Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support schools to provide practical science activities as part of their curriculum.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government recognises the vital role of practical science activities in schools in fostering scientific understanding and engagement.
The national curriculum already provides opportunities for schools to deliver practical science lessons, including a requirement for pupils to undertake a minimum of eight practical activities for each science at GCSE level. Schools also have flexibility within the broad framework of the national curriculum to tailor their science curriculum to meet the needs of their pupils.
Support is available through Oak National Academy, an independent arm’s length body providing adaptable, optional, and free curriculum support for schools. Oak has new science resources covering key stages 1-4 that include practical science activities.
The government has commissioned Professor Becky Francis to undertake a review of the curriculum and assessment system in England, which will include looking at the science curriculum. The final report is due to be published this autumn, along with the government’s response.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to allow legitimate cyber activity (a) necessary for the (i) detection and (ii) prevention of crime and (b) justified as being in the public interest.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government is conducting an ongoing review of the Computer Misuse Act. As part of the review, we are scoping several proposals to update the act, including how we can better support legitimate cybersecurity researchers so they can operate within a clear and supportive legal framework, while maintaining robust safeguards against misuse.
Engagement, including with the cyber security industry, is underway to refine the approach and an update will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of training provided to school staff on assisting children who have epilepsy.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Governing bodies must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions, as well as the duties under the Equality Act 2010. The effectiveness of a school is assessed through inspection by Ofsted.
The department has committed to reviewing the ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ guidance and intends to issue a consultation on an updated version. The current guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps he has taken with local councils to tackle the illegal use of fireworks in (a) Slough constituency and (b) Berkshire.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Enforcement powers exist for local authorities to take action when fireworks are unsafe, sold illegally or misused. Local authorities and the police also have powers to tackle anti-social behaviour caused by the misuse of fireworks. It is for local areas to decide how best to deploy these powers.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many officials were investigated under their Department's disciplinary processes in each of the last 5 years.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury does not hold data on the number of investigations it has conducted. Its disciplinary data collection is limited to the number of formal disciplinary cases that have taken place and number of sanctions issued
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to answer Question (a) 74612 and (b) 74613, tabled on 3 September 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The responses to Written Parliamentary Questions 74612 and 74613 were published on 22 October 2025.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many officials were investigated under their Department's disciplinary processes in each of the last 5 years.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
From HR data, there are currently 911 individual staff showing on the disciplinary report as at 30/09/2025. The disciplinary report is a point in time report of all staff who are or have been undergoing disciplinary action including those cases where an investigation has been or is taking place. We are unable to provide further information as the report does not show historic data beyond live cases and those closed in the past 12 months.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any military officers have been sent to Israel for the purposes of monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
No. A small number of UK planning officers have embedded in the US-led Civil Military Coordination Centre (CMCC), including a 2* deputy commander, to ensure that the UK remains integrated into the US-led planning efforts for Gaza post-conflict stability. This team is not monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza. The UK continues to work with international partners to support the Gaza ceasefire to see where the UK can best contribute to the peace process.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what volume of UK aid has been successfully delivered to Gaza in the last six months.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All allocations of our Humanitarian Programme are available publicly on Development Tracker. We have published further information on Core Relief Items through the programmes annual review with the next to be published by November 2025. Quantifying how much UK aid has entered into Gaza is difficult, due to the complex operating environment and limited real-time data, as well as Israel's restrictions on humanitarian workers and monitors. But despite Israel's restrictions on access we know UK Aid is having an impact - our funding has enabled UK-Med to complete nearly 750,000 patient consultations in Gaza.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international partners on women and girls' rights in Afghanistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 21 October to question 81210.