Contributions
959 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDChildren's HomesToday I am providing an update on the Department’s response to whistleblowing allegations made to Ofsted and the BBC by former employees of Calcot Services for Children. The…28 Jun 2022HANSARD SEND: Carshalton and WallingtonIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Hollobone. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Elliot Colburn) for securing this important…21 Jun 2022HANSARDSocial Work England: Closure of Emergency RegisterIn response to the covid-19 pandemic, to support local authority children’s services and adult social care providers, the Government enabled Social Work England to establish a…13 Jun 2022HANSARD Children’s Education Recovery and Childcare CostsI welcome the opportunity to respond on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government and I thank the many hon. Members who have made constructive and passionate contributions to the debate.…07 Jun 2022HANSARD Children’s Education Recovery and Childcare CostsI may not agree on that particular point, but where I do agree with the hon. Lady is that the take-up of tax-free childcare is far too low. I am looking very closely at that and…07 Jun 2022HANSARD Children’s Education Recovery and Childcare CostsI thank the hon. Lady for her intervention, and I will come on in just one moment to exactly the funding we are putting into childcare. However, in total, it is £5.1 billion. On…07 Jun 2022HANSARD Children’s Education Recovery and Childcare CostsOf course that is an important point, but let us not forget that this is the Government who introduced the 30 free hours and the offer of 15 hours for disadvantaged two-year-olds,…07 Jun 2022HANSARD Independent Review of Children’s Social CareWith permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on how the Government are responding to “The independent review of children’s social care” and the Competition and Markets…23 May 2022HANSARDEarly Years Services and ChildcareWe are committed to improving the cost, choice and availability of childcare and early education. We have spent more than £3.5 billion in each of the past three years on early…23 May 2022HANSARDEarly Years Services and ChildcareThat is exactly why we spend more than £5 billion a year on childcare and early years, including: the offer for disadvantaged two-year-olds; the offer of 15 and 30 hours for three…23 May 2022HANSARDEarly Years Services and ChildcareOver the summer, we will consult on moving to the Scottish staff to child ratios for two-year-olds—from a ratio of one to four compared with one to five. I want all parents and…23 May 2022HANSARDEarly Years Services and ChildcareThe hon lady is absolutely right that take-up of the two-year-old disadvantage offer is much lower than we want it to be. In truth, take-up of the universal credit childcare offer…23 May 2022HANSARDEarly Years Services and ChildcareMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. We are working jointly with other Departments to consider options for how to improve the system within the parameters of the 2021 spending…23 May 2022HANSARDMental Wellbeing of PupilsThis month, we announced £10 million to extend senior mental health lead training to more schools. Such training will be available to two thirds of schools and colleges by 2023…23 May 2022HANSARDMental Wellbeing of PupilsI would be happy to visit my right hon. Friend’s constituency. The schools that are doing best on mental health and mental wellbeing are the ones that take a whole-school…23 May 2022HANSARDMental Wellbeing of PupilsThe hon. Lady is absolutely right to raise this issue, which is one of the big challenges of our time. We know that pressures on young people in relation to mental wellbeing are…23 May 2022HANSARDMental Wellbeing of PupilsI would be very happy to do so. We need a step change in the way that we approach alternative provision. That is why alternative provision is a key part of the special educational…23 May 2022HANSARDMental Wellbeing of PupilsThat was an interesting link from my hon. Friend. None the less, he does have a point that a whole-school approach to mental wellbeing is about doing all sorts of extra-curricular…23 May 2022HANSARDMental Wellbeing of PupilsAs I have said, I regularly meet my counterpart at the Department of Health and Social Care. The hon. Gentleman will be pleased to know that at the heart of the SEND and…23 May 2022HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank my hon. Friend for that question. We certainly want an increased number of learners with disabilities starting apprenticeships. Working with Disability Rights UK, our…23 May 2022