Mobile Phones in Schools

Joe Powell Excerpts

Tuesday 10th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Josh MacAlister]

Quite. What a what a lovely answer to be able to give: I agree with my hon. Friend and his mum about this issue. Of course, this is an intergenerational issue as lots of young people grow up with the care, love and support of aunts, uncles and grandparents. It will be essential to ensure that everyone is on board with these changes so that we can set that new norm.

[Joe Powell (Kensington and Bayswater) (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for his strong and consistent leadership on this issue over the last two years. I totally agree that the expectation should be for school leaders, parents and the Government to work together. I really welcome what he said about further guidance being on the way for parents.

Some constituents have contacted me with concerns about how some schools have been proactively sending out guidance from the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign whereas others have said that that is perhaps a partisan campaign, which seems to me to be overly cautious. Will the Minister join me in paying tribute to the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign and expand on whether he thinks that some of its campaigns, such as the parent pact, are useful tools for parents?

[Josh MacAlister]

I thank my hon. Friend for his campaigning and leadership on this issue in his constituency. I know that he has an active Smartphone Free Childhood campaign group and that he has been a big advocate with Joe and Daisy, the leaders of the movement. Many hon. Members across the House will be familiar with the campaign; I would not describe it as partisan at all. The campaigners have built a remarkable community behind the change, and the attention that they have brought to this issue has been part of what has shifted politics on it in recent years.

Oral Answers to Questions

Joe Powell Excerpts

Monday 19th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Georgia Gould]

You look young enough to use social media, Mr Speaker!

[Joe Powell (Kensington and Bayswater) (Lab)]

5. What steps she is taking to introduce a Ukrainian GCSE.

[Georgia Gould]

Decisions about which GCSEs to offer are taken by independent awarding organisations, rather than central Government. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to these organisations to ask them to consider introducing a Ukrainian GCSE, and discussions are ongoing. Alongside that, we are also considering alternative ways of supporting Ukrainian language learning.

[Joe Powell]

I thank the Minister for her answer. Ukrainian children, including 2,500 under the brilliant Ukrainian St Mary’s Trust, headquartered in Kensington and Bayswater, have been warmly welcomed, yet they still lack access to formal qualifications in their language. Alongside educators and my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Andrew Lewin), I recently met representatives of the AQA exam board, who told us that some children even have to take exams in Russian, which obviously undermines their national identity and standards in their native language. Can the Minister look at expediting the welcome commitment to reintroducing the Ukrainian GCSE and explore giving formal recognition to some of the Ukrainian language classes already out there, and will she agree to meet me and Ukrainian educators to discuss this campaign further?

[Georgia Gould]

I am so grateful for all the brilliant educators who have worked so hard to welcome Ukrainian children to the UK, including the team at St Mary’s school. I was really pleased to hear about the positive conversations my hon. Friend has been leading, and I am grateful to him for championing this important issue. I would be delighted to meet him and educators to look at how we can support taking this forward.