Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of hair-based discrimination on women’s employment outcomes, particularly for Black and mixed-heritage women; and whether she plans to tackle that issue in future equality legislation.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer on 12 June 2026 (PQ UIN 6577).
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 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, 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, 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.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of UK-funded international programmes in the Caribbean include objectives relating to gender equality.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary announced on 19 March, we have committed to ensure that at least 90 per cent of programmes funded worldwide through UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) will be in part designed to protect and promote the rights, safety and empowerment of women and girls, including programmes in the Caribbean.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking, in partnership with organisations such as the British Council, to help promote women’s leadership and economic participation in the Caribbean.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary announced on 19 March, we have committed to ensure that at least 90 per cent of programmes funded worldwide through UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) will be in part designed to protect and promote the rights, safety and empowerment of women and girls, including programmes in the Caribbean.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what role the British Council plays in delivering the UK’s International Education Strategy in Commonwealth countries.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The ambitions in the UK’s International Education Strategy will be delivered in close collaboration between government, the sector, the UK’s International Education Champion and key partners including the British Council.
The reformed Education Sector Action Group (ESAG), chaired by Ministers, brings together industry, government, and representative bodies from across the education sector to tackle key concerns and identify opportunities for partnerships. Each core member representative will lead on a sector action plan outlining how their members will support delivery of the strategy. As an adviser member of ESAG, British Council will have a key role in supporting the sector action plans across each of the education sectors, reflecting their broad and deep education expertise.
As the International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith will continue to remove barriers to education partnerships by engaging with Commonwealth countries and others.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will review financial relief for pharmacies on PFI estates, including rent-subsidy schemes and a statutory cap on PFI rents for NHS pharmacy contractors.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to future reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.
Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS services. Pharmacies also receive private, non-NHS, income, which contributes to business expenses such as rent.
Health Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department, they are held between the local NHS trust and their respective Private Finance Company. The operational Health PFI contracts included the design, build and maintenance of the building, including facilities management and lifecycle, over the life of the contract. Any arrangements in respect of letting specific areas of a PFI Hospital to third party occupants, including a pharmacy, will be agreed on a case-by-case basis at a local level.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will consider NHS funding adjustments for pharmacies to offset increases in National Minimum Wage and employer National Insurance.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework was increased to £3.1 billion. This represented the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service at the time, over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. As is custom and practice, the Department will consult Community Pharmacy England on any proposed changes to future reimbursement and remuneration of pharmacy contractors.
Community pharmacies are private businesses that provide NHS services. Pharmacies also receive private, non-NHS, income, which contributes to business expenses such as rent.
Health Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts are not held by the Department, they are held between the local NHS trust and their respective Private Finance Company. The operational Health PFI contracts included the design, build and maintenance of the building, including facilities management and lifecycle, over the life of the contract. Any arrangements in respect of letting specific areas of a PFI Hospital to third party occupants, including a pharmacy, will be agreed on a case-by-case basis at a local level.