It is for individual national health service trusts to determine their own policies on the wearing and laundering of uniforms in and around the workplace and in March 2010, the Department published refreshed guidance to help them do so: ‘Uniforms and workwear: Guidance on uniform and workwear policies for NHS employers’. A copy of this document has been placed in the Library.

One of the main conclusions of the working group that developed the guidance was that there was no conclusive evidence that uniforms or other work clothes pose a significant hazard in terms of spreading infection.

The group did though recognise that the public believe there is a risk and do not like seeing hospital staff in uniform away from the workplace.

A trust's chief executive has the responsibility for ensuring that hospital staff have enough suitable clothing and equipment to carry out their work effectively and to make any other supporting arrangements that may be necessary.

As well as an evidence base, the Uniforms and Workwear guidance identified examples of good (and poor) practice that were based on common sense rather than scientific evidence. Changing into and out of uniforms at work is included as a good practice example in the guidance.

The Department had made no estimate of the proportion of school age pupils who receive financial assistance to help towards the cost of school uniforms. The School Admissions Code places a statutory duty on all governing bodies to ensure that their policies and practices, including their uniforms, do not disadvantage any children. In deciding the design of its school uniform, the Department expects the school governing body to give high priority to cost considerations. No school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling unable to apply to, or attend a school of their choice, due to the cost of the uniform. Local authorities have a discretionary power to provide school clothing grants or to help with the cost of school clothing in cases of financial hardship.

It is for individual national health service trusts to determine their own policies on the wearing and laundering of uniforms in and around the workplace and in March 2010, the Department published refreshed guidance to help them do so: “Uniforms and workwear: Guidance on uniform and workwear policies for NHS employers”.

Scientific observations and tests, literature reviews and expert opinion suggest that washing with detergents at 30°C will remove most gram positive micro-organisms, including all meticillin-resistant ‘Staphylococcus aureus’, while a 10 minute wash at 60°C is sufficient to remove almost all micro organisms. In tests, only 0.1% of any ‘Clostridium difficile’ spores remained. Microbiologists carrying out the work advise that this level of contamination on uniforms and workwear is not a cause for concern.

NHS trusts are required to comply with a number of essential standards of safety and quality in order to maintain registration with the Care Quality Commission. The standard in relation to cleanliness and infection prevention and control requires registered providers to have dress codes in place that ensure clothing worn by staff when carrying out their duties is clean and fit for purpose. Particular consideration should also be given to items of attire that may inadvertently come into contact with the person being care for.

It is for individual national health service trusts to determine their own policies on the wearing and laundering of uniforms in and around the workplace and in March 2010, the Department published refreshed guidance to help them do so: “Uniforms and workwear: Guidance on uniform and workwear policies for NHS employers”.

Scientific observations and tests, literature reviews and expert opinion suggest that washing with detergents at 30°C will remove most gram positive micro-organisms, including all meticillin-resistant ‘Staphylococcus aureus’, while a 10 minute wash at 60°C is sufficient to remove almost all micro organisms. In tests, only 0.1% of any ‘Clostridium difficile’ spores remained. Microbiologists carrying out the work advise that this level of contamination on uniforms and workwear is not a cause for concern.

NHS trusts are required to comply with a number of essential standards of safety and quality in order to maintain registration with the Care Quality Commission. The standard in relation to cleanliness and infection prevention and control requires registered providers to have dress codes in place that ensure clothing worn by staff when carrying out their duties is clean and fit for purpose. Particular consideration should also be given to items of attire that may inadvertently come into contact with the person being care for.

It is for individual national health service trusts to determine their own policies on the wearing and laundering of uniforms in and around the workplace and in March 2010, the Department published refreshed guidance to help them do so: “Uniforms and workwear: Guidance on uniform and workwear policies for NHS employers”.

Scientific observations and tests, literature reviews and expert opinion suggest that washing with detergents at 30°C will remove most gram positive micro-organisms, including all meticillin-resistant ‘Staphylococcus aureus’, while a 10 minute wash at 60°C is sufficient to remove almost all micro organisms. In tests, only 0.1% of any ‘Clostridium difficile’ spores remained. Microbiologists carrying out the work advise that this level of contamination on uniforms and workwear is not a cause for concern.

