Catherine McKinnell
MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North · Labour · United Kingdom
“The family of a terminally ill constituent contacted me in desperation last month after trying to resolve the pension issues of their family member since January. She died yesterday, with her pension still unresolved. Can the Minister be more specific for that family about what will be done to resolve this issue?”
“As the UK trade envoy to Italy, I thank the Secretary of State for confirming the GCAP funding in his statement. As MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North, I add my voice to those who want to see this as an opportunity to genuinely spread investment and opportunity that will build strength and resilience in our people right across the UK—they a…”
“This report is welcome, but that does not make its existence any less tragic. Far too many mothers and babies have been failed, including mothers like my constituent Amie, who late last year was turned away repeatedly, despite reporting reduced movements. Her baby Seren was born stillborn.”
“Failures to address these issues have significant effects, both on the public finances and on the most vulnerable people in society, and, indeed, they are issues that are often reflected in our constituency mailboxes. I was contacted recently by a young woman who had reported child sexual abuse to the police last year.”
“Her husband was the victim of an assault by the defendant, who had raped his wife. They were forced to wait four hours for the trial to begin. They were eventually told that the defendant would arrive and that the delay to his delivery was causing the delay, but it had a knock-on effect on additional days in court.”
“Friend has said, we need a court estate that is fit for purpose in order to maximise the use of these additional days. I too have visited my local court, in this instance Newcastle Crown court.”
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“This information is relevant to help local authorities undertaking safeguarding, welfare and education relating to children, so it is crucial that it can be shared when appropriate. These amendments serve to strengthen the Bill and ensure that it works as intended to keep children safe, to secure their education and to ensure that each and every family can access a brilliant local school, which is the cornerstone of opportunity for every child. I thank right hon. and hon. Members again for their scrutiny and challenge to the Bill so far. I look forward to listening to the debate, because there is no subject on which the House feels so passionately as the future of our children, and the steps that we must take to ensure thatsb each and every one of them can achieve and thrive.”
“Amendments 90 and 151 are essential because of the Bill’s new powers for local authorities to share data from their “children not in school” registers with the agencies listed in section 11 of the Children Act 2004 and with Ofsted, in line with well-established practices, and to share information to protect and promote the wellbeing of children. The amendments will ensure that local authorities can have confidence that they are acting in the children’s best interest when doing so. There are well-established processes and existing expectations on these agencies to share information to protect and promote the wellbeing of children. Without these amendments, local authorities and these agencies may be concerned that they will be restricted in the information that they can share or receive from the “not in school” register.”
“They empower Ofsted to disclose information to other inspectorates of independent educational institutions or of accommodation in schools or colleges, to enable their inspections and ensure high-quality services for our children. We anticipate that information to be shared for those purposes may include that which is given in confidence—for instance, concerns shared with Ofsted by whistleblowers. However, it is essential that information sharing that would help to protect a child’s wellbeing is not hampered. This imperative should override concerns about breaking confidence.”
“It makes clear that these powers and duties to give or publish information do not give anyone the right to give or publish personal data in a way that would breach data protection legislation. It applies a data protection override to the whole of part 2 and schedule 2 to the 2006 Act to cover all the information-related powers and duties in relation to opening, closing and altering schools. Amendments 166 and 167 will ensure that restrictions on the sharing of data, obligations of confidence and other restrictions do not prevent the sharing of information where it is done to protect the welfare of children at registered independent educational institutions or in accommodation provided by schools or colleges.”
“The amendments that I am addressing relate particularly to information sharing, which clearly the right hon. Gentleman has concerns about. Members on both sides of the House will be all too aware of the succession of tragedies that we have seen when children have fallen between the cracks in services that should be there to support them. The changes in the Bill are a reflection of this Government’s determination to bring that era of state failure to a close. New clause 17 relates to the measures on opening new schools. Part 2 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, which the Bill is amending, includes a number of relevant duties and powers where personal data might be processed—for example, where a proposal for a new school includes details of the relevant experience of the individual proposers.”
“Further, I can confirm that our officials are working with the Government Digital Service in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore options on further data sharing to get more families signed up for their entitlements. We expect to have those provisions in place from next year, well ahead of the academic year beginning in September 2026. Our officials are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to explore options on supporting enrolment through universal credit. My Department will monitor the impact of those policies and engage with local authorities to assess the impact of the changes on the uptake of free school meals. I would be happy to update the House on that work and write to the Chair of the Education Committee, my hon.”
