Live Debate: Commons Chamber

Select Committee Statement: Select Committee Statement on the Second Report of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, Gridlock or growth? Avoiding energy planning chaos, HC 868

stay with energy and come to the first Select Committee statement on behalf of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee. The chair was picked for 10 minutes, there will be no interventions during this, and, at the conclusion, there will be brief questions, not speeches. I emphasise question should be directed to the chair of the select committee, not the government minister, but the Frontbench can take part in questioning. take part in questioning.

13:49

Bill Esterson MP (Sefton Central, Labour)

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It gives me great pleasure to present our first report of the session which is following on very nicely from the statement from the secretary of state and I thank my friend for their contributions throughout the inquiry. The Secretary of State addresses the plans raised about planning on the part of ensuring infrastructure is built and he said we must have this in the right places to provide power and that has to be affordable for businesses and consumers and his focus on the serious problems of high energy prices was very welcome and something the committee has taken evidence on, most recently yesterday, where a crisis in the industry caused by uncompetitive energy prices was referred to.

In the report we consider the SSEP and the Secretary of State said it would be published next year and we welcome this and it is in the report. We want to see greater report. We want to see greater clarity on how the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan and the SSEP cover this. There are a set of planning consent and the fact that it requires a grid connection. I was happy to hear him connection. I was happy to hear him connection.

I was happy to hear him make his statement on the SSEP but I would encourage this to be sooner rather than later. The country invested in a super grid, secure infrastructure designed to meet growing energy needs are designed to give us 30 years of resilience. By the 1980s, the grid was coming under strain and required investment and the government privatise it. Malcolm Rifkind provided the rationale and said the energy industry should make its own decisions based on need and resources it can raise to fund investment.

Unshackled from the state, he said energy structure was expected to attract its own investment. But the promised private funding did not materialise. At the time, in this House, a rising star of the Labour Party, shadow energy secretary at the time, Tony Blair, challenged the market-led approach and said, "Even when the energy industry is private abroad, in most instances, decisions are taken by companies, not governments, and this -- governments, not companies, and this underlines the stupidity of energy policy determined by the interests of the private sector and the decision is most critical to securing long-term future supply other decisions least suited to the inevitable short-term demands of the market." The predictions of the then-future Prime Minister were sadly accurate.

We are saying issues with nuclear and gas and the reality remains the same, we opted to require overdue upgrades to the energy network. The strategic direction of the government is clear, to build and deliver the energy infrastructure which will cut carbon emissions and improve supply and the threat of growing international threats and reduce energy costs for households and businesses in the long term. If we get this right, the UK has the opportunity to become a global leader, not only in developing low- carb into structure but managing the system.

It is the top priority for the government. We want Britain to stand on our own 2 feet and produce energy on land, what are insurers, overseas. We want the opportunity to seize control of household bills. The little consent and public support for the transition are essential because the national security of Britain depends on it. The government has set ambitious targets for the transition to clean energy, underpinned by international commitments and legal obligations of your progress will depend on not high-level debates about ideology or party politics but whether we can construct the law-carbon and transmission infrastructure required to meet the goals in practice.

That is where the policy statements come in. They provide essential planning guidance for local and national authorities on how to propose energy infrastructure and how this interacts with land-use plans. We interacts with land-use plans. We called the report what we called it, 'Gridlock or Growth?, because of the get it right, we can do more. Too many speculative projects are plugging the queue. They are seizing up the system. One of the clearest findings is the need for commonsense reform.

The government is right to propose moving away from a purely market-driven system because that system, left unchecked, has led to the current gridlock. Planning authorities cannot remain blind to the chances of the project to secure a grid connection and the prospects should become a material consideration in the consent process. It is sensible at this time to have a craving hand and prioritise the projects most likely to deliver the need and to build the necessary transmission infrastructure and to get the energy to businesses and households across the country.

Of course, none of this will work without proper planning consent. In turn, that depends on meaningful engagement between developers and communities. This engagement would be focused on the issues before they become entrenched. It is a key part of avoiding lengthy and expensive legal challenges which have held back the British energy sector and too often there have been issues with the windfarms and pylons required becoming flashpoints of local opposition. Abilities are often consulted to lead to be involved in the outcome or do not understand the trade-off involved.

People are told underground or offshore options might cause more and lead to higher bills and that can make them more open to other options. Similarly, the committee recommends that nature -positive infrastructure projects can engage better galvanise public support for development and this should be the presumption of avoiding building lands on deep avoiding building lands on deep peat. And NESO this is before the consent stage and the government was to engage with communities to identify potential gaps, explore mitigation options, commit to delivering them.

We heard that a significant proportion of proposed litigation, despite having funding allocated, it is never delivered and the failure to deliver this erodes public trust in the process. The result of poor consultation as nobody is satisfied and communities of, developers face legal costs, planners have unnecessary burdens, and confidence in the system is undermined. The principles are simple, put the right projects in place through direction from the centre, secure consent by building trust in the system and early engagement and proper enforcement, and build the infrastructure.

The Clean Power Plan has promoted and we have investment supported by the Industrial Strategy. Lower bills, greater security and stability of energy supply are there for the taking. Let's take it and move towards drawers. I commend this statement to the House.

13:58

Wera Hobhouse MP (Bath, Liberal Democrat)

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Referred how important it is to get community support for infrastructure and the committee supports consent for this but as we have found that in the committee and said in the report, we have serious concerns about the potential impact on biodiversity and lack of delivery on promised ecological litigation. Does he agree is essential for us to ensure it is delivered in a genuinely nature-positive way.

13:59

Bill Esterson MP (Sefton Central, Labour)

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I thank her and her contribution is invaluable in discussions and questions you put two witnesses and she rightly raises the issue of the nature mitigations we raised in the inquiry and we have heard that all too often developers don't put in the mitigations they are required to and it's important and it is a recommendation, as she implies, the government, to make sure developers carry out obligations and implement the improvements that she refers to.

the improvements that she refers to.

13:59

Thank you to the chair of the committee for leading us through the support. There are challenges to government and in this case it is right to call out that, while the Department is doing great things and working at pace, we must make sure that everything is joined up and coordinated including the new SSEP to make sure solutions that are nature positive I joined up. Do they agree that the Department must make sure that file be deliberate pace we must send one coherent message to the market?

14:00

Bill Esterson MP (Sefton Central, Labour)

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I'm grateful for the contribution. My honourable friend joined the committee recently and has grabbed the agenda with both hands, being one of our most assiduous attendees. I think he and the honourable lady match each other on attendance so I do not want to give the wrong impression. He is quite correct that we need government to engage with the recommendations or enforcement of nature -positive solutions. I think it gives the opportunity to reiterate the point there is confusion between whether the need for planning consent proceeds grid connection or the other way round

14:01

Rt Hon Sir Edward Leigh MP (Gainsborough, Conservative)

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We are in favour of green energy linking to do a bit massive wind turbines in the North Sea. Will the committee do an in-depth report that the sheer concentration of solar farms in Lincolnshire? 10,000 acres around the one town of Gainsborough. I know that is the grid connection which is important but surely the committee can play a useful part in saying that all parts of the country should play their part because you cannot simply take 10,000 acres out of good agricultural production in one small part of England.

one small part of England.

14:02

Bill Esterson MP (Sefton Central, Labour)

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This is something that we looked at as part of this inquiry but we looked at more widely. I think it is really important that those who are hosting major energy infrastructure are taken on board. We made recommendations about early engagement, about listening, and not just ignoring what local communities say. About the potential for rerouting sites or routes for pylons, talking about solar farms, are there other options, and having proper engagement. There is good evidence that when engagement is done in the correct way, compromise is often possible and, whilst not

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everybody is going to be happy, there are definitely better ways these things can be done. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker.

14:02

Rachel Taylor MP (North Warwickshire and Bedworth, Labour)

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. Can I commend the work of the committee and my honourable friend committee and my honourable friend in this area. The comments on the report echo what National Grid told me when I visited their operation in my constituency. Does he agree with me that the government's work on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill has also paved the way for infrastructure projects to be able to be delivered much more quickly? Does he agree with me that businesses like JLR who have got their battery assembly plant in my constituency, will welcome the work of his committee but also the government's work on delivering

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vital infrastructure? I am grateful to her. It is an

14:03

Bill Esterson MP (Sefton Central, Labour)

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I am grateful to her. It is an excellent point, and are good crossover between the planning and infrastructure legislation going through Parliament and the amendments that were made to the national policy statement. Our recommendations pick up some of that linkage between the two. I think the

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key point is how do we speed up the process, and get on with building the infrastructure as she says. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker.

14:04

Claire Young MP (Thornbury and Yate, Liberal Democrat)

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. The report highlights ambiguity about what is set centrally by government and what is expected from industry. The select committee has heard separately outside of this report evidence on tidal range power, and has also heard of innovative approaches on visits. Does the chair share my concern about the ambiguity highlighted the confusion it causes could lead to the UK missing out on opportunities to be a world leader in alternative types of generation? Would he agree

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that this confusion needs to be clarified? I am very grateful to her for her

14:04

Bill Esterson MP (Sefton Central, Labour)

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I am very grateful to her for her contribution. And an assiduous contribution. And an assiduous attender again. She makes the right point that where we have identified areas of ambiguity, there is a lot around grid connection and planning in particular that I have touched on before. The government needs to clear this up, so developers can have the confidence and the certainty that they need, and we can get on with the process of improving the grid capacity connection and the supply of cheap clean energy.

14:05

Jenny Riddell-Carpenter MP (Suffolk Coastal, Labour)

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. Could I thank the chair for his thorough and interesting report? I look forward to reading it. I wonder if he could comment on an amendment that I put forward to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill? Suffolk Coastal may be hosting up to 20% of the U.K.'s transport future energy. We have four exits within a five- mile radius, and has been no coordination between the energy development for the planning and development of them. It has been suggested that legally required coordination is needed, so we can manage the mitigations, look at the issues, and better plan and develop when these are being developed.

14:06

Bill Esterson MP (Sefton Central, Labour)

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Grateful to her, I think it is an important point that we have coordination between projects. It is something we talked about in our report, that this is the national policy statement. Strategically important element of planning. So sympathetic to what she raised. I think she will find some comments on some of the evidence we have heard in our inquiry.

14:06

James Wild MP (North West Norfolk, Conservative)

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. In North West Norfolk and across the county, there are plans for major solar farms, substations, and infra structure taking high quality agricultural land out of use of cumulative impact being ignored. Can I welcome the committee's recommendation? Does he agree the polling system should ensure that energy infrastructure is built on developed plans, brownfield land, industrial land, not best quality agricultural land? Why did he think the government has so far failed to prioritise energy security in the national policy statements?

14:07

Bill Esterson MP (Sefton Central, Labour)

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I am grateful to him void question. I think most of that question probably better answered by ministers. As to what we found in our evidence, it very much is the case that we have to work with the communities to address the concerns that come from having significant amounts of infrastructure where they are being hosted by local communities including his. I think the point about putting solar, or indeed windfarms, on brownfield land is a good one anyway.

