The Prime Minister has set out his commitment to end decades of political drift on social care and fix the system with a National Care Service that gives people dignity, security and the support they deserve.

Reforms to social care will be fully and sustainably funded – the government will meet its fiscal rules. However, it is right that Baroness Casey’s Commission, which will now report in summer 2027, considers all options for the National Care Service. Funding options will be an important part of that conversation, and the government is not going to pre-empt Baroness Casey’s work.

The department has now achieved 71.6% of the 6,500 additional teachers target. There are 4,654 more teachers - 3,008 more teachers in secondary and special schools in 2025/26 and 1,646 more teachers in further education, than in 2024/25. Latest data also reported one of the lowest leaver rates on record of 8.5% and a record 17,740 teachers returning to the classroom.

While the department does not routinely publish recruitment and retention rates at a regional level, trends in the full-time equivalent teacher workforce suggest that regions have broadly followed the national pattern over time.

Information on the school workforce in England, including teacher recruitment and retention, is published annually in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical release, available on GOV.UK.

The department has now achieved 71.6% of the 6,500 additional teachers target. There are 4,654 more teachers - 3,008 more teachers in secondary and special schools in 2025/26 and 1,646 more teachers in further education, than in 2024/25. Latest data also reported one of the lowest leaver rates on record of 8.5% and a record 17,740 teachers returning to the classroom.

While the department does not routinely publish recruitment and retention rates at a regional level, trends in the full-time equivalent teacher workforce suggest that regions have broadly followed the national pattern over time.

Information on the school workforce in England, including teacher recruitment and retention, is published annually in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical release, available on GOV.UK.

The department has now achieved 71.6% of the 6,500 additional teachers target. There are 4,654 more teachers - 3,008 more teachers in secondary and special schools in 2025/26 and 1,646 more teachers in further education, than in 2024/25. Latest data also reported one of the lowest leaver rates on record of 8.5% and a record 17,740 teachers returning to the classroom.

While the department does not routinely publish recruitment and retention rates at a regional level, trends in the full-time equivalent teacher workforce suggest that regions have broadly followed the national pattern over time.

Information on the school workforce in England, including teacher recruitment and retention, is published annually in the ‘School workforce in England’ statistical release, available on GOV.UK.

The government is taking decisive action to better support disadvantaged students, make things fairer for graduates, and create a more flexible, responsive post-16 education system through the introduction of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement in January 2027.

Since 2024, we have raised the Plan 2 repayment threshold twice, protected borrowers from the risk of inflation shocks by capping interest rates on Plan 2 and Plan 3 loans at 6% for the 2026/27 academic year, and future-proofed maintenance loans by committing to increase them every year in-line with forecast inflation. Further, we are making care leavers automatically eligible for the maximum rate of maintenance loan, and we will be reintroducing targeted, means-tested maintenance grants in the2028/29 academic year, funded by a levy on providers for international students.

We will continue to look for ways to make the system fairer for students, graduates and taxpayers in a financially sustainable way.

The department recognises that the decision to close a school is difficult and sensitive and expects alternatives to closure to be explored before a decision is made. Where closure is considered the right option, the department expects proposers to minimise disruption to pupils’ education during the closure process and to support a smooth transition to alternative educational provision.

The evidence does not suggest a simple causal link between school closures and educational outcomes. However, we know that falling pupil numbers can create pressures on school finances, staffing and curriculum delivery, which may lead to closure being considered along with other options. The department is considering the impact of demographic change on educational outcomes, including for disadvantaged pupils, in line with recommendations made by the National Audit Office.

Proposers and local authorities should work together to ensure there are alternative places available for pupils, suitable transport arrangements and support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities as part of closure plans. Where the proposer is an academy trust, the department scrutinises these plans before agreeing to closure.

The department publishes figures on the number of education, health and care (EHC) plans issued within the statutory timeframe of 20 weeks. The latest data covers EHC plans issued during the 2018 to 2025 calendar years and is available on GOV.UK.

The published information shows that, in 2025, there were 143 of 153 local authorities where less than 100% of new EHC plans were issued within 20 weeks of the date the request for an EHC needs assessment was received.

