Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Premier League Primary Stars literacy initiative.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government's Opportunity Mission aims to remove barriers and ensure every child achieves and thrives by providing the best start in life and essential skills. Reading is central to this mission and is crucial for success at school and in life, and so we welcome the Premier League’s work with the National Literacy Trust on supporting pupils’ reading through the Primary Stars literacy initiative.

On 7 July 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced that 2026 will be The National Year of Reading. The National Year of Reading 2026 is a campaign to address the steep decline in reading for pleasure amongst children, young people and adults. It is a department initiative, in collaboration with our delivery partner, the National Literacy Trust, who will lead the delivery of the campaign.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of (a) tableware and (b) crockery used in her Department is made by a British manufacturer.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department has management responsibility for on-site canteens / restaurants at the London headquarters building and at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) offices in Swansea.

Crockery and tableware at the DfT London headquarters buildings has been sourced over a number of years from various suppliers within the UK, however, full information about the country of manufacture is not available.

The crockery used at the DVLA office is manufactured at a factory in Stoke-on-Trent. The tableware at this site has been in use over several years and it is not possible to get an accurate figure on what was made by a British manufacturer.

Found: Democrat; Witney) Andrew Pakes (Labour; Peterborough) David Pinto-Duschinsky (Labour; Hendon) Gareth Snell

Found: Democrat; Frome and East Somerset) Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst (Conservative; Solihull West and Shirley) Gareth Snell

Found: Democrat; Witney) Andrew Pakes (Labour; Peterborough) David Pinto-Duschinsky (Labour; Hendon) Gareth Snell

Found: Democrat; Witney) Andrew Pakes (Labour; Peterborough) David Pinto-Duschinsky (Labour; Hendon) Gareth Snell