Written questions by Braverman.

What support is available to parents facing financial hardship who are issued with penalty notices for their child’s non‑attendance at school.

The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to an efficient, full-time education and it is the legal responsibility of every parent to make sure their child receives that education. Our guidance emphasises a support first approach and makes clear that fines and legal intervention should only be used where support has been exhausted, not engaged with, or is not appropriate. Fines remain one part of our system for reducing school absence, therefore the amount must reflect the potential short and longer-term impact of absence on the pupil, their teachers, and other pupils at the school. If parents cannot afford to pay a school attendance penalty notice, they should contact their local council immediately to explain their financial situation, as they may be able to offer guidance or support.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure consistency between local authorities in the enforcement of school attendance rules.

The department’s statutory ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets clear expectations for schools and local authorities on attendance support and the proportionate use of enforcement, including when penalty notices or prosecution may be considered for persistent non‑attendance. The national framework for penalty notices is intended to improve fairness and consistency by ensuring they are considered at a consistent point across the country and on an individual basis, preventing the use of blanket rules.The guidance emphasises a support‑first approach and makes clear that legal intervention should only be used where support has been exhausted, not engaged with, or is not appropriate, including in most cases of unauthorised term‑time holidays. The department engages regularly with local authorities to support consistent implementation and keeps the attendance enforcement system under review.

What assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the increase in pupil suspensions in England since 2016.

The department publishes termly and annual statistics on suspension and permanent exclusions, including the reasons why pupils are suspended. The latest full academic year release, covering 2023/24, is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24. This data sets out national patterns and drivers of suspension and informs the department’s ongoing approach to behaviour and exclusion policy.

What assessment her Department has made of the reasons for the increase in pupil suspensions in England since 2024.

The department publishes termly and annual statistics on suspension and permanent exclusions, including the reasons why pupils are suspended. The latest full academic year release, covering 2023/24, is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24. This data sets out national patterns and drivers of suspension and informs the department’s ongoing approach to behaviour and exclusion policy.

What guidance is provided to schools and local authorities on when to issue penalty notices or pursue prosecution for persistent non‑attendance.

The department’s statutory ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance sets clear expectations for schools and local authorities on attendance support and the proportionate use of enforcement, including when penalty notices or prosecution may be considered for persistent non‑attendance. The national framework for penalty notices is intended to improve fairness and consistency by ensuring they are considered at a consistent point across the country and on an individual basis, preventing the use of blanket rules.The guidance emphasises a support‑first approach and makes clear that legal intervention should only be used where support has been exhausted, not engaged with, or is not appropriate, including in most cases of unauthorised term‑time holidays. The department engages regularly with local authorities to support consistent implementation and keeps the attendance enforcement system under review.

What estimate he has made of the number of complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on care home relocation decisions; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the outcomes of those complaints.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

How many complaints about pupil suspensions were upheld by her Department in each of the last five years.

The department’s School Complaints Compliance Unit considers complaints about exclusions including pupil suspensions in relation to both academies and local authority maintained schools. Complaints are categorised as exclusions complaints on our case management system. Data on complaints logged as exclusion complaints for the last five academic years is in the table below: Number of exclusion complaints upheld or partially upheld by the departmentAcademic YearNumber of academy exclusion complaintsNumber of maintained school exclusion complaints2020/211372021/221382022/231152023/242752024/251392025/26*139Total9043 *Complaints received and closed up to and including 31 March 2026.

Whether her Department plans to review the current level of fines for school non‑attendance.

The law entitles every child of compulsory school age to an efficient, full-time education and it is the legal responsibility of every parent to make sure their child receives that education. Our guidance emphasises a support first approach and makes clear that fines and legal intervention should only be used where support has been exhausted, not engaged with, or is not appropriate. Fines remain one part of our system for reducing school absence, therefore the amount must reflect the potential short and longer-term impact of absence on the pupil, their teachers, and other pupils at the school. If parents cannot afford to pay a school attendance penalty notice, they should contact their local council immediately to explain their financial situation, as they may be able to offer guidance or support.

