Rachael Maskell MP: written questions
4 Jul 2024–3 Jul 2025
How these years work
Our reporting years run from 4 July to 3 July, starting with the 2024 general election. They are not official parliamentary sessions. Office costs keep IPSA’s April–March financial years. Records may cover only part of a year; a missing record does not mean no work was done.
Read what this MP said, asked and contributed in Parliament.
58 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Children in Care: Mental Health ServicesDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57651More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that people with care experience have direct access to mental health services.
Answer: The Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care are updating guidance on promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children to ensure children in care and care leavers receive necessary health services and mental health ...
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren in CareDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57650More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will ensure that young people with care experience have support available from local authorities until the age of 30.
Answer: The department is committed to tackling stigma and discrimination faced by care-experienced children and young people. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will introduce corporate parenting responsibilities for government departments and other relev...
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFoster Care: RecruitmentDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57649More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to recruit foster carers.
Answer: Currently, there are 10 regional fostering programmes active across England, collaborating with over 60% of all local authorities to recruit and retain foster carers. This government is committed to working in partnership with local authorities to recruit...
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCare Leavers: Employment SchemesDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57648More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help care leavers to secure employment following education.
Answer: The department is committed to tackling stigma and discrimination faced by care-experienced children and young people. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will introduce corporate parenting responsibilities for government departments and other relev...
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordCare Leavers: GrantsDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57647More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will set the minimum grant for young people leaving care to set up home at £3000.
Answer: The department is committed to tackling stigma and discrimination faced by care-experienced children and young people. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will introduce corporate parenting responsibilities for government departments and other relev...
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordChildren in Care: DiscriminationDepartment for EducationTabled 5 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 57646More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making care experience a protected characteristic.
Answer: The department is committed to tackling stigma and discrimination faced by care-experienced children and young people. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will introduce corporate parenting responsibilities for government departments and other relev...
Answered 13 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordFree School Meals: Universal CreditDepartment for EducationTabled 2 Jun 2025AnsweredUIN 56273More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on changing the eligibility criteria for free school meals to include children whose parents claim Universal Credit.
Answer: This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. We have now announced that we are extending free school meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026. It will lif...
Answered 11 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53562More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consultation her Department carried out with (a) sector representatives and (b) people with lived experience in making its decision to cut the amount of therapy available per application via the Adoption a
Answer: The department was not able to consult organisations before the recent announcement, due to the need to open the fund for applications as soon as possible, for the benefit of the children involved. I meet regularly with adoption stakeholders, including re...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53561More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish any impact assessment carried out by her Department as part of its decision to reduce the amount of funding per application to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.
Answer: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for York Central, to the answer of 13 May 2025 to Question 49523.
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 20 May 2025AnsweredUIN 53560More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the budget allocated to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund was spent on therapy in each financial year; and how much overspend there was in each financial year.
Answer: The table below provides the data requested:Financial YearTherapeutic Services SpendOver spend2016/17£26,162,360.25£3,797,187.452017/18£27,643,580.09£194,021.492018/19£40,188,413.25£19,668,135.732019/20£41,575,278.06£6,755,560.462020/21£40,942,685.01-£1,8...
Answered 2 Jun 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 14 May 2025AnsweredUIN 52259More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will assess the potential impact of changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on the number of applications received to that fund; and if she will publish that assessment.
Answer: The department expects the number of applications to the adoption and special guardianship support fund to continue to increase, in line with previous years. The changes we introduced were designed to maximise the number of children who can get support in...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50144More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department has spent on its contract with Mott Macdonald to administer the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund in each year since 2018.
Answer: The table below shows the requested information on spending each year on Mott MacDonald for their administration of the adoption and special guardianship support fund.Financial YearContract Spend (ex. VAT)2018/19£2,066,435.402019/20£1,816,902.002020/21£1,...
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50143More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications were made under match funding arrangements to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund for (a) specialist assessments and (b) therapeutic support in each financial year since 201
Answer: The attached table provides the information requested.Please note that the fair access limit (FAL) and match funding arrangements were introduced in October 2016. The separate FAL for specialist assessments was introduced in April 2017. However, match fun...