I'm not against that and I think that is part of what the government intends. The point is there are occasions where that is not possible. The key thing I think is the engagement of people who are demonstrating the

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case for where infrastructure has to go. That concludes the first Select

14:08

Select Committee Statement: Select Committee Statement on the Fourth Report of the Education Committee, Children’s Social Care, HC 430

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That concludes the first Select Committee statement. We now come onto the second Select Committee statement on behalf of the Education Committee. Helen Hayes will speak Committee. Helen Hayes will speak for up to 10 minutes during which no interventions may be taken. At the conclusion of her statement, I will call members to ask questions on the subject of the statement was top these should be brief questions not full speeches. Can I emphasise that questions should be directed to the select committee chair and not the

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relevant Government Minister. Front Benches may take part in questioning. I call Helen Hayes. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I

14:09

Helen Hayes MP (Dulwich and West Norwood, Labour)

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14:18

Munira Wilson MP (Twickenham, Liberal Democrat)

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recommendations on kinship care which mirror very closely the measures that I put in my Ten Minute Rule bill I introduced in this place three years ago and that we in the Lib Dems benches have been campaigning on and I hope she will work across party to ensure the government goes further and faster on kinship care. I wanted to pick up her recommendations on the adoption special guardianship support fund. She and I know how distressed families are of children who have been adopted or put into kinship care who need the support.

Does she agree with me that it's a very small amount of money that if the fund could be slightly expanded, then all children could go back to having the level of support they had before the cuts were introduced a few months ago.

14:19

Helen Hayes MP (Dulwich and West Norwood, Labour)

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I thank her for her question and all of her interest and work in this important subject area. On the adoption special guardianship support fund, the report make strong recommendations about the need to make the bond permanent and the need for the government to evaluate the impact of the cut in the short term and to review and make changes to the level of the funding of that is needed. We know the government is also looking at changes and improvements in mental health services, so that more children who are adopted can get support through the mainstream of health services without having to rely on specialist funding as a supplement for that.

We think the government should look carefully at how that goes, but not be hesitant to make changes to restore the fund if that is needed following monitoring.

14:20

Mark Sewards MP (Leeds South West and Morley, Labour)

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Thank you. I'm pleased to have contributed to this report is a member of the Education Select Committee led by my honourable friend and I do want to thank the clerks and staff for all of their work on the committee. It's good to see the report stage has been welcomed by care leavers charities as well. I would like to ask her to expand on the section about keeping children safe. The evidence we heard from our witnesses during the inquiry was that the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill's was going to do a lot to address their concerns about keeping children in care safe, but despite this we have still made recommendations about multiagency working.

We have recommended those agencies have clear processes in place so that they can review and escalate concerns between their different agencies with a clear line of accountability and decision-making to keep children safe, to stop them falling through the gaps. Does my honourable friend agree with me that it should be a priority for the department to get these processes in place to stop these children from falling through the gaps?

14:21

Helen Hayes MP (Dulwich and West Norwood, Labour)

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I thank him for his question and all of his contribution to this report today. He is right, he will recall the very distressing evidence that we took, which came in the very short aftermath of the verdict in the case of the person who was so badly let down by services that had multiple opportunities to intervene to keep her safe and failed to do so. So we welcome the steps the government is taking to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill to strengthen joint working, particularly through the single child identifier and other measures around multiagency working practises.

We are calling for the government to go further because none of us can tolerate seeing any more of those tragic cases in the headlines, the names of the children that we remember who are failed by services that should be there to protect them.

14:22

Rt Hon Sir John Hayes MP (South Holland and The Deepings, Conservative)

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I'm grateful to the chairman of the Select Committee for her report, the way she introduced it and the work she has done. I particularly moved by what she said about disabled children. I wonder if she looked in those terms the relationship of special needs education because there is a close association between the two. Further, whether she looked to the quality of parenting. I have to tell you I was at a school just a week ago in my constituency, they were telling the children and presented to school very poorly parented stop this is related to the subject which she studies.

Not all children, of course, but too many are suffering in that way.

14:23

Helen Hayes MP (Dulwich and West Norwood, Labour)

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I think the right honourable gentleman for his question and his interest in this area of work -- thank. My committee is looking separately at the issue of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and we expect to be able to report very shortly on that and that is an expensive and lengthy inquiry. He is of course right that there is some overlap in one of the things we've heard from families with disabled children in relation to children social care was about the multiple difficulties they face with different parts of the system that is not joined up enough to support them.

On his question about parenting, that speaks very directly to our recommendation about the need to shift to early intervention and help and support and I welcome the government's announcement this week about to start family hubs and the expansion of those services. They are trying to do exactly that and we will keep a close watch on how that goes over the coming months.

14:24

Jess Asato MP (Lowestoft, Labour)

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Would like to thank my honourable friend for her statement and like her, pay tribute to the care leavers who spoke to us. Often sharing deeply dramatic stories of their journey through the care system. The parent is ultimately the state and we as its custodians must bear the responsibility of making sure we support children and care as if they are our own children. Does my honourable friend agree with me, that is why the committee's recommendation that the government should implement a national care leavers offer is so important to guarantee a consistent approach across local authorities?

14:24

Helen Hayes MP (Dulwich and West Norwood, Labour)

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I thank her for her question and for her contribution to this report drawing on her own very deep experience in the sector prior to coming to this place. I agree with her. I should say many of us come to the subject area also as parents and as the parent of a 19-year-old and a 16-year-old, the stories we have heard on our committee of children just cut adrift by services at the age of 18, when we still need young people, they are still growing to adult hood, they still need so much help and support.

Heartbreaking and unacceptable. That's why we are calling for National Care Offer so that wherever they are in the country, care leavers can know that there is a guaranteed level of support to help them into the next stages of life.

14:25

Josh Newbury MP (Cannock Chase, Labour)

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I welcome this report and I look forward to reading it in detail. I would like to thank the committee for all of its work on this important matter and the chair for introducing excellent recommendations so come principally. I would like to touch on two points, I declare an interest as a foster care or an adoptive parent and I fully endorsed a report highlighting the huge widening gap in foster carers. The emotional appeal for foster carers says powerful, but as a committee of said, it is not enough to stop with the chair agree with me that properly recognising the effort and complexity involved in foster placement is urgently needed, most urgently for people in care.

On support for care leavers, I have heard from all too many who on reaching 18 move out of the Council

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area where they were taken into care. I would also like to endorse the call for national care Labour option as well. I thank him for this question and

14:26

Helen Hayes MP (Dulwich and West Norwood, Labour)

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I thank him for this question and bring his pulse mill experience to this debate -- personal expense. I this debate -- personal expense. I agree with him, we look in detail at this issue in the gap between the numbers of people expressing an interest in foster care, compared with those who actually sign up and become foster carers of children is so enormous, that we focused our attention on some of the practical barriers that are needed, that prevent people from becoming foster carers and particularly on housing, for foster carers who might be living in social housing, the housing policy does not adequately support what is often the same responsibility of the local authority, but is there landlord, when people want to come forward but they don't have enough space at home.

We think there is more that can be done in that space to overcome the practical barriers foster carers face.

14:27

Points of Order

That concludes a Select Committee statement. Point of order.

14:27

Rt Hon Sir John Hayes MP (South Holland and The Deepings, Conservative)

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You will not know, but I have learned that independent experts advise the Lincolnshire polices that risk of issuing a section 114 notice. That's the equivalent of a public body declaring it can no longer balance its budget. This comes after a long campaign that has been run by myself and fellow colleagues about the Lincolnshire police fund more generally. Has the home secretary instructed you that she intends to come to the House to address this? For the people of Lincolnshire are acutely worried that policing services in our county will cease to protect them and the risk and reality of crime and disorder.

14:28

Judith Cummins MP (Bradford South, Labour)

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I thank him for his point of order. The chair has had no notice that the government intends to make a statement. I am sure the government Front Benches will have heard his comments and they are now in the record. The ayes

14:28

Rt Hon Sir Edward Leigh MP (Gainsborough, Conservative)

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I want to make a different point of order. Have the government told you that they are going to come today to make a statement on cross channel crossings? The channel is in chaos today, already 220 people across 1195 who arrived on 1 June. President Macron and Prime Minister Starmer say this cannot go on. This is an existential crisis for our country. In this vital issue, have they come to you Madam Deputy Speaker and said they want to make a statement today?

14:29

Judith Cummins MP (Bradford South, Labour)

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I thank you for giving me notice of his point of order. I can confirm that the chair has had no notice from the government that they intend to make such a statement today. The government front bunch -- Frontbench will of heard his concern on this. will of heard his concern on this.

14:29

Presentation of Bills

Presentation bills.

14:29

Backbench Business: General debate on the attainment and engagement of boys in education

Tomorrow. We now come to the Backbench debate on attainment and engagement of boys in education. I call Sam Rushworth who will speak for around 15 minutes.

14:29

Sam Rushworth MP (Bishop Auckland, Labour)

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14:48

Helen Hayes MP (Dulwich and West Norwood, Labour)

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thrive beyond their time in education and into adulthood. The work of my committee and our predecessor committee has heard about the many and varied differences between groups of children and young people and the need to do more to close these gaps in participation and attainment. The predecessor committee launched an inquiry on the topic of educational attainment of boys, but the calling of the snap general election last summer meant the committee never met to discuss the evidence received from stakeholders. I have drawn on that evidence in preparing for this debate.

The Association of school and college leaders is clear that it's important not to generalise on the issue of boys educational engagement and attainment. Many boys achieve well in education, demonstrating good engagement and achieving qualifications which allow them to move onto the next stage of their education or into an apprenticeship where their first job. There are particular groups of boys who perform less well than similar groups of girls. Taking into an understanding this detail is an important part of addressing the disparities.

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I'm really fascinated about what

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I'm really fascinated about what I here today. I met with my constituent who is working with the Center for social justice about improving the outcome for boys and I improving the outcome for boys and I encourage everyone who is interested in this to read the latest report, in this to read the latest report, lost boys, does she agree that we need a national strategy to address the underachievement of some boys?

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I thank her for her intervention. Reflecting on what my honourable friend said in his opening speech, I friend said in his opening speech, I do believe there is a need for a strategic approach to this. As I will come on to talk about, on my committee we are looking at the committee we are looking at the issue of inclusive education and how we can make changes in the system that helps schools to respond in a that helps schools to respond in a more defined way to the needs of individual children.

I believe through some of those techniques we can create an education system that can create an education system that really works for everybody. In particular, when we think about the particular, when we think about the groups of boys that do not thrive so well in education. We know that white British boys, black Caribbean white British boys, black Caribbean boys and mixed white and black Caribbean boys eligible for free school meals have particularly low levels of attainment, as do those from Gypsy, Roma or travellers of Irish heritage.

Differences between boys and girls emerge in the early years in preschool phase and continue right through to higher education. There is a difference in speech and oral language development between boys and girls from the earliest years, reflected in a gender gap in phonics performance in year one. With the exception of maths, girls outperform boys in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Particularly in reading and writing will stop at the end of reception year, aged around five, three quarters of girls had a good level of development compared to under two thirds of boys.

At key stage IV, girls outperform boys at all of the headline DfE measures, with 68% of girls in state-funded schools achieving both English and maths GCSE's at grade 4 or above, five% higher than the rate for boys. Progression to higher education is higher for young women at the age of 19 and for young men with higher rates of dropout for young men and young women amongst those who take up place at University. Despite entering the workforce with lower qualifications on average for women, men still earn more on average with the gender pay gap growing over time.

This is an area of policy that requires complex and nuanced consideration. Is this difference between girls and boys attainment due to a continued improvement over many years in the attainment of girls due to challenges of specific groups of boys or a mixture of both? And what can and should be done to address these disparities? The evidence the committee received reveals different views on what steps should be taken throughout school and university. One viewpoint is taking steps to achieve engagement and attainment for everybody will naturally help to approve engagement and attainment for those groups of boys demonstrating the biggest gender gap.

