We have now achieved 4,654 of the 6,500 additional teachers pledge, equivalent to 71.6% of the target, compared with the 2023/24 baseline. This includes 3,008 more teachers in secondary and special schools in 2025/26 and 1,646 more teachers in the statutory further education sector and school-based providers in 2024/25.

The Department engages regularly with Citizens Advice and a range of other stakeholders on issues relating to the wider benefits system.

The Timms Review, the first ever full review of PIP, seeks to ensure we have a system that supports disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment.

The Government has announced that it will appoint a statutory Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner. The full scope and role of the Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner is being considered urgently through the National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce.

We recognise that student midwives are a vital part of our future workforce, providing essential care and support to women, babies and families across maternity services.

Temporary posts give providers flexibility to recruit ahead of turnover, so newly qualified midwives can start work quickly rather than waiting for vacancies. This period will be used to stabilise services and support newly qualified midwives into practice, with the expectation they move into permanent roles as vacancies arise through normal turnover.

Work is ongoing to establish a panel to support the Independent Review, in line with the appropriate appointment process. The panel will comprise individuals with the relevant expertise and experience to support the Review’s consideration of the matters set out in its Terms of Reference. Details of panel member appointments will be confirmed in due course.

Over the last 10 years, no members of Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) have had their appointment terminated following a security vetting failure. During the same period, nine IMB members have had their appointment terminated following a breach of the IMB Code of Conduct.

The Department does not comment on individual disciplinary, conduct or vetting matters relating to IMB members. Whilst aggregate information on concluded cases is published where appropriate, it would not be appropriate to comment on ongoing cases.

No members of the Independent Monitoring Boards have been convicted of a criminal offence and subsequently removed from their role in the last ten years.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.

The department, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, is leading the National Year of Reading 2026 to tackle declining reading enjoyment. This UK-wide campaign combines a marketing initiative with events in schools, libraries, and communities. Activities will take place across the year and will include national events, alongside resources for schools and early years, and library engagement through initiatives such as the Summer Reading Challenge. The campaign aims to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment through engaging new audiences, reshaping public attitudes and building the systems needed to embed lasting, meaningful change. As part of this, we are providing £5 million of funding for secondary schools to purchase books to encourage reading for pleasure. The government has also committed £12.5 million in funding to guarantee a library for every primary school by the end of this parliament, which will be delivered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

The government has also committed £28.3 million this financial year to support and drive high and rising standards in reading. This includes supporting the teaching of reading across all primary stages and key stage 3 in secondary via the English Hubs programme.

His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) holds required staffing levels which are subject to regular amendment and managed at a local and regional level. As a result of this discretion, HMPPS does not present vacancy data due to variability in required staffing levels.

We do, however, publish indicative vacancies in the HMPPS Workforce and the most recently published figures can be found via the following link: HM Prison & Probation Service workforce quarterly: December 2025 - GOV.UK.

His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) currently deploys 492 licensed search dogs across prisons in England and Wales. These dogs form a key part of the Department’s approach to tackling the supply of illicit items, including drugs, mobile telephones and other contraband, and are used proactively across the estate.

Decisions on deployment, and any increase in search dog capacity, are made at local and regional level, enabling prisons to respond flexibly to their specific security risks and operational challenges. This includes the ability to scale up provision where intelligence or demand indicates a need.

HMPPS keeps this capability under regular review as part of its wider security strategy and will continue to assess whether additional resources are required to meet any emerging threats.

This capability is being implemented on a phased basis, reflecting the complexity of introducing Conducted Energy Devices (generally known as TASERs) safely into the prison environment. Initial enabling activity is under way, including development of policy and operating procedures, assurance processes, training design, and engagement with key stakeholders.

Training and equipping of staff will be delivered incrementally, with cohorts authorised to access the equipment in stages, once the necessary governance, infrastructure and safeguards are in place.

In view of the need to prioritise safety, operational readiness and learning from early phases of implementation, it would not be appropriate at this stage to set a deadline for completion. Progress will continue to be monitored closely to ensure progress is maintained.

The drafting and passage of a Government bill requires resource from a number of departmental teams including legal and policy officials as well as shared resource such as the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.

Each Government Bill requires a different amount of resource based on its size and complexity. The Guide to Making Legislation sets out that bill teams must be properly resourced, with a dedicated bill manager, separate to the policy team, in place to oversee progress from an early stage.

In addition, the passage of Government bills requires resource in both the House of Commons and House of Lords.

Government does not hold data on the average number of people required to, nor the cost of, producing and passing Government bills.

Department for Business and Trade (DBT) officials routinely engage with EU institutions and Member State counterparts in Brussels and elsewhere as part of their normal duties to advance UK economic and trade interests.

The Department does not centrally record or routinely collate the number of individual visits made by officials, and providing a comprehensive figure would require a disproportionate use of time and resources. DBT officials regularly travel to Brussels to meet a wide range of EU and EU Member State counterparts to support the delivery of HMG objectives, including on trade, investment, regulatory cooperation and wider UK-EU engagement.

As driving tests taking place in March contribute to the total tests provided in the 2025 to 2026 financial year, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will not be able to provide a final overall figure until April at the earliest.

The average waiting time in weeks, as of February 2026, was 21.6 weeks.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner (DE) can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

Examiner capacity is rising, with 1,556 full-time equivalent (FTE) examiners now in post supported by ongoing recruitment and training changes. The 1,556 FTE DEs in February 2026 is an increase of 108 when compared to the number of DEs in February 2025 (1,448 FTEs).

As driving tests taking place in March contribute to the total tests provided in the 2025 to 2026 financial year, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will not be able to provide a final overall figure until April at the earliest.

The average waiting time in weeks, as of February 2026, was 21.6 weeks.

DVSA is continuing with recruitment campaigns across the country to provide as many tests as possible. A full-time driving examiner (DE) can be expected to add approximately 1,200 tests per year to the booking system.

Examiner capacity is rising, with 1,556 full-time equivalent (FTE) examiners now in post supported by ongoing recruitment and training changes. The 1,556 FTE DEs in February 2026 is an increase of 108 when compared to the number of DEs in February 2025 (1,448 FTEs).