How many reported assaults on teachers and school staff occurred in each of the last five years.

No member of school staff should feel unsafe or face violence or abuse in the workplace. The department will work with the sector to make clear that abuse against teachers will not be tolerated.Schools have a duty and a responsibility to protect pupils and staff and the government supports them with a range of guidance to help fulfil their responsibilities, including advice on health and safety, school security and targeted advice on gangs and youth violence. More information on work-related violence can be found in guidance from the Health and Safety Executive: https://www.hse.gov.uk/violence/.The department publishes data on suspensions and permanent exclusions in state-funded schools in England, including those with a reason of physical assault on adults. To note, the numbers of suspensions and permanent exclusions is not the same as the number of incidents. A suspension could relate to a number of incidents, and up to three reasons can be given for suspensions and permanent exclusions.The most recent full academic year release, covering 2023/24, can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24.

What data his Department collects on the number of older people required to move from care home placements following a transition to local authority funding; and if he will publish that data.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

How many suspensions were issued in each of the last five academic years, broken down by type of school.

Statistics on suspensions, by academic year and school type, is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24. This has been available since 10 July 2025.

What her Department's policy is on arresting and detaining parents overnight in connection with Education Act 1996 non‑attendance offences, particularly in cases where the parent ensured the child attended school and the absence occurred after the school had assumed duty of care.

The department does not hold responsibility for policy on arrests or detentions as this is a matter for the Home Office, as the department responsible for policing. We do not hold data on parents in custody.

What assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of current penalties for parents whose children fail to attend school regularly.

Evidence on the use of legal interventions for non-attendance, including penalty notices and prosecutions, is considered alongside wider attendance data and local authority feedback to assess the effectiveness of current penalties.Attendance data for unauthorised absence in the 2024/25 academic year showed our approach is having a positive impact, as the proportion of absence due to unauthorised holiday fell from 0.53% in 2023/24 to 0.48% in 2024/25 meaning approximately 1.3 million fewer absence sessions due to unauthorised holidays across the 2024/25 school year. The overall rate of absence fell by 0.37 percentage points, resulting in over five million more days in school last year.Our guidance is clear that enforcement should be used as a last resort and as part of a broader support-first approach. 93% of penalty notices issued in 2024/25 were for unauthorised term-time holidays, demonstrating that fixed penalty notices are being used primarily in circumstances where support is not appropriate, as intended.The department continues to work with schools and local authorities to promote effective practice and improve attendance outcomes for all pupils.

What remedies are available to parents who wish to challenge disciplinary decisions made by academy schools.

Parents can raise concerns about behaviour management in academies through the academy’s complaints process.Where parents believe that an academy has not followed proper procedures or has acted unlawfully, and they have fully exhausted the academy’s complaints process, they can raise a complaint with the department. Parents may also pursue legal remedies where appropriate, including judicial review, and may bring claims to the First‑tier Tribunal where a decision is alleged to involve disability discrimination.The Schools White Paper sets out the government’s proposals for ensuring the school complaints process works better for all involved.

Whether she plans to introduce additional oversight mechanisms for academy trusts in relation to complaints about suspensions and behaviour management.

Parents can raise concerns about behaviour management in academies through the academy’s complaints process.Where parents believe that an academy has not followed proper procedures or has acted unlawfully, and they have fully exhausted the academy’s complaints process, they can raise a complaint with the department. Parents may also pursue legal remedies where appropriate, including judicial review, and may bring claims to the First‑tier Tribunal where a decision is alleged to involve disability discrimination.The Schools White Paper sets out the government’s proposals for ensuring the school complaints process works better for all involved.

What steps her Department is taking to support schools in preventing and responding to assaults on teachers.

