Contributions
1,330 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDGiving Every Child the Best Start in LifeI am sorry that the noble Lord’s experience was that Sure Start funding was not guaranteed over a long enough period. It certainly was not guaranteed after 2010, was it? That was…07 Jul 2025HANSARDGiving Every Child the Best Start in LifeI thank the noble Lords for their response to and broad welcome of the Statement. I assure the noble Baroness, Lady Barran, that I did not feel uncomfortable at all. It took me…07 Jul 2025HANSARDGiving Every Child the Best Start in LifeMy Lords, with permission I will now make a Statement to update the House on this Government’s vital work to change our country for good by giving every child the best start in…07 Jul 2025HANSARDGiving Every Child the Best Start in LifeYes, I will write to the noble Lord about that.07 Jul 2025HANSARDGiving Every Child the Best Start in LifeMy noble friend is right about the investment in special educational needs, and disabilities in particular. I know she will recognise the additional £1 billion into high-needs…07 Jul 2025HANSARDGiving Every Child the Best Start in LifeAs I was suggesting, in some of the initiatives we have focused on ensuring that, for example, the additional financial incentive for early years educators will start in the most…07 Jul 2025HANSARDGiving Every Child the Best Start in LifeWe had a lengthy debate about this in Committee on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. I certainly agree with the noble Lord that supporting parents to read with their…07 Jul 2025HANSARDGiving Every Child the Best Start in LifeMy noble friend makes a very important point. We have seen the evidence from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and others about the long-term impact of Sure Start, which is what…07 Jul 2025HANSARDGiving Every Child the Best Start in LifeYes, at the moment, one-third of children arrive with the lack of development to succeed. That is exactly why families will have an important role to play in the development, and…07 Jul 2025HANSARDGiving Every Child the Best Start in LifeThe noble and right reverend Lord rightly says that, although this is important progress, and we will have a broad range of partners, there are of course other issues, such as…07 Jul 2025HANSARDGiving Every Child the Best Start in LifeIt is certainly a very important part of what we would hope to deliver, both in best start hubs and in early years, as we improve the ability and provision there to ensure that…07 Jul 2025HANSARDGiving Every Child the Best Start in LifeMy noble friend is absolutely right. The best best start centres will involve local communities and parents and will emphasise, as she does, the needs and voices of parents who…07 Jul 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI do not think the main reason why pupils are being excluded from school is because of issues to do with their hair, but I do think it is right for schools to have the ability to…03 Jul 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI also very much enjoyed the bookbags my boys carried backwards and forwards to school, but I am not sure that trumps what the Government are trying to achieve in reducing the…03 Jul 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillMy Lords, I acknowledge that it is unusual to rise at this point in the debate. I recognise that we have lots of detailed groups ahead of us in considering the issues in these…03 Jul 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI can clarify for the noble Lord that that is what I had in mind.03 Jul 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillMy Lords, as we have heard, this group of amendments relates to the purpose and scope of children not in school registers. As the first group in consideration of these clauses, it…03 Jul 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillNo, and we will come to that in detail. The Section 47 provision, the child protection inquiries, would require evidence of significant harm to the child. It is not the case, as…03 Jul 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillIf I have understood the noble Lord’s first point, it relates to whether the information-sharing provisions within this legislation will support the ability of local authorities…03 Jul 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillMy Lords, we have got to group 3, which is good. I start by addressing the Clause 30 stand part notice tabled by my noble friend Lord Hacking. Clause 30 sets out the requirement…03 Jul 2025