Contributions
1,336 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDInstitute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [Lords]That is an important question. The hon. Gentleman is tempting me to go into the history of apprenticeship regulation in England, which dates back to 1536. I will not detain the…25 Feb 2025HANSARDInstitute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [Lords]I will come on to what businesses are saying in one second. The Government are doing two things that are going to be very bad for apprenticeship numbers. First, while apprentices…25 Feb 2025HANSARDInstitute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [Lords]I start by paying tribute to the work of Mr Speaker and the Deputy Speakers in driving up the number of apprenticeships in this House. Not only is that creating brilliant…25 Feb 2025HANSARDDraft Higher Education (Fee Limits and Fee Limit Condition) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2025It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Furniss. Through these regulations, the Government are increasing tuition fees to £9,535 a year. The maximum maintenance loan…24 Feb 2025HANSARDBreakfast Clubs: Early AdoptersI thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of the statement. The previous Government substantially expanded access to breakfast clubs in primary and secondary schools, and…24 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Thirteenth sitting)I beg to move That the clause be read a Second time. The new clause presses Ministers to un-pause the final free schools. In October Ministers “paused” plans to open 44 new state…11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Thirteenth sitting)The new clause makes it clear that there would be a choice about who would provide the scheme. We heard from the Minister that there is a review of national professional…11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Thirteenth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. New clause 18 essentially raises the same issues as new clauses 17 and 19, but for a different programme—in this case, the…11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Thirteenth sitting)This series of new clauses on attendance is intended, as with other amendments on discipline, to add to the Bill content on some of the biggest issues that are facing our schools,…11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Thirteenth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fourteenth sitting)I think it is clear from the Minister’s response that there are certain things we will not be able to find out in the absence of this new clause. We will not be able to see the…11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fourteenth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time. Around my constituency, we have seen the closure of a couple of local independent schools, which have blamed the decision to…11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fourteenth sitting)I beg to ask leave to withdraw the clause. Clause, by leave, withdrawn. New Clause 25 Report on the impact of charging VAT on private school fees “(1) The Secretary of State must,…11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Thirteenth sitting)I am disappointed to hear that from the Minister, and we are also disappointed not to hear any date for when the schools, which all those people—people with an incredible track…11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Thirteenth sitting)It is nice to hear from the Minister that, following our decision to increase funding per pupil by 11% in real terms over the last Parliament, most trusts are in surplus or…11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fourteenth sitting)The hon. Lady talks about the use of pupils’ own smartphones as a teaching tool in class. Does she have any worries about the equity of that? What happens to the kids who do not…11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fourteenth sitting)To answer the question that the hon. Member for Derby North asked directly, subsection (2)(b) says the policy “is to be implemented as the relevant school leader considers…11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fourteenth sitting)We have had an important and interesting debate, and we have heard a mix of arguments—some better than others, I think. The argument about drafting does not hold water. Subsection…11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fourteenth sitting)I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.11 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fourteenth sitting)It is good to have this point of clarification. The clause uses the rather quaint phrase “mobile telephones” to capture everything, because the distinction between these devices…11 Feb 2025