The department works with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to support building the evidence base for early language interventions. In July 2024, the department announced that funded support for the 11,100 schools registered for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme (two thirds of English state primary schools) would continue for the 2024/25 academic year. NELI is the most robustly evidenced early language programme in the UK, helping children who need extra support with their speech and language development to make four months of additional progress and seven months for those on free school meals.<\/p>
To support early language skills, the department has invested over £20 million in NELI. The department does not hold the exact number of children who have completed NELI since 2020, but an estimate is based on the data included in EEF\u2019s 'NELI Scale-up: Evaluation Report - Year 2', as attached. The programme has screened more than 650,000 children in the last four years and supported more than 210,000 four and five-year-olds since the pandemic. Broken down by academic year, this is:<\/p>
2020/21: 35,000<\/p>
2021/22: 59,000<\/p>
2022/23: 58,000<\/p>
2023/24: 59,000<\/p>
The Stronger Practice Hubs, which provide advice, share good practice and offer evidence-based professional development for early years practitioners, have also collaborated with the EEF to fund and make places available on several early language programmes. This is helping to strengthen and add to the evidence base of early years professional development programmes. The department does not hold data on the number of children who have benefitted from these programmes.<\/p>
The number of new schools who registered to deliver NELI in each academic year since 2020 are as follows:<\/p>
2020/21: 6,668<\/p>
2021/22: 4,418<\/p>
2022/23: 26<\/p>
2023/24: no new school registration undertaken<\/p>
For registered schools, the government has continued to fund the intervention so that schools can deliver the programme to new cohorts of reception children, where they are identified with below or well-below average language levels. We do not hold figures on how many of these schools completed the full work programme in each of those years.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/269", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Smith of Malvern"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Smith of Malvern"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1729624/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "HL1093_HL1094_HL1095_NELI_Scale_Up_Evaluation_Report_Year_2.pdf"} , "title" : "HL1093_HL1094_HL1095_attachment "} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-09-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "HL1094"} , {"_value" : "HL1095"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-09-25T14:50:13.593Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-09-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children: Speech and Language Disorders"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government which providers of language intervention programmes for schools they support with funding.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/542", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Touhig"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Touhig"} ], "uin" : "HL1093"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1729625", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1729625/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The department works with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to support building the evidence base for early language interventions. In July 2024, the department announced that funded support for the 11,100 schools registered for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme (two thirds of English state primary schools) would continue for the 2024/25 academic year. NELI is the most robustly evidenced early language programme in the UK, helping children who need extra support with their speech and language development to make four months of additional progress and seven months for those on free school meals.<\/p>
To support early language skills, the department has invested over £20 million in NELI. The department does not hold the exact number of children who have completed NELI since 2020, but an estimate is based on the data included in EEF\u2019s 'NELI Scale-up: Evaluation Report - Year 2', as attached. The programme has screened more than 650,000 children in the last four years and supported more than 210,000 four and five-year-olds since the pandemic. Broken down by academic year, this is:<\/p>
2020/21: 35,000<\/p>
2021/22: 59,000<\/p>
2022/23: 58,000<\/p>
2023/24: 59,000<\/p>
The Stronger Practice Hubs, which provide advice, share good practice and offer evidence-based professional development for early years practitioners, have also collaborated with the EEF to fund and make places available on several early language programmes. This is helping to strengthen and add to the evidence base of early years professional development programmes. The department does not hold data on the number of children who have benefitted from these programmes.<\/p>
The number of new schools who registered to deliver NELI in each academic year since 2020 are as follows:<\/p>
2020/21: 6,668<\/p>
2021/22: 4,418<\/p>
2022/23: 26<\/p>
2023/24: no new school registration undertaken<\/p>
For registered schools, the government has continued to fund the intervention so that schools can deliver the programme to new cohorts of reception children, where they are identified with below or well-below average language levels. We do not hold figures on how many of these schools completed the full work programme in each of those years.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/269", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Smith of Malvern"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Smith of Malvern"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1729625/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "HL1093_HL1094_HL1095_NELI_Scale_Up_Evaluation_Report_Year_2.pdf"} , "title" : "HL1093_HL1094_HL1095_attachment "} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-09-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "HL1093"} , {"_value" : "HL1095"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-09-25T14:50:13.64Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-09-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children: Speech and Language Disorders"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government how many children have completed language intervention programmes each year since such programmes were first funded by the Government in 2021.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/542", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Touhig"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Touhig"} ], "uin" : "HL1094"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1729626", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1729626/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The department works with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to support building the evidence base for early language interventions. In July 2024, the department announced that funded support for the 11,100 schools registered for the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme (two thirds of English state primary schools) would continue for the 2024/25 academic year. NELI is the most robustly evidenced early language programme in the UK, helping children who need extra support with their speech and language development to make four months of additional progress and seven months for those on free school meals.<\/p>