The OECD report on gender education and skills, the persistence of gender gaps in education and skills published in 2023 stated that gender disparities in school performances and the resultant career choices do not stem from innate differences in aptitude, but rather their attitudes towards learning and behaviour in school. From how they choose to spend their leisure time and the confidence they have or do not have in their abilities as students. Reading ability is a key cornerstone for many other aspects of education and the seemingly continual decrease in the proportion of boys reading for pleasure over the years is one important issue to tackle.

I commend the work that book trust is doing, with children's laureate to promote the importance and joy of reading for pleasure and to encourage and support more children to find their love of books. We know that screen time and the use of smartphones is having profound impacts on children and young people at an increasingly young age. Amongst many of the harms children are exposed to as a consequence of their engagement online, teachers, parents of young people themselves report exposure to toxic masculinity. We also know that excessive screen time harms young people's sleep, reduces the attention span and affects their ability to concentrate.

These are complex and difficult areas, but I am clear that urgent action is needed to protect children from online harms and that taking steps to promote positive role models and challenge unacceptable monocultures on social media should be a priority. There is also a big difference in the proportion of male and female teachers, particularly in primary schools. It's important that we continue to support and encourage more men to teach younger children. Evidence to the Select Committee suggest that 1/4 of all state-funded primary schools are without a single male classroom teacher.

It is clearly important that we have women role models to encourage participation and engagement amongst girls, particularly in stem subjects, but the same applies to boys. To see male teachers in the classroom and other wills all around their education -- rolls around their education. There is a difference in the presentation and diagnosis, and educational needs and disabilities between boys and girls. Our work on the Education Select Committee is clear about the failures of the current SEND system described as lose lose lose by the last conservative Secretary of State for Education and the need to drive early education instead of allowing early education instead of allowing them to go and supported education.

EC HP's are more than twice as prevalent for boys and girls will stop 23% of boys were identified with SCN compared to 13% of girls. Too many children struggle with dyslexia, the delays of assessing pupils with social health and mental health issues... My committee has been looking in detail at SEND for several months now and we will pull -- shortly publish our report. We looked into a number of school settings which are already delivering for SEND and it seems clear to me that some techniques that can be used to ensure every child meets our net -- needs are met in schools will also deliver specifically for boys who are underachieving.

For example, a high school in Norfolk which we visited a couple of weeks ago and the secondary school in Ontario, we saw vocational subjects such as constructive skills, horticulture and food production on offer alongside academic subjects. In a way that helped to secure the interest and engagement of a wide range of pupils. We also know that changes to the curriculum by the previous government have resulted in sharp decline in the availability of some creative subjects and sport in our schools. I think all of us can appreciate their importance of education a finding the things you love to do and can succeed at and sustaining the motivation to participate in some aspects of education that are more challenging.

It's important we have an education system that can really deliver that for every child. Every member of this House will remember that special teacher who sparked a particular interest in the field of study or a passion for an area that particularly enthused and engaged us. For me it was my former head teacher at grammar school who was my English teacher and you taught me about debating and literature and really took a close interest and it made a huge difference.

Encouraging and tackling the recruitment and retention crisis in teaching, helping teachers to commit to stay for the long term, so that children have that special relationship with staff is also so important. This week my committee heard from a professor who is leading the government's curriculum and assessment review. She is clear on both the importance and challenge of ensuring that every pupil, no matter their background, can find themselves in the curriculum they are taught across a wide range of subjects. Careful tracking of pupils a rich and varied curriculum, exciting trips making every lesson engaging, making sure their opportunities to secure content that might not have been fully grasped on the first attempt.

Teachers enthusiasm and knowledge are matched by their skills, improved teacher training, time for CPD, strong leadership from school leaders and improved engagement from parents and carers will all help every child to achieve their full potential, that includes the groups of boys that are currently underperforming compared to their peers. We must build an education system in which every child can thrive, that requires an honest acknowledgment of the areas in which our system is currently failing, including for some groups of boys.

A forensic understanding of the reasons why and the courage to deliver reform that can make a difference. It's a vitally important issue and one in which my committee will continue to maintain a close interest.

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Members will have noticed that time is ticking on and I want to try time is ticking on and I want to try to get as many people in as possible, so I would be grateful if members could limit their remarks to

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around four minutes. I would like to start by thanking my honourable friend for securing

14:59

Mrs Elsie Blundell MP (Heywood and Middleton North, Labour)

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my honourable friend for securing this crucial debate. The issue of attainment and engagement of boys, especially working-class boys in their own education, is one that will determine how society will look in the years and decades to come. Despite the importance of this topic, it has languished at the bottom of the list when it comes to national priorities for far too long. In my constituency, I am proud of the contributions made by teachers who work really hard to leave no child behind, but until there are worthy interventions at a national level to address the skill of the current crisis in the system when it comes to boys attainment, they will be doing so with one hand tied behind their back.

This issue and its drivers have been misunderstood and misrepresented for far too long. I am pleased to see MPs today grapple with the topic in a way that some have not previously. This is only half the battle. Historically only piecemeal policy proposals have been halfheartedly explored, proposals unfit to nip at the heels of this challenge, let alone address it in its entirety. Who must live with the consequences of this inertia? It's the boys who have gone to school this morning and my constituency and others across the country who are less likely than girls in their class if current trends persist, to seize the opportunities that schools offer them.

Boys and young men in communities like mine are just as deserving of a chance to get on in life and fulfil their potential as their counterparts in more affluent areas where they have been badly let down. In the postcode lottery that is affecting our society, it is disadvantaged boys that are being held back. As my honourable friend pointed out earlier, class is not a dirty word. And one we must not shy away from when talking about this issue. In my constituency, there is a 17% gap between boys eligible for free school meals and those who are not.

When it comes to who is meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mass at Key Stage 2. This reverberates throughout their entire academic careers and it widens when boys come to sit there GCSE is. There's a 22% gap in the borough between boys who receive free school meals and those who do not when it comes to the percentage of pupils getting grade 4 or above in the English and masts at the end of high school. In both instances, boys with free school meals are underperforming in comparison to There is a crossover not just transgender but around socio- economic backgrounds as well.

One way of assessing this is to look at the rate of exclusions amongst boys from deprived areas compared to girls and compared to those for affluent backgrounds. Poor boys as twice as likely to be permanent excluded as a female peers. When compared to the more affluent male peers they are five times more likely to be removed from school. According to the Centre for Social Justice, this gap is widening. Economic hardship can in some instances we contribute in factor to exclusion and isolation which can obviously lead to multiple negative outcomes.

There is an increasingly intimate link between school exclusions and low attendance with crime, with the Prison Reform Trust recently highlighting that 59% of the prison population have been regularly true and sing from school. This is not a party political issue. No party has a monopoly on good ideas here. To get this right across the whole country we must be speaking to those that even the most tribal circumstances are making inroads in supporting boys to succeed and thrive. In enabling those institutions to reform national policy rather than thinking we know best.

I welcome the steps that the Department for education has taken recently to do so. I believe we must go even further than that. Plus, although not currently protected characteristic, should be given a similar level of parity. I believe the government should be mandated to consider class policy proposal related to children's education are being considered. Arbitrary and outdated measures of class lead to arbitrary and outdated policy outcomes, and I believe we need to codify and amend the definition of class to hold governments to account through this lens.

The clock is ticking for the boys going to school, those are struggling to keep pace with their peers and their schoolwork, is crying out for teacher to recognise and act in relation to their individual needs. And those who stand on the brink of exclusion. Their futures hang in the balance. We can no longer neglects to ask the questions that we may not like the answers to. The challenges facing boys in schools are complex and the solutions will take grits to. It is time to finally heed the warnings that have been sounded for decades and find the courage that have eluded us in facing up to the

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challenges of the past. I fear the consequences if we don't. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. An immediate three-minute time limit and a core Natasha Irons.

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limit and a core Natasha Irons. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. Can I thank my honourable Friend the member for Bishop Auckland securing member for Bishop Auckland securing this very important debate. I rise to speak on an issue that cuts to speak on an issue that cuts across every postcode, every classroom, in every community, and that is the persistent and growing gap in educational engagement and gap in educational engagement and attainment among boys. While I declare an interest by saying I'm declare an interest by saying I'm the proud mum of two boys, you must make clear this is not about putting one group of students against one group of students against another.

It is about recognising that some of our boys particularly those from working-class backgrounds those from working-class backgrounds and those from the British Caribbean Community and those with special educational needs are being systematically left behind by a systematically left behind by a system never designed with them in mind. Over the past decade nearly mind. Over the past decade nearly 1,000,005 year old boys start primary school already behind. At age 11 girls outperform boys in age 11 girls outperform boys in reading by around 7% and consistently in writing by about 6%.

consistently in writing by about 6%. While the maths gap sits around five points. By GCSE, 16% of girls points. By GCSE, 16% of girls achieve at least a grade 4 in English and maths compared to just a small percentage of boys. These are not just trivial differences. They are measurable, they are systemic, they are enduring. Among those pupils eligible for free school meals, the attainment gap falls across those same old Fault Lines. Just 34% of white boys and 36% of Black Caribbean boys achieving at least a grade 4 in English and maths.

In Croydon East I've heard from children and youth workers and parents and students, and what I hear is young people and those who support them no they do not lack talent and they do not lack ambition. Or even motivation. What they lack is opportunity. We need a curriculum that speaks to them. Mentoring that looks like them and teachers who truly believe in them. I welcome this government's commitment to Break Down Barriers to Opportunity. Its commitment to raising standards and to giving all children the best start in life.

Now is the time to consider how we invest in early intervention. Before exclusion and the pipeline takes hold. Now is the time to look at how we expand male role models with male teachers but also within the community mentoring and youth outreach. Now we change the accountability systems within schools were not punishing creativity we are having a more inclusive approach to how people learn. It is time for us to stop asking why boys are disengaged and to start asking what we can do to change how we re-engage them.

Every boy in Croydon and across all of Britain deserves the right to learn, the right to thrive and the right to dream.

15:06

Natasha Irons MP (Croydon East, Labour)

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. Can I start by thanking my honourable friend, the member for Bishop Auckland, not just for securing this debate but the excellent speech he gave at the excellent speech he gave at the outset. It was so good that he inspired the member across the floor. I heard from parents and teachers and community leaders about

15:08

Jenny Riddell-Carpenter MP (Suffolk Coastal, Labour)

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the growing concerns on this topic. In the educational outcomes of boys and those from disadvantaged and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. We have heard a lot backgrounds. We have heard a lot about data. Nationally boys are consistently underperforming girls at every stage. From early years through to GCSEs and beyond. In through to GCSEs and beyond. In 2023, just 60% of boys got the 2023, just 60% of boys got the accepted standard in reading, accepted standard in reading, writing and maths at key stage two, which compares to 70% of girls.

We know boys are less likely to achieve know boys are less likely to achieve a grade 5 in English and maths GCSE. The issue is not just about attainment. It is also about engagement. Boys are former likely to be excluded. They are more likely to be excluded. They are more likely to be labelled as disruptive, less likely to enjoy school or feel that likely to enjoy school or feel that it meets their needs. That is especially true in rural areas like mine where transport, funding, and access to support services or create additional barriers.

In Suffolk additional barriers. In Suffolk Coastal we have seen first hand are the effects of the systemic issues. Parents tell me they are worried Parents tell me they are worried that their sons are being written off far too early. We also know that children with complex needs and sent back issues, especially autism and ADHD have even more barriers to getting on in school. With overstretched educational systems and EHCP delays, children are battling SEND, and the barriers continue to step up.

