Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether a state-funded school may require a pupil of primary-school age to wear religious clothing as part of its uniform without the express consent of the pupil's parent or guardian.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not routinely gather data on individual schoolsâ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.
School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.
The department publishes non-statutory guidance on âDeveloping school uniform policy, which sets out schoolsâ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.
The departmentâs guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on how many state-funded schools in England require female pupils to wear a hijab as part of their school uniform.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not routinely gather data on individual schoolsâ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.
School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.
The department publishes non-statutory guidance on âDeveloping school uniform policy, which sets out schoolsâ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.
The departmentâs guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Ofsted has a role in assessing whether a state-funded school's uniform policy is consistent with the (a) Equality Act 2010 and (b) school's obligations to promote fundamental British values.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not routinely gather data on individual schoolsâ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.
School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.
The department publishes non-statutory guidance on âDeveloping school uniform policy, which sets out schoolsâ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.
The departmentâs guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what protections are in place to ensure that pupils of (a) no religion and (b) a religion other than that of a faith school are not required to wear religious clothing as part of the school's uniform.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not routinely gather data on individual schoolsâ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.
School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.
The department publishes non-statutory guidance on âDeveloping school uniform policy, which sets out schoolsâ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.
The departmentâs guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to state-funded schools on the circumstances in which a pupil may decline to wear religious clothing required by a school's uniform policy.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department does not routinely gather data on individual schoolsâ uniform policies and does not hold information on schools requiring articles of religious clothing.
School leaders, including those of faith schools, are responsible for making decisions on the uniform requirements for their school.
The department publishes non-statutory guidance on âDeveloping school uniform policy, which sets out schoolsâ obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, as well as general equality and discrimination considerations. This is available here at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform/school-uniforms.
The departmentâs guidance is clear that schools should aim for their uniform policy to be as inclusive as possible so that all pupils are able to wear the uniform. They should engage with parents and pupils when developing the policy.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the her Department has taken to establish whether individuals convicted of serious people-smuggling offences overseas are present in the UK; and whether these individuals will be prevented from obtaining immigration status or protection in the UK.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
We take the issue of preventing foreign criminals entering the UK extremely seriously, and we continue to strengthen our borders so that we can prevent crime and protect the public, delivering on this Governmentâs commitment to tackle foreign criminality.
All applications for a visa or Electronic Travel Authorisation are checked against a range of police, security and immigration databases for details of any UK or overseas criminal record. All applicants are required to provide details of their criminal history. Where it is found that they failed to declare relevant offences/convictions, their application will be refused, and they will be subject to a ten-year ban from applying to enter the UK.
Anyone convicted of a particularly serious crime who is considered a danger to the UK will be excluded from protection and considered for removal from the UK.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Kentâs Communities of Schools model complies with her Department's guidance.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is seeking a meeting with Kent County Council officers to understand more about its Communities of Schools model.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of new metro rolling stock for the southeastern network on performance and costs.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Southeastern is currently engaged in a live rolling stock procurement. The conclusion of this process will result in the full business case, with a recommended solution, being taken through stringent Department for Transport governance approvals required for investment decisions. This process is expected to take place over the summer.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the ÂŁ3.5 billion funding announced in the White Paper entitled Every child achieving and thriving, published 23 February 2026, is additional funding beyond that announced at the Spending Review.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the right hon. Member for Sevenoaks to the answer of 7 April 2026 to Question HL14880 and HL14881.
Asked by: Laura Trott (Conservative - Sevenoaks)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the ÂŁ4bn announced in her Department's policy paper entitled Every child achieving and thriving, published on 23 February 2026, is from her Departmentâs existing spending envelope.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the right hon. Member for Sevenoaks to the answer of 7 April 2026 to Question HL14880 and HL14881.