Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the lack of public consultation on the Relationships and Sexuality Education (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2023, given that public consultation was conducted in England prior to equivalent regulations being implemented.

In line with the Government's statutory obligations under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, and in consultation with the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, the Government completed an equality screening, the outcome of which did not indicate a need to consult publicly on the policy. The Department of Education has confirmed it will consult on both the guidance and the provisions for the circumstances in which a pupil may be excused from the education or specified elements of that education.

Consultation with parents on Relationships and Sex Education is already common practice in Northern Ireland. The Department of Education requires each school to have in place its own written policy on how it will address the delivery of Relationships and Sex Education. A school’s Relationships and Sex Education policy should be subject to consultation with parents and endorsed by a school’s Board of Governors.