Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what consideration she has given to updating equality legislation to help tackle hair-based discrimination.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The government wants to ensure that whoever you are, wherever you come from, Britain is a country that will respect your contribution and give you a fair chance to get on in life.
The Equality Act 2010 uses a very broad definition of race, so that it protects aspects of cultural and social ethnic origin. Hairstyles worn because of cultural, family and social customs can be part of a person’s ethnic origin and are therefore protected under the Equality Act 2010.
In October 2022, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published guidance to help schools ensure their uniform and appearance policies are not unlawfully discriminatory.
This guidance is publicly available on their website at: (https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/guidance/public-sector-equality-duty/preventing-hair-discrimination-schools)
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the equalities impact of (a) not routinely including Afro-textured hair within hairdressing qualifications and (b) individuals having been denied access to hairdressing services as a result on (i) Black and (ii) mixed-heritage people.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are committed to improving the quality of hair and beauty qualifications and have plans in place to reform all qualifications for 16 to 19 learners. Content for any new hair and beauty qualifications, including new Level 2 Occupational Certificates and a new Level 3 T Level, will be set nationally and linked to occupational standards co-designed with employers, ensuring relevance and credibility, and we will consider inclusive education, including afro-textured hair, as part of setting content. By linking qualifications to occupational standards, improving clarity and comparability across pathways, and ensuring all qualifications support meaningful progression, the system will ensure learners are engaged, retained in learning, and equipped to thrive in a modern labour market, including progressing into employment in the hair and beauty industry.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides on preventing unwanted touching of (a) Black and (b) mixed-heritage children’s Afro-textured hair in (i) early years and (ii) school settings; how this issue is addressed within (A) safeguarding, (B) personal safety, and (C) wellbeing guidance; and what guidance her Department provides on training for staff to ensure (1) culturally competent and (2) safe practice.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Birmingham Erdington to the answer of 10 June 2026 to Question 6581.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether training on (a) race, (b) consent, and (c) safeguarding in relation to (i) children’s hair, (ii) Afro hair and (iii) bodily autonomy forms part of (A) early years and (B) teacher training requirements; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of a review of such training.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is committed to ensuring that all children receive a high-quality and inclusive education, supported by well-trained early years practitioners and teachers.
To achieve qualified teacher status and early years teacher status, trainees must meet relevant standards, including creating safe learning environments. All settings must also have due regard to ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, which includes guidance on safeguarding, welfare and bullying.
The ‘Early years foundation stage’ framework and the ‘Initial teacher training early career’ framework sets expectations for safeguarding, behaviour, and promoting pupils’ wellbeing. As part of this, providers are required to ensure trainees understand equality, inclusion, and safeguarding.
The department keeps training requirements under review to ensure they remain effective and evidence-based.