Stephen Morgan
MP for Portsmouth South · Labour · United Kingdom
“Those parties whose objections were considered admissible had the opportunity to consult with the applicant regarding their objections. Following careful consideration of the evidence, it was concluded that the application met the relevant legal requirements for registration.”
“I do not think that producers will be taking lectures from the Opposition when it comes to standing up for British whisky in its biggest export market—this Government got a deal done both in terms of the India deal and reducing the US tariffs.”
“We continue to work with partners to protect vulnerable ecosystems and coastal communities. The UK has bolstered these efforts by leveraging finance for the ocean through the Blue Planet Fund, which is our largest marine official development assistance programme.”
“They demonstrate why fishery management and protection of the marine environment must be addressed together, and set out a range of short, medium and long-term actions to maintain or restore stocks to sustainable levels and to improve the marine ecosystem. We cannot, however, deliver ocean conservation alone. As my hon.”
“The Government are committed to protecting and improving the marine environment, including playing our part in delivering the global biodiversity framework target to protect at least 30% of the ocean by 2030.”
“The MMO is carefully considering the significant number of responses received and will announce its response in due course. Such decisions are not always easy, and must be taken carefully, transparently and with a clear understanding of both environmental and socioeconomic impacts.”
The complete record
Every one of 602 lines we hold for Stephen Morgan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 7 of 13.
“My hon. Friend is right to set out that mental health can be a barrier to every child having the opportunity to succeed and thrive. He will know that we are investing in mental health support teams in every school across the country as well as recruiting 8,500 mental health professionals and introducing young futures hubs in communities. I know that he will welcome those wider plans for our country and will ensure that they are rolled out effectively in his constituency.”
“My hon. Friend will know that we are already committed to rolling out breakfast clubs in every primary school. We want to ensure that there is more money in parents’ pockets through our childcare entitlement roll-out. More broadly, the child poverty strategy will be ambitious on improving outcomes and life chances for every young person.”
“That is why we have recently published our school estate management standards, gathering in one place links to key policies, processes and practical advice on the basics of managing a school estate, to help the bodies that manage school buildings daily to progress to fully effective practice. Driving high and rising school standards is at the heart of our plan for change to improve children’s life chances, and high-quality, sustainable buildings are a key part of that. For too long our school estate has been neglected. This Government are gripping that issue and ensuring that school buildings are fit for the future. Question put and agreed to.”
“I am aware that the school was built as part of the priority school building programme in 2016, as my hon. Friend identified. From our own investigations, we understand that the issue is an isolated one. We are working closely with the trust as its investigations continue into the cause of the problem as a matter of priority. We will continue to work with the trust on remediation options to enable a return to the school site. We are a mission-led Government, dedicated to breaking down the barriers to opportunity and giving every child the best start in life. We cannot do that without well-maintained buildings in which children and young people can learn safely.”
“Friend, I appreciate the significant disruption and challenges that the Prudhoe community high school building closure has caused for everyone involved. The safety of pupils and staff is paramount. We have been providing advice and support to the responsible body since we were made aware of the building issues that led to the decision by the trust to close the school in February 2025. We have worked closely with the school trust to identify alternative accommodation options to return pupils to face-to-face education as quickly as possible. All pupils were relocated to the Sunderland College Washington campus, as a whole school community, and resumed face-to-face education from 31 March. I can assure him that our priority and focus remain to return pupils to education on the school site as soon as possible.”
“We support local authorities, academy trusts and voluntary aided school bodies, which are responsible for keeping their buildings safe and in good working order, by providing capital funding, rebuilding programmes, and extensive guidance and support. They work with their schools on a day-to-day basis and are best placed to manage their buildings, with local knowledge of individual condition, need and priorities. Where the Department for Education is notified of a significant safety issue with a school building that cannot be managed with local resources, we provide additional advice and support on a case-by-case basis. We want all schools and colleges to have the resources and buildings that they need to give our young people the freedom to learn in safe, high-quality environments. On the specific points raised by my hon.”
“That is why we protected key education priorities at the Budget, increasing investment this financial year to £2.1 billion to improve the condition of school buildings —up from £1.8 billion last year—and have committed to continuing the current school rebuilding programme. We are driving forward that programme, including for five schools and colleges in Northumberland and Newcastle. Starting this April, we are kicking off work on 100 school rebuilding projects and ramping up the pace of delivery, backed by £1.4 billion this year, in recognition of the urgent need to improve the condition of school buildings. We are funding the permanent removal of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in schools and colleges across England, working directly with affected schools on plans to suit individual needs.”