We need to rethink how we engage boys. Not through blame and stereotyping but to recognising diversity of needs and learning styles. This means early intervention with more speech and language support in the early years and a new Best Start family hubs which could be a real game changer in places that provide the right level of support. We need to make sure we have a truly broad and balanced curriculum with arts, sports, parity of esteem or vocational learning at the heart of this.

We need to make sure that school is genuinely the place for children and boys to thrive and not feeling like they are a round peg being forced into a square hole. In closing, if we are serious about improving boys attainment we need a system that supports their potential, and is built around them. We need to back schools, we need to back families and communities with the resources they need to close the gap. This is not just for boys but society as a whole.

Thank you.

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I call Josh Newbury. Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I thank my honourable friend for thank my honourable friend for securing today's debate. I will start by saying that the numbers are start by saying that the numbers are stark. I was to remeasure boys are falling behind. By the end of primary school just 57% of boys meet primary school just 57% of boys meet the expected standards in English and maths compared to 64% of girls. If you are white working class boy

15:10

Josh Newbury MP (Cannock Chase, Labour)

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If you are white working class boy from a low income household, the picture is bleaker. 33% of those eligible for free school meals get that same benchmark GCSE.

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I thank my noble friend for giving way. And he is making the educational attainment of boys a serious concern. I agree with the points being made, this is principally a class issue. Working- principally a class issue. Working- class boys, in terms of GCSEs, and class boys, in terms of GCSEs, and going on to HE as well. Does he agree with me that in order to prevent other issues such as crime prevent other issues such as crime and antisocial behaviour, and also wider economic issues as well, we need to see early intervention and

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need to see early intervention and targeted support for working class boys? I thank my friend was

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I thank my friend was intervention. Absolutely, he is right, and I will cause the issues refers to. He represents a community refers to. He represents a community with the demographic similar to mine. So I welcome his efforts in this space. In Staffordshire as this space. In Staffordshire as across the country, boys are around 50% more likely to be excluded as 50% more likely to be excluded as girls, and twice as likely to be publicly excluded. We have to work out why this is happening.

Why so out why this is happening. Why so many of our boys and young men feel out of place in the classroom, and subsequently rebelled against the subsequently rebelled against the system. As the first in my family to attend university, I note the education system particularly after the incredible damaging reforms the incredible damaging reforms under the former education secretary, all too often had one- size-fits-all approach was to this is a barrier for white working class boys who do not see themselves reflected in school.

My constituent falls significantly behind the national average in the Higher Education Bill occasion. It is just 23% compared to 34% nationally. In 2022/2334% in Staffordshire started in higher education by the age of 19 compared to 49% of women. As a man raised to be a proud feminist fact that numbers of women going to university has increased since overtaking men in the 90s should be welcome and should not be seen as something that is taking away from men as it sometimes is falsely characterised as.

But we must not ignore that the numbers of men going on to higher education has risen much more slowly. What is even more stark is the fact that 22% of young people in Cannock Chase leave school with no qualifications at all. And only 57% of white boys from Staffordshire meet the expected standards in English, reading, writing, and maths last year. The young boys these are not just statistics. They are social problems. We must also recognise the danger of ignoring a growing crisis amongst boys, when they feel alienate it from school or from opportunity, others step in to fill the gap.

Most worryingly this includes the right of toxic figures on social media who spread misogyny. Young boys are being fed of version of masculine see which is about dominance grievance and hatred. If we shame men as a whole, we characterise them all as privileged to be not any failed to address the issue, but we pushed many boys towards malign influences and risk losing a generation. So I welcome the fact the government is working to address the root causes of violence against women and girls in schools, teaching pupils about relationships and about consent.

We need to draw boys into education showing them that it matters, that they matter, they will play a role in our society. Learning is not just for the academically gifted. We must invest in mentoring and we must back apprenticeships, technical pathways, and as a society value them as much as we do degrees. We must understand why so many men are walking away from education. Is it a lack of support, financial pressures, whatever the cause, deserves real scrutiny from this House and solutions.

We must also explore reforming assessment methods is not every young person thrives in exams. Coursework, modular learning and vocational opportunities must be valued equally as they were when I was at school. We must talk about this openly and honestly and with emergency. We have to inspire boys to stay and thrive in education, as honourable Friend puts it so eloquently, not shaming men making out they have privilege and have nothing but guiding them towards a future defined not by anger or exclusion but by achievement and respect.

respect.

15:14

Rachel Taylor MP (North Warwickshire and Bedworth, Labour)

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Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I would like to congratulate my honourable friend for Bishop Auckland for securing this important debate and for paying credit to the work done by the young men in his office. For too many years, we have been sleepwalking into a crisis of boys disengaging, and finally we have had the wake-up calls we just really needed to show us that this House must do better. From the TV show Adolescence, Gareth Southgate lecture about the lack of male role models to the Centre for Justice report on lost boys and its shocking revelation that two thirds of those who are unemployed and young men, it is clear that everyone else can see this problem.

Now it is time for us to tackle it. I stood as an MP because I truly believed this was the party which would Break Down Barriers to Opportunity, and it could not be clearer that means tackling the issue of boys disengagement from education. With only one third of boys on free school meals achieving grade 4 in both English and maths, it is time to ask why. And what this government should be doing to break the glass ceiling for working class boys across the nation.

I have championed the role of sport many times before in this place, I will do it again today. Because we have mountains of data which shows that access to sport does matter. For boys who struggle to get through the school day, PE is often the only thing that keeps them showing up in the morning. For boys who are on the edge of exclusion, we have seen sport led interventions can bring them back from the edge and improve their engagement with school.

And for boys looking for community and a sense of belonging, we know that too often they find that online in isolated communities or in groups committing acts of antisocial behaviour. The truth is that we are seeing the result of the party opposite decision to spend years starving neighbourhoods of funding for community sports clubs. A local teacher from a school in my constituency told me that most children only access physical activity in schools. She told me this is because the area is less privileged, and so access to sports clubs, safe outdoor spaces, and even basic fitness opportunities outside Sport let interventions work, they work when schools implement them and they work when local councils implement them.

Max orts led. Fund sport lead interventions, fund them properly and give people a sense of community and access to sport that they are crying out for. Before I finish, I want to take a moment to praise the many wonderful, talented and kind young men and boys that I've met will stop men like one of my volunteers who is one of the most dedicated and hard-working people I know and young men who are coaches for their local clubs or who help out by volunteering or refereeing at

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local games. I commend my honourable friend

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I commend my honourable friend for bringing this debate forward. It is incredibly important because we are here to talk about boys education, their engagement, their outcomes and their future. The truth is too many boys have fallen behind. is too many boys have fallen behind. In Staffordshire, three% of boys earned a grade 5 or above in English earned a grade 5 or above in English and math's GCSE. Behind every percentage point as a lad whose life percentage point as a lad whose life chances are narrowing.

Think of your engineers, our bricklayers, our entrepreneurs, full of potential, but maybe starting to think school but maybe starting to think school is not just for them and that should worry us all. What is clear about worry us all. What is clear about this is it isn't just what happens in secondary school. The signs are there so much earlier. We know boys are far less likely than girls to finish reception with a good level of development. That early gap often

15:18

Leigh Ingham MP (Stafford, Labour)

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of development. That early gap often sets the term -- tone or years ahead. It's about whether families can get into a nursery, whether health services are in place, whether parents feel supported. We can't fix educational inequality without looking at a bigger picture. That also includes children's mental health, family support and investments in our towns and villages. Because when a place is left behind, the young people who live there are left behind also. We know from the data that it's particularly boys being left behind.

So I'm calling on the government today to continue being bold, to invest in the wraparound support that helps children thrive, to expand mental health support in schools and to strengthen the ties between schools, families and local services. Because when those links are strong, children do better. We know the intervention isn't only found in education, but in community. My honourable friend just spoke of the value of sport and is incredibly important in creating those opportunities. The challenges of how to be a man in the 21st century Britain are brilliantly portrayed in the BAFTA winning series big boys, where young men grapple not only with the pressures of being working-class and university, but also with the simple yet profound question of how to be both kind and masculine.

My good friend and colleague who couldn't be here today has been doing vital work in championing the club that supports working-class university graduates. I'm also a proud member of that club and she often references the character of Danny from big boys as an example and inspiration. It's a powerful reminder the policy must meet young people where they are to lift them up to what they deserve to be. If we want a fairer, more productive Britain, we can't keep working off young working-class boys who are struggling to find their place in education.

We owe them better and I know that teachers, schools, wider community and staff are ready to deliver when we give them the tools.

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Today I will speak about boys for more deprived back grounds have fewer academic and nonacademic skills and how it is harming their ability to get decent jobs in the postindustrial era. This topic was

15:20

Dr Jeevun Sandher MP (Loughborough, Labour)

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postindustrial era. This topic was the subject of my second PhD paper

15:21

Leigh Ingham MP (Stafford, Labour)

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and while I can't force you all to read my PhD, I can certainly force

15:21

Dr Jeevun Sandher MP (Loughborough, Labour)

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read my PhD, I can certainly force you all to listen today. The deposit in that paper was what was that non-graduate men are finding it so non-graduate men are finding it so hard to get jobs in the postindustrial economy. The employment rate for non-graduate men employment rate for non-graduate men have fallen from about 90% to about 70 % in 2020. The manufacturing jobs they used to do have disappeared, but the question is if employment rates have risen as they have, why can they not get jobs in the service sector.

The answer to that or at sector. The answer to that or at least part of the answer is in the earliest years of young boys. By the earliest years of young boys. By the age of five, the least skilled boys age of five, the least skilled boys have lower academic and nonacademic skills. It makes it hard for them to attain what they need in schools, hard for them to get the hard for them to get the perseverance and social skills they need. Rather than the physical need.

Rather than the physical skills they are awarded, they are out and move to the service economy. out and move to the service economy. How do we fix this and ensure that they get the jobs they need in our they get the jobs they need in our economy? Is my honourable friend is pointed to, it's about the earliest years that start. Indeed, before they are born. Firstly by making their parents lives affordable, less time worrying about the bills means more quality time with your kids.

More money in the pockets of parents means more psychological and material resources to invest in their children. Secondly, investing in high-quality early years education, that's probably the highest returning investment any government can make. Thirdly, we have to actually create good jobs for graduates and non-graduates to move into, for both men and women. Mass production manufacturing is not coming back. But we and government can create good jobs, non-graduate jobs in construction, healthcare and education. Investment in our physical and social infrastructure to create the good jobs we need where we need them.

Every person should be able to live a decent life. As things stand today, too many people cannot and too many young men whose fathers left school and got decent jobs at the local factory, they cannot do the same today. That disappointment turns to depression, anger and division. Rather than coming together we're falling apart. Strength is found from each of us doing well, each of us doing so with a common purpose and connection. It is for this place, in this place, on the side to build that nation.

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Michael Liberal Democrats spokesperson. Thank you very much. Can I stop

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Thank you very much. Can I stop by warmly congratulating the honourable member for securing this honourable member for securing this incredibly important debate and his powerful and insightful opening powerful and insightful opening speech. I think it behoves all of us to spend more time on this topic so to spend more time on this topic so I'm grateful he has made me look into it more than I had done previously. It goes without saying that our education system should that our education system should enable every child, no matter their gender, no matter their needs, no matter their background, to matter their background, to flourish.

As we've heard all too clearly to ready, for too long, cohorts of boys have failed to cohorts of boys have failed to thrive in our education system in a way they should, with a widening attainment Between boys and girls. We heard the statistics already and I know many come from the excellent I know many come from the excellent report for the centre of social justice, but I think the bear repetition because they are so repetition because they are so shocking. Where 75% of girls are ready, only 60% of boys are school ready.