“It is right that these considerable reforms, such as extending universal infant free school meals to all primary pupils, are considered through this route in a holistic way. Alongside the work of the taskforce, we are making progress to make it easier for families to access their entitlements, and I recognise the concern that right hon. and hon. Members have for children missing out. The Government are pressing ahead with making it quicker and easier for families and local authorities to get children signed up for free school meals with our new eligibility checking system, which allows parents to check their eligibility and supports the local efforts we have seen to ensure that children receive that support.”
“Children cannot achieve or thrive if the stressors and strains of growing up in poverty—of seeing their parents worried about putting food on the table, of being concerned about their younger siblings or whether their friends will judge them for not having the basics—are put on their shoulders. I know my hon. Friends share the Government’s concern for those children and their futures. We have set up the child poverty taskforce chaired by my right hon. Friends the Education Secretary and the Work and Pensions Secretary to look at how we can work across Government to tackle the causes and impacts of poverty on children’s lives. The support the Government provide through their school food programmes to enable families to access healthy, nutritious food is being considered as part of that work.”
“It gives children a settled start to the day and will secure improvements in attendance and behaviour, so the right approach is to legislate to give schools certainty of the minimum they need to provide and to work with early adopters to see how schools can maximise attendance at these clubs. To promote food-only offers may risk undermining the club element. Let us be clear: we inherited a shameful legacy from the previous Government. Compared with when Labour last left office, 700,000 more children are growing up with their lives and life chances scarred by poverty.”
“Members who tabled amendments 2, 219 and 220 are right that it is critical that the new breakfast clubs are accessible for children with special educational needs and disabilities. All pupils, including those with SEND and those in special schools, are already in the existing drafting of the clause. The need to get this right is why we are testing, and learning through, the early adopter programme. On amendments 214, 215, 217 and 218, it is important to be clear on the distinction between food-only options being “alongside” or “instead of” the breakfast clubs. The club is as important as the breakfast.”
“I thank all hon. Members for their contributions, some of which have been well considered and delivered powerfully—others less so. This Government’s mission is to break down barriers to opportunity by driving high and rising standards. That has to be the right of every child, delivered through excellent teaching and leadership, a high-quality curriculum, and a system that removes the barriers to learning that hold too many children back, all underpinned by strong and clear accountability. This Bill delivers the legislative elements of the broader vision that we are determined to deliver. As part of that, from next term free breakfast clubs will start being rolled out in early adopter schools across the country, including special schools and alternative provision settings.”
“I want to reassure Members that we will make clear in statutory guidance for local authorities everything that they have to consider under section 7 when they are making decisions about the suitability of education.”
“That is why we have included those items, plus a tie, in the three-item limit for secondary education. Let me turn to amendments 4, 13 and 14, and 16. I commend my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Central (Abtisam Mohamed) for her intention to provide clarity on the interpretations of “suitable education” and “suitable arrangements”. It is important that there be consistency across local authorities in how they approach that. However, the amendments are not needed. Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 is already clear that education must be suitable to a child’s age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs they have.”
“Our proposals provide clarity and certainty for schools and will enable parents to have greater choice in where they buy uniforms. Amendment 191 risks undermining that parental choice. Nothing prevents schools from providing branded items at a lower cost than generic alternatives and offering them as optional items. Under current VAT rules, all children’s clothing and footwear designed for children under 14, including school uniforms, already attracts a zero rate of VAT, which covers the intention of new clause 12. On the point raised by the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson), we encourage schools to use sew-on badges, with a school name or logo, as a cost-effective way to brand uniform items. We want to give parents absolute clarity on what the limit means for them.”
“Members share the desire to reduce the cost of sending children to school, but a monetary cap, as proposed in amendment 1, would increase burdens and could create new financial penalties for schools. For schools, that would mean having to review uniform policies annually to ensure that branded items are still within the cost cap, and, as a result, it could mean that they change their uniforms more frequently to remain within the cap. They would also have to review and possibly renegotiate contracts with suppliers more frequently. For parents, more frequent changes in uniform could increase the overall number of branded items that they have to buy while their child is at school. It could affect their ability to pass uniforms down as second-hand, and could increase their reliance on specific suppliers.”