“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham (Joe Morris) for securing a debate on this important subject. I know that he is a tireless champion for children and young people in his constituency, and a strong voice on the matters that he has raised. I also thank all Members who have contributed through interventions. Education is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and give every young person the best start in life, no matter their background. Fourteen years after the cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme, this Government inherited a school estate in dire need of repair. We are committed to fixing the foundations for staff and pupils, and determined to drive high and rising education standards for children across the country.”
“Members today that I have listened carefully to the range of points that have been raised, and I thank them for their contributions.”
“Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford that we are working at pace with a neurodiverse taskforce and experts to develop that, and we will be setting out plans in due course. We are committed to working with the sector, our partners and the experts we have appointed to ensure that our approach is fully planned and delivered in partnership. I close by once again thanking my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford for securing this important debate and so strongly supporting the interests of his constituents, some of whom will face the problems that he has highlighted. As a Department, we want young people, wherever they live, to have the opportunities that they need to succeed. The Department will continue to work closely with local authorities as we continue to break down barriers to opportunity. I reassure all hon.”
“We are prioritising early intervention and inclusive provision in mainstream settings, as we know that early intervention prevents unmet needs from escalating, and that this supports all children and young people to achieve and thrive alongside their peers. We are providing an extra £1 billion for high needs budgets in England in the next financial year, following the Budget of autumn 2024. That brings the high needs funding for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities to over £12 billion. We have also published local authority allocations for £740 million of high needs capital funding for 2025-26 to invest in places for children and young people with SEND who require alternative provision. Reforming the SEND system needs a considered approach to deliver sustainability and change. I assure my hon.”
“For example, there is a resource hub for school and college mental health leads to help embed effective whole-school approaches and a toolkit to help education staff review and develop early-support options for pupils. Outside of education settings, this Government have also committed to recruiting 8,500 new mental health support staff to treat children and adults, and to opening new Young Futures hubs with access to mental health support workers in communities. I now turn to the numerous contributions on SEND reform. Every child deserves the opportunity to achieve, thrive and succeed. However, we are aware of the challenges in the SEND system, and this Government have made a clear commitment to addressing those.”
“That is why this Government are prioritising mental health support for children and young people, helping them to achieve and thrive in education. We are working across Government to provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school, ensuring pupils in all areas—whether urban, rural or semi-rural—have access to early support to address problems early before they escalate. Mental health support teams continue to be rolled out in schools and colleges across the country, and we expect coverage to reach at least 50% of pupils and learners later this year. In addition, the Department for Education provides a range of guidance and practical resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.”
“Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford also mentioned the issue that some people are struggling to get to and from part-time jobs while undertaking their studies. Again, those are local transport matters, but I should point out that the Department makes 16-to-19 discretionary bursary funding available to support students with travel, equipment, books or other education-related costs where they would not otherwise afford to participate. As part of this mission-driven Government, we will continue to work across Government to identify barriers and seek solutions. On the points raised about the mental health of young people, arguably nothing says more about the state of a nation than the wellbeing of its children.”
“Many local authorities, though not all, offer some form of subsidised travel. Many transport companies also give some kind of discount for young people; as I have mentioned, such schemes operate in Hertfordshire. Regarding the matter of choice for young people in rural areas, local authorities have a statutory duty to identify and track the participation of 16 and 17-year-olds in education. That includes supporting those not participating to do so and making sure there is sufficient and suitable education and training provision to meet their needs. If a local authority identifies a need for additional provision, it can negotiate with existing providers to expand their provision. Where that provider is an academy, the academy trust can then make a significant change request for the Department to consider. My hon.”
“For example, the saver card offers 16 to 17-year-olds a 50% discount on rail travel. The statutory responsibility for transport to education and training for 16 to 19-year-olds rests with local authorities, which are in the best position to make reasonable decisions. They can consider the specific needs of their young people, the local transport options and the resources available. Each local authority must publish a policy statement annually to set out the support available, but that does not have to include free or subsidised transport. We recognise that the cost of transport can be an issue for some young people, and 16-to-19 bursary funding is allocated directly to schools and colleges to support financially disadvantaged young people who need additional support with costs such as transport.”