In GCSE exams, boys on average achieve have a lower grade average achieve have a lower grade than girls on every subject will stop and girls outperform boys by over a grade and 1/2 on their best three subjects. Too many boys are failing to reach their potential in school and this is having severe and long-lasting consequences for our society and our economy. Since the pandemic alone, the number of young men aged 16 to 24 who are not in education have increased by a

15:26

Munira Wilson MP (Twickenham, Liberal Democrat)

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staggering 40%. According to the Higher Education Policy Institute, men with low qualifications are men with low qualifications are nearly twice as likely to be unemployed as women with no qualifications and if they are qualifications and if they are employed, they are more likely to work in hazardous, menial or stagnant roles. This makes men less stagnant roles. This makes men less likely to look after the mental and physical health, leading to higher substance abuse, smoking and alcohol consumption, lower life expectancy, consumption, lower life expectancy, much higher rates of imprisonment and death by suicide.

It is highly surprising that so many boys are surprising that so many boys are surprising that so many boys are feeling hopeless. 41% of teenagers feel they have been taught that young men are problem for society. Tim Page, service coordinator Tim Page, service coordinator Catch-22 said there is no trust or hope in the future, a young man from hope in the future, a young man from a disadvantaged background has no clear path towards making a future for themselves. The only options for hundreds of boys and young men I hundreds of boys and young men I have worked with our crime or benefits.

-- Our crime. That should benefits. -- Our crime. That should make us reflect. Education is obviously vital in tackling this obviously vital in tackling this disturbing trend, not just to achieve good grades in a decent achieve good grades in a decent tragedy -- decent strategy, but to inspire children so they can grow up to do good and decent things as part of our society. I agree with the honourable gentleman who introduces debate, I think it is time for a gender specific strategy, particularly looking at boys.

But I do think some of the wider systemic challenges facing our education system, as I think the chair of the Select Committee pointed out, have a particular impact on boys and as the government is considering a number of these issues, I think it would be worth looking at them through a gender specific lens. If we start with teachers, we need good teachers to stay in our boys lives and to guide them and encourage them. Whether that is in terms of career options for the future or just as good role models.

I think we have already heard over the past 12 ... I was thinking about this last night, both my children at primary school, one of them is about to leave in the next few weeks, but are in a way the teacher she is talked about the most in her seven years has been a male teacher and he's only been teaching her for a day week in year six, but all the kids love him and look up to him and I've never heard them speak about any other teacher in such a way.

It is wonderful to see such affection for a male teacher and such a role model for all of the children, both girls and boys. Many attribute the shortage of teachers, both male and female, to the conditions teachers face and a lack of progression, but I believe the presence of more male teachers would normalise learning as a suitable activity for men and boys and may especially help children who don't have positive male role models at home.

However, as a Minister in the Frontbench knows, always facing the impossible task of trying to find more money in their already squeezed budgets to cover underfunded National Insurance increases in teacher pay rises. Also government has promised to recruit 6 1/2 thousand more teachers, I have yet to see how they will be able to achieve this. Turning to mental health, some of the hopelessness many boys are experiencing also stems from inadequate mental health support and we know that boys are twice as likely to be excluded from school and girls and sadly exclusions in criminal activity are often intimately related.

Those who are excluded multiple times from school are more likely to have a younger age of first conviction. Mental health researchers have noted the boys in emotional distress tend to use coping strategies that externalise into violence and destruction, whilst girls are more likely to internalise it to self- harm and depression. We on the Lib Dems benches have long called for a dedicated qualified mental health practitioner to be placed in every primary and secondary school to help tackle mental health and behavioural concerns early.

Whilst I'm very glad to see the government is continuing to roll out mental health support teams and schools, I -- I fear that those teams are overstretched because there often shared between several primary and secondary schools with perhaps half a day or a day a week with mental health practitioner time meaning that children don't have consistent access five days a week to a trusted person to support them with their mental health. I hope the Minister will say something about how the rollout can be sped up and those teams grow so there is more coverage for each of our schools.

Of course there is a big overlap... Boys make up over 60% of those receiving special education on the support and over 70% of those on Education, Health and Care Plans. Those receiving SEND support are more than twice as likely to be excluded than the average boy in over five times more likely to be excluded than the average girl. Too many children are being forced out of school due to failure to provide the required support for them to learn and I have heard time and time again from parents and kinship carriers who feel they have been let down by the SEND system in this country and that they are trying to educate their children with no support.

It is driven up the number of children being homeschooled, so I hope the Minister will use the opportunity today to ensure parents and carers with children of SEND across the country that their rights will not be rolled back when they look to form our broken SEND system. Families must be at the heart of these changes so all children can access the support they deserve and I urge the Minister to look at the five principles for sundry form that the Liberal Democrats posted yesterday.

Finally, seriously tackling the feeling of hopelessness amongst young boys means looking at the online world. We have seen from research that algorithms are feeding increasingly violent and misogynistic content towards boys. With 60% of children aged 8 to 10 having social media account, I think it is wrong that companies can profit from addictive and harmful algorithms. We need to start taking a public health approach to online safety with tighter regulation of the tech giants, empowering and educating both young people, but also the adult who care for them about the online world and crucially we need to provide alternative spaces for activities and young people to go to so that they are not always glued to a screen when they have spare time.

Here in our benches we want to see the digital age of consent raised to end addictive algorithms and stock companies training on our children's attention will stop out this government will not count out Donald Trump and remove the digital services tax, but instead trouble it so money can be used to be invested in improving her children's well-being and mental health. I think the honourable gentleman for bringing this important debate and I look forward important debate and I look forward

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This is the last week of term in Leicestershire, where I am from. I Leicestershire, where I am from. I want to thank all the teachers and hard-working staff for the hard work this year, both for our boys and this year, both for our boys and girls. You realise how hard it is and we pay tribute to all of them. I want to thank the honourable member who led us off with a brilliant who led us off with a brilliant speech.

And my honourable friend who I am sure will be on defection watch I am sure will be on defection watch with the whips. And the honourable member who said they would give us member who said they would give us their entire PhD in two minutes. He their entire PhD in two minutes. He did a good job of it. There has been good work done by the Higher Education Policy Unit on this. We must insulate against the global must insulate against the global trend.

56% of university infants are women across the entire developed women across the entire developed world. That is a huge change across industrialised economies. Women are the majority in every single OECD country now. We have reversed the trend from the 1970s. This trend is across the whole UK. There are intersections of gender, ethnicity,

15:35

Neil O'Brien MP (Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, Conservative)

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class, and so on. Those intersections are interesting and it shows that important culture is. For shows that important culture is. For example, for white boys not on free example, for white boys not on free school meals, 30% went to adversity. Indian girls on free school meals, Indian girls on free school meals, 68% went. It goes against the trend and shows the power of culture and and shows the power of culture and you can see the big difference between girls and boys at every level of distribution.

The culture level of distribution. The culture for boys regarding education is disastrous and I remember what it is disastrous and I remember what it is like. I was in it at school and like. I was in it at school and there are origins with the issue of buildings and it can be blamed on industrialisation and there is the concept that a job has to involve a sickle effort but does not use your sickle effort but does not use your brain if you are man.

Sometimes I brain if you are man. Sometimes I think we have to ask JK Rowling to rewrite 'Harry Potter'. Of course, rewrite 'Harry Potter'. Of course, that can helpful framing of voice is not diligent and is false. It is not not diligent and is false. It is not helpful. There are two things people have said in these debates. I think the willingness to engage in the debate has increased during that time. Some people say that in general the performance of boys in the education system is separate to the performance of the system hall.

That is broadly right. There are good cases for doing things to improve the attainment of poison education and those things are simultaneously true. Starting with the first thing,. -- Boys in education. I don't want to re- litigate arguments. In Wales, the Labour Government decided not to do the same as in England and so there were a number of differences with the curriculum and the results were startling. There were major challenges for education in Wales and, amazingly, disadvantaged children are now doing better than average children, a huge gap.

From 2009-22, England went from 27th to two in the table for maths and there was also movement in other tables. A big gap between England and Wales. What does that mean for girls and boys? For Ps, you see that boys do better in maths and science but worse in reading. The gap between England and Wales is now so big that on reading boys in England do better than girls in Wales. In science, it is the opposite.

You must remember that, and we talked about relativity, ultimately we care about performance and we want to raise both levels, particularly given we are a global economy. Bring to the second case and what we will do specifically to improve the performance with boys and I want to discuss a few examples. It's been mentioned that there are issues with boys and that is one reason will press for action, not just to influence skills wider action, I see Liberal Democrat frontbencher, to deal with problems caused by smartphones including the age of consent for smartphones.

We know that boys are more likely to end up in trouble than girls. People have mentioned exclusion. I was wary that was an issue and getting behaviour and discipline right is crucial for boys. They are often the victims. And the schools Bill had nothing to say on discipline. They have abolished behaviour hubs. I think that they were working in schools and went through them increased from one third to two thirds in performance but they have been axed. 71% of all EHCPs are boys and the government are looking at ending it outside of special schools.

We are not against reform on special needs, not at all. The Minister of health has said the government wants to see a smaller portion of children in special schools, too. Given these issues are in the public domain, I see ministers think about reform, the only to move fast and answer big questions about ideas. So, for example, how will parents of boys know that their child will get what they need if they have ADHD? Is the attention with special schools? What does the Minister mean when she has said effective support would be removed? What does 'effective' mean? These are crucial questions for everyone.

I understand why the Minister is looking at this. We increased funding by 60% in 2015-16 and 2024-25, a fast rate of increase. We have to get the right answers as quickly as possible. A couple of questions for the Minister, the promoter said he wanted to improve employability and said they would reinstate two weeks of compulsory work experience. How many skills are delivering that now? -- Schools? When will skills see the £85 million promised in the Labour manifesto.

-- Schools. They also promise to develop young male mentors and teach people how to navigate social media, particularly to instil it against people like to instil it against people like Andrew Tate. -- protect from. These are total losers teaching boys terrible ideas and we want the ability to prosecute these people as well. What has happened to the pledge to give the mentors in place? pledge to give the mentors in place? The chair of the select committee talked about the gender pay gap and I think it's interesting and requires careful analysis.

For those aged 18-29, the gender pay gap does not exist. It appears to get bigger with this. It's not a gender gap but it is about motherhood. I commend the work that has been done on this and in one report it is shared that women have higher income but fewer children do literally wait to have children. We think this is unacceptable and something that has unacceptable and something that has to be changed. On that rare note of terrifying consensus, I will draw my remarks to a close by saying congratulations to the honourable member who was quite right to bring this debate to the House.

He gave an excellent speech and I'm struck by the way this has changed in the time I have been here and it is clear as a problem and by synthesising the arguments in such an excellent way, he has helped to further progress.

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I will add my congratulations to the member for Bishop Auckland on securing this incredibly thoughtful securing this incredibly thoughtful and very important debate and for

15:42

Catherine McKinnell MP, Minister of State (Education) (Newcastle upon Tyne North, Labour)

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15:43

Neil O'Brien MP (Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, Conservative)

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the powerful opening speech. I welcome the people on work experience, supporting the

15:43

Catherine McKinnell MP, Minister of State (Education) (Newcastle upon Tyne North, Labour)

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honourable member with his incredibly powerful speech. He incredibly powerful speech. He touches upon a really pressing and important issue. We know that, on average, boys have lower attainment average, boys have lower attainment than girls and, as a government, we are determined to understand and are determined to understand and address the drivers behind this. All children should have the opportunity to achieve and thrive in education, to achieve and thrive in education, no matter who they are, where they are from. That is the driving mission of opportunity and we are mission of opportunity and we are determined to drive educational excellence across the country, for every child and young person.

