To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department offers protection to staff from unfair dismissal from their first working day.

The department has appropriate policies and processes in place to ensure employees are treated fairly from day one of their employment.

All dismissals are handled in line with current legislation and appropriate Codes of Practice. Where an employee feels they may have been unfairly dismissed, appropriate internal appeal routes may be instigated.

Where an employee is unable to solve a problem internally, they may be able to go to an employment tribunal to claim unfair dismissal, as set out in legislation.

This position will be reviewed when unfair dismissal rights are updated in line with proposals in the Employment Rights Bill.