Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing professional chess players to qualify for leave to remain in the UK under the a) International Sportsperson and b) Global Talent visa route; and if she will take steps to include professional chess within those categories.
Answered by Mike Tapp
There are no current plans to include chess players in either the International Sportsperson (ISP) visa route or the Global Talent visa route, but we keep all routes under review.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a maximum temperature threshold above which schools should not open.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Hornsey and Friern Barnet to the answer of 30 June 2026 to Question 13129.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to safeguard the health and wellbeing of children in schools during periods of extreme heat.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government’s position is that schools should remain open wherever it is safe, allowing as many pupils as possible to attend rather than applying a fixed maximum temperature for closure.
Responsible bodies must make decisions based on the suitability of their buildings and mitigations, ensuring the health, safety and welfare of pupils and staff. Under workplace regulations, temperatures must be reasonable, and leaders should regularly assess risks and take appropriate action during heat.
Hot weather can usually be managed through practical measures such as ventilation, hydration, timetable adjustments and modified activities.
Attendance is vital for learning, wellbeing and safeguarding, and absence can disproportionately affect disadvantaged pupils and families.
Closure decisions should therefore be made locally by school and trust leaders, with closure only in exceptional circumstances where safety cannot be maintained.