The attached table, created from the release, is also available on GOV.UK.

High needs funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is continuing at an increased level of over £12 billion in the 2026/27 financial year, following an increase of 11% in 2025/26.

To reverse the trend of late intervention and escalation of needs, the department is providing £4 billion over the next three years, including:

• The Inclusive Mainstream Fund, providing £1.6 billion for schools, colleges and early years settings to prepare and deliver improved inclusive practice.
• £1.8 billion for local authorities to work in partnership with integrated care boards to develop and deliver a new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer, providing a new route to expert advice and support for mainstream settings from education and health professionals.

Furthermore, in 2026/27, local authorities with a SEND deficit will be eligible for a High Needs Stability Grant covering 90% of their dedicated schools grant deficit accrued up to 2025/26.

The data has been taken from the local management information system with financial year set as April to March. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the data, the details are subject to inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale case management system and is the best data that are available. For this reason, the appeals shown in the above table may not match published totals. Data does not include refusals to make a plan, as that is the step before deciding the content of a plan.

As part of the Government’s external engagement for Exercise PEGASUS, views from organisations advocating for immunosuppressed individuals were gathered through a series of focus groups. These groups also included a range of organisations representing disabled people, clinically vulnerable groups, and wider equality focused bodies. Given participants’ contributions directly inform the assessment of the exercise, the Government has agreed to keep the identities of these organisations anonymous.

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 18 November to Question 88033, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:

The Foreign Secretary met with the Palestinian Foreign Minister on 1 November. As part of their conversation they discussed educational reforms. The UK continues to monitor and advance the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation through an annual strategic dialogue. In the meantime, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, through the British Consulate in Jerusalem, engage regularly with the Palestinian Authority on many areas, including education reform.

I refer the Noble Lord to the answer provided in the House of Commons on 18 November to Question 88033, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:

The Foreign Secretary met with the Palestinian Foreign Minister on 1 November. As part of their conversation they discussed educational reforms. The UK continues to monitor and advance the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation through an annual strategic dialogue. In the meantime, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, through the British Consulate in Jerusalem, engage regularly with the Palestinian Authority on many areas, including education reform.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are currently developing their approach to the targeted revaluation and will set out more details in due course, following the outcome of the Government's consultation.

In general, when valuing domestic properties, the VOA uses modern technology and industry standard techniques combined with freely available information including sales data, property attribute details and government records.

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are developing their approach to the targeted revaluation and will set out more details in due course, following the outcome of the Government's consultation.

In general, when valuing domestic properties, the VOA uses modern technology and industry standard techniques combined with freely available information including sales data, property attribute details and government records.

All visa applicants are required to provide their biographic and biometric data to enable a range of security checks to be completed, including criminality checks.

Robust security checks are being undertaken on all individuals who enter the UK through the process to support eligible students to exit Gaza. Biometrics are collected as part of the visa application process and prior to travel to the UK.

The Home Office uses various tools to detect and disrupt travel by terrorists, by criminals and by individuals excluded from the UK; previously deported from the UK; or using lost, stolen or revoked documents and visas. This includes the use of domestic and international watchlists. The Home Office works with both law enforcement and wider government partners to ensure appropriate action is taken before travel or at the border when individuals of concern are identified. It would not be appropriate to provide further information about the nature and scope of security checks.

Exercise PEGASUS rigorously tested communications capabilities, which included testing communications from Government and public health bodies to clinically vulnerable populations. Officials used behavioural science insights to segment audiences based on a variety of factors, and developed tailored, accessible messaging for these groups. This will be considered in the evaluation of the exercise.

Organisations who advocate for clinically vulnerable patient groups were also engaged through focus groups, which sought perspectives on the outcomes of the exercise. These insights will contribute towards the exercise report.

The pandemic scenario designed in Exercise PEGASUS and given to participants was based on the emergence and spread of a novel pathogen and provided a realistic representation of its impact on the United Kingdom’s population, including those with existing conditions. The exercise included the circulation of existing pathogens such as COVID-19. Focus groups and surveys were carried out after each core exercise day to test the public reaction to the decisions taken by officials and ministers, and respondents were drawn from a broad cross-section of society, including those who were immunocompromised.