Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what safeguards are in place to ensure that public sector employees are not subject to political vetting, pressure or monitoring by internal staff networks.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
All civil servants must follow the Civil Service Code, including when acting in a volunteer civil service staff network capacity. This includes acting with political impartiality at all times. The public sector is not bound by the Civil Service Code but public sector employees will be subject to their own codes of conduct.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department will consider adopting or developing national guidance for NHS trusts on the management of single‑sex spaces, similar to proposals submitted to him by representatives of the Darlington nurses.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We expect National Health Service organisations to follow the law and implement the Supreme Court’s ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v. The Scottish Ministers, and to take specialist legal advice where necessary.
The Supreme Court ruling made clear in law that single-sex spaces based on biological sex must be protected and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that he expects all NHS providers to follow the law.
Now the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Code of Practice for services, public functions, and associations has been laid in Parliament, NHS England is developing guidance, for instance regarding the provision and use of physical NHS staff facilities, which will be published in due course. This will advise employers on the approach they must take to ensure that their relevant policies are up to date and legally compliant.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS trusts consult staff and conduct equality impact assessments before making changes to workplace facilities that affect privacy, dignity or safety.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We expect National Health Service organisations to follow the law and implement the Supreme Court’s ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v. The Scottish Ministers, and to take specialist legal advice where necessary.
The Supreme Court ruling made clear in law that single-sex spaces based on biological sex must be protected and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has been clear that he expects all NHS providers to follow the law.
Now the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Code of Practice for services, public functions, and associations has been laid in Parliament, NHS England is developing guidance, for instance regarding the provision and use of physical NHS staff facilities, which will be published in due course. This will advise employers on the approach they must take to ensure that their relevant policies are up to date and legally compliant.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for consideration of the final outcome of the UK National Screening Committee's evaluation of prostate cancer screening.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson
We have accepted the recommendation of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) to introduce England's first targeted prostate cancer screening programme. The programme, rolling out in 2027, will screen men between 45 and 61 years old who have a BRCA2 gene variant and a family history of prostate, breast, pancreatic or ovarian cancer.
Alongside introducing targeted screening, the Government has announced a major package of investment of over £20 million to expand research and improve treatment. This includes committing to: provide additional funding to the jointly-funded NIHR and Prostate Cancer UK TRANSFORM screening trial to ensure all eligible Black men are invited to take part in the second stage, filling essential gaps in the evidence relating to Black men who are twice as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer as white men; work with clinical experts to improve the guidance for general practitioners on men with a family history of cancer seeking a prostate specific antigen test if they have no symptoms of prostate cancer; invest further capital funds in focal therapies, a less invasive treatment for prostate cancer that can reduce harms from treatment, to further develop the evidence for an emerging and innovative treatment, and support the expansion in the TRANSFORM trial; and maintain the UK NSC-commissioned SCHARR model, ensuring that it can be updated as new evidence becomes available.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department provides to nursery managers seeking to use Level 2 and Level 3 apprentices more flexibly to meet local childcare demand.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The department offers a variety of qualification pathways to support individuals to gain the vital skills they need to work in an early years setting, including apprenticeships at levels 2, 3, 5 and 6. Apprentices play a vital role in our early years workforce, enabling children up and down the country to have the best start in life.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework enables early years providers to count apprentices, aged 16 or over, in ratios at the level below their level of study, if the provider is satisfied they are suitable, competent and responsible, and that they hold a valid and current paediatric first aid qualification. For example, an apprentice working towards their level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship may be included in the ratios at level 2.
