Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered expanding the definition of assault of a retail worker to include retail home delivery drivers.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores, sending a strong message to offenders and would-be offenders that violence against retail workers will not be tolerated. The Bill is making its way through Parliament and had its Second Reading on 10 March.

As introduced, the definition of a ‘retail worker’ does not include delivery drivers. Keeping a tight definition provides legal clarity and ensures there is less ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker and impacted during their job. Workers whose roles are not included are already covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH).

That said, the whole purpose of the parliamentary process is to scrutinise the provisions in the Bill and we will, of course, consider carefully any amendments and supporting evidence.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the teaching of religious education on (a) community relations and (b) preparing pupils for work in a global economy.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

It is a mandatory requirement for maintained schools and academies to teach religious education (RE) to all pupils throughout all key stages up to age 18. RE is inspected by Ofsted as part of their assessment of a school’s curriculum, as set out in the school inspection handbook. In schools with a designated religious character, schools will receive an inspection of RE provision from their religious body.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review Group has now published a well-evidenced, clear interim report, which sets out its findings and confirms the key areas for further work. The review will be looking in greater detail at all curriculum subjects, including RE, within the next phase, proceeding on the basis of ‘evolution not revolution’. Any subject-specific findings and recommendations will be included in the final report, which will be published in the autumn.

RE is an important subject that should provide pupils with an opportunity to learn about a wide range of religious and non-religious beliefs. RE should help pupils to better understand the values and traditions of different religious communities.

When teaching RE, schools should consider how their curriculum can develop social skills and empathy, as well as equip children and young people with the skills for living and working in a diverse society. For older pupils, RE should also focus on developing skills that are useful in a wide range of careers and adult life, in particular the skills of critical enquiry, creative problem-solving and communication.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take to help ensure that schools meet their statutory requirement to teach religious education to pupils at all stages of their schooling.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

It is a mandatory requirement for maintained schools and academies to teach religious education (RE) to all pupils throughout all key stages up to age 18. RE is inspected by Ofsted as part of their assessment of a school’s curriculum, as set out in the school inspection handbook. In schools with a designated religious character, schools will receive an inspection of RE provision from their religious body.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review Group has now published a well-evidenced, clear interim report, which sets out its findings and confirms the key areas for further work. The review will be looking in greater detail at all curriculum subjects, including RE, within the next phase, proceeding on the basis of ‘evolution not revolution’. Any subject-specific findings and recommendations will be included in the final report, which will be published in the autumn.

RE is an important subject that should provide pupils with an opportunity to learn about a wide range of religious and non-religious beliefs. RE should help pupils to better understand the values and traditions of different religious communities.

When teaching RE, schools should consider how their curriculum can develop social skills and empathy, as well as equip children and young people with the skills for living and working in a diverse society. For older pupils, RE should also focus on developing skills that are useful in a wide range of careers and adult life, in particular the skills of critical enquiry, creative problem-solving and communication.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure adequate funding for improvements to maternity wards in (a) Leicester East and (b) England.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England’s Three-Year Delivery plan is investing an additional £35 million between 2024 and 2027 to improve maternity safety across England.

University Hospital Leicester (UHL) remains determined to transform care for its growing population and radically upgrade its estate. As part of the New Hospitals Programme, UHL plans to build a new maternity hospital at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, alongside reorganising maternity and neonatal services. This includes improved facilities at Leicester General Hospital, with a midwife-led birthing unit. The trust is finalising new timelines and assessing the risks and mitigation of managing the current estate and service configuration.

NHS England will publish the findings of the National Health Service maternity and neonatal estates survey, which examined compliance against the current estates’ standards, and it will be published at the earliest opportunity.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including retail home delivery drivers within the definition of assaults on retail workers.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the Hon. Member to my response given to UIN 38705 on 24 March 2025.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing expanded perinatal mental health services for parents.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Support is already available for parents, including those of twins and multiples, who experience mental health difficulties during the perinatal period. Perinatal mental health services are available in all 42 integrated care system areas of England, and offer specialist psychiatric and psychological assessments and care for women with moderate/severe or complex mental health problems during the perinatal period. These services have also expanded to provide care to women up to two years after birth, improve access to evidence-based psychological therapies, and provide a mental health assessment and signposting support for partners as needed.

In January 2025, the Department announced £126 million for the continuation of the Family Hubs and Start for Life programmes in 2025/26 in 75 local authorities with high levels of deprivation. This includes £36.5 million for bespoke perinatal mental health and parent-infant relationship support.

In addition, NHS Talking Therapies services are also available for parents who need support with any mental health problems during the perinatal period. Anyone can refer themselves online via the National Health Service website or by contacting their general practitioner.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent diplomatic steps he has taken to help ensure the protection of (a) Hindu communities and (b) other religious minorities in Bangladesh.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, including Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). In November 2024, I visited Bangladesh and discussed the importance of the protection of religious minorities, including Hindu communities, with Chief Adviser Yunus who has been vocal about support for minorities.

The UK is providing up to £27 million under the Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme for protecting civic and political space, fostering collaboration, reducing corruption, and mitigating tensions that lead to violence. We also support the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and their report on the human rights violations that occurred last year. We will continue to engage with Bangladesh on the importance of FoRB.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an estimate of the potential impact of replacing the fleet of RAF Typhoon aircraft with F-35 jets on the number of jobs in the defence industry in (a) Leicester East constituency and (b) England.

Answered by Maria Eagle - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Stockport (Navendu Mishra) on 20 March 2025 to Qustion 38677.

10th anniversary of the reinterment of King Richard III

Found: ; David Burton-Sampson; Rosie Duffield; Kirith Entwistle; Catherine Fookes; Samantha Niblett; Shivani Raja

Found: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat; Edinburgh West) Samantha Niblett (Labour; South Derbyshire) Shivani Raja

The Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) will hold a session in Parliament on Wednesday, 5 March to look at the prevalence and impact of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK and to examine the work of the UK Government to prevent FGM and to address the health consequences of survivors of FGM.