Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012

Baroness Benjamin Excerpts

Thursday 8th November 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Benjamin]

My Lords, I, too, thank my noble friend for securing this important debate, which highlights Brand Britain at its best, and for the chance to discuss one of the greatest events ever to take place on these shores.

In 2004 I had the honour of running with the Olympic torch along the streets of Peckham in south London, where I saw young children from all cultural backgrounds cheering and waving their union jacks and cross of St George flags. They instinctively knew a momentous event was taking place in their midst and felt good about who they were. That was when I realised the importance of having the Olympic and Paralympic Games here in the UK, and I campaigned passionately for London to get the Games, to give children a lasting legacy, a sense of pride, a feeling of belonging to a great nation.

For all of us that dream became a reality during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. They were the most diverse Games in history. I believe that diversity and inclusion were the key founding blocks of the Games because a number of firsts were established which can be used as the benchmark for all future Games and within all organisations.

I declare an interest: I sat on the LOCOG diversity and inclusion board under the brilliant chairmanship of my noble friend Lord Deighton. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome him to the House—he will be an enormous asset—and I congratulate him on his excellent maiden speech. I very much look forward to working with him once again.

During my time on the board I witnessed first hand the collective achievements accomplished since London won the bid in 2005—outstanding achievements such as the 200,000 brilliant, diverse, talented people recruited to LOCOG’s workforce as staff, volunteers and contractors. This included unprecedented diversity and inclusion across the paid, volunteer and contractor workforce, with many people working alongside others they would otherwise never have met, resulting in many having life-changing experiences. There was an unprecedented transparent supply chain, with all business supplies to LOCOG signing up to a diversity charter, driving change in businesses of all sizes.

The Games also had the most accessible venues, with unparalleled inclusive customer service across a range of client groups, from information in the official guides through to the Games’ mobility service. All this was most impressive to visitors from around the world who attended the Games.

I am sure that everyone will agree that one of the lasting memories of the Games was Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony, which shone a creative spotlight on our great nation. It showed Britain at its most diverse. It showed our celebrated diversity to be talented, bold and energetic, a rich tapestry of creativity and excellence, with inclusion embedded throughout. It was by far the most diverse and inclusive Olympic and Paralympic Games ever and I feel so proud to say that.

I met some of the volunteers who took part in the opening ceremony in the “Windrush” display. Their enthusiasm and euphoria was infectious; they felt they had been given an unbelievable opportunity and an experience of a lifetime. One said, “It’s like a dream come true. To be part of this international occasion is awesome”. It was something they never thought they would ever be able to be part of and felt as though they belonged to the greatest historic event ever witnessed in their lifetime.

This opportunity was given to them by Danny Boyle, who took time to meet them individually. He took on the diversity and inclusion ethos with ease and fluidity. He made the extravaganza look natural—as it should be—and made people feel special. He set the tone at the start of the Games of what Britain can achieve if we give everyone opportunities to work together and collectively make a difference to our society for the good of our nation. That is an important legacy that we can and need to build on for the sake of our children, to give them pride in their great nation as they wave their country’s flag.

The cultural element of the Games was celebrated in the way it was originally intended when the Olympics were created centuries ago. A nation’s cultural well-being is food for the soul and gives a sense of togetherness and creativity and stimulates the imagination. The 2012 Cultural Olympiad offered millions of people from all different cultural backgrounds the opportunity to participate in events linked to the celebration of the Games, allowing people to connect with the arts, especially children and young people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. A lasting legacy has been left not just through participation but because of the permanent artworks that were created for the Games.

There is an education legacy left for children too, which includes the Get Set website. This also has to be commended as it will enable children to continue to be driven by Olympic and Paralympic values, and has diversity and inclusion at its very heart. Schools across the UK will benefit from the most exciting global venture this country has ever undertaken. What a wonderful gift all this is, which will echo across future decades. It is great to know that diversity and inclusion were embedded in every part of the Games and directly influenced and shaped the strategy developed for the Games. We must all take pride in the results of this lasting legacy, and make a commitment to let it influence everything we do and every policy we make, including those made in our media and creative industries and every strategy we develop across government and businesses as we continue to celebrate our great nation—Brand Britain.

Prisons: Mothers and Infants

Baroness Benjamin Excerpts

Tuesday 10th July 2012 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Benjamin]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to reduce the number of mothers imprisoned with their infants in England and Wales.

[Baroness Northover]

My Lords, sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent judiciary. Where a judge or a magistrate sentences a mother to custody, mother and baby units are made available to ensure that the best interests of the child are met, enabling the mother and child relationship to develop and to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare. The number of women imprisoned with babies has remained broadly stable at around 50 over the past two years.

[Baroness Benjamin]

I thank my noble friend for that answer. Essential, emotional attachments are made between mother and baby during the first 18 months of a child’s life, but imprisoned mothers with babies are often denied these necessary bonding opportunities because of the restricted environments they are placed in—even within the mother and baby units, which are often far away from the women’s homes. Will the Government encourage the courts to consider the welfare of the baby before sentencing the mothers to custody and can we please have more smaller, baby-friendly secure community units as an alternative?