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50142More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications were made under the fair access limit to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund in each financial year since 2015; and what the (a) total and (b) average value was of those app
Answer: The attached table provides the information requested.Please note that the fair access limit (FAL) and match funding arrangements were introduced in October 2016. The separate FAL for specialist assessments was introduced in April 2017. However, match fun...
Answered 13 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50141More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) applications and (b) approvals there were under the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund in each financial year since 2015; and what the realised spend was in each financial year.
Answer: The data requested can be found in the attached spreadsheet.The similarity in the figures between applications and approvals is down to the work Mott MacDonald, the department’s delivery partner, does with the applicants. If an application is questionable...
Answered 28 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 6 May 2025AnsweredUIN 50140More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2025 to Question 42565 on Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of the time taken to confirm funding for the 202
Answer: The number of applications returned for re-work after the announcement was 727. This allowed changes to be made to align with the grant criteria where necessary and also allowed confirmation that the local authority or regional adoption agency still wishe...
Answered 21 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48972More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the risk of adoption and special guardianship disruption as a result of the delay in funding for therapeutic support via the Adoption and Special Guardianship Suppo
Answer: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues over a range of important matters.Local authorities exercise their statutory duty to children previously in care and adopted children through region...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48971More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund are on hold as a result of the delay caused in announcing the funding for the current financial year.
Answer: Since the pause on accepting applications to the adoption and special guardianship support fund ended on 14 April, there are no applications on hold. Many of the applications received for funding which started in the previous financial year have continued...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48970More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many complaints were (a) received and (b) upheld against Mott MacDonald in its role administering the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.
Answer: The department has received no complaints regarding Mott MacDonald’s administration of the adoption and special guardianship support fund.
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 29 Apr 2025AnsweredUIN 48969More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential impact of changes to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on the a
Answer: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues over a range of important matters.Local authorities exercise their statutory duty to children previously in care and adopted children through region...
Answered 19 May 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42565More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the availability of information on future funding for the adoption and special guardianship support fund on (a) therapy providers (b) levels of redundanci
Answer: Following an announcement on 1 April, the department is delighted to announce that £50 million has been allocated to the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) for the 2025/26 financial year. No applications to the ASGSF made before 31 Mar...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42564More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issued to local authorities on the rules for applications to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund to be carried over into the 2025 financial year.
Answer: Following an announcement on 1 April, the department is delighted to announce that £50 million has been allocated to the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) for the 2025/26 financial year. No applications to the ASGSF made before 31 Mar...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordAdoption and Special Guardianship Support FundDepartment for EducationTabled 31 Mar 2025AnsweredUIN 42563More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications made to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund before March 31st 2025 were rejected on the basis that no future funding announcement had been made.
Answer: Following an announcement on 1 April, the department is delighted to announce that £50 million has been allocated to the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF) for the 2025/26 financial year. No applications to the ASGSF made before 31 Mar...
Answered 11 Apr 2025
Original Parliament recordHoliday Activities and Food ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33931More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the contribution of the Holidays and Activities Fund (a) nationally and (b) in York.
Answer: Since 2022, the department has invested over £200 million each year in free holiday club places for children from low-income families, through the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme, with all 153 local authorities in England delivering during the...
Answered 12 Mar 2025
Original Parliament recordHoliday Activities and Food ProgrammeDepartment for EducationTabled 26 Feb 2025AnsweredUIN 33930More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to provide continuity of the Holdiay and Activities Fund after 31 March 2025.
Answer: The government announced over £200 million funding for the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme for 2025/26, as part of the 2024 spending review and set out in the Autumn Budget 2024. The future of the HAF programme beyond 31 March 2026 is subject ...
Answered 29 Mar 2025
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Written questions by answering department
4 Jul 2024–3 Jul 2025. One record per UIN and tabled date; the named department is not a measure of answer quality.
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