Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to make schools more fit for students and staff during future heatwaves.

Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department takes periods of hot weather and heatwaves seriously and has published a climate risk assessment, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-of-uk-climate-change-risk-on-the-delivery-of-education/summary-of-findings-in-relation-to-3-climate-risks-overheating-flooding-and-water-scarcity.

To support the sector, the department has published guidance for education settings during hot weather, which is available at: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/hot-weather-and-heatwaves-guidance-for-schools-and-other-education-settings/. This advice draws on guidance from the UK Health Security Agency.

In most cases, schools are the safest place for children during hot weather, as staff can actively monitor pupils, ensure regular hydration, and make adjustments to keep them cool. Children may also not be any cooler at home than in school. Recent analysis by the National Housing Federation and the Chartered Institute of Housing shows that 1.6 million children are currently living in overheated homes.

The department is improving infrastructure and strengthening resilience across the education estate through our Education Estates Strategy. This includes a new £710 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme to improve condition and climate resilience, investment of almost £3 billion per year in capital maintenance by 2034/35 to improve the condition of the school and college estate, and investment of almost £20 billion through to 2034/35 in the School Rebuilding Programme, delivering climate‑resilient buildings at over 750 schools.

The department is also developing its objectives as part of the fourth National Adaptation Programme due in 2028.​

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps is she taking to increase Sikh community participation in mainstream sport.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Everyone should have the opportunity to play sport and enjoy the benefits of being physically active. The Government is committed to tackling the barriers and inequalities that underrepresented groups, including people from the Sikh community, can face when participating in mainstream sport.

We will continue to work with UK sports councils to support the Moving to Inclusion Framework which provides guidance and best practice to help sports organisations create more inclusive environments and drive meaningful change across leadership, workforce and participation in sport.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Integrated Care Boards have (a) adopted and (b) begun implementation of NHS England and Starlight's Play Well Toolkit.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The requested data is not centrally held.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure delivery companies delivering alcohol comply with age and licensing requirements.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Licensing Act 2003 provides the legal framework for the sale and supply of alcohol in England and Wales. It is already an offence under the Act to knowingly sell or attempt to sell alcohol to a person who is drunk or underage.

Consumer alcohol purchasing habits have evolved in recent years, particularly with a notable growth in sales made via online platforms and rapid delivery services. The Department for Health and Social Care, which has responsibility for policy on health harms, and the Home Office are looking at how current licensing rules apply to these services to ensure these are effective.

This includes engaging with experts, people with lived experience, and other stakeholders, and assessing emerging evidence on the impact that this may be having on health outcomes and on the effective promotion of the licensing objectives. I chaired a roundtable in June on this issue, jointly with the then Minister for Public Health and Prevention, and we are now determining our next steps, including engagement with delivery companies.