AQO 1675/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 27/02/2025
Answered On Date: 11/03/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education whether he is committed to making provisions for a cap on school uniforms as part of the School Uniforms (Guidance and Allowances) Bill (NIA Bill 12/22-27).

Answer:

The School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill which passed second stage on 3 March 2025 contains provisions for a cap on school uniforms.

Clause 3 enables a limit – a cap- to be put in place on numbers of branded items. Clause 4 enables a cap to be put in place on the cost of individual items or an entire uniform. The flexibility is built into the Bill for a cap to be on any of these elements or a combination of them.

In response to the consultation on the policy proposals underpinning the Bill there was a high level of support for a cost control measure and an even higher level of support was expressed for ensuring a competitive market for school uniforms. Open competition is the means by which expert bodies such as the Competition and Markets Authority suggest driving and keeping costs down.

So, it may be the case that a cap is brought in for a timebound period, or if needed once we see the impact of the statutory guidelines. The important point in relation to the Bill is that the necessary powers are in place via clauses 3 and 4.

These clauses are drafted to come into operation via commencement orders – this means that further work on the detail of how a cap might operate can be taken forward in parallel with – but without delaying – the implementation of statutory guidelines.