“On new clause 54, I can confirm that the Government will continue to publish comprehensive data on free school meals, and on the holiday activities and food programme, to ensure that our approach is informed by the best available evidence. Tackling child poverty is imperative for the Government and for our society. It goes beyond the provision of food to putting money back in families’ pockets, giving them choice and agency in ensuring that their children are set up for the future. Our action to cut the cost of school uniform is just another part of that picture. We are taking steps to cut the cost for families and put money back in their pockets. I know that hon.”
“We will go further by supporting every child to achieve and thrive, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, and by putting money back in their parents’ pockets. Another part of that picture is the sad increase in childhood obesity, which, unfortunately, the Conservative party did very little to address. We must ensure that, alongside clubs and activities, the food that children have at school is healthy and balanced, and embeds healthy eating habits. We must ensure compliance with school food standards. With reference to new clause 6, we are working with the Food Standards Agency to take forward the findings of the 2022-23 compliance pilot on how best to tackle the barriers identified.”
“I thank my hon. Friend for her diligence both in her role as Chair of the Select Committee and on this issue in particular. We want children to receive the entitlements that will transform their life chances. Indeed, we will work closely with her Committee to ensure that we communicate well with the House on those important issues. Our determination to deliver better life chances for our children does not stop there. As well as free breakfast clubs, we are delivering the holiday activities and food programme, enabling disadvantaged children and children identified by their local authorities to access healthy food and enriching activities in the school holidays.”
“As part of that, we will obviously consider the issues raised in today’s debate. Responsibility for young carers cuts across education and health into both children and adult social care. The Children Act 1989 and the Care Act 2014 place clear duties on both of those social care services to assess and support the needs of young carers. Being a young carer was identified as a factor in almost 18,000 children’s social care assessments in the year ending March 2024. The needs of those young carers and their families must therefore be fully recognised within the “Children’s social care national framework” statutory guidance on the purpose and principles of practice for social workers.”
“From September 2025, all trainee and early-career teachers will receive a training programme that is underpinned by the initial teacher training and early career framework. That will set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that defines great teaching. That includes teachers learning that pupils’ experiences at school, and their readiness to learn, can be impacted by their home and life circumstances, and it will include an awareness of young carers. We recognise that continuous improvement is important in this area, which is why we have committed to review the early-career teacher entitlement in 2027, including the content of the initial teacher training and the early career framework, to make sure that it is providing that best possible support for new teachers.”
“As set out in the “Keeping children safe in education” guidance, we require designated safeguarding leads to undergo training to provide them with the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles, and that includes being alert to, and having good knowledge, understanding and awareness of the needs of young carers. On training for teachers specifically, the mandatory initial teacher training core content framework sets out the minimum entitlement of knowledge, skills and experience that all trainee teachers need in order to be in the best position to teach and support the pupils in their schools. Courses have to be designed so that trainee teachers can respond in the best way possible to the strengths and the needs of all their pupils.”
“We also want to undertake further analysis of the data, and develop and publish young carers’ data on attainment measures alongside the data that we already publish on population, absence, exclusions and suspensions. We will continue to work with organisations such as the Carers Trust, which I know works directly with schools, to raise awareness of these new data requirements and maximise the impact. I agree with my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow that schools should consider how they are recognising and meeting the needs of young carers.”
“We must ensure that no child faces these disadvantages alone. Adding those young children to the schools census has, for the first time, shone a light on their education. It has raised awareness in schools and given us much of the evidence that we have used for this debate, but we know that not enough schools are identifying and accurately recording the information on young carers in the census, as my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow pointed out, with 72% not recording any young carers in 2024. We expect that data to improve over time, as the data collection becomes better established, but we are looking at the ways in which the data is entered and whether we can bring in technical changes to support more accurate reporting. We obviously have to do that without overly burdening schools, and we are determined to get that right.”
