Minister for Women and Equalities
LabourMP for Houghton and Sunderland South
“Victoria Marten’s death was tragic and the direct result of the actions of her parents, who are now serving sentences for her negligent manslaughter. Victoria’s death prompted a wider national review and in February 2026, the Child Safeguar…”
“The Government’s consultation, “SEND reform: putting children and young people first” set out our plan to ensure every child and young person benefits from high-quality and inclusive education. For those that need specialist support, we wil…”
“The government has today published its formal response to the consultation on proposals to establish a Child Protection Authority (CPA) in England. This marks an important step in strengthening how we as a country protect our children.…”
“In May, Year 6 children across England sat their end of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Tests – known as SATs. Schools were expecting the results of these tests to be returned to them on Tuesday 7 July 2026 but I am informing the House that…”
“Today, the Prime Minister has delivered an Apology on behalf of the state for historic forced adoption practices in England. These practices, which predominantly occurred between 1949 and 1976, involved mostly young, unmarried women being c…”
“High quality teaching is the in-school factor that has the biggest positive impact on a child’s outcomes, breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child. Recruiting, retaining and supporting expert teachers across schools and college…”
“Tackling child poverty is a moral mission for this Labour Government. Background should not determine what people go on to achieve in life, but we know that inequality and poverty hold back too many of our children. We are improving the lif…”
“I am pleased to say that this Government are driving record investment in our schools, with the core schools budget increasing by £1.7 billion this year. That includes funding that allows us to reform the special educational needs and disab…”
“The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is the independent equality regulator and ensures compliance with the Equality Act 2010. Their Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions and Associations covers all nine protected charact…”
“I’m all right.…”
“We all know that the current SEND system fails too many families. Our proposals will deliver a reformed SEND system backed by £4 billion of investment so that every child can achieve and thrive. A three-tier framework will provide targeted …”
“indicated dissent .…”
“Academic freedom and free speech are fundamental to our world-leading universities, and this government is committed to protecting them. In January 2025 I announced, following my review of the potential impact of the legislation, the future…”
“My Department is providing local authorities with £2.5 billion of capital funding to create mainstream school places. We encourage them to work with planning authorities and housing developers as we build 1.5 million homes to help families …”
“As part of the government’s long-term reforms to strengthen the SEND system in England and improve life chances, the schools white paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving announced around £1.8 billion of funding over the next three years f…”
“This government has always supported the protection of single-sex spaces based on biological sex. The Supreme Court’s ruling last year brought clarity for women and service providers such as hospitals and refuges, and made clear that protec…”
“Further education colleges are the bedrock of technical education and training in England. They are critical to delivering growth across the Industrial Strategy sectors and can transform lives by offering young people and career-changers ro…”
“On the 7 April the government announced that it is capping the maximum interest rates on Plan 2 and Plan 3 (postgraduate) student loans at 6% for the 2026/27 academic year, from the 1 September 2026 to the 31 August 2027.…”
“I am today announcing:…”
“Tackling child poverty is the moral mission of this Labour Government. Background should not determine what we can go on to achieve in life, but inequality and poverty are barriers to opportunity. We are investing in our children’s futures …”
“I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge events in the middle east over the weekend following recent developments involving Iran. The safety of British nationals and our armed forces personnel right across the region is our priority, …”
“Madam Deputy Speaker, please allow me to begin by saying that the unauthorised leaking of elements of today’s announcement is deeply regrettable. I have already asked officials to launch a full investigation into the source to ensure that s…”
“Keeping children safe could not be more important to this government and this afternoon, it is launching a public consultation on proposed changes to its Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026 statutory guidance. All schools and co…”
“In July 2025, Constance Marten and Mark Gordon were found guilty of the gross negligence manslaughter of their daughter, baby Victoria. The court heard that the couple had gone to great lengths to evade authorities, living in unsafe and tra…”
“In December I gave a statement to the House on the Metropolitan police investigation into child sexual abuse in Camden. Today, Vincent Chan is due to appear for sentencing at Wood Green Crown Court in relation to 56 offences, to which he ha…”
“Today, we are setting out our plans for an education estate in England that supports opportunity for all. The education estate is a platform for opportunity, learning and communities. With over 22,000 schools and colleges across England, th…”
“Tackling child poverty is a moral mission for this Government, and someone’s background should not determine what they go on to achieve in life. I am proud that we have now published our historic child poverty strategy, which will deliver t…”
“In December, I announced at least £3 billion in high needs capital, which will support local authorities to deliver high-quality places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. However, while places are…”
“A great school experience is one that is academically challenging, rich in opportunity and built on strong relationships. That requires an inclusive school system in every part of the country: one that stretches every young person further, …”
“Background should never be a barrier to getting on. That is why we are expanding Best Start family hubs, rolling out free breakfast clubs, expanding childcare and delivering on our moral mission to tackle child poverty by scrapping the two-…”
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