“Friends the Members for Cannock Chase (Josh Newbury), for Bolsover (Natalie Fleet), for Harlow (Chris Vince), for North West Leicestershire (Amanda Hack) and for South West Norfolk (Terry Jermy) and the hon. Member for Honiton and Sidmouth (Richard Foord) all said, rural transport systems are often a significant barrier to accessing post-16 education. Although such matters are not for my Department, I absolutely recognise the points made about the importance of connecting opportunities. I am aware that Hertfordshire specifically offers a discounted travel card, a spare seat scheme and travel support for young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities who have an education, health and care plan. The Department for Transport offers a 16-17 saver card and student railcards to support travel for young people.”
“The Government will ensure that everyone can access education and training opportunities that will support them to succeed, progress in their education and thrive in work and life. That means that everyone, whatever their background and wherever they come from, should have the opportunity to get on with the education and training they need. As we have heard from Members across the House, people who live in rural or semi-rural areas face some specific issues relating to distance and transport for education, work and life, by virtue of their location. The problems facing people in rural areas include choice and availability of provision, physical access to provision, and transport to training providers. As my hon.”
“It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Sir Edward. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Hertford and Stortford (Josh Dean) for securing this debate on such an important topic. As his efforts to secure the presence of so many hon. Members today demonstrate, he is a champion for tackling barriers that young people face in his constituency and in rural areas up and down the country. I also welcome the hon. Member for Reigate (Rebecca Paul) to her place on the Opposition Front Bench. This is a mission-led Government, and one of our key missions is opportunity. Indeed, the Department for Education is the Department for opportunity. Our mission means breaking down the barriers to opportunity for everyone, regardless of socioeconomic background.”
“We are committed to reforming the special educational needs and disabilities system. We are also acting now through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, children not in school registers and a duty on local authorities to provide advice to eligible families. We will help local authorities identify and support these children to achieve and thrive.”
“One of the ministerial team will be happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss the important issues that he raises. All children are legally entitled to a full-time education, which is important for their educational progress, their wellbeing and their wider development. It is the local authority’s responsibility to arrange suitable education when it is not already in place, and I encourage my hon. Friend to contact his local authority to discuss this matter further.”
“This Government are committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity so that every child can succeed and thrive. The Under-Secretary of State for Education, my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham East (Janet Daby) who is responsible for this area, has committed in the House to £50 million of funding for this programme. She will have heard the question and will respond in due course.”
“As I said, this Government are committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. We will take no lectures from the Conservatives. They have absolutely no plan for education, other than to reintroduce private school VAT reductions. [ Interruption. ] What?”
“This Government are committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and helping pupils to achieve and thrive in education. We are providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school so that every child and young person has access to early support, to address problems before they escalate.”
“We will deliver on our commitment on mental health to make sure that it reaches every child. I am very happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to discuss the specific case that he raises.”
“I know my hon. Friend is a real champion of these issues. We will recruit an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, as well as open new Young Futures hubs, which will provide support for children and young people across the country. The Department also provides a range of guidance and resources on promoting and supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing, and I thank him for his question.”
“Protecting children from online harm is a cross-Government priority, and Ofcom’s draft code of practice for child safety sets out why it is so important that we continue with our efforts to protect children. From July, the child online safety regime will be fully in force, and Ofcom will be able to take robust enforcement action against those failing to comply with the child safety duties. I know the DSIT Secretary of State will want to look very closely at any future further proposals.”
“This Government will provide access to specialist mental health professionals in every school so that every young person has access to early support, including those who are neurodivergent. NHS-funded mental health support teams will continue to roll out across schools and are expected to cover at least 50% of pupils this year.”
“Every incident of harm of a child, including this tragic case, is incredibly distressing. I am committed to doing everything possible to reduce levels of harm as part of our mission to give every child the best start in life. I would of course welcome a meeting with the hon. Member and Gigi’s parents.”
“I know that my hon. Friend is a huge champion for children in his constituency. This child-centred Government want to break down the barriers to opportunity and ensure that every child gets the best start in life. That is why we are introducing a number of initiatives through our plan for change, including good-quality early education, increasing school-based nurseries and investing in other initiatives that support a child’s development.”
“Education is a devolved matter, but I know that the hon. Gentleman is a champion on these issues, and I am very happy to meet with him. We are committed to rolling out mental health support teams to every school in England.”
“I thank all Members for their contributions on this important matter, alongside the football banter—“Play up Pompey!” I hope it is clear from my comments that the Government are committed to breaking down the barriers to opportunity and to putting the subject of child poverty and health very much at the forefront of our agenda as a mission-led Government.”
“The provision of free school meals to the most disadvantaged pupils is vital. Access to healthy and nutritious meals free of charge supports the health, learning and wellbeing of some of the most disadvantaged pupils. I again thank the hon. Member for Eastleigh for securing the debate on this important subject. I also acknowledge the engagement of other Members in this place, along with the work of key stakeholders, whom I engage with regularly. We will continue to ensure that the most disadvantaged children receive the support that they need.”
