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, what recent steps his Department has taken to support people holding vocational qualifications to secure employment.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is committed to delivering an employment support system that is personalised to individual needs. All jobseekers are entitled to tailored and flexible support through Jobcentre Plus. Work Coaches offer personalised advice to help individuals secure roles which reflect their skills, qualifications and prior experience, alongside targeted job‑search support.
Participants with vocational qualifications receive personalised support tailored to their individual skills, qualifications and employment goals. This can include support with identifying suitable vacancies, developing sector-specific skills and qualifications where appropriate.
Our reforms to the Jobs and Careers Service will place greater focus on career advice and progression and better matching of people’s experience and qualifications with employer’s needs. Through Jobcentre Plus, and from October 2026 the JCS, employers can access tailored recruitment support, including vacancy promotion, candidate matching, and recruitment campaigns. This helps ensure employment support reflects current employer demand and enables individuals to identify opportunities where their vocational skills and qualifications can be put to effective use.
The Department also offers the Restart Scheme which provides 12 months of personalised and tailored support targeted at those who have been on Universal Credit for 6 months or more and in the Intensive Work Search regime. Providers support participants to break down their employment barriers by developing a bespoke action plan built on understanding their employment history, skills and needs.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with schools operating under Private Finance Initiative contracts on the adequacy of funding available for school meals.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has a dedicated Private Finance Team which regularly engages with schools and responsible bodies on issues arising from Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts, including funding pressures where relevant.
There are currently 637 PFI schools in England. Most are covered by contracts procured and managed by local authorities, and the department does not hold information on whether catering services are included within those contracts.
The department's five most recent privately financed school contracts, covering 46 schools, were procured under the PF2 model and do not include catering services.
The department supports PFI schools through both Revenue Support Grant funding for local authority-managed contracts and the PFI Factor within the National Funding Formula. In addition, the department's Private Finance Team provides advice and assistance to schools and responsible bodies on issues arising during the lifetime of PFI contracts and as contracts approach expiry.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to provide support to victims of investment fraud in (a) Slough constituency and (b) the South East.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
As part of the Fraud Strategy 2026-2029 the Government committed to ensuring all victims of fraud receive the support they need. This includes operating Report Fraud, the new, streamlined reporting service, to provide a robust and improved reporting mechanism for victims of fraud. Further, all victims who report fraud to Report Fraud will receive support either directly from their local police force, or through Report Fraud Victim Services. Additionally, the Government has committed to producing a Victims Charter which will set out a minimum standard of care across all support providers, to ensure consistent victim support.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what recent steps have been taken to improve public awareness regarding legislation relating to the use of fireworks.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The Government will launch a safe and considerate use campaign ahead of this fireworks season to promote responsible use and raise awareness of existing legal requirements. This builds on activity undertaken last year, strengthening public understanding of the rules around use of fireworks.
I have also launched a public consultation on proposals to reform fireworks and pyrotechnics legislation. The consultation sets out the existing regulatory framework, reinforcing current legal requirements, while gathering evidence on how best to reduce harm and distress from consumer fireworks. The consultation is supported by engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across the UK.
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, whether his Department plans to review the six-month qualifying period for Attendance Allowance for pensioners who develop (a) immediate and (b) substantial care needs following (i) a stroke and (ii) diagnosis of another life-changing condition.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
Entitlement to Attendance Allowance (AA) is based on the need for frequent personal care and attention, or supervision to ensure their safety, rather than on a particular medical condition. The six-month qualifying period helps establish that the disability and the resulting care or supervision needs are of a long-term nature and ensures the benefit goes to those for whom it is intended. For people nearing the end of life, special rules apply, and there is no requirement to satisfy the six-month qualifying period.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to assess and mitigate any increased risks to British Jews which have arisen as a result of recent UK sanctions towards Israel and Israel’s response to the UK.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to the safety and security of Jewish communities across the United Kingdom.
In July, the Government announced a £251 million package over three years to strengthen the protection of Jewish communities. This includes funding for additional officers in the Metropolitan Police, Greater Manchester Police, and seven other force areas with significant Jewish communities, and national surge capabilities available to all forces in England and Wales.
The Government has also made £32.4 million available for Jewish community protective security in 2026/27. The Jewish Community Protective Security Grant provides funding for security measures at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and other communal locations.
Police assess the threat picture and adjust their operational response where necessary to keep Jewish communities safe.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help (a) halt and (b) reverse species decline in the UK.
Answered by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to restoring nature and achieving our legally binding species targets. These include targets to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030, reverse these declines by at least 10% by 2042 when compared with 2030, and to reduce the risk of species extinction by 2042.
To achieve these targets, we have ramped up action to support nature recovery. We are investing £60 million over the next three years into the Species Recovery Programme, marking the largest ever Government investment in directly supporting threatened species. A further £30 million will be dedicated to fund species recovery on the national forest estate. Earlier this year beavers were released in Somerset and Cornwall following the Government’s landmark decision last year to allow the legal reintroduction of beavers into the wild in England since they were hunted to extinction around 400 years ago and we recently approved £1m of additional funding to explore a reintroduction programme for golden eagles in England. The Government has also announced the largest nature friendly farming budget in history, with £11.8 billion to be spent across this Parliament.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the financial contribution from Ireland is towards the deployment of a Royal Navy vessel for security at an event in Ireland.
Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Matters relating to Ireland's defence posture and expenditure rest with the Irish authorities, and any enquiries on those issues should be directed to them.