[Baroness Northover]

My Lords, the Government are fully committed to reducing the number of women in custody, and that is already happening. Recent sentencing changes should help that further. If a woman or a man is a sole or primary carer, that should be considered as a mitigating factor in sentencing. Recent guidelines from the Sentencing Guidelines Council have reiterated this. There are seven small mother and baby units, the largest having 13 spaces, which support the development of mother and baby relationships. In deciding whether a mother and baby should be referred to one of these units, the interest of the child is paramount.

Children: Parenting for Success in School

Baroness Benjamin Excerpts

Thursday 3rd February 2011 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Benjamin]

My Lords, in my maiden speech last October, I mentioned that my mission in life is to put the well-being of children at the heart of society’s consciousness, so I should like to thank the noble Lord for securing this debate, as it focuses on children’s well-being. I also take this opportunity to congratulate all the new Members on their excellent maiden speeches, which highlighted their vision for the well-being of children.

Recent research by the University of York—the Child Well-being Index—showed that, of 29 European countries, the UK was ranked 24th. What a sad indictment that is of our country. I believe that we must strive harder than ever to unlock and unleash the creative potential in the minds of our children and teach them to use it to heal our wounded world. We must prepare our children to think outside the box—differently and creatively—to develop an analytic mind and the ability to express themselves without inhibition.

Childhood lasts a lifetime and children’s future achievements are often decided at birth, as well as through how they are brought up and where they are educated, plus the unconditional love and support that they receive not just from their family but from society. They are our responsibility. We need to excite and feed their imagination in order for them to grow into well rounded human beings. Education is their passport to life. I believe that the best way for young children to learn is through fun and play during those early foundation years, thus stimulating their creative thinking. That includes learning through positive visual and audio stimulation.

For many years I have campaigned for high-quality pre-school children’s television and radio programmes, which at their best can serve as a powerful tool to help parents from all backgrounds to learn how to develop educational and stimulating techniques to use when interacting with their children. It also allows them to watch and listen with their young children, who can use the content as a platform from which they can begin to explore the world and all its wonders.

I do not refer to programmes that encourage passive viewing and are used as surrogate parents or babysitters. Programmes like these should be banned, especially if the television sets are in children’s bedrooms. In fact, I would ban all television and computers in their bedrooms. I am referring to quality not quantity—wholesome, educational, entertaining programmes that open a window on the world and take young minds on an adventure to explore not just their environment but other cultures, too. Yet only 1 per cent of new television programmes are made in the UK and the production of such vital programmes remains under threat. That is something about which we should all be concerned, as children are exposed more and more to programmes that subtract from rather than add to their overall well-being.

I spent many of my early years in the Caribbean with no television, so the art of play was second nature to my parents. Singing songs, reciting poems, listening to stories, dressing up and playing characters from books was a bedtime ritual, which taught us how to communicate to the world. Today, unfortunately, we are living in a different world. Increased working hours, the breakdown of the extended family network and stretched personal financial situations mean that many parents do not have as much time to spend with their children as they would like.

However, high-quality television and radio can be an ally, allowing parents to let their children watch and listen safe in the knowledge that they are benefiting from the content. “Play School”, a programme which I will always be associated with and which I adored being part of, ended two decades ago. It was loved by millions of children and is still remembered fondly. I believe that it was because the producer put children’s well-being at the heart of the programme. It was a sort of mini “South Bank Show” with storytelling, dance, art, songs, mime, music and, of course, the windows that provided a portal to the wider world through which children could expand their knowledge.

Appropriate children’s television is beneficial to childhood development. It can improve attention, expressive language, comprehension, articulation and general knowledge, as well as social interaction and life skills. I urge the Government and broadcasters to wake up to the crisis in the production of quality public service broadcasting for children. I also ask the Government to find creative ways in which to secure funding to maintain the tradition of well made British pre-school programmes that contain all the necessary and essential elements required for our children’s well-being. Children may not inherit all our talents, but they certainly will absorb all our influences, so let us teach them well in order for them to lead the way in the future and to have the confidence, morality and integrity to do so.

St Lucia: Hurricane Tomas

Baroness Benjamin Excerpts

Thursday 20th January 2011 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Benjamin]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they are providing to the Government of St Lucia following Hurricane Tomas.

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, HMS “Manchester” provided power, clean water and food to the towns of Soufriere and Morne Fond St Jacques immediately after Hurricane Tomas. Crew also fixed the roof in Soufriere hospital. The Department for International Development has agreed to pay £212,845 to re-establish water, sanitation and health services in St Lucia and St Vincent. The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, which DfID supports, also made a payment of $3,214,000 to St Lucia after the hurricane.

[Baroness Benjamin]

I thank my noble friend for that comprehensive answer. The devastation caused by Hurricane Tomas last October, which had practically no media coverage in this country, is still having an effect on the people—and on their financial well-being—of St Lucia and the neighbouring islands, St Vincent and the Grenadines. Lives have been lost and it is estimated that £500 million-worth of damage has been done to roads, agriculture, buildings and infrastructure. Thankfully, the United Nations made a plea for international financial assistance. What financial assistance will the British Government give to these wounded Caribbean islands, and will the Government of St Lucia be expected to pay back any funds provided to them—and, if so, when?

[Baroness Verma]

My Lords, the Government of St Lucia are leading the assessment of the damage caused by Hurricane Tomas and setting reconstruction priorities. A full report is expected later this month. Early damage estimates following hurricanes are often radically revised, so we cannot speculate on the extent of the damage until we analyse the report.