To do that, many of the issues that have been highlighted today need to be been highlighted today need to be addressed. While the current system does have many strengths, as set out does have many strengths, as set out starkly by the honourable member for Croydon East, we know it is not working well enough for all children. Too many are falling behind and facing barriers that hold behind and facing barriers that hold them back from the opportunities and life chances that they deserve and, life chances that they deserve and, as in previous years, girls continue to do better than boys on the headline measures and although the gap has narrowed compared to 2018- 19, there is much more to do.

We are committed to addressing this challenge. The White Paper, which challenge. The White Paper, which will be published in the autumn, will set out the vision for a school system which drives educational excellence for every child. We are also working alongside others who are gathering views for dozens of children, parents, teachers, leaders, across the year, to build a solid evidence base of barriers to attainment for white working-class children and looking at the solution is to drive up standards.

The inquiry is looking to get under the bonnet of the factors driving performance and what best practice can perform them and what policies can be applied to best address this challenge. This work will contribute to the work of the regional improvement and standards and excellence teams, the Rice teams, and raising attainment across the board. -- RISE. This is key to strengthening outcomes and closing achievement gaps in helping young people achieve and thrive and we want to see reforms delivered through excellent teaching and leadership and a high quality curriculum with strong accountability and an inclusive system which removes barriers to learning which are holding back far too many children.

I mention the excellent teaching that we need to see. The quality is the most important factor in improving outcomes for children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. That is why we are committed to recruiting additional 6005 new expert teachers. -- 6500 new expert teachers in school. We have made progress in delivering the pledge and investment is starting to deliver. The workforce has grown by over 3000 equivalents up to 2024-25 in secondary schools, the skills that need teachers the most.

-- Schools. It's important the teaching profession reflects the community as it serves. Male teachers and educators can clearly play an important role in teaching, guiding, leaving boys in classrooms, however, as rightly highlighted by the spokesperson for the liberal Democrats and the other honourable members, men are underrepresented across the workforce with over three quarters being female, and while this is in line with international trends and has been stable, we could do better and we want representation to increase and are working to recruit and retain high quality teachers in classrooms and we know the campaigns are reaching diverse audiences and widely feature male I recognise the challenges that were set out by Bishop Auckland, and I believe that every young person should have the opportunity to thrive in education, regardless of their background.

And that is why we have commissioned an independent panel of experts to review the existing curriculum and system. We want to ensure an excellent foundation in the subject of reading, writing, maths, and a broad and inclusive curriculum that readies young people for life and work. We want to ensure we have a curriculum that reflects our whole society, making sure that children do feel inspired and engaged in it, and the member for North Warwickshire mentioned the value of time and support to take part in sport for young people, and I very much agree.

The curriculum is specifically considering how to remove the existing blocks for progress to ensure good outcomes for children and young people who are from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds or who are otherwise honourable. The review published findings earlier this year and it highlighted the gap and attainment and a commitment to address these challenges and the barriers that are holding children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve, and we look forward to receiving the final recommendations in the autumn. This powerfully set out by members, school disengagement and exclusion is incredibly damaging and significant concern.

Every child deserves to learn in a safe, calm classroom, and we will always support our hard-working teachers to support our hard-working teachers to make it happen. Schools should take proportionate and measured steps to create calm and supportive classrooms because that is how you breakdown barriers for opportunity and improve life classes for all pupils, but we also know that poor behaviour can be rooted in much wider issues and that is why the government is delivering an ambitious strategy to reduce poverty so that we can breakdown those barriers to opportunity, and all schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy so they have to have effective strategies to encourage good behaviour in school leaders have to develop and implement the policy and make sure it aligns with the culture of the school and has the support of the whole school curriculum, but I acknowledge the challenges that have outlined by honourable members today.

Because education has a crucial role to play as well in helping children and young people develop, create boundaries and respect difference, through compulsory relationship education, and all pupils should learn how to form positive relationships, and we are reviewing the guidance to make sure it really empower schools to tackle harmful behaviour, starting in early years in primary, and to be clear that teachers have to facilitate these conversations with students on what positive masculine IT and femininity mean in today's world, and to develop those positive role models and really helped to build a sense of self-esteem and a sense of purpose.

And we are going to publish the revised guidance and it will include the importance of building skills including communication skills, expressing an understanding boundaries, handling disappointment and paying attention to the needs and preferences of others. It will explore communication and ethics within relationships, supporting people to look at what a healthy relationship involves, and looking at the real complexities of relationships, including the significance of power and vulnerability and how to manage difficult emotions that can relate to relationships, including disappointment and anger as well as influence online and misogynistic content.

The impact of pornography and including what some people can perceive as normal. All of these issues will be addressed and we want to empower schools to tackle these very important issues with young people. Finally, close to a million Finally, close to 1,000,016 to 24- year-olds are not in educational training, and I know this is too high, the consequences are too serious, and members from Stafford and Loughborough have highlighted the cost of this, not only to the individuals themselves but to our society of this challenge.

So alongside the development of the youth guarantee, we are focusing on requiring local authorities to ensure that every young person does receive a suitable offer of a place in post-16 education training. We know we need to address the underlying risk factors like supporting young people's mental- health with access to specialist professionals in every school and mental health support teams in every college, that young people do need effective transitions as well between school, further education employment to prevent those moments of disengagement and we will continue to work to ensure that young people can unlock the opportunities that we know will set them up for life so I want to thank my honourable friend for bringing this matter forward, for raising these really important matters of concern, and for all who have contributed to this very thoughtful debate today.

I do acknowledge there are a number of challenges for engagement. There is much more we can do, and that is why we are focused on taking action to ensure that every child and young person believes that sex, success belongs

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to them. Thank you. I will keep this

15:52

Sam Rushworth MP (Bishop Auckland, Labour)

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Thank you. I will keep this really brief because I am conscious that the next debate is also of great importance. Just really to thank everybody who has attended and thank everybody who has attended and contributed today. They have been excellent contributions. Grateful for the cross-party support on this issue as well. I am looking forward to reading the governments White Paper that is coming in the autumn on school standards and engaging with them on that. And I will write to the Minister with an offer about how we can do more to invest emotional learning into early years

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settings. The question is is on the order

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The question is is on the order paper. I think the aye have it. And

15:52

Backbench Business: General debate on children's health

paper. I think the aye have it. And we now come to the backbench debate on children's health. on children's health.

15:52

Dr Simon Opher MP (Stroud, Labour)

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16:03

Sarah Hall MP (Warrington South, Labour )

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The question is as on the order paper. To ensure everyone can contribute, we have a speaking limit contribute, we have a speaking limit of three minutes from now on.

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If you want to raise a generation of healthy children, we must stop putting children's mental health as an afterthought. I want to thank an afterthought. I want to thank everyone who responded to my survey. They help us help shape the debate today and along with the work I am today and along with the work I am doing as the chairman of the all- party group. The focus of the study was children, education opening. I've heard from parents, carers, I've heard from parents, carers, goddess, about experiences accessing health services and the mental health and anxiety of their children health and anxiety of their children and barriers to accessing education because of neurodiversity and disability.

Families tell me there disability. Families tell me there are long waiting lists and there are gaps in speech and language therapy gaps in speech and language therapy and talk about narrow criteria which limit support and how it does not reflect the unique needs of the reflect the unique needs of the child, resulting in families then lost in the system. We were told lost in the system. We were told that care would be there whenever we that care would be there whenever we did, regardless of postcode, but that is not the reality for too many.

Infant mortality remains high. many. Infant mortality remains high. Conditions like asthma, obesity, dental decay ascending more children to hospital and there are longer list for specialist services for mental health. Undeniably linked to unacceptable levels of child poverty and deprivation, health outcomes for children have declined for too long. We know that people are working incredibly hard but the workforce has been underfunded and undervalued. Children are waiting longer than adults significantly for access to services with 25% weighting over 52 weeks compared to 1.2%.

This represents a gap. In my constituency, over 11,000 children are waiting for care that they need. 44% are waiting 18-52 weeks and 25%, 44% are waiting 18-52 weeks and 25%, over 52 weeks which. The Royal College has given Mrs a roadmap including shipping care closer to home to transform services, and establishing an investment standard but we cannot talk about health without isolation and poverty and poverty increases the risk of mental and physical health and will lead to worse outcomes in school.

Without real investment, housing and food security, we are papering over the cracks. If we're serious about giving every child a fair start, tackling poverty should be front and centre. I'm pleased to hear the new plans to fund the family health model in my town. It's one thing to fund services and another to make sure they reach and uplift those who need them most.

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I thank the honourable member for bringing such an important debate. I feel strongly about this, having

16:07

Susan Murray MP (Mid Dunbartonshire, Liberal Democrat)

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trained as a dietician, and I understand the impact of poor diet and related have on the future of a child. From health outcomes to educational outcomes, poor nutrition has a detrimental long term effects. The honourable member mentioned other health conditions but I will talk about diet today. We assume parents understand what constitutes a healthy diet for the children. Sadly, this assumption is false. There are so many competing messages in this space. According to the British Nutrition Foundation nearly 1 third of parents are uncertain of what a child should eat and few make a child finish everything on your plate, regardless of hunger or nutritional.

These are not parents but well-meaning families, trying their best in an environment that fails to equip them with the knowledge that they need and often makes healthy choices less accessible. Even when parents have some nutritional awareness, that knowledge does not always translate into healthy practice. Research shows that inconsistent pushing and irregular eating habits contribute to poor outcomes, even in families with higher nutritional literacy. Good intentions are being undermined by a lack of clear and practical guidance.

It's not a new problem but one that is growing all the time. As we've heard, across the UK, 10% of children aged 4-5R overweight or obese. -- Aged 4-5 R overweight. The Covid pandemic deepened the crisis. During lockdown, many families had reduced access to fresh and nutritious food. In times when pine and money were tight, convenience won out over balance. The cost of an action is vast. Conditions related to obesity costs the NHS over £6 billion a year and the wider cost is around £27 billion annually and without meaningful intervention, the figure is projected to rise by £50 billion by 2050.

Meaningful intervention must include access to NHS dentists. A child with a mouthful of rotten teeth cannot enjoy an apple or crunch on a carrot as a healthy snack. Dental health is really important. Thank you very much.

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When we talk about the health of children, we think about the start

16:09

Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP (Mitcham and Morden, Labour)

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children, we think about the start of light, safe birth, vaccination, support in the early years, but we have to think about children whose lives are short and children with conditions which limit the Abdullahi. The families caring for a seriously unwell child's face unimaginable charges but too often the support that they require simply is not there, especially at the end of life and especially at home. In my constituency, we are incredibly fortunate to be served by Shooting Star Children's Hospices, who support children and families throughout Surrey.

Because the number of children needing the care in each individual borough is small, they can easily be overlooked. It is the problem that the system has a local level. A number -- but the numbers are low, things get lost. That is why what was formerly the Children's Hospice Grant is so important. It supports hospices to provide support for bereavement and end-of-life care. It gives families choice of the hardest possible time. I welcome the government decision to confirm £26 million in funding for confirm £26 million in funding for NHS England for 2025-26 along with £100 million.

