The government has pledged to recruit 6,500 additional teachers across state-funded secondary and special schools, further education (FE) colleges and school-based FE providers during this Parliament. Progress against this pledge is measured using published workforce statistics and uses the 2023/24 academic year as the baseline. The pledge does not include primary schools, where the pupil population has been declining.

The latest published data, show that there were 3,008 more full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded secondary and special schools in 2025/26 than in 2023/24, and 1,646 more FTE teachers in FE colleges and school-based FE providers in 2024/25 than in 2023/24.

Taken together, this represents an increase of 4,654 FTE teachers compared with the 2023/24 baseline, equivalent to 71.6% of the government's 6,500 additional teachers pledge.

The 2025/26 FE workforce figures are due to be published in December. Progress figures are published annually through the School Workforce in England and further education workforce official statistics, which is available on GOV.UK.

The department monitors the private school sector and publishes data on schools opening and closing through the ‘Get Information about Schools’ service. Between 1 July 2024 and 31 August 2026, 146 private schools closed, of which 114 were mainstream independent schools. This remains within historic norms, as on average, around 75 private schools, including independent special schools, have closed each year over the past 20 years.

According to the register of independent schools, there are around 30,000 pupils with identified special educational needs either with or without an education health and care plan attending independent schools inspected by Ofsted, out of a total school population of 9,032,426. This data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25.

The matter of fully funded placements in independent schools is governed by contractual agreements between the individual independent schools and the commissioning local authorities. As such, the department does not collect or hold data on the number of places in independent schools that are fully funded by local authorities.

According to the register of independent schools, there are around 30,000 pupils with identified special educational needs either with or without an education health and care plan attending independent schools inspected by Ofsted, out of a total school population of 9,032,426. This data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25.

The matter of fully funded placements in independent schools is governed by contractual agreements between the individual independent schools and the commissioning local authorities. As such, the department does not collect or hold data on the number of places in independent schools that are fully funded by local authorities.

According to the register of independent schools, there are around 30,000 pupils with identified special educational needs either with or without an education health and care plan attending independent schools inspected by Ofsted, out of a total school population of 9,032,426. This data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25.

The matter of fully funded placements in independent schools is governed by contractual agreements between the individual independent schools and the commissioning local authorities. As such, the department does not collect or hold data on the number of places in independent schools that are fully funded by local authorities.

There are currently no plans to change the role or functions of the Independent Schools Inspectorate.

HM Treasury published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) on applying VAT to independent school fees.

The TIIN estimates that, accounting for the spending implications of any pupil movement into the state sector, the policy is expected to raise £1.7 billion per annum by 2029/30.

My Lords, at the Budget last year, the Government set out that ending the VAT exemption for private schools would raise £460 million in 2024-25 and £1.7 billion per year by 2029-30. The Government remain confident in these costings, which are certified by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. The OBR will recertify these costings at the forthcoming Budget in November. The money raised by this measure is helping to raise standards for the 94% of pupils who attend state schools.

My Lords, the Government published impact notes on the anticipated impact of the VAT and business rates changes affecting private schools. We monitor the impact on the sector and published details of pupil numbers in June 2025. A drop in numbers was expected following these changes and due to other factors, such as demographic decline. The full impact is expected to be realised over several years. Overall, private school pupil numbers remain higher than in 2020, then a record high.

The LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) launched in December of last year, and as of 2 June 2025, the Scheme has received 1,054 applications, and 39claims have been settled. .

The first payments were made within 16 weeks of the Scheme opening and payments are continuing to be made. The Independent Panel and Appeals Board Members were both recruited on 13 May, and the Independent Panel had their first sitting on 21 May.

We are mindful of the need for timeliness, although it is a complex process, and the Scheme needs to be delivered effectively and correctly. The Scheme continues to make progress with applications, with process capacity expected to increase in the coming months. The FRS is continually looking for opportunities to automate processes where possible, to streamline processing and to work as efficiently as possible processing applications.

My Lords, I wonder if I might digress slightly. There are times when we answer Questions at the Dispatch Box that are about issues of real social change that has been brought about. I congratulate the noble Lords, Lord Lexden and Lord Cashman, who is not in his place—

I refer the Noble Lord to my response to Parliamentary Question HL3999 on the 27 January 2025.

The Noble Lord may be referring to allegations from 2018 of the use of white phosphorus by the Indonesian Armed Forces towards civilian population in Papua. While the use of white phosphorus as a weapon does not fall under the Chemical Weapons Convention and is not a matter for the OPCW, contemporary media reports suggested that it was used in a manner that may have violated international humanitarian law. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) monitored these allegations at the time and found no compelling evidence of white phosphorous being used in an illegal way.

The FCDO continues to monitor all reports of violent incidents in the Papua region. We regularly raise human rights issues, including the protection of civilians in Papua, with the Indonesian government.

The Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, visited Indonesia in January 2025 and raised the human rights situation in Papua in her meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Law and Human Rights.

The Government and NHS England support the clinical case for services which help to prevent fragility fractures and support the patients who sustain them. According to the Fracture Liaison Service Database 2022, at least 60 trusts in England had access to a Fracture Liaison Service. My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is committed to rolling out fracture liaison services across every part of the country by 2030.

Costs and benefits will be assessed taking into consideration the evidence gathered from the 60 services already in operation in England.

The Government has not made a specific estimate or assessment of the acute hospital bed occupancy rates referenced in the question.

HMG is not aware of any recent allegations of the use of chemical weapons in Indonesia.

My Lords, I should declare that I am a member of the National Trust, as I expect many other noble Lords are as well. I am sure that noble Lords from across your Lordships’ House will join me in wishing the National Trust well in its 130th year. The Government have no plans to review the National Trust Acts. The National Trust is an independent charity run by its board of trustees who are responsible for the organisation’s governance and are accountable to its members and to the Charity Commission.

An independent watchdog is vital in ensuring the effective oversight of police complaints and investigating the most serious and sensitive cases involving the police. The Independent Office for Police Conduct is accountable to the Home Office and Parliament

for the delivery of its statutory and non-statutory duties. It was independently reviewed in 2023-24 as part of the public bodies review programme. The Government are currently considering the recommendations.