Children with SEND: Assessments and Support Debate
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Victoria Collins
Main Page: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)Department Debates - View all Victoria Collins's debates with the Department for Education
Children with SEND: Assessments and Support
Victoria Collins Excerpts(2 days, 15 hours ago)
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The Minister of State, Department for Education (Georgia Gould)
I thank the hon. Member for South Cotswolds (Dr Savage) for introducing the debate. The strength of feeling expressed by everyone in the room shows how important it is; I feel that the voices of children and families from every part of the country were heard in the Chamber today. It was such a powerful discussion, partly because so much work has gone on to set up listening exercises in constituencies and hear voices around the country. My hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Jim Dickson) said that a report was coming to the Secretary of State, and many have written in. I would like to take the time to meet those who have spent so much time with their constituents and hear directly from them. I know that one or two minutes is not enough time to get across the depth of these issues and the depth of concern.
I look forward to the publication of the Education Committee report this week. The Committee’s Chair, my hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Helen Hayes), spoke powerfully about it and I know that it was deeply researched. I hope that I can spend time with her to hear her findings.
I thank the parents who have sat through the debate in the Public Gallery for bringing their voices into the room. I know how hard it is for many parents of children with special educational needs to travel. Even if they are not in the room today, the voices of the more than 125,000 parents who signed the petition have been heard.
Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)
From the SEND rally to the petition and the Lib Dems’ SEND summit in Hertfordshire today, those voices are being heard. I thank the Minister, who met Rachel and Siouxsie from my constituency today. Siouxsie has developmental language disorder and often feels invisible. Will the Minister guarantee that voices such as hers truly will be heard and that children’s individual needs will be brought forward for proper provision?