No member of school staff should feel unsafe or face violence or abuse in the workplace. The department will work with the sector to make clear that abuse against teachers will not be tolerated.Schools have a duty and a responsibility to protect pupils and staff and the government supports them with a range of guidance to help fulfil their responsibilities, including advice on health and safety, school security and targeted advice on gangs and youth violence. More information on work-related violence can be found in guidance from the Health and Safety Executive: https://www.hse.gov.uk/violence/.The department publishes data on suspensions and permanent exclusions in state-funded schools in England, including those with a reason of physical assault on adults. To note, the numbers of suspensions and permanent exclusions is not the same as the number of incidents. A suspension could relate to a number of incidents, and up to three reasons can be given for suspensions and permanent exclusions.The most recent full academic year release, covering 2023/24, can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/suspensions-and-permanent-exclusions-in-england/2023-24.

What steps his Department is taking to ensure that local authorities comply with their statutory duties under section 1 of the Care Act 2014 to promote individual wellbeing when making decisions about residential care placements.

The relevant guidance issued by the Department is the Care and Support Statutory Guidance, issued under the Care Act 2014. This makes clear that local authorities must take into account a person’s circumstances and preferences when arranging care, including when reviewing existing care home placements. They must promote the wellbeing of those drawing on care, beginning with an assumption that the individual drawing on care is best placed to judge what they require for their own wellbeing. This applies equally to those entering care for the first time and to those who have been self-funders but, because of diminishing resources, are on the verge of needing local authority support.Where an individual is assessed as requiring support in a residential care home and they are eligible for means tested support from their local authority, the local authority must ensure that the individual drawing on care is offered a genuine choice of accommodation. This must include at least one option which is affordable within the person’s personal budget, and should include more than one option. If suitable accommodation is not available at the amount identified in a personal budget, the local authority must arrange care in a more expensive setting and adjust the budget accordingly to ensure that needs are met.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how local authorities in England are meeting the full range of their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. The assessments identify local authorities’ strengths and areas for improvement, facilitating the sharing of good practice and helping us to target support where it is most needed. The CQC is under a duty to inform my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if they consider an authority is failing to discharge its functions. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has powers to intervene where he is satisfied that authorities have failed or are failing to discharge Care Act functions to an acceptable standard. Reports are made available on the CQC’s website at the following link:https://www.cqc.org.uk/

Whether his Department is considering reform of the residential care funding framework to prevent older people being displaced from long‑standing care home placements for purely financial reasons.

The Department has no current plans to reform the residential care funding framework. The responsibility for meeting eligible needs rests with local authorities under the Care Act 2014. The Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. In terms of an assessment of the impact of involuntary care home moves on older people with dementia, the Care Act places a duty on local authorities to promote wellbeing when arranging social care for an individual, and this provides individuals and their carers with more control over the way in which care and support is provided. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how local authorities in England are meeting the full range of their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. If the CQC identifies that a local authority has failed or is failing to discharge its duties under the Care Act to an acceptable standard, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has powers to intervene. The Independent Commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, is looking at the medium and long-term reforms needed in adult social care to deliver a fair and affordable system that is fit for the future, including looking at what long-term and sustainable funding solutions should look like.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of involuntary care home moves on older people living with dementia; and what safeguards are in place to prevent inappropriate relocation of such residents.

The Department has no current plans to reform the residential care funding framework. The responsibility for meeting eligible needs rests with local authorities under the Care Act 2014. The Government is making over £4.6 billion of additional funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26. In terms of an assessment of the impact of involuntary care home moves on older people with dementia, the Care Act places a duty on local authorities to promote wellbeing when arranging social care for an individual, and this provides individuals and their carers with more control over the way in which care and support is provided. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how local authorities in England are meeting the full range of their duties under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014. If the CQC identifies that a local authority has failed or is failing to discharge its duties under the Care Act to an acceptable standard, my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has powers to intervene. The Independent Commission into adult social care, chaired by Baroness Louise Casey, is looking at the medium and long-term reforms needed in adult social care to deliver a fair and affordable system that is fit for the future, including looking at what long-term and sustainable funding solutions should look like.

What discussions he has had with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board on the potential impact of pausing ADHD and autism assessments on children in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.