Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many dentists had a primary or majority commitment to NHS dentistry, for each of the past five years for which figures are available.

Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold information on the number of dentists whose primary or majority commitment was to National Health Service dentistry in each of the last five years.

The annual NHS dental statistics published by the NHS Business Services Authority show the number of dentists who performed any amount of NHS dental activity in England in the last five financial years. The following table shows the number of dentists performing NHS work in the last five financial years:

Source: Dental statistics - England 2024/25, available on the NHS Business Services Authority website.

The NHS Dental Workforce Survey also collects data on the proportion of dentists’ time spent on NHS and private work in practices with NHS contracts. The latest data available relates to December 2024 and is available on the NHS.UK website.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) age-assurance technologies, and (2) any improvements in such technologies required to implement their proposed social media restrictions.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Age assurance technologies play an important role in ensuring that platforms are providing an age-appropriate experience for children on their services.

Ofcom has agreed to launch a rapid assessment of what constitutes highly effective age assurance for establishing whether someone is over 16. Ahead of this, Ofcom are set to publish a report on the effectiveness of age assurance by July 2026, which will help broaden our evidence base and inform future policy options.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extra resources required by OFCOM to support the proposed age-based restrictions for social media platforms.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The government will make sure that Ofcom has the resourcing it needs to implement and enforce its new duties, including age based restrictions on social media platforms. The Secretary of State has urged Ofcom’s new chair to consider what changes might be needed to Ofcom’s structures and ways of working to deliver effective implementation of its duties.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult on the use of electric bikes and scooters.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

The Government will consult in the coming months on two distinct aspects of the use of e-cycles and e-scooters.

We will consult on regulations for how private e-scooters can be used on the roads, ahead of delivering the primary legislation necessary to implementing these changes when parliamentary time allows.

We will also consult on the implementation of licensing for shared cycle schemes to ensure we deliver a combination of regulations and guidance which empowers our local leaders to maximise the benefits of these schemes and tackle negative impacts.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to ensure that students in Gaza who have been offered a scholarship to study in UK universities are able to do so.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

On 24 June 2026, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs announced in a Written Ministerial Statement (Statement UIN HCWS144) that the government will provide support to enable eligible students in Gaza to depart and take up their places at UK universities for the 2026/27 academic year.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what has been the drop out rate of student teachers from Teach First for each of the last five years.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Data provided in this response is specifically in relation to the High Potential Initial Teacher Training programme (HPITT) delivered by Teach First.

The table below shows the total student teachers recruited to the HPITT programme in each of the last five cohorts.

The table below shows the percentage of trainees who completed the two year programme and overall dropout rate. For cohorts 2024/2025, we have provided our current performance data (correct at 31 May 2026) with actuals due to be confirmed at milestone points in the future.

Data for the 2025 cohort is based on the current withdrawal rates in year 1 of the program as provided by Teach First.

The table below shows the spending for the last five financial years on the HPITT programme (ex VAT).

This data is reported monthly by the department via a transaction report. We have provided a total of 12 months of financial data together within the table for each financial year. Individual reports are available on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many student teachers were recruited to Teach First in each of the last five years.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Data provided in this response is specifically in relation to the High Potential Initial Teacher Training programme (HPITT) delivered by Teach First.

The table below shows the total student teachers recruited to the HPITT programme in each of the last five cohorts.

The table below shows the percentage of trainees who completed the two year programme and overall dropout rate. For cohorts 2024/2025, we have provided our current performance data (correct at 31 May 2026) with actuals due to be confirmed at milestone points in the future.

Data for the 2025 cohort is based on the current withdrawal rates in year 1 of the program as provided by Teach First.

The table below shows the spending for the last five financial years on the HPITT programme (ex VAT).

This data is reported monthly by the department via a transaction report. We have provided a total of 12 months of financial data together within the table for each financial year. Individual reports are available on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what has been the total cost of Teach First for each of the last five years.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Data provided in this response is specifically in relation to the High Potential Initial Teacher Training programme (HPITT) delivered by Teach First.

The table below shows the total student teachers recruited to the HPITT programme in each of the last five cohorts.

The table below shows the percentage of trainees who completed the two year programme and overall dropout rate. For cohorts 2024/2025, we have provided our current performance data (correct at 31 May 2026) with actuals due to be confirmed at milestone points in the future.