“Member for Twickenham said, transitional protections were put in place to ensure that children whose families were moving from legacy benefits to universal credit did not lose out. We will move to the next phase of transitional protections from 31 March, and I can assure hon. Members that no pupil will feel any change until after the summer. As with all Government policy, we will keep our approach to free school meals under review. As a number of Members have stated, the Government inherited an extremely challenging fiscal environment, including a £22 billion black hole in the public finances. The child poverty taskforce is considering in the round how we tackle the drivers of child poverty and its impact on children. Access to healthy, nutritional food will continue to be part of those conversations.”
“Members for Thornbury and Yate (Claire Young) and for Winchester (Dr Chambers) spoke about breakfast club funding. I encourage them to look at the detail of the guidance issued to schools, which will set out that an average-sized primary school with 50% take-up in the breakfast club scheme will receive around £23,000 per year as part of the early adopter scheme. For context, the previous Government’s programme would have given a similar school £1,600. This shows that the Government are delivering real investment to deliver our plan for change. I welcome the right hon. Member for East Hampshire (Damian Hinds) back to his rightful place on the shadow Front Bench, even if it is just for this morning. As he and the hon.”
“Member for Eastleigh stated, my Department is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore legal gateways that could enable better data sharing. In the meantime, we will continue to engage with stakeholders to understand the barriers for households who meet the criteria for free lunches but are not claiming them, including by working closely with local authorities, including those mentioned in today’s debate, to understand the approaches that are being taken. Members have raised points about the lack of data on take-up. As mentioned, data from 2013 indicates that 89% of children eligible for free school meals receive it. We have been unable to update that figure due to data limitations, which we are actively working to resolve. The hon.”
“Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for his contributions; a Westminster Hall debate is never as rich or courteous without his attendance. He kindly acknowledged my willingness to engage with the Minister of Education in Northern Ireland on our shared challenges. I can assure the hon. Member that I will continue to engage with the Minister. The hon. Member for Eastleigh and a number of other Members, including the Liberal Democrat spokesperson, the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson), spoke about a range of issues to do with auto-enrolment and data-sharing initiatives by local authorities. We are aware of a range of measures that councils are implementing to boost the take-up of free lunches. To support those local efforts, and as the hon.”
“Funding is not ringfenced, which means that schools have autonomy over how meals are delivered, which can include entering into contracts with suppliers and allocating funding within their budgets. I can assure Members that we will continue to work closely with the school food industry to monitor sector challenges. I look forward to meeting my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne) to discuss his views and ideas later this month, as we continue to work with local authorities to break down barriers to opportunity and deliver this Government’s plan for change. I know that he will welcome the Government’s roll-out of breakfast clubs, which on average will put £450 back into the pockets of parents, as well as ensuring that children are socialised and ready to learn at the start of the school day. I thank the hon.”
“Local authorities will also receive over £200 million of funding for the holiday activities and food programme for 2025-26, which will provide healthy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning. A number of points have been made about funding arrangements for free school meals. Schools are funded for benefits-related free meals at £490 per eligible pupil per year, and receive that as part of their wider core funding. That figure is increasing to £495 per eligible pupil for the next academic year. Universal infant free school meals and further education free meals are funded through direct grants, valued at £2.58 per child per meal. That is an increase of 2% on last year’s rate of £2.53 and reflects the latest GDP deflator inflation forecast.”
“By working directly with their communities, local authorities can overcome the barriers to registering and take action to ensure that families access the support for which they are eligible, subject to these activities meeting legal requirements, including those on data protection. As with all Government programmes, we will keep our approach to free school meals under continued review. In addition to free schools, the Government are also investing in breakfast clubs, as I have mentioned, as well as the holiday activities and food programme this year. As my hon. Friend the Member for Redditch (Chris Bloore) alluded to, we have tripled the investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million in the 2025-26 financial year, to help to ensure that children are ready to learn at the beginning of the school day.”
“This digital portal, available to local authorities, makes verifying eligibility for free lunches quick and simple. The checking system is being redesigned to allow parents and schools to check eligibility independently from their local authorities. This system will make it quicker and easier to check eligibility for school meals and has the potential to further boost take-up for families meeting the eligibility criteria. In addition, we are aware of a range of measures that are being implemented by local authorities to boost the take-up of free lunches. We welcome locally led approaches.”