It is right that providers hold the important role of ensuring that all staff members are suitable and have the skills and training they need to execute their roles. Setting managers are the ones who know their children and staff best. Supporting guidance on suitability of staff is available for providers in the EYFS.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will conduct a review of apprenticeship deployment rules in nursery settings to ensure they reflect the operational needs of providers and support the expansion of childcare places.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The department offers a variety of qualification pathways to support individuals to gain the vital skills they need to work in an early years setting, including apprenticeships at levels 2, 3, 5 and 6. Apprentices play a vital role in our early years workforce, enabling children up and down the country to have the best start in life.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework enables early years providers to count apprentices, aged 16 or over, in ratios at the level below their level of study, if the provider is satisfied they are suitable, competent and responsible, and that they hold a valid and current paediatric first aid qualification. For example, an apprentice working towards their level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship may be included in the ratios at level 2.
It is right that providers hold the important role of ensuring that all staff members are suitable and have the skills and training they need to execute their roles. Setting managers are the ones who know their children and staff best. Supporting guidance on suitability of staff is available for providers in the EYFS.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will update guidance to allow nursery managers discretion in counting Level 2 and Level 3 apprentices towards staffing ratios where appropriate supervision is in place.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The department offers a variety of qualification pathways to support individuals to gain the vital skills they need to work in an early years setting, including apprenticeships at levels 2, 3, 5 and 6. Apprentices play a vital role in our early years workforce, enabling children up and down the country to have the best start in life.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework enables early years providers to count apprentices, aged 16 or over, in ratios at the level below their level of study, if the provider is satisfied they are suitable, competent and responsible, and that they hold a valid and current paediatric first aid qualification. For example, an apprentice working towards their level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship may be included in the ratios at level 2.
It is right that providers hold the important role of ensuring that all staff members are suitable and have the skills and training they need to execute their roles. Setting managers are the ones who know their children and staff best. Supporting guidance on suitability of staff is available for providers in the EYFS.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Level 2 and Level 3 apprenticeship requirements on staffing flexibility in early years settings.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The department offers a variety of qualification pathways to support individuals to gain the vital skills they need to work in an early years setting, including apprenticeships at levels 2, 3, 5 and 6. Additional flexibilities were introduced in 2024 to give early years providers more flexibility in deploying apprentices.
Providers may now count apprentices (aged 16 or over) in ratios at the level below their level of study, if the provider is satisfied they are suitable, competent and responsible, and they hold a valid and current paediatric first aid qualification. This supports staffing flexibility in early years settings.
The government also introduced flexibilities around the English and mathematics requirements for apprentices in response to significant feedback, allowing thousands more apprentices to qualify each year, including in key sectors such as early years.
The department keeps all early years qualification requirements under review to ensure we are striking the appropriate balance between equipping educators with the right skills, without putting up unnecessary barriers. We will continue to ensure apprentices have a high-quality experience and increase the number of completions.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Defending Democracy Taskforce has had discussions with the the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service race and faith network on contacting firefighters about their political affiliations.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Defending Democracy Taskforce has not had discussions with the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service race and faith network about the political affiliations of firefighters.
It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on or investigate specific allegations relating to individual fire and rescue services, which should be considered through the relevant local processes. Fire and rescue authorities, as the employer, are responsible for the management and conduct of their staff.
The Government is clear that fire and rescue service employees should maintain high standards of professionalism, impartiality and political neutrality when on duty, whilst being able to participate in lawful political activity outside of work, subject to the terms of their employment and any relevant codes of conduct.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to address workforce shortages in early years settings arising from restrictions on the deployment of Level 2 and Level 3 apprentices.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The Best Start in Life Strategy lays the foundation for long-term improvements to recruitment and retention in the early years sector. Initiatives to improve recruitment and retention include the ‘Do something BIG’ recruitment campaign, financial incentives, a new early years teacher degree apprenticeship, an assessment-only route to achieve a level 3 qualification and operational flexibilities for childminders. Shorter-duration apprenticeships also launched from August 2025, which will mean apprentices will be able to train up more quickly where that is appropriate.
The government has also introduced an experience-based route for early years staff. This route allows suitable and experienced early years staff without an approved qualification to be included in the staff: child ratios at level 3, following successful completion of a period of supervised practice in an early years setting, recognising that staff members with the right experience and knowledge can offer a great deal to the care and education of young children.