Contributions
1,330 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSchools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and ThrivingMy noble friend is absolutely right. There is excellent work going on in our special schools, in the state sector and the independent sector. However, it cannot be right that…24 Feb 2026HANSARDSchools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and ThrivingFirst, to be clear, the majority of children who have an EHCP are in a special school. No child who is in a special school will need to leave a special school placement at any…24 Feb 2026HANSARDPost-16 Education and Skills White PaperI can absolutely confirm that to my noble friend. Since my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions took on the role, it has been a key priority to…24 Feb 2026HANSARDPost-16 Education and Skills White PaperAlthough the noble Earl did not revert to the language that some of his colleagues have used about university degrees, I share the view that, if we are expecting both young people…24 Feb 2026HANSARDPost-16 Education and Skills White PaperMy noble friend is absolutely right. I can remember the contribution made by the union learning fund to support trade unions to enable the development of skills in their…24 Feb 2026HANSARDStudent Loans: ReviewTo be clear, once again, the level of debt does not determine the level of repayments that students make. To suggest that it does confuses and misleads those thinking about going…24 Feb 2026HANSARDStudent Loans: ReviewNo we are not, and nor should we, which is why we have made increasing access and participation a major pillar of our reforms of higher education. Despite the student loan system,…24 Feb 2026HANSARDSchools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and ThrivingMy noble friend has identified the benefits of early intervention, as he says. We need a clearer and more evidence-based approach to what is appropriate for children with complex…24 Feb 2026HANSARDStudent Loans: ReviewI know the noble Lord would not want the suggestion to be made that the level of debt impacts on the amount anybody repays in any given month, because, of course, that is wrong.…24 Feb 2026HANSARDStudent Loans: ReviewMy Lords, given the inherited fiscal situation, we are making tough but necessary decisions to protect both taxpayers and students. It is right that those who can afford to repay…24 Feb 2026HANSARDPost-16 Education and Skills White PaperThe noble Lord is absolutely right. That is why we celebrate the 5 million additional days that children have been in school over the last year. In our schools White Paper we set…24 Feb 2026HANSARDPost-16 Education and Skills White PaperI chair an advisory group on how we can develop and deliver the lifelong learning entitlement, which is well attended by vice-chancellors. I talk about the opportunities for…24 Feb 2026HANSARDStudent Loans: ReviewMy noble friend makes a very important point. I went to university without a student loan, but I was part of only 14% of young people who were able to benefit from higher…24 Feb 2026HANSARDStudent Loans: ReviewAs a Government, we recognise and support the public subsidy that the student finance scheme implies for students. For plan 2 full-time borrowers who started their courses in…24 Feb 2026HANSARDPost-16 Education and Skills White PaperThe noble Lord is right. When we were talking yesterday about the opportunities provided by V-levels and T-levels, I also talked about the way in which they would increase the…24 Feb 2026HANSARDSchools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and ThrivingThe noble Baroness is right that I know that constituency very well, having proudly represented it for 13 years—although I am afraid that the history of Worcestershire’s approach…24 Feb 2026HANSARDStudent Loans: ReviewI wonder whether the noble Earl has had the opportunity to discuss with some of his colleagues whether they believe that the system that they introduced is a scam. This is a…24 Feb 2026HANSARDSchools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and ThrivingMy noble friend is absolutely right—and also about the joy that teaching brought to us both. That is why, alongside the White Paper, we published the implementation plan for…24 Feb 2026HANSARDSchools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and ThrivingMy Lords, our White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving , sets out our ambition to improve the lives of all children and young people, combining the support they receive at…24 Feb 2026HANSARDSchools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and ThrivingI am glad that the noble Lord recognises the emphasis on families and the relationship between schools and parents. An important element of the White Paper recognises, as I know…24 Feb 2026