Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making safe sleep training for early years staff mandatory.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.

To make the existing requirements clearer for all, the department plans to add in more detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safe sleep experts including the Lullaby Trust on proposed new wording. We plan to make these changes as soon as possible.

The ‘Early years qualification requirements and standards’ document sets out the minimum qualification requirements, including the qualifications criteria at levels 2 and 3, that staff must meet to be recognised as level 2, level 3 or level 6 members of staff for the purpose of working within the EYFS staff:child ratios. The document is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.

Both the level 2 and level 3 criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision, with level 3 also including use of equipment, furniture and materials safely with regard for sleep safety.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to upgrade the teacher training curriculum to include mandatory training on how to teach dyslexic children.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

On 16 January we announced plans for a new expectation on schools and other settings to ensure staff receive training on SEND and inclusion, supported by £200m investment during this Parliament into government-backed training courses and materials.

The department recently introduced a new training framework for trainee and early career teachers. The initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF), which became mandatory from September 2025, sets out the minimum entitlement to training for all new teachers. This framework includes more content on adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). For example, developing an understanding of different pupil needs and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils, including those with dyslexia. We are committed to continuous improvement and will be reviewing the ITTECF in 2027, which will focus on the support we provide trainees and early career teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on global oil trade.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Closure of the Strait of Hormuz would significantly disrupt global oil supplies, resulting in higher global prices. In the event of any global supply disruption, the UK holds emergency oil stocks that can be released to the market as part of a collective action by member countries of the International Energy Agency.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what information her Department holds on the extent to which social media platforms collect and monetise behavioural data from users under the age of 16; and what steps she is taking to limit that practice.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT does not hold information on behavioural data collected by platforms on users under the age of 16.

Where data collected by social media platforms constitutes personal data, under the UK’s data protection and privacy framework, its collection and use must be lawful, fair, transparent and secure.

Children should be given clear information about how their data will be used and they have the same rights as adults to access their data; request rectification; object to its processing or have it erased. Organisations offering online services directly to children must comply with the statutory Age Appropriate Design Code, and must seek parental consent to process the personal data of children under the age of 13.

Organisations that fail to follow these rules are subject to investigation and enforcement by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO is required to have particular regard to the fact that children merit specific protection when their personal data is processed.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to utilise AI to improve the productivity of the (a) public-sector, (b) NHS, (c) Civil Service and (d) Local Government in (i) Broxtowe constituency, (ii) the East Midlands and (iii) England.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

• AI is at the heart of the government’s plan to transform how we deliver public services and boost productivity. The AI Opportunities Action Plan outlines how we will improve these services to drive growth across the economy.
• A cross-government pilot of 20,000 civil servants found tools like Microsoft Copilot can save an average of 26 minutes per person per day, while a trial of AI coding saved engineers 56 minutes per day.
• A trial of Ambient Voice Technology in the NHS has shown a 23.5% increase in patient interaction time alongside an 8.2% reduction in appointment length. Early results with AI diagnostics showed a decreased wait time for follow-up CT scans from 6.3 to 5.6 days.
• Local authorities, including those in the East Midlands, benefit from GDS Local who have already engaged with over 300 local government digital practitioners on the opportunities AI brings to improve productivity, alongside the national rollout of tools like Extract, supporting more efficient local service delivery.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to use AI and automation to (a) improve the delivery of, (b) reduce administrative burdens of and (c) improve the accuracy of assessments for welfare benefits.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are adopting AI in DWP to help colleagues deliver better outcomes for customers and to improve productivity and efficiency, so that colleagues can get more decisions right first time and can support the people who need it most.

The Department uses automated decision-making in some areas, as described in our Personal Information Charter. Customers are told when an automated decision may have been made in relation to their case, along with information on the steps they would need to take if they want to exercise their right to ask for a human to review that decision.

DWP has a legal requirement to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place when carrying out automated decision-making. The Department carries out regular checks to ensure our systems are working as intended, and any new features go through rigorous testing.

Found: Liberal Democrat; Orkney and Shetland) (Chair) Sarah Bool (Conservative; South Northamptonshire) Juliet Campbell

Found: Wednesday 4 February 2026 3.35 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Chair); Juliet Campbell

Found: Wednesday 4 February 2026 2.20 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Chair); Juliet Campbell

Found: Wednesday 28 January 2026 3.20 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Chair); Juliet Campbell

Found: Wednesday 28 January 2026 2.20 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Chair); Juliet Campbell

Found: Wednesday 21 January 2025 3.05 pm Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Chair); Juliet Campbell

Found: We will now hear from Afzal Khan, and then Juliet Campbell MP.