To support early language skills, the department has invested over £20 million in NELI. The department does not hold the exact number of children who have completed NELI since 2020, but an estimate is based on the data included in EEF\u2019s 'NELI Scale-up: Evaluation Report - Year 2', as attached. The programme has screened more than 650,000 children in the last four years and supported more than 210,000 four and five-year-olds since the pandemic. Broken down by academic year, this is:<\/p>
2020/21: 35,000<\/p>
2021/22: 59,000<\/p>
2022/23: 58,000<\/p>
2023/24: 59,000<\/p>
The Stronger Practice Hubs, which provide advice, share good practice and offer evidence-based professional development for early years practitioners, have also collaborated with the EEF to fund and make places available on several early language programmes. This is helping to strengthen and add to the evidence base of early years professional development programmes. The department does not hold data on the number of children who have benefitted from these programmes.<\/p>
The number of new schools who registered to deliver NELI in each academic year since 2020 are as follows:<\/p>
2020/21: 6,668<\/p>
2021/22: 4,418<\/p>
2022/23: 26<\/p>
2023/24: no new school registration undertaken<\/p>
For registered schools, the government has continued to fund the intervention so that schools can deliver the programme to new cohorts of reception children, where they are identified with below or well-below average language levels. We do not hold figures on how many of these schools completed the full work programme in each of those years.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/269", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Smith of Malvern"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Smith of Malvern"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1729626/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "HL1093_HL1094_HL1095_NELI_Scale_Up_Evaluation_Report_Year_2.pdf"} , "title" : "HL1093_HL1094_HL1095_attachment "} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-09-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "HL1093"} , {"_value" : "HL1094"} ], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-09-25T14:50:13.67Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-09-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children: Speech and Language Disorders"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government how many schools registered to deliver language intervention programmes in (1) 2021, (2) 2022, and (3) 2023, and how many completed the full work programme in each of those years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/542", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Touhig"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Touhig"} ], "uin" : "HL1095"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1723725", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1723725/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Child poverty has gone up by 700,000 since 2010, with over four million children now growing up in a low-income family. This not only harms children\u2019s lives now, but it also damages their future prospects and holds back the economic potential of the country.<\/p>
<\/p>
My right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced the appointment of my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education to be the joint leads of a new ministerial taskforce to begin work on a child poverty strategy. The government is committed to delivering an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, to tackle the root causes and give every child the best start at life.<\/p>
<\/p>
This government is committed to improving mental health support for all children and young people. This is critical to breaking down barriers to opportunity and learning. The right support should be available to every young person that needs it, which is why the government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.<\/p>
<\/p>
The government will also be putting in place new Young Futures hubs, including access to mental health support workers, and will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to speed-up access to treatment for children and adults.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/269", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Smith of Malvern"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Smith of Malvern"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-08-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-08-08T11:58:15.317Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-07-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children: Poverty"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce stress for children in poverty in schools and other educational settings in order to improve their mental health outcomes, and how they will assess the effectiveness of interventions in this area.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/542", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Touhig"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Touhig"} ], "uin" : "HL373"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1723726", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1723726/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
It is unacceptable that many children and young people are not receiving the mental health care and support they need, and we know that waiting times for mental health services are far too long. We are determined to change that.<\/p>
As part of our mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and that is there when people need it, the Government will recruit 8,500 additional staff across children and adult mental health services, introduce a specialist mental health professional in every school, and roll out Young Futures hubs in every community.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/347", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Merron"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Merron"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-07-31", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-07-31T14:43:00.863Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-07-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Mental Health Services: Children"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve access to community-based mental health support for low-income families with children.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/542", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Touhig"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Touhig"} ], "uin" : "HL374"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1697331", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1697331/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government strongly supports and advocates for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) being given access to hostages. Ministers and senior officials have discussed this in multiple meetings with ICRC officials in the UK and overseas. In line with their mandate, the ICRC has called for the immediate release of all the hostages and for access to them whilst in captivity. So far, the ICRC has been denied access to the remaining hostages in Gaza. The ICRC has no means to compel conflict parties to provide it access and requires agreement from the respective parties to the conflict to visit hostages. The ICRC facilitated the release of 105 hostages as part of the deal agreed between Hamas and Israel in November 2023. The Government continues to call for a humanitarian pause to allow for the release of the remaining hostages.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-04-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-04-04T15:58:32.577Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "208"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Hamas: Hostage Taking"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with international partners about securing Red Cross access to hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/542", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Touhig"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Touhig"} ], "uin" : "HL3429"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1695574", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Defence"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1695574/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The single Services provide holistic support to their respective leavers and signpost to the services available to them. Although individual units may have their own bespoke processes, the Tri Service Resettlement policy (JSP 534) available at the link below explains the minimum level of support.<\/p>