The truth of the £100 million. The truth of the sector is under strain. There is a living body for palliative care he says only 19% of families receive end-of-life care at home. One third are failing to meet the basic national standard. I have three questions for the Minister. Will the government commit to increasing the children's Hospice Grant beyond 2026? Will they lodge a proper review of how children's palliative care is funded and planned? Will they hold ICBs to greater account to ensure they meet legal duty to commission the care and report transparently on progress? We are told the 10 year NHS plan will bring care closer to home but right now there is no mention of palliative care in the plan and now information care in the plan and now information as to how these vital services will be funded.

This has to change.

16:12

Jess Asato MP (Lowestoft, Labour)

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I start by thanking my honourable friend for bringing forward this debate. A frequent issue raised with me in my constituency is dentistry and is particularly acute for children. We've heard that one in four five-year-olds suffer from tooth decay. The government's rollout of supervised teeth brushing the most deprived areas and dental services is very welcome. Children from deprived areas are three times more likely to have dental decay than those in less deprived areas. One in three added relative poverty.

Poverty is linked to and compounds mental health. One way to improve mental health is to reduce the amount of children living in poverty. The last labour government did that to great effect and we will build on that in the forthcoming strategy which I hope will set out clear targets to reach them. As has been mentioned, one of the biggest been mentioned, one of the biggest health crises facing us today is children's mental health. We are struggling to keep up with demand.

I hope the government will look at growing evidence that links access to smartphones to poor mental health and children. The commitment to make changes by 2029-30 is welcome. I'm glad the plan set out by the Health Secretary begins a shift towards early intervention and I welcome the plans to end the obesity epidemic. I remain concerned that the advertising ban will mean brands can continue to advertise as long as they do not explicitly identify as health products I hope the government looks at how to do this.

Finally, I would like to raise the issue of physical punishment of children. In 2025, it unacceptable have less protection from assault and battery than adults. Research by the RCP CH have found children who experience physical abuse are two times more likely to experience mental health issues. That is why many want to see the rules changed, following the lead of over 60 countries around the world including Scotland and Wales and remove the reasonable punishment defence which allows children to be home.

I hope the government sees this as a children's health issue and in the interest of the well-being of children, uses this opportunity to children, uses this opportunity to

16:15

Tom Hayes MP (Bournemouth East, Labour)

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We know the problems facing children's mental health. I want to use my time to focus on solutions. I welcome the commitment from the government to youth hops and recruiting it thousand 500 mental health workers and the plan for change and the best start and the Sure Start centres. There is a report that shows the effect of the I don't want to spend a long time talking about reframing the architecture, the organisations, but it isn't quite in the right place.

Service users don't care about what services they have, but they want the quality services. My concern is that we have services concentrated on a local authority level where they should be placed there. The best run services of to Kimberley health services in terms of data and capital funding, getting things off the ground quickly, and we also know that some of the experiences of children social care are not entirely as they should be. The attempt to unify children's health and children social care within local authorities has had a mixed record.

And I think it would be wise for us to think about whether children and social care, indeed adult social care, should be thought at a local authority level, or if there ought to be a different place to deliver it at a national level with the national health level. In a previous life, I ran a homelessness service, and I embedded caseworkers and local authority settings to support families with mental health issues, Domestic Abuse Act issues, and I also did a service as part of the last government community mental-health framework, particularly personality disorder, and I would deftly say that the embedding of third sector organisations is a positive.

There are limits to what we can do, but they can do outstanding things. They can build strong relationships with people who often lack trust, and they would want a larger role for third sector. In closing, I want to talk about special educational needs and disabilities. We all know the system is broken. We know that parents are breaking point. There is not enough space and provision. We know that THC takes too long, the process is difficult, and as a consequence, it can feel dehumanising.

I look forward to the government working collaboratively to deliver what the best solution ought to be. I have a survey that is available to constituents which I would encourage detachments to complete because I need to hear from constituents in order to represent them to government so that they get the best possible system.

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Thank you. In London, 20% of reception age children are overweight or obese and nearly double to 39% of children in year double to 39% of children in year six. The crisis of childhood obesity six. The crisis of childhood obesity does not just pose future health risks but it is impacting children risks but it is impacting children right now. Factors like a lack of after-school activities, poverty, the cost of fast food adverts, and fast food chains near schools. fast food chains near schools.

However, the sake of brevity, I will focus on the proximity of fast food

16:19

Jas Athwal MP (Ilford South, Labour)

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focus on the proximity of fast food outlet and the campaign against children. In Ilford South, there are only 50% more fast food chains and over the last 15 years despite planning restrictions they always find loopholes to exploit. Compound with the fact that healthy food is double the price of fast food and that review centres mean there are limited places for kids to exercise, fast food outlets have become the cheapest, the most convenient, and the easiest choice for kids to go after school.

I welcome the new national policy framework which empowers local councils with stronger powers to block fast food outlets from opening near schools, allowing authorities to prioritise children's health. The second insidious factor, coercing these children into consuming fast food is there an endless barrage of advertising. Many of these adverts are designed to specifically target children. In these surveys some of the largest companies and reported that 78% of products were specifically aimed children and classed as unhealthy. And for children from deprived areas, the campaign is even more severe because junk food ads are six times more likely to appear in deprived areas compared to wealthier areas.

These companies are exploiting children, especially those in poverty for profit. Right back puts it just about right. Fast food advertising is enticing, effective, and everywhere. Childhood obesity is not simply the result of poor personal choices or bad parenting. There are structural factors coercing children into making unhealthy choices. As a government, it is our duty to recognise the social and financial recognise the social and financial cost of allowing this to continue and we are making progress to empower local councils, banning advertising and delivering the NHS 10 year plan which centres on prevention.

We are laying the groundwork for lasting change. We may not reap the benefits of this tomorrow or next year, but in five or 10 years, we will see children living longer, healthier because of the choices we made today.

16:21

Steve Yemm MP (Mansfield, Labour)

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Today, I want to speak about a group of people who are often overlooked in our healthcare system. Those are teenagers and young people with cancer. And every day in the UK, seven young people are told devastating words you have cancer. And this is not just a statistic. It is a wake-up call for all of us. Cancer remains the biggest disease- related killer of young people in our country, and yet, too often, their unique experiences, their physical, social needs are too often sidelined, and if we are serious about improving outcomes for them, we need to act on three fronts.

First, we need faster diagnosis. Young people must be given clear and accessible information about the symptoms of cancer and our primary care system must be better equipped to spot those symptoms early. And then secondly, access to Pinnacle trials. I welcome the conversation that teenage Cancer trust and I have only last month with the Minister for Public health on this very issue. Young people currently participate in trials at lower rates than other groups, missing out on cutting-edge treatments that could save lives.

And thirdly, mental- health. More than half of young with cancer experience, poor mental health and almost 9 intense psychologists say our current services can't meet demand. Cancer doesn't just interrupted young life. It collides with it. At a time of exams, discovering new relationship, identity growth and development, and the lease that we can do is to make sure that our systems don't fail them. Let's ensure that the next national cancer plan reflects this reality, and let's give all of these young people care and every support they deserve.

16:23

Leigh Ingham MP (Stafford, Labour)

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Thank you. I would like to thank my honourable friend for securing my honourable friend for securing this debate. Like many colleagues in this house, I stood for election on a promise to help raise the healthiest generation of children in our country's history, a bold ambition but a worthy one. To get there, we need to look beyond the doctors office or the dinner table. One of the most powerful and overlooked stores we have this physical activity, sport and play and the chance to be outside.

Because when sport and play our part of the child's daily life, they become a training ground not just for the body for life and in Stafford and across other areas, I have seen really into teachers helping children build skills and confidence they need to stay engaged. One young constituent spoke honestly to me about what he is seeing amongst his peers. Rising mental health struggles, too much time online, and a worrying dip in resilience. And he's right. When children don't get the opportunities to move and to play, it affects their well-being, their education, but also their future.

Where else but in sport to children learn how to lose with grace? How to win with kindness and to keep going when things get tough? But not all children have parents who can afford to pay for clubs, kits or transport, and for many, school is the only place they will ever get to be part of the team or even discover a sport that they love. And that is why PE should never be seen as optional. It must be a part of every school week.

So I welcome the governments renewed support for partnerships, and its commitment to equality between girls and boys in schools, but we can go further. That means multi-year funding settlements that schools can count on, and a clear ambition that every child, no matter their background, has access to sport and play. In Stafford, I have been campaigning for more inclusive public places. Families of disabled and neuro-data urgent children tell me they avoid parks because there is nothing that the children can safely enjoy.

And campaigners like Christine McGuinness only yesterday have spoken really powerfully about this. Because play isn't a luxury. It is an essential for children's development, their health, and their

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joy. For every Christine Stafford, there is a Newcastle-under-Lyme as there is a Newcastle-under-Lyme as well, and I think the one you 19 point that we will put to colleagues point that we will put to colleagues is for them to play their part and to play their part fast.

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to play their part fast. I have already been on record today criticising Staffordshire County Council so I will hold off on County Council so I will hold off on this debate, but they could be better at everything. That is why my better at everything. That is why my commitment to play is why I co- sponsored my honourable friend is a moment the planning Bill that seeks to provide sufficient play opportunities and especially opportunities and especially inclusive play opportunities. So, I call on this government to invest in call on this government to invest in potential and to give every child the opportunity to grow up healthy, confident, and importantly, resilient, ready not just for school

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resilient, ready not just for school but for life. I come to the Lib Dems.

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I come to the Lib Dems. Thank you. I would like to begin by paying tribute to a wonderful by paying tribute to a wonderful charity who are based in mid Sussex. They are called group the strap

16:27

Alison Bennett MP (Mid Sussex, Liberal Democrat)

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They are called group the strap support, and ever since their founder Jane lost her own baby Theo 30 years ago, Jane and the team have been campaigning for better outcomes for women who are pregnant who contract group B strap, and because the impact on their babies can be profound, it is the most common cause of life-threatening infection for newborn babies. So, I opened by asking the Minister whether she will meet group E strap support so that she can better understand the potential of better screening for pregnant mothers.

As a mother myself, I don't take for granted health of my children, and I know that, for all of us who are parents, the health of our children can turn on a sixpence. And we know that the system that surrounds children and families and keeps children healthy has been allowed to crumble. We are in the middle of a children's health crisis in this country. This week, the Children's Commissioner reported on a damning review of the health of children across the country.

The review told us that children in England are facing Dickensian levels of poverty, going without ASIC needs like somewhere to a breakfast or safe transport to school. Members talk about things being unacceptable. Unacceptable may be overused but in this case, it is very true. We should be ashamed that children are facing this reality in 2025. Our young people, those who should expect to grow up to be part of a prosperous, happy and successful nation in the coming years are being let down.

Under the Conservatives, things got worse and worse. Under their watch, in the period from 2022 to 2024 alone, the number of children waiting for over 52 weeks for an appointment increased by 60%. For elective paediatric systems. This situation is, however, not inevitable. The UK has world leading researchers, passionate healthcare workers and a proud tradition of protecting public health. Britain's children should be amongst the healthiest in the world. We are a wealthy country with a welfare state and universal healthcare.

And yet, we lag behind our peers. One in 11 children lives in asthma. Our country has one of the highest emergency rates for asthma. It is avoidable and yet it is still happening. The number of children living with life limiting conditions has risen by 250% in less than two decades. 2 1/2 million children in England are living with obesity as other honourable members have mentioned this afternoon. Over a million of them already have health complications. Almost one in five children now struggle with the mental-health, a 50% increase in just five years.

