Asked by: Baroness Whitaker (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they intend to implement the recommendation of the Curriculum and Assessment Review that rights and responsibilities, and the concepts of fairness and equity, should form part of the curriculum for law and rights.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 5 November, the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review published its final report, which includes recommendations for a refreshed curriculum and assessment system in England.
As part of the response to the Review’s report the government has made a commitment to make citizenship compulsory in key stages 1 and 2,so that primary aged children are introduced to key content on media literacy, law and rights, democracy and government education. Covering these issues in citizenship will ensure we continue to focus on schools’ role in developing fundamental British values, including mutual tolerance and respect. These principles will be extended to the secondary core content to reflect the age range of pupils and will focus on more complex content.
The department will engage with sector experts and young people in working out how best to reflect this in the updated curriculum. There will be public consultation on the updated curriculum Programmes of Study, to seek views on the content before they are finalised.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to review cases of people born in the UK before 1 July 2006 to a British father and a non-British mother where the parents were not married, who sought registration under section 4G of the British Nationality Act 1981, particularly where they had (a) disabilities and (b) faced financial hardship.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
All applications made under section 4G of the British Nationality Act 1981 are considered against the statutory criteria. Customers are only required to pay the citizenship ceremony fee; no registration fee is payable.
In the White paper – restoring control over the immigration system, we committed to consider removing all financial barriers to acquiring British citizenship for young adults who have lived their entire lives in the UK.
Asked by: Lewis Cocking (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish revised guidance for schools on promoting British values.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
Schools already embed British values through their statutory duty to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development. This is supported by statutory curriculum content, notably in citizenship and relationships education. The department has no current plans to publish revised guidance on promoting British values.
Schools have a good understanding of these values and integrate them well. However, through the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, we will ensure young people are provided with a balanced curriculum that develops the knowledge and skills they need to thrive as citizens, both in work and throughout life.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support youth democracy in (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools, (c) alternative provision and (d) sixth forms and colleges in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
This government is committed to improving the rates of electoral registration and encouraging the engagement of young people and has committed to lowering the voting age to 16 for all elections in the UK.
It is up to schools, sixth forms, further education providers and alternative provision settings to decide what steps to take to support youth democracy in the context of their duty to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Ofsted’s inspection framework assesses how well schools, colleges and independent learning providers promote the values.
For secondary schools, democracy is currently taught through the national curriculum for citizenship at key stages 3 and 4, which covers parliamentary democracy, the key elements of the constitution of the United Kingdom, the power of government and how citizens and Parliament hold it to account. Primary schools can choose to teach citizenship, using non-statutory programmes of study at key stages 1 and 2.
Support for curriculum delivery is available through optional, free and adaptable resources from Oak National Academy (Oak). Oak launched its new curriculum sequences for secondary citizenship earlier this academic year, with the full package of curriculum resources expected to be available by autumn 2025.
The UK Parliament run educational tours for pupils, youth and community groups to see how Parliament works in action. The UK Parliament also produce resources which can be downloaded or ordered for free, tailored to different age groups.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport funds the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) to support young people to engage in the democratic process. Every two years, the UKYP runs ‘Make Your Mark’, open to all 11 to 18-year-olds in the UK, to enable them to vote on what are the most important issues for young people.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether young people from Hong Kong on the extended British National (Overseas) visa will be able to immediately access apprenticeship schemes in the UK without having to wait for three years of residence.
Answered by Andrea Jenkyns
Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa holders are required to meet the same residency requirements as most other non-UK nationals. The residency requirements ensure that public funding for apprenticeships is targeted at those with established ties to the United Kingdom.
They are able to live, work and study in the UK, but will not have access to public funds.
They may start an apprenticeship, and access government funds for training and assessment, once they meet the residency requirement, and can do so before they are able to apply for indefinite leave to remain or citizenship.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if his Department has made an assessment of the benefits of establishing cultural exchange programs with the British Overseas Territories.
Answered by Amanda Milling
The UK maintains strong cultural links with the Territories and our continuing partnerships bring benefits to the UK and to the Territories.
Currently, young people in the Overseas Territories have access to programmes such as the FCDO-funded Chevening Scholarships, which offers opportunities to develop professionally and academically, experience UK culture, and build lasting positive relationships with the UK. Inhabitants of our Overseas Territories are usually British Overseas Territory Citizens under British Nationality law. Often these British Overseas Territory Citizens also qualify for British citizenship and thus have access to institutions for further and higher education in the UK.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that schools teach young people about (a) British veterans and (b) the Armed Forces Covenant.