NHS trusts are required to comply with a number of essential standards of safety and quality in order to maintain registration with the Care Quality Commission. The standard in relation to cleanliness and infection prevention and control requires registered providers to have dress codes in place that ensure clothing worn by staff when carrying out their duties is clean and fit for purpose. Particular consideration should also be given to items of attire that may inadvertently come into contact with the person being care for.

This is a matter for the school governing body but we have asked governing bodies to give high priority to the cost considerations when setting the school's uniform policy. Our advice available via the following link:

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/schoolethos/a0014144/guidance-for-schools-on-school-uniform-and-related-policies

is that no school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or parents feeling unable to apply to or attend the school of their choice. Some local authorities offer financial support by providing grants to help with the cost of school uniform.

We have no plans at present to work with schools on this matter, although the Office of Fair Trading wrote to all UK head teachers on 25 October asking them to review the arrangements they make for the sale of school uniforms.

The Panther CBRN protective suit produced by Remploy is neither in service with nor approved for use by UK armed forces.

DSTL has undertaken some test and evaluation work on the Panther suit on a commercial basis for Remploy. However, while the result of such work is sometimes published by companies as part of their advertising literature, this does not constitute DSTL or any Government endorsement of the product nor does it imply that the equipment has been approved for use by UK armed forces.

The Home Office Centre for Applied Science and Technology (CAST) publish standards for police body armour. Although we have not seen any armours fail in the UK, the standards are regularly reviewed against operational threats to ensure they reflect the current and emerging threats faced by UK police officers and take advantage of technical innovations in the protective materials industry. CAST are currently reviewing the standards and a new standard will be published early in 2014.

[holding answer 29 October 2012]: There have been no reported delays in the delivery of protective glasses or uniforms to service personnel currently deployed on operations in Afghanistan.

The Department has received 123 pieces of correspondence relating to school uniform since 1 September 2011. Correspondence data are not recorded in such a way that it is possible to identify how many of these were complaints about the cost of uniform.

Responsibility for school uniform policy rests with the governing body or the academy trust, including how the uniform should be sourced. The governing body should be able to demonstrate to parents how best value has been achieved and keep the cost of uniform under review. The Department has published non-statutory school uniform guidance on its website at:

www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/schoolethos/b0014144/schooluniform

That guidance clearly states that when considering their school uniform policy, governing bodies should give ‘high priority’ to cost considerations, and no school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling socially excluded. The Department does not collect information about whether schools which have adopted a new uniform on conversion to academy status, about the costs of school uniform, or about the number and value of grants paid by local authorities to help parents with the cost of school uniform.

The Department has received 123 pieces of correspondence relating to school uniform since 1 September 2011. Correspondence data are not recorded in such a way that it is possible to identify how many of these were complaints about the cost of uniform.

Responsibility for school uniform policy rests with the governing body or the academy trust, including how the uniform should be sourced. The governing body should be able to demonstrate to parents how best value has been achieved and keep the cost of uniform under review. The Department has published non-statutory school uniform guidance on its website at:

www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/schoolethos/b0014144/schooluniform

That guidance clearly states that when considering their school uniform policy, governing bodies should give ‘high priority’ to cost considerations, and no school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling socially excluded. The Department does not collect information about whether schools which have adopted a new uniform on conversion to academy status, about the costs of school uniform, or about the number and value of grants paid by local authorities to help parents with the cost of school uniform.

The Department has received 123 pieces of correspondence relating to school uniform since 1 September 2011. Correspondence data are not recorded in such a way that it is possible to identify how many of these were complaints about the cost of uniform.

Responsibility for school uniform policy rests with the governing body or the academy trust, including how the uniform should be sourced. The governing body should be able to demonstrate to parents how best value has been achieved and keep the cost of uniform under review. The Department has published non-statutory school uniform guidance on its website at:

www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/schoolethos/b0014144/schooluniform

That guidance clearly states that when considering their school uniform policy, governing bodies should give ‘high priority’ to cost considerations, and no school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling socially excluded. The Department does not collect information about whether schools which have adopted a new uniform on conversion to academy status, about the costs of school uniform, or about the number and value of grants paid by local authorities to help parents with the cost of school uniform.

The Department has received 123 pieces of correspondence relating to school uniform since 1 September 2011. Correspondence data are not recorded in such a way that it is possible to identify how many of these were complaints about the cost of uniform.

