Questions will be asked on the pause to the delivery of sex and relationships education in schools in the House of Keys.

A new Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) curriculum, launched in September, was put on hold this week while an independent review takes place.

Education Minister Julie Edge will be asked in the House of Keys sitting how long the curriculum will be paused and what will be delivered during the pause.

Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse, who is asking all but two questions during the sitting, will also ask who has been tasked with establishing facts about recent concerns for the curriculum and what mechanisms are in place to assess the content of lessons in personal, social and health education, and in life skills.

A petition calling for the suspension of the curriculum by parents and caregivers of children aged 11 to 13 at Queen Elizabeth II High School was launched only a few days before the suspension.

Its letter said: ‘We consider there has been a complete failure of safeguards, training, curriculum assessment and consideration of the Isle of Man education policy in respect of the delivery of PSHE at your school.

‘What we find wholly unacceptable and consider unsafe and placing children at risk of harm is the graphic, disproportionate, indecent presentation of sexual acts, materials and different gender identities (including graphic detail of transgender operations) within Key Stage 3.’

Ms Edge will also be asked whether the new ground source heating installation at Castle Rushen High School is now completed and signed off and what changes to menus and portion sizes have been proposed by the Primary Schools Meal Service.

Chris Thomas, minister for the Department of Infrastructure, will be facing questions on what plans he has to implement a 20mph speed restriction around Scoill Phurt le Moirrey, the primary school in Port St Mary.

Rushen MHK Michelle Haywood wants to know whether this could be delivered as part of the 20mph zone planned for the village.

Justice and Home Affairs Minister Jane Poole-Wilson will explain what her department’s strategy is for preventing electric vehicle fires on Steam Packet vessels and in multi-storey car parks.

Meanwhile, newly appointed Enterprise Minister Tim Johnston will reveal how many people visited Manx National Heritage sites in each of the last three years.

He will also be answering questions in his role as chair of the Manx Utilities Authority.

These include how many electricity meters have been fitted into newly built homes in each of the last three years, and during the first six weeks of 2023, and when the authority’s annual report for the year ending March 31, 2022 will be published.

Environment Minister Clare Barber will be asked when a new school room will be available at the Wildlife Park.

The sitting takes place on Tuesday, February 28 at 10am.