“Underpinning all that, the Government are determined to build family security and ensure that every child, whether a carer or not, has a safe and loving home. To do that, we must tackle the scar of child poverty, which impacts far too many children and young people and their families. The impact of caring on children and young people’s education, which has been rightly highlighted today, has been hidden for far too long. Too many young carers continue to be invisible to their schools and wider agencies. They fall behind their peers and fail to reach their full potential and unlock opportunities, despite improvements in the assessment of their need for support. It is unacceptable that any child or young person who selflessly dedicates themselves to supporting ill or disabled family members goes through childhood without support themselves.”
“We are determined, through our opportunity mission, to break the link between a child’s background and their future success. We want every child, including young carers, to be set up for the best start in life so that they succeed and thrive at school. We will tackle the disadvantage that we know persists in far too many places through excellent teaching, high standards and the generational challenge of improving school standards. We will build on the opportunities for growth that every young person should have, so that they can follow the pathway that is right for them, whether through a high-quality apprenticeship or by going to college or university. Hon. Members have rightly drawn out those points in the debate.”
“It is an honour and a pleasure to serve with you as Chair, Ms Furniss. I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Chris Vince) for securing this debate on such an important subject. I thank him for his continued contribution to improving the lives of young carers and for sharing his professional experience and expertise. Much as we lament that he is no longer a maths teacher, we celebrate the fact that he is here in this place putting his insight and experience to such valuable use. I thank each and every child and young person across the country who selflessly cares for members of their family. Our Government will do everything we can to ensure that you and your families have the support you need at home and in your education.”
“To the many teaching and pastoral care staff in schools, to the early help, youth and social work professionals, to those working in local councils and in carers organisations throughout the country: I feel confident that, with your continued dedication and a Government who are committed to improving the lives of young carers, we will make strides to support this important group.”
“Young carers contribute enormously to the wellbeing of their families and communities, and to society at large. That is why we are all here: they deserve to be championed and to be assured that society will reciprocate and support them in return. I acknowledge that the education system, in partnership with agencies, needs to improve to meet the developing needs of children, especially our young carers. They must be at the heart of our opportunity mission. Finally, I thank all those committed professionals and volunteers who support young carers—may they continue to do so. As a Government, we will continue to work with them to improve outcomes.”
“In the summer, we will set out our plans for changes to higher education, which will include the part that we expect higher education providers to play in improving access and outcomes for all disadvantaged students. In the meantime, I welcome the development at the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, better known as UCAS, to include young people with caring responsibilities. That inclusion, along with the school census, highlights the need for much better support for young carers. We especially want to ensure that they can make the best of their opportunities and possibilities beyond key stage 4. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow again for raising this important matter, and all hon. Members who have taken part in the debate. I also thank my hon. Friend for his many years of campaigning and work on the issue.”
“As has been discussed, young carer status does not attract pupil premium funding, but evidence suggests that around 60% of young carers are eligible through free school meals entitlement. The guidance to school leaders is absolutely clear, however, that pupil premium funding should not be restricted to just those who have eligibility for the funding; schools must use it to support all pupils where they identify needs. That will include young carers. Access to higher education should be based on ability and attainment, not background. Opportunity has to be available to all. We must ensure that no group is left behind; everyone should be able to fulfil their aspirations.”
“We need to support the identification of patterns of absence so that we can help schools and local authorities to make the appropriate interventions. We are absolutely determined to have more children in school; children cannot get an excellent education if they are not in school. Where that is because of responsibilities at home or because a child is a young carer, it is absolutely right that we use the available data to target that support effectively to ensure that every child can be in school and to unlock opportunities for them and their families. We have allocated £2.9 billion in pupil premium funding this year to improve the attainment of disadvantaged children.”
“Schools might be the first place to identify where there is a lack of needed support for a family. As other hon. Members have, I pay tribute to the contribution of my hon. Friend the Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Daniel Francis), who spoke very powerfully about his family’s circumstances. We have no idea what may be going on in somebody’s home or life. Where that manifests in school, it is important to have the mechanisms in place to provide extra support where it might be needed. My hon. Friend the Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Irene Campbell) spoke powerfully about that too. There is an awful lot of agreement in the Chamber today about what we want to see. Daily attendance data collection has been established to ensure consistent recording and monitoring of pupil attendance.”