Answered by Robin Walker
We want all children to leave school with the knowledge, skills and values that will prepare them to be active citizens in modern Britain.
Teaching about the British constitutional system, political issues, different viewpoints and the way in which pupils can engage in our democratic society form an essential part of a broad and balanced curriculum, and are covered within citizenship education. Citizenship education is mandatory in secondary maintained schools as part of the national curriculum. Primary maintained schools and all academies are encouraged to cover citizenship as part of their duty to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum.
In citizenship, pupils will learn about the role of Parliament and how citizens can take part in democratic and electoral processes to influence decisions locally, nationally and beyond. They will also learn about the role of police, courts and justice, free press, human rights and international law, as well as the governments of other countries.
Whilst we do not direct schools to teach about British veterans and the Armed Forces Covenant, schools are free to do so in the context of their citizenship curriculum. Teachers are also able to teach about Britain’s constitutional system, British veterans and the armed forces within other subjects. For instance, the history curriculum can cover political and social movements past and present, as can other subjects such as English when the context is right.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that schools teach young people about the history of the British constitutional system.
Answered by Robin Walker
We want all children to leave school with the knowledge, skills and values that will prepare them to be active citizens in modern Britain.
Teaching about the British constitutional system, political issues, different viewpoints and the way in which pupils can engage in our democratic society form an essential part of a broad and balanced curriculum, and are covered within citizenship education. Citizenship education is mandatory in secondary maintained schools as part of the national curriculum. Primary maintained schools and all academies are encouraged to cover citizenship as part of their duty to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum.
In citizenship, pupils will learn about the role of Parliament and how citizens can take part in democratic and electoral processes to influence decisions locally, nationally and beyond. They will also learn about the role of police, courts and justice, free press, human rights and international law, as well as the governments of other countries.
Whilst we do not direct schools to teach about British veterans and the Armed Forces Covenant, schools are free to do so in the context of their citizenship curriculum. Teachers are also able to teach about Britain’s constitutional system, British veterans and the armed forces within other subjects. For instance, the history curriculum can cover political and social movements past and present, as can other subjects such as English when the context is right.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to stop children aged 11 to 16 from becoming gambling addicts.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Culture, Media and Sport)
All gambling operators providing facilities to British customers must comply with the conditions of their Gambling Commission licences, including measures to protect children and vulnerable people. It is an offence to allow children to participate in most forms of commercial gambling and there are strict requirements to verify age. All operators advertising in the UK must also abide by the advertising codes issued by the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) in which a wide range of provisions are designed to protect children. CAP has consulted on tightening these rules further.
As part of the statutory Relationships, Sex and Health Education curriculum in England, young people are taught about the risks relating to gambling, including the accumulation of debt. To support teachers to deliver these topics safely and with confidence, the Department for Education has also developed a series of training modules, one of which has a specific section on gambling. Other curriculum subjects, such as citizenship, mathematics and computing, can also help develop young people’s financial literacy and highlight the risks associated with gambling.
As part of its broad scope, the Gambling Act Review is looking at the effectiveness of existing measures to ensure the protection of young and vulnerable people from the risks associated with all types of gambling. We are considering the evidence carefully and will publish a white paper outlining conclusions and next steps in due course.
Asked by: Kim Leadbeater (Labour - Spen Valley)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the societal value for young people of religious education; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robin Walker
The government firmly believes that religious education (RE) is important. Good quality RE is essential in developing children’s knowledge of British values and traditions, and those of other countries. RE is a vital part of fostering understanding among different faiths and beliefs, which is why it is a compulsory subject for all state-funded schools up to the age of 18.
Department officials engage regularly with key RE stakeholders, including the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education as the main subject association for RE in England.
When teaching RE, schools should consider how their curriculum can develop social skills and empathy, as well as equip children and young people with the skills for living and working in a diverse society. For older pupils, RE should also focus on developing skills that are useful in a wide range of careers and adult life, and in particular the skills of critical enquiry, creative problem-solving and communication in a variety of media.
In school life, RE can develop and nuance the skills required for other parts of the school curriculum such as history, citizenship, and personal, social, health and economic education.
RE is an important subject, developing an individual’s knowledge and understanding of the religions and beliefs which form part of contemporary society, as well as serving to inform their own values and behaviour. RE can also contribute to pupils’ personal development and well-being by promoting mutual respect and tolerance in a diverse society. It is an important contributor to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, which schools are required to facilitate as per the Education Act 2002.
Studying RE can also serve to improve community cohesion, providing a key context to develop young people’s understanding and appreciation of diversity, to promote shared values and to challenge racism and discrimination.