Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of taking (a) one and (b) two week holidays with family during school term time on the long-term educational performance of primary school children.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Research by the Children’s Commissioner in 2023 found that any amount of term-time holiday is associated with lower GCSE results. This research is accessible here: https://assets.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wpuploads/2023/11/CC-REPORT-_-Attendance-and-Attainment-_-Oct-23.pdf.

Recent research conducted by the department in 2025 found that at both key stage 2 and key stage 4, attending an extra two weeks of school is associated with a 30% higher chance of achieving the expected outcome at key stage 2 and a 10% higher chance at key stage 4. This research is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67c96d7dd0fba2f1334cf2ed/The_link_between_attendance_and_attainment_in_an_assessment_year_-_March_2025.pdf.

Absence does not just affect the child missing school, it also increases teacher workload. Research published by the National Foundation for Educational Research in 2019 shows that school absence disrupts learning for the whole class. The research is accessible here: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED594391.pdf.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for the Holiday activities and food programme after 31 March 2026.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Bristol North East to the answer of 3 October 2025 to Question 73205.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the time taken by the Building Safety Regulator to process (a) applications and (b) approvals on levels of employment in the construction sector.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department recognises the importance of Gateway 2 approvals to the supply of new homes and the construction sector.

That is why the government announced in June 2025 changes to the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). These reforms include delivering operational improvements in the BSR which will allow decisions on applications submitted to the BSR to be made more quickly. The department will continue to work with the BSR to deliver further improvements in its performance in the short and medium term.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to support the hospitality sector with increased employment costs.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government is committed to supporting the hospitality sector across the UK.

The UK hospitality sector is largely made up of small businesses. The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all this year.

To reduce wider burdens for the hospitality sector, we have also established the Licensing Taskforce and will call for evidence on a National Licensing Policy Framework which will set out national direction for licensing authorities to consider economic growth and cultural value. In addition, the English Devolution Bill will protect businesses from upward only rent clauses, and we are introducing a strong new ‘Community Right to Buy’ to help communities safeguard valued community assets.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making the cycle to work scheme available to people who are self-employed.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing introducing compulsory first aid training for teachers.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

The provision of first aid training is a matter for early years, schools and colleges as employers who are best placed to make decisions about the training and development required to meet the needs of their staff and pupils.

The department publishes guidance to support settings to carry out their duties relating to first aid issues both on their premises and off-site.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department takes to ensure that information in official leaflets on (a) access to and (b) guidance on benefit entitlements is accurate.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

To ensure information is accurate, all new and amended leaflets are subject to a quality assurance process where content is checked and approved by subject matter experts before publication.

In addition, the department undertakes an annual uprating review of all leaflets that are impacted by rate changes.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme on the maintenance of historic religious buildings.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Since 2010, the Government has returned over £400 million to listed churches, synagogues, mosques and temples through the grant scheme. This has helped protect our listed places of worship and enabled them to continue their work as centres of worship and community assets.

Found: South) Mr Peter Bedford (Conservative; Mid Leicestershire) Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat; Torbay) Damien Egan

Found: South) Mr Peter Bedford (Conservative; Mid Leicestershire) Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat; Torbay) Damien Egan