Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with Ofcom on regulating employment standards in the parcel delivery sector; and what steps he is taking to prevent gig economy working practices from adversely impacting Royal Mail's Universal Service Obligation.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers have regular discussions with Ofcom as the independent regulator for the postal sector. The government does not, however, have a role in Ofcom’s regulatory decisions and Ofcom does not regulate the employment models of parcel delivery companies.
All employers must comply with their legal obligations to ensure that their workforce receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled. The government recognises self-employed arrangements can provide valued flexibility but also recognises concerns about exploitation of the current employment status framework which can leave vulnerable workers without core employment protections. The government will consult on addressing these.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
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 reforms to the statutory consultee system on Sport England's ability to represent the interests of grassroots sports clubs during planning applications.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 119470 on 23 March 2026.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to introduce measures for tracking spoken language skills alongside existing literacy assessments.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises the importance of speaking and listening skills, which has been very clearly set out by the recent Curriculum and Assessment Review. As part of our English curriculum reform, we will make sure that communication skills inherent in curriculum subjects are more clearly expressed through revised programmes of study. We will revise the English and drama programmes of study to add more clarity and specificity in speaking and listening, as well as ensuring that the reformed English language GCSE focusses on the features and use of language as a form of communication.
We will also create a new oracy framework to sit alongside the national curriculum that will support primary teachers to help their pupils become confident, fluent speakers. We will also publish a combined secondary oracy, reading and writing framework that brings together guidance on these topics, to support teachers to connect and use all three in their teaching and to embed literacy and oracy across the entire curriculum as part of a whole school strategy. We will consider assessment approaches as part of this.
We want a record 75% of children to achieve a Good Level of Development by 2028. To achieve this, children will need to meet the Communication and Language Early Learning Goals.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen protections for freeholders living on estates with unadopted roads; and to help ensure developers and utilities providers act quickly to make roads and estates safe.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement published on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress her Department has made on the research into the decline in road adoption rates across England; and when she expects to publish the findings of that research.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department is continuing its dedicated research into the decline in road adoption rates across England. This includes gathering evidence from local highway authorities and wider stakeholders to understand current challenges and assess options to improve and streamline the adoption process. The findings from this work will inform any future policy or legislative considerations. We expect to publish the findings later this year.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is working with NHS England and other relevant bodies in the development and implementation of Modern Service Frameworks.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is supporting the development of the modern service frameworks. NICE is also represented on the National Quality Board, along with other arm’s length bodies, that oversees the development of the modern service frameworks.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the availability of diagnostic and treatment pathways for Tourette syndrome across Integrated Care Boards; and for what reason Tourette syndrome has not been included in the scope of the Independent Review into mental health conditions
Answered by Ashley Dalton
Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for assessing local population need and commissioning appropriate diagnostic and treatment pathways for neurological conditions, including Tourette syndrome. While the Department has not undertaken a national assessment of provision across ICBs, we recognise the concerns raised about variation in diagnosis and support. To help address this, NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme is working with ICBs to develop clear, consistent diagnostic and treatment pathways. The programme has appointed a clinical lead for children and young people's neurodevelopmental services, focusing on improving the assessment and management of Tourette syndrome.
The Independent Review into mental health conditions focuses on mental health conditions, ADHD and autism. Tourette’s is a neurological disorder and, therefore, it will be at the chair's discretion as to how far the review considers Tourette syndrome.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will consider the potential merits of making safer sleep training for early years staff mandatory.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.
To make the existing requirements clearer for all, the department plans to add in more detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safe sleep experts including the Lullaby Trust on proposed new wording. We plan to make these changes as soon as possible.
The ‘Early years qualification requirements and standards’ document sets out the minimum qualification requirements, including the qualifications criteria at levels 2 and 3, that staff must meet to be recognised as level 2, level 3 or level 6 members of staff for the purpose of working within the EYFS staff:child ratios. The document is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.
Both the level 2 and level 3 criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision, with level 3 also including use of equipment, furniture and materials safely with regard for sleep safety.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when the changes to the EYFS to include safer sleep will be laid as a statutory instrument.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.
To make the existing requirements clearer for all, the department plans to add in more detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safe sleep experts including the Lullaby Trust on proposed new wording. We plan to make these changes as soon as possible.
The ‘Early years qualification requirements and standards’ document sets out the minimum qualification requirements, including the qualifications criteria at levels 2 and 3, that staff must meet to be recognised as level 2, level 3 or level 6 members of staff for the purpose of working within the EYFS staff:child ratios. The document is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.
Both the level 2 and level 3 criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision, with level 3 also including use of equipment, furniture and materials safely with regard for sleep safety.
Asked by: David Baines (Labour - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to require the provision of CCTV in early years settings.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework sets the standards and requirements early years providers must meet to ensure that children have the best start in life and are kept healthy and safe.
The EYFS requires providers to have safeguarding policies that address the use of mobile phones, cameras, and other electronic devices with imaging and sharing capabilities. Decisions about installing and using CCTV are for individual providers, subject to safeguarding and data protection requirements.
As part of the department’s ongoing review of safeguarding requirements, an expert advisory panel will be appointed to inform sector guidance on the safe and effective use of CCTV and digital devices within safeguarding. This guidance will consider whether CCTV should be mandated and will set out best practice, technical advice and clear expectations.