Data for the 2025 cohort is based on the current withdrawal rates in year 1 of the program as provided by Teach First.

The table below shows the spending for the last five financial years on the HPITT programme (ex VAT).

This data is reported monthly by the department via a transaction report. We have provided a total of 12 months of financial data together within the table for each financial year. Individual reports are available on GOV.UK.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what were the (1) national target or anticipated numbers of Skills Bootcamps learner starts, and (2) actual start figures, for (a) locally commissioned delivery; (b) centrally procured or directly managed national contracts; and (c) any other delivery route, for each year since Skills Bootcamps were launched, and for 2026–27 where figures are held.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department has not published starts targets split by national and local delivery.

Skills Bootcamps starts are published here. Releases - Skills bootcamps starts, completions and outcomes - page 1 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK

The below table sets out spend for Skills Bootcamps national delivery by financial year. Final spend for the 2025-26 financial year is not yet available. In the 2026-27 financial year the Skills Bootcamps budget is £166 million.

We do not hold contract allocation values for Skills Bootcamps national delivery by financial year as contracts span multiple financial years.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, for each financial year from 2023–24 to 2025–26, what was the total maximum funding available through centrally procured or directly managed national Skills Bootcamps contracts, and what was the final amount spent through those contracts in each year; and what is the forecast or allocated spend for 2026–27.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The department has not published starts targets split by national and local delivery.

Skills Bootcamps starts are published here. Releases - Skills bootcamps starts, completions and outcomes - page 1 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK

The below table sets out spend for Skills Bootcamps national delivery by financial year. Final spend for the 2025-26 financial year is not yet available. In the 2026-27 financial year the Skills Bootcamps budget is £166 million.

We do not hold contract allocation values for Skills Bootcamps national delivery by financial year as contracts span multiple financial years.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Defence and Security Media Advisory Notices were issued in each of the last five years.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold this information, as the Defence and Security Media Advisory (DSMA) Committee is an independent, non-statutory body with no governmental affiliation beyond administrative support. Therefore, any queries concerning the Committee’s work should be directed to the DSMA Secretary at [email protected].

The requested information is publicly accessible on the DSMA website. The news section provides summaries of meetings and Secretary reports, including records of supplementary notices issued. This material is available at the DSMA news page: https://www.dsma.uk/news/.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria will be used to determine which social media platforms are subject to the proposed restrictions on children's access.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Keeping children safe online is a priority for this government. That is why the Secretary of State announced a ban on social media platforms offering their services to under-16s.

We aim to use the same model as Australia. This means capturing user to user platforms, whose purpose is to enable social interaction, which allow users to post material alongside algorithms. A narrowly defined list of exemptions, including messaging and educational services, will also be set out and kept under review.

The Secretary of State will set out the final criteria in regulations that she brings forward before the end of 2026.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to enforce restrictions on high-risk online activities, including (1) live-streaming, and (2) contact with strangers.

Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government has announced its intention that live streaming and stranger communication, including in gaming, will be switched off by default for 16- and 17-year-olds and banned completely for under-16s. Services will need to enforce these restrictions through robust age checks, with requirements set out in regulations later this year.

The Secretary of State wrote to Ofcom’s leadership, making clear that enforcing the Online Safety Act, and these new protections, must be a top priority.

Question

To ask The Senior Deputy Speaker what discussions have been had with Churchill Cleaning regarding its proposals to (1) reduce the amount of time spent cleaning in Parliament by over 1000 hours a week, and (2) make 40 cleaners redundant.

Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede

Employment decisions are the responsibility of our contractor. However, the House Administrations have made clear their concerns to Churchill Cleaning about the pace and scale of the proposed changes and have received assurances regarding continued delivery to contractual standards. Our cleaners are highly valued members of our community and we are emphasising this to Churchill Cleaning in our discussions with them.

Found: The other frontbench members of the Committee—Earl Howe, the Earl of Kinnoull, and Lord Storey—agreed

Submit Evidence (by 7 Sep 2026)

This inquiry will examine whether the Online Safety Act has begun to make online services safer for UK users. The Committee will consider Ofcom's implementation and enforcement of the Act's provisions, the changes made by regulated online services, and what further action may be needed to improve the UK's online safety regime.