Responsibility for school uniform policy rests with the governing body or the academy trust, including how the uniform should be sourced. The governing body should be able to demonstrate to parents how best value has been achieved and keep the cost of uniform under review. The Department has published non-statutory school uniform guidance on its website at:

www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/schoolethos/b0014144/schooluniform

That guidance clearly states that when considering their school uniform policy, governing bodies should give ‘high priority’ to cost considerations, and no school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling socially excluded. The Department does not collect information about whether schools which have adopted a new uniform on conversion to academy status, about the costs of school uniform, or about the number and value of grants paid by local authorities to help parents with the cost of school uniform.

The Department has received 123 pieces of correspondence relating to school uniform since 1 September 2011. Correspondence data are not recorded in such a way that it is possible to identify how many of these were complaints about the cost of uniform.

Responsibility for school uniform policy rests with the governing body or the academy trust, including how the uniform should be sourced. The governing body should be able to demonstrate to parents how best value has been achieved and keep the cost of uniform under review. The Department has published non-statutory school uniform guidance on its website at:

www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/schoolethos/b0014144/schooluniform

That guidance clearly states that when considering their school uniform policy, governing bodies should give ‘high priority’ to cost considerations, and no school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling socially excluded. The Department does not collect information about whether schools which have adopted a new uniform on conversion to academy status, about the costs of school uniform, or about the number and value of grants paid by local authorities to help parents with the cost of school uniform.

The Department has received 123 pieces of correspondence relating to school uniform since 1 September 2011. Correspondence data are not recorded in such a way that it is possible to identify how many of these were complaints about the cost of uniform.

Responsibility for school uniform policy rests with the governing body or the academy trust, including how the uniform should be sourced. The governing body should be able to demonstrate to parents how best value has been achieved and keep the cost of uniform under review. The Department has published non-statutory school uniform guidance on its website at:

www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/schoolethos/b0014144/schooluniform

That guidance clearly states that when considering their school uniform policy, governing bodies should give ‘high priority’ to cost considerations, and no school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling socially excluded. The Department does not collect information about whether schools which have adopted a new uniform on conversion to academy status, about the costs of school uniform, or about the number and value of grants paid by local authorities to help parents with the cost of school uniform.

The Department has received 123 pieces of correspondence relating to school uniform since 1 September 2011. Correspondence data are not recorded in such a way that it is possible to identify how many of these were complaints about the cost of uniform.

Responsibility for school uniform policy rests with the governing body or the academy trust, including how the uniform should be sourced. The governing body should be able to demonstrate to parents how best value has been achieved and keep the cost of uniform under review. The Department has published non-statutory school uniform guidance on its website at:

www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/schoolethos/b0014144/schooluniform

That guidance clearly states that when considering their school uniform policy, governing bodies should give ‘high priority’ to cost considerations, and no school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling socially excluded. The Department does not collect information about whether schools which have adopted a new uniform on conversion to academy status, about the costs of school uniform, or about the number and value of grants paid by local authorities to help parents with the cost of school uniform.

No such representations have been received. I understand that a number of Newham council officers have been accredited under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme, which enables the police to accredit individuals with limited powers to assist in responding to the needs of their community. Accreditation under the scheme within the Metropolitan police area is a matter for the Commissioner, who must also approve any uniform worn by accredited persons.

Guidance on the scheme is provided by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

The new uniform design is currently undergoing staff consultation in both Border Force and the UK Border Agency before a final design is agreed. Any subsequent design will not be issued to staff until 2013.

We have allocated an additional £1.8 billion over 10 years to ensure that reservists will receive the kit and the training they need to meet their future roles.

As part of their fully integrated role under Army 2020, equipment is now being delivered to the reserves. This includes modern vehicles, such as refurbished weapons mounted installations kit Land Rovers (RWMIK) with the delivery of the initial tranche of 48 starting in October 2012, and a further 12 for a training fleet being delivered once they are no longer required for Operation HERRICK training, Land Rovers (784 by December 2012) and the latest MAN support vehicles (876 by March 2013); Bowman radios, previously withdrawn from the reserves in 2008-09, now available for issue in September 2012 and overseas training exercises from October 2012; and personal combat system combat uniform (issued to all personnel by March 2013).