Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the affordability of compulsory school uniform items for families; and if she will consider introducing a (a) recommended maximum price (b) price cap for such items.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Too many families report that school uniform costs remain a financial burden and the government has legislated to limit the number of branded uniform items that schools can require, helping to reduce costs for parents and remove barriers to children accessing sport and other school activities.
Schools can now require no more than three branded items, or four in secondary and middle schools where a branded tie is compulsory, saving families up to £50 per child on their back-to-school shop.
We have also strengthened expectations on affordability through statutory guidance on the cost of school uniforms. This guidance is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-school-uniforms.
Schools will be expected to consider the cost of individual items, particularly higher-cost items such as blazers, and the overall uniform cost when assessing affordability.
Our approach gives parents choice in how they manage uniform costs, including the option to buy items from a range of retailers. A cost cap would be complex, difficult to enforce and burdensome for schools, and the government has no plans to introduce a maximum price or cost cap.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, further to the Answer of 16 June 2026 to Question 8929, if his Department will consult with civil society organisations with expertise relating to rare and less survivable cancers when developing the cancer manuals in order to ensure that they fulfil the National Cancer Plan's aim of reducing disparities in cancer survival.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
The Department and NHS England continue to work with cancer stakeholders on the implementation of the National Cancer Plan and will discuss the development of cancer manuals with relevant stakeholders.
As set out in our National Cancer Plan, the first wave of manuals will include an equal balance of rare cancers, where survival has been slowest, and the most common cancers. It is in the combination of both points that we will maximise progress against our ambition to reduce disparities in cancer survival.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the fresh freezing and storage of brain tumour tissue, including data collected through NHS England’s gap analysis of freezer capacity; and if he will provide the most recent available data by NHS trust on the (a) availability of suitable freezer capacity and (b) proportion of brain tumour patients whose tissue is routinely fresh-frozen and stored following surgery.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
NHS England has completed a gap analysis of the need for freezer capacity and is looking at how to support services to provide an equitable expansion of that capacity.
The Department and NHS England will work with professional bodies, including the Royal College of Pathologists, to review tissue retention guidance and consent processes.
The Department is looking at ways to support trusts to expand freezer capacity, and will provide an update on this in the autumn.
There are no plans to publish the full gap analysis. The data is management information which is not routinely published.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of hair-based discrimination on women’s employment outcomes, particularly for Black and mixed-heritage women; and whether she plans to tackle that issue in future equality legislation.
Answered by Seema Malhotra
I refer the Hon Member to the answer on 12 June 2026 (PQ UIN 6577).
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what consideration she has given to updating equality legislation to help tackle hair-based discrimination.
Answered by Seema Malhotra
The government wants to ensure that whoever you are, wherever you come from, Britain is a country that will respect your contribution and give you a fair chance to get on in life.
The Equality Act 2010 uses a very broad definition of race, so that it protects aspects of cultural and social ethnic origin. Hairstyles worn because of cultural, family and social customs can be part of a person’s ethnic origin and are therefore protected under the Equality Act 2010.
In October 2022, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) published guidance to help schools ensure their uniform and appearance policies are not unlawfully discriminatory.
This guidance is publicly available on their website at: (https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/guidance/public-sector-equality-duty/preventing-hair-discrimination-schools)
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides on preventing unwanted touching of (a) Black and (b) mixed-heritage children’s Afro-textured hair in (i) early years and (ii) school settings; how this issue is addressed within (A) safeguarding, (B) personal safety, and (C) wellbeing guidance; and what guidance her Department provides on training for staff to ensure (1) culturally competent and (2) safe practice.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Birmingham Erdington to the answer of 10 June 2026 to Question 6581.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the equalities impact of (a) not routinely including Afro-textured hair within hairdressing qualifications and (b) individuals having been denied access to hairdressing services as a result on (i) Black and (ii) mixed-heritage people.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
We are committed to improving the quality of hair and beauty qualifications and have plans in place to reform all qualifications for 16 to 19 learners. Content for any new hair and beauty qualifications, including new Level 2 Occupational Certificates and a new Level 3 T Level, will be set nationally and linked to occupational standards co-designed with employers, ensuring relevance and credibility, and we will consider inclusive education, including afro-textured hair, as part of setting content. By linking qualifications to occupational standards, improving clarity and comparability across pathways, and ensuring all qualifications support meaningful progression, the system will ensure learners are engaged, retained in learning, and equipped to thrive in a modern labour market, including progressing into employment in the hair and beauty industry.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether training on (a) race, (b) consent, and (c) safeguarding in relation to (i) children’s hair, (ii) Afro hair and (iii) bodily autonomy forms part of (A) early years and (B) teacher training requirements; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of a review of such training.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is committed to ensuring that all children receive a high-quality and inclusive education, supported by well-trained early years practitioners and teachers.
To achieve qualified teacher status and early years teacher status, trainees must meet relevant standards, including creating safe learning environments. All settings must also have due regard to ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, which includes guidance on safeguarding, welfare and bullying.
The ‘Early years foundation stage’ framework and the ‘Initial teacher training early career’ framework sets expectations for safeguarding, behaviour, and promoting pupils’ wellbeing. As part of this, providers are required to ensure trainees understand equality, inclusion, and safeguarding.
The department keeps training requirements under review to ensure they remain effective and evidence-based.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of UK-funded international programmes in the Caribbean include objectives relating to gender equality.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary announced on 19 March, we have committed to ensure that at least 90 per cent of programmes funded worldwide through UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) will be in part designed to protect and promote the rights, safety and empowerment of women and girls, including programmes in the Caribbean.
Asked by: Paulette Hamilton (Labour - Birmingham Erdington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking, in partnership with organisations such as the British Council, to help promote women’s leadership and economic participation in the Caribbean.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary announced on 19 March, we have committed to ensure that at least 90 per cent of programmes funded worldwide through UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) will be in part designed to protect and promote the rights, safety and empowerment of women and girls, including programmes in the Caribbean.