Oral Answers to Questions

Ian Roome Excerpts

Monday 1st December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Josh MacAlister]

I appreciate my hon. Friend championing the work of local businesses such as Rowden’s, and other defence industries across the UK, and I will gladly ask my noble friend the Minister for Skills, who I am sure would welcome the opportunity to meet him in the coming weeks.

[Ian Roome (North Devon) (LD)]

2. What steps she is taking to improve education on sexual consent and relationships.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Olivia Bailey)]

The Government’s new relationships, sex and health education guidance will help to ensure that young people learn about healthy, respectful relationships, and understand that consent is essential. That supports our unprecedented mission to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.

[Ian Roome]

Many parents are concerned about how schools address the sensitive issues of consent and sexual violence. What action is the Department taking to ensure that those subjects are being taught in schools by appropriately trained professionals, to safeguard both pupils and teachers?

[Olivia Bailey]

That is exactly what our new RSHE guidance aims to do, to give schools the support they need to ensure that our young people are taught about healthy relationships, and to learn about critical concepts such as consent.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I think I have heard enough; I do not need a running commentary on whether somebody might or might not be a turkey. Okay, let us move on.

[Ian Roome (North Devon) (LD)]

T4. Forces families sometimes find that a child’s education, health and care plan is not automatically recognised when they are reposted to a new area, leaving children without provision. With the children’s services White Paper due next year, will the Minister ensure that military children specifically are included and raise the issue of adopting the Ministry of Defence local authority partnership system with local authorities that currently do not use it?

[Georgia Gould]

I will look into the points that the hon. Gentleman has raised. It would be very helpful if he could write to me on those issues.