“It is often the best early indicator of an unmet need that is manifesting in school—or, indeed, by that child not being in school—in a family that may not be in contact with other services. Our guidance on school attendance highlights that schools should see absence as a symptom and prioritise attendance with strategies such as attainment, behaviour and support for disadvantaged pupils, including the use of the pupil premium and support for young carers. Schools should also consider whether additional support from other external partners—including the local authority; children and young people’s mental health services, which were rightly referenced; and GPs and other health services—would be appropriate and make referrals where necessary. That is of particular importance for young carers.”
“We fully support the “No Wrong Doors for Young Carers” memorandum of understanding developed by the Carers Trust on behalf of the Local Government Association. It is vital that we improve joint working between adult and children’s social care services, health and other key organisations. We strongly encourage local authorities to sign up to that. For the first time, the school census data is evidencing the impact on attendance, exclusions and suspensions. We know that young carers are far more likely to be absent from school and to have higher rates of exclusion and suspension than their peers. We recognise that absence from school is almost always a symptom of wider needs within a family.”
“An important part of that jigsaw is our manifesto commitment to introduce a single unique identifier to improve information sharing and link multiple sets of data between Government Departments and organisations more quickly and accurately, as my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Leigh Ingham), who is no longer in her place, rightly referenced in her intervention. That is why the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill introduces provision for that identifier in law. The Bill will pave the way for the consistent identifier to be specified and for organisations to be required to use it, and to create a clear legal basis for sharing that information where we know that it will promote the welfare, wellbeing and safeguarding of children, including young carers.”
“My hon. Friend is absolutely right that people with mental health issues, including young carers and indeed the family members who they are caring for, are just not getting the help, support or care that they need. We are absolutely determined to fix the broken system. We are already recruiting 8,500 more mental health workers, introducing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, rolling out Young Futures hubs in every community, and looking to modernise the Mental Health Act 1983. We recognise that we must address the significant challenge that my hon. Friend raises, and if we are going to tackle that issue and achieve the differences that we want to see for the young carers we are talking about today, that is a good place to start.”
“We will enhance the inspection regime by replacing the single headline grade with a new report card system, telling parents how schools are performing, and introducing a new annual review of safeguarding, attendance and pupil movement, including off-rolling.”
“The Department for Education acknowledges that some groups of children have a greater likelihood of exclusion than others. Local context means that there are different patterns across the country, but we are determined to get to grips with the causes of exclusions to ensure that every child, no matter their background, can succeed. We have already committed to providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school. We want earlier intervention in mainstream schools for all pupils, but particularly those at risk of exclusion. We are absolutely committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, and to strengthening accountability by reforming Ofsted.”
“That is just not acceptable, and it why this Government’s opportunity mission will break down barriers and the unfair link between background and success. We are determined to help all children achieve and thrive. High and rising standards are at the heart of the mission, and are key to unlocking stronger outcomes. We will deliver those improvements through excellent teaching and leadership; a high-quality curriculum that seeks to deliver a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative education that readies young people for life and work, but that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring that all children and young people are represented; new regional improvement for standards and excellence—RISE—teams; and a system that removes the barriers to learning that hold far too many children back.”
“While overall the outcomes of some ethnic groups now compare positively with national average outcomes, for some groups, outcomes are significantly below average, or worse than for other groups throughout the education system, and that includes black Caribbean children. One of the most significant factors affecting pupil attainment, which cuts across all ethnicities, is economic disadvantage. International studies show that attainment has broadly improved or remained stable over the last 30 years. However, disadvantaged pupils persistently perform significantly worse on average than their peers at all stages of their education, and there is considerable variation in attainment by region and ethnicity.”
“Our opportunity mission will build opportunity for all by setting up every child for the best start in life, helping them to achieve and thrive at school, build skills, and achieve growth and family security. Our work on the opportunity mission will focus cross-Government attention and collaboration on ensuring that every child and young person truly believes that success belongs to them. We are more committed than ever to tackling the disparities in educational outcomes that persist. The picture of educational achievement across ethnic groups is complex, and different social, economic and cultural factors contribute to that, including parental income, parental career and educational achievement, geography, family structure and attitudes to education in the family and wider community.”