<\/p>
www.gov.uk/government/publications/tri-service-resettlement-manual-jsp-534<\/p>
All Service leavers are given the opportunity to attend a Financial Aspects of Resettlement Brief by the Forces Pension Society. Briefs can be attended at any point in a Service person's career, however priority is given to Service leavers with nine months or less to discharge. Briefings are tailored, where numbers permit, to different rank groups, and spouses are welcome to attend.<\/p>
<\/p>
All Service leavers are issued a Service Leavers' Guide designed to provide help and advise on a range of topics to assist with planning the transition to civilian life, and contains pension information and signposting. This was last reviewed in September 2023 and can be found at the following link:<\/p>
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/651c1168e4e658000d59d888/Service_Leavers_Guide_-_Sep_23.pdf<\/p>
<\/p>
On discharge, Service leavers also receive a letter from the Joint Personnel Administration Centre (JPAC) detailing their pension entitlement and when this will be paid.<\/p>
<\/p>
Further information and guidance relating to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) is readily available on gov.uk at the following link:<\/p>
www.gov.uk/guidance/pensions-and-compensation-for-veterans<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>
The Armed Forces Pension Calculator can be accessed at the following link:<\/p>
https://www.gov.uk/armed-forces-pension-calculator<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4952", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for The Earl of Minto"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "The Earl of Minto"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-26T15:34:46.993Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Armed Forces: Pensions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government in what format Armed Forces personnel receive advice about their pensions when they leave the services.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/542", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Touhig"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Touhig"} ], "uin" : "HL3224"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1695575", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Defence"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1695575/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) benefits can be transferred out up until 12 months before the date the member reaches pension benefit age.<\/p>
<\/p>
If a member wishes to transfer their AFPS benefits into another Public Sector scheme, this must be done within 12 months of them joining the new Public Sector Scheme.<\/p>
<\/p>
Both the Pension Schemes Act 2015 and the Taxation of Pensions Act 2014 stipulates the rule that prevents transfers from unfunded public service defined benefit schemes (such as the AFPS) to funded defined contribution schemes in the UK or abroad.<\/p>
<\/p>
Once an AFPS pension is in payment, this cannot be transferred out.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4952", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for The Earl of Minto"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "The Earl of Minto"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-03-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-03-26T15:43:58.25Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "11"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Defence"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Armed Forces: Pensions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government whether there is a time limit within which former Armed Forces personnel can transfer their service pension to a new pensions provider.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/542", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Touhig"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Touhig"} ], "uin" : "HL3225"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1688924", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1688924/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The department works closely with the National Autistic Society (NAS) and is aware of the Cullum Centres and the evaluation currently being undertaken by Goldsmiths, University of London, but has made no assessments of the Centres to date. The department engages regularly with NAS and other autism stakeholders to understand the issues faced by autistic children and young people and to understand possible solutions.<\/p>
<\/p>
The department supports local authorities to provide sufficient school places for all children, including autistic children, through capital funding. The department has published over £1.5 billion of High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years. This funding is allocated to local authorities to support them to deliver new places and improve existing provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with autism, or who require alternative provision (AP). This funding forms part of the department's transformational investment of £2.6 billion in new high needs provision between 2022 and 2025 and is on top of the department\u2019s ongoing delivery of new special and AP free schools.<\/p>
<\/p>
Reaching over 70% of schools and further education (FE) colleges, the Universal Services programme helps the school and FE workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND earlier and more effectively. The programme will also help the schools to successfully prepare children and young people for adulthood, including employment.\u202f Universal offers online training, professional development groups, bespoke school and college improvement projects, sector-led research, autism awareness training and an embedded focus on preparation for adulthood, including employer-led webinars for college staff. The programme commenced in May 2022 and runs until Spring 2025, with a budget of nearly £12 million.<\/p>
<\/p>
The department has begun collecting data from local authorities on available capacity in special schools, SEND units and resourced provision, along with corresponding forecasts of demand for these places. This data will help the department to effectively support local authorities to fulfil their statutory duty to provide sufficient specialist places.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4703", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Barran"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Barran"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-02-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-02-28T13:19:38.613Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Education: Autism"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the National Autistic Society's Cullum Centres; and what consideration they have given to rolling out the Cullum model in mainstream schools across the country.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/542", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Touhig"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Touhig"} ], "uin" : "HL2503"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1688925", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1688925/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "