on 618 ARAP reviews, and 178 AFM reviews. Upon taking office, the government inherited a significant backlog in applications which we have been working through. As part of improving performance, I directed the Department to develop and implement ARAP Casework Key Performance Indictors (KPIs) based on the timeliness of decision making. These KPIs commit to indicative timeframes against each different types of ARAP Casework, albeit timelines may differ depending on the complexity of the case. Further information on KPIs is available in the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghan-relocations-and-assistance-policy/introduction-of-kpis-for-arap-eligibility-case-working As of 19 March 2026, 3,487 valid ARAP reviews and 828 valid ARAP AFM reviews remain outstanding from the total number received. A valid review is one which is appropriately and sequentially raised. The current mean average time for processing all ARAP and AFM reviews, closed with a decision made, is 159 days and 322 days respectively.

Pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2026 to question 115217, what timeline the Government is working to in considering the best way to measure the prevalence of VAWG among children and young people in the Freedom from Violence and Abuse Strategy.

As stated in response to your question on 3rd March, we recognise the importance of understanding the experiences of children and young people. As such the performance framework in the Freedom from Violence and Abuse Strategy includes a sub-metric on the prevalence of VAWG among children and young people and work is ongoing to determine the most robust and appropriate way to measure this. We will continue to develop this approach as the wider framework evolves.

What steps she is taking to address the Disability Transport Gap, as described in the December 2023 report entitled Are we there yet, from Transport for All.

The Department continues to work closely with disabled people and representative organisations, like Transport for All, to ensure their voices are heard, that the challenges are understood and that we are actively working together to drive the change to make transport and travel increasingly accessible and barrier-free. We recognise the challenges and issues identified in Transport for All’s report both in terms of transport-mode specific issues as well as the cross-cutting themes of financial burden, information provision and inability to take up green transport options due to accessibility barriers. Collectively, the Department is committed to a transport network that puts disabled passengers at its heart, removing barriers and promoting opportunity. Recent measures to deliver this include improving accessibility and personal safety at bus stops and stations through the Bus Services Act, publishing the Aviation Accessibility Task and Finish Group’s recommendations, and launching the Rail Accessibility Roadmap. To specifically drive strategic and legislative change, accessibility will be a core theme of the forthcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy. We will also shortly be publishing an Accessible Transport Vision to set out the key priorities for accessible travel for this Government. Later this year, we will publish an Accessible Travel Charter. The Charter will set clear expectations for transport providers to implement accessibility best practice - not as another layer of regulation, but as a clear articulation of the commitments for accessible transport that every operator should meet. The department is also continuing its work to build accessibility into electric vehicle charging points and the future provision of connected and autonomous vehicles. We will also be publishing the third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy and are consulting upon changes to mobility device legislation recognising the importance of personal mobility specifically and as part of the end-to end journeys that disabled people want and need to make.

Further to the answer of 17 December 2025 to question 98635, how heat network customers who purchase their energy supply from a housing association or a managing agent for their property will benefit from the reductions in energy bills announced in the budget.

All households that have a domestic electricity account, regardless of their heating type will benefit from the budget announced savings from moving 75% of the RO levy to the Exchequer. This will include the vast majority of heat network customers. We are currently considering eligibility for households on non-domestic energy contracts, and the Government will provide an update in due course.

If she will publish data held by HM Revenue and Customs on: (a) the ports of entry used for low-value imports currently eligible for relief under the Low Value Import exemption, (b) what proportion of such consignments, by value and by number, enter the United Kingdom via bellyhold air cargo, (c) what proportion of such consignments, by value and by number, enter the United Kingdom through Heathrow Airport as their point of entry, and (d) what proportion of total cargo at Heathrow Airport such consignments represent, by value and by number.

A) Based on data available to HMRC for 2024/25 the ports of entry for low value imports are: ABDAberdeenABZAberdeen AirportBELBelfastBFSBelfast International AirportBHXBirmingham AirportBOHBournemouth (Hurn) AirportCWLCardiff (Wales) AirportDEUDover / EurotunnelDOGRye WharfDOVDoverEDIEdinburgh AirportEMAEast Midlands AirportEUTEurotunnelFISFishguardFXTFelixstoweGLAGlasgow AirportGRIGrimsbyHEYHeyshamHLDHolyheadHRHHarwichHULHullIMMImminghamKILKillingholmeLBALeeds Bradford AirportLGPLondon GatewayLGWLondon Gatwick AirportLHRLondon Heathrow AirportLIVLiverpoolLONLondonLSALondon Stansted AirportLTNLondon Luton AirportMANManchester AirportMIDMiddlesbroughMILMilfordMMEDurham Tees Valley (Teesside) AirportMNCManchesterNCLNewcastle AirportNGODollands MoorPIKPrestwick AirportPOOPoolePTMPortsmouthPUFPurfleetRCSLondon Thamesport (sites for Temporary Storage)RUNRuncornSTNSouthamptonTHPThamesportTILTilbury (sites for Temporary Storage)TYNTyne B) HMRC holds data on low value imports although does not routinely collect consignment level information. A single declaration may cover multiple consignments, meaning the volume of declarations does not correspond to the number of individual parcels entering the UK. We define value as the economic value of goods declared for importation that move through a port that includes goods into free circulation and entering special procedures. We define the entries into the ports as where the goods are stored for the purpose of customs checks. We are therefore unable to provide proportions based on numbers of consignments or to distinguish freight moved in the hold of passenger aircraft from freight moved on cargo flights. C) For the same reason as set out in B, we are unable to provide information on the number of consignments. Available data on the declared trade value and number of declarations of low value imports eligible for relief under the low value import exemption in 2024-25 are shown in the following table: Declared trade valueNumber of declarations*All low value imports£5.9 bn1,282,000Low value imports declared as air transport (all ports of entry)£4.8 bn963,000Low value air transport imports declared at London Heathrow£2.1 bn203,000 *Rounding to the nearest thousand. D) The declared trade value of goods arriving at Heathrow via air in 2024-25 was £162bn. Low value imports by air transport account for just under 5 per cent of declarations and around 1 per cent of the value of goods imported into Heathrow in 2024-25.

Pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2026 to Written Question UIN 106823, if he will (a) collect and analyse data on the extent of refusal, increase and reduction of Access to Work awards at renewal and (b) make an assessment of the potential impact of that data on Disabled people’s ability to maintain work and careers.

The Department has a broad analytical programme of work on Access to Work which includes quantitative analysis of data, qualitative research, and production of official statistics. This programme is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains relevant and helps to build understanding of the functioning of the scheme.

What steps she is taking to improve transport accessibility for disabled people.

The government is committed to improving public transport services, so they are more inclusive and enable disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity. As part of our broader mission to break down barriers to opportunity, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure transport is accessible to all. Our Bus Services Act 2025 includes a comprehensive package of measures to improve the accessibility and inclusivity of local transport. Through the Act, we are helping authorities to provide safer and more accessible bus stations and stops; mandating more streamlined disability training for bus drivers and frontline staff and requiring local authorities to regularly review the accessibility of their bus networks through the development and publishing of a Bus Network Accessibility Plan. We are committed to improving the experience for disabled passengers on rail services and that is why we published the Department’s roadmap to an accessible railway. It sets out what we are doing now to improve the day-to-day travelling experience for disabled passengers in the lead up to Great British Railways being established. The Railways Bill will also establish a Passenger Watchdog, protecting the rights of disabled passengers by monitoring service delivery, investigating persistent issues, and advocating for improvements. We are also continuing to install accessible routes at stations through our Access for All programme and have completed a programme to install platform edge safety tactiles on every platform in the country. We are also committed to developing an Accessible Travel Charter. The Charter is a commitment to a shared vision for accessible travel. It will set out what disabled travellers can expect from their journeys, share best practice across organisations and create consistency in end-to-end journeys for disabled travellers.

What estimate he has made of the number of people in poverty as a result of the rule preventing mixed-age couples from claiming pension-age benefits until the youngest partner reaches State Pension age.

Ensuring that individuals can get into, progress and stay in work is important in helping them to continue saving for their own retirement and contribute to the wider economy. The requirement for mixed age couples to seek financial support from the working-age social security system until both members of the couple reach State Pension Age ensures that, once in receipt of Universal Credit, the younger partner can access the same employment support that is available for customers below State Pension Age including dedicated employment support for customers over the age of 50. The pension-age partner is placed in the no-work related requirements group.

With reference to the Natural Environment Research Council Open Research Archive Storms and Waves update entitled Climate Change Impacts on Storms and Waves Relevant to the UK and Ireland, published in May 2025, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the mean significant wave height increase in southern UK waters on (a) the incidence of marine pollution incidents, and (b) seafarer safety.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has not conducted any specific research of the potential of a change in mean significant wave height to the incidence of marine pollution in the UK.We are also not aware of any discussions or research into the potential impact of the mean significant wave height increase on seafarer safety. However, the MCA reviews specific categorised waters, for significant wave height changes, on a case-by-case basis when supported by data which indicates a discernible change to significant wave height at that location. The report indicates that any such changes to wave height in either direction will be slow, and thus the impacts slow to develop, which will help us to introduce any changes that might be required in future to continue to ensure safety.

Whether he plans to update the Cabinet Manual in the near future.

The Government takes the function of the Cabinet Manual seriously and we will keep it under review.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2026 to Written Question UIN 106814, whether a response has been received from Southern Water.

Polluting our waterways is unacceptable. It is only right that Southern Water has taken responsibility for the appalling pollution incident on the south coast in November, and I have been clear that the sector as a whole must step up and do better for our people, and for the environment. The Environment Agency’s investigation into the pollution incident is ongoing and we expect conclusions in the coming weeks. The Government is taking decisive action to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

Whether she plans to bring the harms experienced by girls under 16 into the scope of the monitoring and accountability metrics of the Freedom from Violence and Abuse Strategy.

Children and girls under 16 who experience sexual abuse and exploitation are considered throughout the Strategy, with specific commitments aimed at tackling the appalling crimes of child sexual exploitation and abuse.The key way we’ll measure progress against our ambition to halve VAWG is through a combined prevalence estimate of the proportion of people (aged 16 and over) who experienced any of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking in the previous 12 months, as measured by the Crime Survey for England and Wales. However, as the CSEW does not survey people under the age of 16, we cannot include them in this combined headline measure.We do though recognise the importance of understanding the experiences of children and young people. As such the performance framework in the Strategy includes a sub-metric on the prevalence of VAWG among children and young people and we are considering the best way of measuring this.