Contributions
1,309 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Access to Education: South-East NorthumberlandWhen the Labour party was in government, there were many people on apprenticeships who, when asked in a survey about their apprenticeship, did not know that they were on an…21 Feb 2024HANSARD Access to Education: South-East NorthumberlandIt is a great pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mr Henderson. It is an auspicious day: I believe it is your maiden chairing of Westminster Hall, and it is a privilege for us all…21 Feb 2024HANSARDRegister of Children not in SchoolIf the hon. Lady is able to correct me on that point, I will be delighted to hear from her.20 Feb 2024HANSARDRegister of Children not in SchoolIt is a great pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Sir Christopher— I think for the first time. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Meon Valley (Mrs Drummond), my…20 Feb 2024HANSARDRegister of Children not in SchoolI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman, as ever. I was coming to that point, but as he has brought it forward I will say now that the guidance already encourages collaboration…20 Feb 2024HANSARDRegister of Children not in SchoolI suppose I am grateful to the hon. Lady for saying that. If she believes that having a register of children not in school will do something about persistent absence, I am afraid…20 Feb 2024HANSARDRegister of Children not in SchoolThese are both very important subjects, and there is some linkage at some level, but I do not think that what the hon. Lady just said is a sequitur. We are bearing down on…20 Feb 2024HANSARDRegister of Children not in SchoolI am grateful to the hon. Lady for enlightening me on that subject. She should know that we are investing in creating a network of mental health support teams throughout the…20 Feb 2024HANSARDEducationWe have launched 32 attendance hubs, to reach more than 1 million pupils. And we have expanded our attendance mentor pilot, as my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central…08 Feb 2024HANSARDEducationWe have launched 32 attendance hubs, to reach more than 1 million pupils. And we will be expanding our attendance mentor pilot, as my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent…08 Feb 2024HANSARD Mindfulness in SchoolsIt is good to see you in the Chair for today’s debate, Mr Gray. I congratulate the hon. Member for Warrington North (Charlotte Nichols) on bringing this important subject to…07 Feb 2024HANSARD Mindfulness in SchoolsIndeed, but I do not want to try our Chair’s patience too much by moving too far beyond mindfulness, which is of course the subject of the debate. I have taken a very active…07 Feb 2024HANSARD Mindfulness in SchoolsThe senior mental health lead training that I talked about is a nationwide offer—I am talking about England, because, as hon. Members know, education is devolved. I was just about…07 Feb 2024HANSARDSchool Attendance (Duties of Local Authorities and Proprietors of Schools) BillLet me first warmly congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford) on her success in the ballot, and on using that success for this purpose. I am…02 Feb 2024HANSARDSchool AttendanceI will. Local authorities have duties towards those children to ensure that all are receiving a suitable education and act if not. The consultation we held on revised guidance to…29 Jan 2024HANSARDf40 Local Authorities: FundingMy hon. Friend is right about the importance of deprivation factors and, indeed, transport costs. We are increasing the amount under the formula that relates to deprivation, and…29 Jan 2024HANSARDCost of Living Support: Devolved AdministrationsWe await the Scottish Government’s full programme, but I will say that, in recognition of the benefits of free school meals and targeting them where they can have most effect, one…29 Jan 2024HANSARDCost of Living Support: Devolved AdministrationsI agree that, given all that the UK has in common, it is vital that we talk about policy issues frequently, including on devolved matters. The UK Education Ministers Council last…29 Jan 2024HANSARDSchool AttendanceAttendance did decline through covid. It is now improving, but there is a lot more to do. We are expanding attendance hubs to support nearly 2,000 schools and we have launched the…29 Jan 2024HANSARDFalling Pupil RollsAs I said to the hon. Member for Vauxhall (Florence Eshalomi), it is true that there is change as numbers move from primary into secondary, and it is important to try to plan…29 Jan 2024