Asked by: Lord Bishop of Norwich (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have met or intend to meet representatives of the Greek Orthodox Church, Latin Church, and the Melkite Geek Catholic Church following settler violence against Palestinian communities in Taybeh in the West Bank.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK condemns settler violence and is concerned by incidents and attacks on holy sites across the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Our Consul General in Jerusalem has recently visited Taybeh with church leaders and international partners to express solidarity with the local community following attacks by settlers. We regularly raise settler violence with Israeli ministers and officials, and we are clear that the Israeli government must clamp down on settler violence and settlement expansion. The Government has introduced three rounds of sanctions targeting individuals, illegal settler outposts and organisations perpetrating and supporting violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank. We do not comment on future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Lord Mott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult stakeholders, including civil society and industry representatives, on the potential introduction of a digital ID system.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA), part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, is committed to enabling the use of secure and trusted digital verification services across the UK economy for those who want to use them.
This work is informed by responses to a 2019 call for evidence on digital identity that requested views on how the Government can support the development and secure use of digital identities and was followed by an extensive consultation process.
OfDIA continues to regularly engage with stakeholders, including digital verification providers, industry bodies, civil society, academics and organisations interested in adopting digital identities.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will work with (a) health authorities and (b) expert charities to co-produce national safe sleep standards for use in early years settings.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.
Within the EYFS there is a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, accessible here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/. The department is currently exploring whether changes are needed to these requirements and are due to meet with various safe sleep experts.
The department works closely with Ofsted to analyse data on safety within early years settings, including inspection data and serious incident reports. This informs our ongoing monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements and whether any changes are required.
The Level 2 Early Years Practitioner criteria, and the Level 3 Early Years Educator criteria, can be found at Annex C and Annex E of the Early Years Requirements and Standards document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a4fc4e0e720adbd4f6ae27/Early_years_qualification_requirements-and-standards.pdf. Both criteria contain references to suitable sleep provision, and staff must meet these criteria in order to work within staff:child ratios.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much additional funding announced for early years settings will be allocated to (a) quality assurance and (b) inspector training in (i) cash and (ii) percentage terms.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The safety of our youngest children is our utmost priority, and the department continually monitors and reviews safeguarding requirements for early years settings. Ofsted has delivered important changes to the way it works in response to the Big Listen consultation. This work is important and ongoing. Parents of young children and babies rightly expect all inspections to be high-quality, consistent and conducted with the highest levels of professionalism.
As announced in the recent Best Start in Life publication, Ofsted will receive additional investment from the department to raise the quality and consistency of inspections. While there is no additional funding allocated to directly early years settings at this time in relation to this, we will be working with Ofsted to strengthen quality assurance and to deliver focused inspector training.
Ofsted are also increasing inspection frequency to ensure better oversight of early years settings. More regular inspections will be most effective when accompanied by improvements to inspection quality. We know that this sentiment is echoed in the early years sector and are determined to help all children get the best start in life.
We constantly monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework requirements and how these requirements are inspected by Ofsted to ensure children are kept as safe as possible. Changes are informed by extensive engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts and using lessons learned from previous incidents. Ofsted inspectors are early years professionals with relevant knowledge of safer sleep practice and can assess a provider’s adherence to the relevant safer sleeping requirements in the EYFS.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether safe sleep practices are included in early years qualifications; and whether her Department plans to make this training mandatory.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements all early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2. The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the EYFS safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.
Within the EYFS there is a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance, accessible here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/. The department is currently exploring whether changes are needed to these requirements and are due to meet with various safe sleep experts.
The department works closely with Ofsted to analyse data on safety within early years settings, including inspection data and serious incident reports. This informs our ongoing monitoring and review of the EYFS safeguarding requirements and whether any changes are required.
The Level 2 Early Years Practitioner criteria, and the Level 3 Early Years Educator criteria, can be found at Annex C and Annex E of the Early Years Requirements and Standards document here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67a4fc4e0e720adbd4f6ae27/Early_years_qualification_requirements-and-standards.pdf. Both criteria contain references to suitable sleep provision, and staff must meet these criteria in order to work within staff:child ratios.
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Oral Statement on Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life of 7 July 2025, Official Report, column 680-682, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of requiring CCTV on early years settings; and whether she plans to undertake a formal consultation on that issue.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.
Currently, the decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.
The department works closely with Ofsted in our work monitoring and reviewing the safeguarding requirements within the EYFS. This includes ongoing discussions regarding the merits and concerns regarding the use of CCTV in early years settings.
Any proposed changes to EYFS requirements will be informed by engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts.
From September 2025, we are strengthening the safeguarding requirements in the EYFS, including:
Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had recent discussions with Ofsted on the potential merits of the use of CCTV as a safeguarding tool in early years settings.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The safety of our children is the department’s utmost priority and we continually monitor and review the early years foundation stage (EYFS) safeguarding requirements to ensure children are kept as safe as possible.
Currently, the decision to install and use camera surveillance equipment in a nursery is a matter for individual providers to determine based on their own risk assessment and policies.
The department works closely with Ofsted in our work monitoring and reviewing the safeguarding requirements within the EYFS. This includes ongoing discussions regarding the merits and concerns regarding the use of CCTV in early years settings.
Any proposed changes to EYFS requirements will be informed by engagement with providers, health professionals, sector stakeholders and safeguarding experts.
From September 2025, we are strengthening the safeguarding requirements in the EYFS, including:
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking through (a) teacher training, (b) early screening and (c) other methods to ensure (i) early identification and (ii) effective support for pupils with dyslexia in schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
High-quality teaching is central to ensuring that all pupils, including those with dyslexia or other types of SEND, are given the best possible opportunity to achieve. To support all teachers, the department is implementing a range of teacher training reforms to ensure teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed. From September 2025, Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Teacher induction training must be based on the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) which contains significantly more content on adaptive teaching and supporting and improving inclusivity for pupils with SEND. From September 2025, the department has also enhanced the requirement on providers of early career teacher training to develop training materials that support the needs of children with SEND.
This academic year, Reading Ambition for All, a continuous professional development programme was launched. The programme explores the appropriate teaching, support and provision for the lowest attaining children in reading, with a particular focus on those with SEND. It is delivered by English Hubs and is primarily aimed at reading leaders, special educational needs and disabilities co-ordinators and senior leaders.
Reading Ambition for All draws on the latest research about how children learn to read and explores effective approaches to teaching those who need specific adaptations to make progress.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to improve the safety of students with serious allergies in English educational institutions.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. Policies should set out how staff will be supported in carrying out their role to support pupils, including how training needs are assessed and how training is commissioned and provided. Any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs should have received suitable training.
Schools can purchase spare adrenaline auto-injectors from a pharmacy without a prescription and for use in an emergency situation.
The department intends to consult on updated statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions later this year. The full guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) businesses and (b) charities that provide activities for children with SEND.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department provides funding to deliver £24 million worth of grants each year to provide support to low-income families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people. We have also funded innovative grants that promote best practice for delivering services for short breaks.
To support young people aged 16 to 24 with an education, health and care plan to secure and sustain employment, we are continuing to invest in supported internships by providing up to £12 million to March 2026. This funding will support local authorities to sustain their special educational needs and disabilities Employment Forums, training on employer engagement and training for job coaches. Indicative data from local authorities shows we reached our previous target of doubling the number of supported internships to 4,500 per year and our continued support will enable areas to sustain this.