“In addition, all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 in England’s state-funded schools are entitled to universal infant free school meals. That benefits about 1.3 million children, ensuring that they receive a nutritious lunchtime meal. In total, we already spend more than £1.5 billion on delivering those programmes, and eligibility for benefits-based free meals drives the allocation of billions of additional pounds of disadvantage funding. As a number of Members said, we want to ensure that as many eligible pupils as possible claim their free school meals, and we will make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support that, we currently facilitate the process of claiming free meals through the provision of the eligibility checking service.”
“It is important that children eat nutritious food at school. The Department encourages schools to take a whole-school approach to healthy eating. The school food standards restrict foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar, and ensure that schools provide children with healthy food and drink options so that they get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. Free school meals must comply with those food standards. Under current free meal programmes, about 2.1 million disadvantaged school-age pupils—24.6% of all pupils in state-funded schools—are already eligible to receive benefits-based free meals. A further 90,000 16 to 18-year-old students in further education are entitled to receive free meals on the basis of low income.”
“As part of our plan for change, we are determined to tackle the scourge of child poverty and break the unfair link between background and opportunity. We have already taken wide-ranging action, despite this Government’s incredibly challenging fiscal inheritance, including by setting up the child poverty taskforce. The taskforce is considering a range of levers to tackle child poverty, including key cost drivers for households such as food, to develop a comprehensive strategy that will be published this year. That is in addition to action that we are already taking to deliver on our mission to break down barriers to opportunity. The first 750 schools will begin offering free breakfast clubs from April, backed by more than £30 million of investment, to boost attainment, attendance, behaviour and wellbeing.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I thank the hon. Member for Eastleigh (Liz Jarvis) for securing a debate on this important subject, and all Members for the spirit in which they have contributed. Free school meals provide pupils with essential nutrition, support school attendance, improve behaviour and set children up for success by ensuring they can concentrate, learn in the classroom and get the most out of their education. They are essential to breaking down the barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty—a task that is more important than ever because of the legacy of rising child poverty left behind by the previous Government. There are 700,000 more children in poverty now than in 2010, and more than 4 million children now grow up in low-income families.”
“New clause 18 introduces corporate parenting responsibilities for Departments and the relevant public bodies, referred to as “relevant authorities”, listed in new schedule 1. New corporate parents will need to be alert to the needs of children in care and care leavers and assess the services or support they provide that are available to them. They will also need to provide them with the opportunities to participate in activities designed to promote their wellbeing or enhance their employment prospects.”
“A previous Labour Prime Minister observed, following Tawney: “What a wise parent would wish for their children, so the state must wish for all its children.” That principle lies behind the change that these new clauses seek to bring today, as we ensure that across the public sector we recognise the moral and necessary obligation to do all we can to level the playing field for children in care and care leavers. This group of young people faces significant disadvantages. Twenty-six per cent. of the homeless population are care-experienced, and around a quarter of the adult prison population were in care as children. Care leavers aged 19 to 21 are over three times more likely not to be in education, employment or training than their peers.”
“The previous Government bequeathed to us a bitter inheritance of not only child poverty across great swathes of our country, which affected one in three, or even one in two, of our young people, not just record numbers of children out of school or not turning up to school, not merely a children’s social care system at breaking point, but—bitterest of all—a fiscal blackhole. That blackhole must be tackled to get this country’s finances and future back on track, but it limits the speed at which we can deliver the ambition that all Labour Members have for a brighter future for Britain’s children. Let me speak to our Government amendments. New clauses 18 to 22 introduce corporate parenting duties for Departments and relevant public bodies.”
“It will put in place a package of support to drive high and rising standards throughout education and throughout children’s social care so that every child can achieve and thrive. Reforming children’s social care is critical to giving hundreds of thousands of children and young people the start in life that they deserve. Our approach to reform will break down barriers by shifting the focus of the children’s social care system to early support to keep families together. We will ensure that children can remain with their families where appropriate, support more children to live with kinship carers or in fostering families and fix the broken care market to tackle profiteering and put children’s needs first.”
“I start by thanking all hon. and right hon. Members for their valuable contributions during the passage of the Bill to date, and in particular, members of the Public Bill Committee for providing substantial debate and scrutiny. The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is a landmark Bill and a key piece of legislation that will enable us to deliver the Government’s opportunity mission and our determination to break the link between people’s background and their future success. It will protect children from abuse, it will stop vulnerable children falling through the cracks in services and it will deliver a core guarantee of high standards with space for innovation in every child’s education.”