Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent progress has been made in recruiting 6,500 teachers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We are making progress towards our pledge to recruit 6,500 additional teachers. The latest School Workforce Census reported 2,346 more secondary and special school teachers (FTE) in 2024/25 compared to 2023/24.
The same publication also reported one of the lowest leaver rates in recent years, with 1,700 fewer teachers leaving the state-funded sector than the year before. More teachers are also returning to state schools than at any point in the last ten years. The latest data showed 17,274 teachers returned to the classroom.
The future teaching pipeline is also looking positive. Latest initial teacher training census data shows strong growth in trainee numbers, with over 32,000 talented individuals beginning their training last September, a rise of 11% on the previous year, and we exceeded our STEM recruitment target for the first time since it was introduced in 2019.
The number of physics trainees are up 36%, computing up 44%, and maths up by 16%. In total, the data shows an increase of 21% in STEM subjects, exceeding the trainee target, with 6,700 new entrants.
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 assessment has been made of the adequacy of consumer protections against rogue locksmiths.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
My department keeps the consumer protection framework under review to ensure that it is effective in protecting consumers. Locksmiths must comply with consumer legislation.
Where traders do not comply with the law, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has strengthened enforcement powers, including by giving the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) new administrative powers, and empowering the CMA and courts to impose significant monetary penalties of up to 10% of turnover. The CMA recently used the fining powers for the first time.
The Government encourages consumers to use providers that operate under a regulated trusted trader scheme, such as the Master Locksmiths Association, which has a Police Crime Prevention-approved licensing scheme in place to ensure approved locksmiths are appropriately vetted, inspected and qualified.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with Great Western Railway on (a) opening hours of ticket office windows and (b) staffing levels at train stations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Great Western Railway is responsible for staffing levels at train stations including in relation to ticket offices. Departmental officials hold regular discussions with Great Western Railway regarding its plans and performance at stations to ensure it is delivering for passengers and taxpayers.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment has been made of the (a) availability and (b) adequacy of workplace mental health support available to (i) teachers and (ii) school staff.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department takes the wellbeing and mental health of teachers and school staff very seriously.
We have worked with the sector to develop the Education Staff Wellbeing Charter which can be used to inform a whole school or college approach to wellbeing. Over 4,300 schools and colleges have signed up.
We fund Education Support to provide professional supervision for school and college leaders. Over 1,400 leaders have benefitted since April 2024.
The department has funded a mental health lead resource hub to support mental health leads. This includes resources to support staff development and wellbeing.
Our Improve Workload and Wellbeing service provides resources for schools to reduce workload and improve wellbeing. The department also signposts to a range of mental health resources, including Education Support’s free 24-hour helpline.
Employers have a duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees. Many employers provide employee assistance programmes offering confidential support and counselling. As the duty of care for staff wellbeing rests with employers, assessments of the availability and adequacy of workplace mental health support are made locally.
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 discussions he has had with online advertising platforms regarding the adequacy of safeguards in place to prevent rogue locksmiths from using their advertising services.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
There have been no recent discussion with online platforms on this specific matter. However, the department regularly engages with stakeholders on issues affecting consumers.
Online platforms must comply with The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. The Act clarifies that online platforms must exercise professional diligence in relation to consumer transactions promoted or made on their platforms. The legislation carries criminal penalties and is enforced by Trading Standards officers and the CMA.
The Government encourages consumers to use providers that operate under a regulated trusted trader scheme, such as the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA), which has a Police Crime Prevention-approved licensing scheme in place to ensure approved locksmiths are appropriately vetted, inspected and qualified.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment has been made of the adequacy of teachers' pay in real terms.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Despite the challenging fiscal context, this government is taking action to restore teaching as the highly valued profession it should be. This includes prioritising pay with above inflation increases of almost 10% over two years.
Our latest pay proposal of 6.5% over three years, when combined with the last two increases, would mean that teacher pay would rise by almost 17% across this parliament, equating to a real terms increase of almost 4%.
Final decisions on the 2026/27 pay award will be made following recommendations from the independent pay review body process, which is ongoing.
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 recent engagement the Department has had with animal protection groups regarding plans for the activity regulations for the Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animals (Low Welfare Activities Abroad) Act 2023 provides a framework for the introduction of future bans on the advertising and offering for sale, in England and Northern Ireland, of low-welfare animal activities abroad.
The Act grants enforcement powers to Trading Standards in England and the Department for the Economy for Northern Ireland to monitor compliance of future regulations.
It is important that any regulations are effective and work in practice, and as set out in the animal welfare strategy published in December 2025, we are continuing to engage with stakeholders including the tourism industry and animal welfare groups to explore both legislative and non-legislative options to stop the advertising of low-welfare animal activities abroad and will be setting out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps has she taken to ensure the safety of women detained in immigration detention centres.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders.
We remain focused on the specific needs for women in our care and all our immigration removal centres (IRCs) are operated in line with the Detention Centre Rules 2001, published operating standards for IRCs and Detention Services Orders; a framework which ensures the safety and security of those detained in our care.
All staff working with women receive appropriate gender specific training, in addition to any generic training they receive when they undergo initial training. This includes equality and diversity, human trafficking, and modern slavery. Detention Services Order 06/2016 ‘Women in the immigration removal estate’ sets out the processes that are undertaken in IRCs to ensure that the needs of women are identified and appropriately met and their rights to dignity and privacy are upheld. In addition, all Home Office staff working in the detention system are given training and support to identify and act upon indicators of vulnerability at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) transparency (b) financial protection and (c) value for money of leaseholders' service charges.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 109581 on 3 February 2026.
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, whether she has considered the potential merits of including glass in the proposed deposit protection scheme.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Following consultations in 2019 and 2021, an extensive review of evidence was carried out in addition to engagement with industry stakeholders which informed our decision to exclude glass drinks containers from the Deposit Return Scheme.
Glass drinks containers are included in the scope of the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging scheme.