And yet children are waiting longer than ever to be The number of consultants has barely budge. Over 50,000 children are waiting for more than one year to be seen. The Conservatives let the problems pile up and so Labour cannot afford in action. My colleagues and the Liberal Democrats and I believe every child deserves the best, regardless of their background, postcode, the income of the Prince. We want healthy and happy children across the country. We will start by ensuring everyone has access to healthcare I can see a GP within a day if it is arson.

I and my colleagues will push the government to ensure the pledge becomes reality. It means ending the scandal of children turn up to hospital with a mouthful of rotten teeth because there is no dentist nearby. It means rebuilding primary care and community services that have been underfunded for over a decade. I know from conversations with my constituents that these problems are real and with them happening in what is a relatively well-off part of the country, mid Sussex, it's clear that these problems are systemic.

It's not about illness. You got to be determined to prevent it. We have to invest in programs that get children moving, eating well, driving. We tackle be property that causes health problems like ending the two child limit and reducing the poverty gap. We will extend free schools to primary school. -- Free-flow mills and were glad to see the government extension. The campaigning for this to go further. No child should go hungry at school, ever. When it comes to mental health, we would transform the system from the ground up, meaning mental health hubs in every committee and regular checkups and a dedicated mental health professional in every school and the proper cross-government strategy to understand and tackle the root causes, from bereavement, bullying, social media pressure.

It's not just a health issue about education, family, justice. More than one department and more than one minister. My colleagues have led the fight for early intervention, holistic support, real accountability and have championed ideas like register of bereaved children. How can we help if we don't know who need support? Will the Minister commit to implementing such a register? We face a real challenge but have ideas, evidence, and the plan. Now someone has got to get on and deliver the change that children across the UK desperately need.

I urge the government to take action. Let's build a country where no child is left behind and every child a parent has has at the very least the opportunity to be healthy and look to the future with confidence. Thank you.

16:34

Dr Caroline Johnson MP (Sleaford and North Hykeham, Conservative)

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I called the shadow minister. interest as a consultant paediatrician and a member of the Royal College of Paediatrics, which was mentioned earlier. I congratulate the honourable member for securing this turbidity. Getting the right start in life is one of the most important factors in adult health and well-being. You must make sure that we get the best treatment and preventative care and ensure the best for taxpayers. I have seen improvements in my career.

We must look at social and environmental factors and ask what more we can do to protect mental illness in children. Prevention is better than cure. It is one of the three areas the government has identified the man I want to focus on. Often children put into hospital to see paediatricians have conditions that have been caused by social and environmental factors. These are things which medics can treat on their own and as every professional knows, we must work with parents, families, children.

We want the best outcomes. An example is the child obesity crisis which has been mentioned many times already. Research shows to 6% of children in year six, aged 10 and 11, are overweight and obese. I've seen extreme cases, for example, a nine- year-old who weighed 80 kg. Many children suffer extreme conditions because of their weight. As part of a broader shift. We note that lack of exercise and a diet too high in calories causes obesity but there are more complex issues like poverty and family working patterns.

The government cannot determine what each child eats but you can do something to help support parents and children. What is the Minister to encourage exercise, participation in sport, active travel to school? What is she doing to improve the quality and availability of food for parents and families? What is she doing to improve the quality of school food and build nutritional education into the curriculum and teach children about managing their own health and cooking healthy food? The plan includes formulation but there is a risk manufacturers will simply replace sugar with sweetness and other chemicals.

What is the Minister doing to ensure we do not solve one problem and walk into another? We also had about brushing teeth and we know that dental issues cause hospitalisation in children. What steps are being taken to improve dental outcomes like improving access to dentist, improving the schemes, and increasing the use of varnish? Speaking to the Chief Dental Officer the other day, it's clear that children who brush their teeth twice a day with the right toothpaste and reduce sugar in your diet can significantly reduced to risk of fillings and dental decay.

Another issue is mental health. Young people face mental health from home, school, friendship, other factors. Particularly, the Covid lockdown had a serious impact on development and socialisation of children. Social media is causing increasing harm to children. There is anxiety about body image, personal achievements, and exposing children to harmful material and ideas. The previous Online Safety Bill is a welcome step in addressing some of these issues with the government rejected an amendment to help reduce the use of phones in schools.

What does the Minister plan to do to encourage children away from screens and two words healthier relationships with friends and family? I also want to discuss neglect. 25,350 children currently on a child protection plan for reasons of neglect is marked increase on 2014. Organisations like the NSPCC have highlighted neglect cases and we should not underestimate the harm caused to health and development by neglect. What steps is the department and government in general taking to paint a more accurate picture of neglect and intervene on behalf of the children who are suffering? One area of improvement is the balance of community care and the government have talked about this in the three ships.

We know they are keen to bring care into the community but do they agree we should materials available more widely in the community first before giving them extra work to do? Too often in my practice I see children with community paediatric problems referred to hospital because of capacity problems in the community. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure there is enough supply in the community sector to deal with community problems that children face? In summary, children's health is a large and complex policy area and we know we can make progress with good research and novel treatments.

Most children will get better and I enjoy paediatrics because most patients get better because they are robust, resilient, great fun. We must help didn't do things that protect health today and prepare those children to manage prepare those children to manage

**** Possible New Speaker ****

I call the Minister. Mr Ashley

16:40

Ashley Dalton MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care (West Lancashire, Labour)

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**** Possible New Speaker ****

I call the Minister. Mr Ashley Dalton who has five minutes.

**** Possible New Speaker ****

Dalton who has five minutes. Firstly, I want to congratulate my honourable friend for securing this bed. He is a tireless advocate for children across the country and I would like to pay tribute to his campaign on social describing before he joined this post because it's a key part of the plan for health. key part of the plan for health. This issue is dear to my heart as well. I stood for Parliament because nearly 25% of children in the biggest in my constituency live in poverty and as many have pointed out, the state of children's health is a national scandal.

I see honourable member for Stroud said, this is a complex issue that strikes a variety of areas. It's a bit active travel and I'm delighted the Minister responsible for active travel is on the front bench with me. It's about air pollution and access to green spaces. The member for Warrington South highlighted the links between children's health, education, poverty. The member for mid Dumbartonshire, her expertise in diet and nutrition was insightful. My honourable friend, the member for Mitcham, spoke about children with life-limiting illnesses and end-of- life care for children and palliative care.

My honourable friend talked about junk food advertising and dentistry. My honourable friend for Bournemouth East talked about family hubs and BenStar which was launched this week and health and. -- Best Start. My honourable friend raised the issue of fast food outlets and junk food advertising which I will cover in my response. The member for Mansfield talked about children and young people and cancer and mentioned the Teenage Cancer Trust. I met with him recently and was delighted to do so.

The honourable member for Stafford spoke about play and sport and how important this is. We are working across departments in our mission, we are mission-led government, to deliver the healthiest generation ever. I confirm that the NHS is working to support facilities in hospital. Over 2 million children are not active and we must change this. The Department for Education is committed to investing in school sport and investing in physical education and sports premium and were working across government to develop new partnerships and a network model which the Prime Minister announced in June.

The Darzi Review set out in black and white how badly the previous government led children. Tooth decay is the most common reason why children is 5-9 are admitted to hospital. Referrals for mental health services for children has tripled since 2016. Waiting for mental health services has grown faster for children than for idle. This must change and voltage. -- Adults. This government is committed to creating the healthiest generation of children ever and work to deliver this has already begun.

One of the single biggest things that we can do to improve as child's life chances is to safeguard mental health and that is fired by the end of this government, we will put support team to break the vicious cycle of low attendance and bad behaviour. The Education Secretary is rolling out free breakfast clubs so that kids start school with hungry minds, not hungry bellies. To combat tooth decay, we have invested £11 million in supervised toothbrushing for children aged 3-5.

We are going further than ever before to tackle long waiting times for children with the elective reform plan. We delivered more than 4 million appointments, double what we promised in the manifesto. In terms of social care for children and neglect, which the shadow minister tobacco committed to rebalancing the system towards earlier intervention. -- Shadow minister talked about we are committed to rebalancing visitor. There is a new transformation fund of £55 million. We mentioned children's hospice one thing and I thank my honourable friend for raising this important point and I agree about the important role.

We are committed £26 million for children's hospices this year alongside £400 billion of capital funding in future funding will be announced in due course. -- £400 million. The honourable member that brought the debate mentioned the really crucial issue of involving young people in conversations and policy development. I spoke recently at an Alliance event and a roundtable and listen directly to the views and voices of children and young people to make sure they fit into the 10-year health plan and in the pocket health offer builds on this feedback and we have re- established the Children and Young People's Council Task Force and insisted children and young people insisted children and young people Last week, we published a 10 year plan for health to make it fit for today's children and future generations because we on these benches will not rest until every working person receives the same kind of healthcare that the wealthy expect.

The three shifts that underpin our plan are the building blocks to ensure children get the best start in life. First, from treatment to prevention. We know a baby's first 1001 days from conception to the age of two set the foundations for later years. It is why the government is establishing best start family have, building on the legacy of sure start which was a lifeline for working families and the last Labour government. Earlier this week we publish that strategy and will provide funding to every local authority in England for best start family hubs because no parent should have to face the challenges of parenthood alone.

We are also taking firm action on obesity, something that many members have raised today. It affects only one in five children leaving primary school. Our action includes restricting junk food advertising, banning the sale of high caffeine energy drinks, abseiling school food standards, strengthening the soft drinks levy, introducing healthy food sales reporting, and using that reporting to ultimately set new sales targets. The government have regulations in place that set nutritional compositional and labelling standards for commercial baby food and we continue to challenge the industry to take further action, providing advice and guidance for parents, and enforcement of nutrition legislation is the responsibility of local authorities.

Good nutrition in the early years is vital, and we recognise that there are opportunities to support parents to make the healthier choice easier by encouraging businesses to improve baby foods and I will set out our plans on this soon. We are also determined to fix the send system and restore the trust of parents by ensuring schools have the tools to better identify and support children before issues escalate to crisis point. This autumn, the government will bring forward a schoolwide paper which will detail the government's approach to reform, ensuring joint up support for children and young people.

On analogue to digital, going beyond the paper Redbook, the my children function on the NHS Apple become the digital companion for parents access the child's health information through their childhood. Over time, parents will be able to record the children's habits, developmental milestones and use AI to access health advice when needed. The third shift from hospital community, rolling out health centres in every community, building care closer to where children live, learn and play, and that includes multidisciplinary teams made up of GPs, nurses, paediatricians, mental-health, social workers and the third sector, providing joined up preventative care and supporting children with complex and chronic needs.

And before I wrap up, I want to say a few words and inequalities. Eltingh affair Britain is essential to our plan and as we said in Blackpool last month, we will look at how this is reflected for general practice with a sharp focus on money following needs. Child poverty is a stain on our country. We are determined to fix this, and that is why we are rolling out meals on Universal Credit. We are increasing the value of the healthy start payment by 10%, and I am a member of the child member task force which will be published later this year.

I would like to thank my honourable friend for rating this topic, and with the colleagues for speaking today. When he launched our manifesto, my right honourable friend the minister promised to restore the bond that reaches through the generations and says this country will be better for your children. That is what we are doing with our 10 year plan and I look forward to working with him and all of the colleagues to get this done. of the colleagues to get this done.

16:50

Dr Simon Opher MP (Stroud, Labour)

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I won't keep you long. I know it is late on a Thursday and we want to get back to Constituencies, but thank you to all of you for staying and giving excellent speeches. Thank you to the Minister and parties opposite as well. Children's health, if we get it right, we have a whole lifetime of benefits and that is why

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