Contributions
1,118 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDExpansion of Free ChildcareMy Lords, the DfE’s own pulse survey from last week found that 45% of childcare and early years providers said that it was unlikely that they would increase the number of places…23 Apr 2024HANSARDExpansion of Free ChildcareTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the implementation of the expansion of free childcare hours.23 Apr 2024HANSARDChildren and Young People: Local Authority CareMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Laming, for securing such an important debate and for his insight based on a huge amount of experience and expertise in this subject. As the…18 Apr 2024HANSARDSchools and Colleges: Special Educational NeedsMy Lords, pupils with special educational needs are more than four times more likely to develop a mental health problem than other people. This means that one in seven young…15 Apr 2024HANSARDStudent Loan Interest RatesMy Lords, the Student Money Survey last September found that 18% of students had used a food bank in the 2022-23 academic year, up from 10% in 2021-22. The annual inflation rate…27 Mar 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform BillMy Lords, I declare an interest as deputy mayor for fire and resilience in London, and I thank the noble Lord, Lord Young, for his kind words about the London Fire Brigade. My…27 Mar 2024HANSARDBuilding SafetyMy Lords, I declare an interest as deputy mayor for fire in London. With respect to the Minister, using such terms as “at pace” and “as soon as possible” when things are taking so…27 Mar 2024HANSARDArtificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill [HL]My Lords, like others, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Holmes of Richmond, on his Private Member’s Bill, the Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill. It has been a…22 Mar 2024HANSARDFree Childcare SchemeTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the availability of additional funded childcare provision, ahead of the expansion of the free childcare scheme in…20 Mar 2024HANSARDSchool Meals for ChildrenMy Lords, anyone who saw the pictures in the newspaper article to which the Question refers will be fairly appalled at the quality of the food offered to the children. The head…20 Mar 2024HANSARDFree Childcare SchemeMy Lords, on these Benches we agree with the ambition of the policy, but delivery of the expansion of the free childcare scheme is falling short. With the charity Coram Family and…20 Mar 2024HANSARDStrikes (Minimum Service Levels: Fire and Rescue Services) (England) Regulations 2024My Lords, I declare an interest as London’s deputy mayor for fire and resilience. However, I am speaking in my capacity as a Member of your Lordships’ House. I have had the…19 Mar 2024HANSARDSchools: Special Needs PupilsMy Lords, the noble Baroness has outlined a range of measures, but the truth is that there is insufficient capacity in the system. I spoke to one parent—I do not think she would…19 Mar 2024HANSARDPupil Mental Health, Well-being and DevelopmentMy Lords, this has been a truly interesting and varied debate. I join others in congratulating the noble Baroness, Lady Bennett, on securing it. There can be nothing more…22 Feb 2024HANSARDSchools: Gender-questioning ChildrenMy Lords, Labour welcomes the consultation on the guidance. It is clear that schools want greater clarity on how to approach what is, as the Minister said, often a sensitive and…22 Feb 2024HANSARDPupil Mental Health, Well-being and DevelopmentHe does not have to become a primary school teacher; he can carry on as he is. The noble Earl, Lord Russell, mentioned the need for a whole-school approach, as did others, but…22 Feb 2024HANSARDRussell Group Universities: Foreign Student AdmissionsMy Lords, I am pleased to hear that the Government are taking seriously the Sunday Times allegations, but the truth is that even within the UK there is not a level playing field…01 Feb 2024HANSARDSchools: Financial EducationMy Lords, I too congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Sater, on securing this interesting debate, which has had a number of similar but significant contributions from across the…31 Jan 2024HANSARDSchools: Persistent AbsenteeismTo ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of persistent absenteeism in English schools; and what steps they are taking to address it.24 Jan 2024HANSARDSchools: Persistent AbsenteeismMy Lords, there is a link between levels of deprivation, poor mental health in children and persistent absence. The children’s mental health charity Place2Be has told me that, for…24 Jan 2024