Contributions
1,330 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPost-16 Financial EducationThe noble Baroness makes a very important point about the need to support young people leaving care. That, of course, is the reason for making personal advisers available to young…12 Jun 2025HANSARDPost-16 Financial EducationI know that since citizenship was established—in fact, I had some responsibility for it the first time I was a Minister in the Department for Education—there has been enormous…12 Jun 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillMy Lords, this has been a well-informed debate on the amendments in group 5 concerning foster care, particularly informed by those who have had personal experience. The noble…12 Jun 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillThat is good, because I was about to say—although I think he called it a battle plan, not a battle strategy—that the Government will set out our plans for foster care in due…12 Jun 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillYes, I am happy to do that. Of course, that is just one part of the sufficiency work that the Government are doing and that other elements of the Bill aim to make progress on, but…12 Jun 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillOh!12 Jun 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillMy Lords, I will speak to the amendments in group 6. This is the second group of amendments in a row where I think that, quite rightly, we in this Committee will recognise the…12 Jun 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI am glad to know that I am not the only person who has made that mistake. I apologise to the Chamber and to the noble Lord, Lord Russell. The noble Lord talked about the…12 Jun 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillIt would be 19.12 Jun 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI did say that it would fund 19 to 20 hours. I also made the point that this is something that does not happen within only one year; it is something that can continue, in order to…12 Jun 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillMy Lords, in speaking to the amendments in this group, I recognise that there is an enormous consensus in this debate about the significance of family and social relationships for…12 Jun 2025HANSARDFree School MealsI say to my noble friend that, as I think she has conceded, this considerable investment in our children is urgent action on tackling the issue of child poverty—as have been the…10 Jun 2025HANSARDFree School MealsMy Lords, when this Government came into office there were 900,000 more children living in poverty than there had been when the Labour Government left office in 2010. This was a…10 Jun 2025HANSARDFree School MealsOn Thursday, I think I will have the opportunity to answer a Question in this House on financial education in schools. Of course, I agree with the noble Earl that it is important…10 Jun 2025HANSARDFree School MealsThe Government are extending the entitlement to free school meals because we want children to benefit from them. We will keep under review the extent to which those free school…10 Jun 2025HANSARDFree School MealsMy noble friend makes two important points. First, she is right that, alongside this announcement, we have also said that we think now is the right time to review the nutritional…10 Jun 2025HANSARDFree School MealsMy noble friend is right of course about the importance of the contribution to learning. I think it is hard to envisage how children can focus on the learning that needs to happen…10 Jun 2025HANSARDFree School MealsOne of the things I have noticed about this House is the ambition of noble Lords. They are not satisfied with the status quo. In fact, they are not satisfied with the next stage…10 Jun 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillI have been persuaded in the course of this debate about the significance of this issue. I had some experience in previous work that I did in children’s social care about this, so…09 Jun 2025HANSARDChildren’s Wellbeing and Schools BillMy Lords, this group of amendments has enabled us to hear a consensus in this House about the enormously difficult, tragic and appalling instances of child sexual abuse over the…09 Jun 2025