“Friend mentioned people like Bernard Coard, and more recently the campaign has rightly received renewed attention through the work of the filmmaker Sir Steve McQueen, whose documentary “Subnormal: A British Scandal” shed light on the impact of these policies. It has also sparked important conversations about the ongoing challenges faced by black and ethnic minority students in our education system. Britain has made strides in tackling overt racial discrimination over the past half century, but despite progress, there is no room for complacency or, indeed, self-congratulation. That is why this Government want to ensure that whoever you are and wherever you come from, Britain will respect your contribution and give you a fair chance to get on in life.”
“No children or young people today should suffer from the structural barriers and entrenched racism that held back many in previous generations, and that legacy prevails today. Let it be clear that there is no place for hate or prejudice in our education system, and this Government are determined to root out structural inequality, as well as direct discrimination, to create a genuinely level playing field. We cannot reflect on the Swann report without acknowledging the history of so-called educationally subnormal schools. We owe it to the campaigners who exposed this and refused to accept that these children were somehow less capable but rather the victims of racism. My hon.”
“I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Riverside (Kim Johnson) on securing this important and, indeed, timely debate on the 40th anniversary of the Swann report. The report is an important and stark reminder of the unacceptable treatment of young people, the majority of whom were from the Caribbean, who were inappropriately placed in so-called educationally subnormal schools during the 1960s and 1970s. My hon. Friend spoke passionately when sharing the experiences of Noel, Maisie, Rene and Denise, ensuring that their voices are heard. The report serves as a timely reminder to all of us that the mistakes that were made must never be repeated and that we must never be complacent.”
“Underpinning our ambition to create a fairer society is the Equality Act 2010, which enshrines in law that schools must not discriminate, in a number of respects, against a pupil on the grounds of a protected characteristic. Part 6, chapter 1 of the Act ensures fair treatment for all pupils by prohibiting schools from discriminating against, harassing or victimising pupils when it comes to education, access to benefits, facilities and services, exclusion, and other detriments. Additionally, the public sector equality duty requires schools to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations among people of all characteristics. That is what will underpin the improvements that we need to see.”
“The right hon. Gentleman raises an important point. We have learned a lot in the past 40 years about unconscious bias and its impact. I will come on to the points he raised about the public inquiry, and the developments over the years—the protections put in place, which we need to work to enforce. First, I want to touch on the challenges in the special educational needs and disability system today. We have a clear commitment to addressing those challenges. We are prioritising early intervention and inclusive provision in mainstream settings, because we know that early intervention will prevent unmet needs from escalating. It will support all children and young people in achieving their goals, prevent the gap in achievement from growing, and get that support to children at the very earliest stage, so that issues do not escalate.”
“The 40th anniversary of the Swann report is a timely reminder to reflect on the progress that has been made, but also to ensure that mistakes made at that time are never repeated. It reminds us that there are always ways in which we must go further to ensure that no children or young people today suffer from the structural barriers and entrenched racism that held too many of our young people back in previous generations. I reassure my hon. Friend that we are not complacent; we are committed to delivering a fairer society with better opportunities for all. We firmly believe that every child should know that success belongs to them, which is why we must break down the barriers to opportunity. We are committed to changing the school system so that every child can achieve and thrive.”
“My hon. Friend raises a really important point. One of the reasons why we are so focused on early intervention, particularly for children who have experienced a more socioeconomically disadvantaged start to life, is to help children find their voice, so that they can speak up and be a part of the national conversation. That is what we want for every child in our education system. I am conscious of time, and I want to address the point that my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool Riverside raised about the public inquiry. The Government do not currently plan to establish a public inquiry on the policy framework surrounding the placement of children in schools for the so-called educationally subnormal in the 1960s and 1970s.”
“I think we are out of time, but I am supposed to meet my hon. Friend next week. We can discuss this in more detail then, when we will have more time, but I look forward to continuing to work with her to redress race disparities and work on these issues, which I know she is rightly incredibly passionate about. Question put and agreed to .”
“I am proud that while this Government have made tough decisions, we have protected key education priorities. There is additional investment in breakfast clubs, we are rebuilding and improving our special educational needs and disabilities system, and we are doing much more. After 14 years of decline, dither and delay, we are putting education back at the heart of national life and breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child in every community. In response to the hon. Lady’s specific question, exceptional funding will continue to be allocated through local authorities on a case-by-case basis.”