Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
LabourMP for Whitehaven and Workington
“On 5 November 2025, I informed the House that the Secretary of State for Education had commissioned Dame Annie Hudson to undertake the statutory independent review of the operation of Part 2 of the Children and Social Work Act 2017. I am no…”
“Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I'm grateful to the honourable member for Runcorn and Helsby for securing this timely and important debate, and I have not had the chance to speak to her since her very powerful and moving contribution earli…”
“Our higher education sector has a world-leading reputation. The evidence shows that most graduates are significantly better off as a result of undertaking higher education, but we are determined to ensure that everyone can be confident of a…”
“I congratulate the honourable Member for Cheadle (Mr Morrison) on securing this debate and on his advocacy for Bramhall high school. As a former teacher myself, who spent years standing in front of young people in Oldham and in Stockport, I…”
“Under this Government, apprenticeship starts by young people are up. We are going further and investing an additional £1 billion to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships with the new foundation apprenticeships, and providing…”
“Following the decision to leave the EU and the related end of our association with the Erasmus+ scheme, the last government introduced the Turing Scheme. The scheme has been the UK Government’s global programme for students to study and wor…”
“Transforming children’s social care is central to our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity. It is fundamental to ensuring that every child grows up safe, supported and able to thrive. Today, we are publishing the Enduring Relat…”
“With permission, I shall make a statement on the Government’s progress to reform children’s social care. Transforming support for families and protection for children is central to our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity. That…”
“Transforming children’s social care is central to this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity for all children. It is fundamental to ensuring that every child grows up safe, supported and able to thrive, and is key to pu…”
“Today I am laying before Parliament the Lifelong Learning (Fee Limits) Regulations 2026, which is the first in a package of secondary legislation needed to implement the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), ahead of its launch in September …”
“We used to have them.…”
“Following a 40% drop in apprenticeship starts over the previous decade, we are now seeing them rise for those under 25, and achievement rates are also up. We want an extra 50,000 young people to benefit from apprenticeships. That is why we …”
“I am pleased to announce £307 million of capital funding will be allocated to FE colleges and designated institutions across England in 2026-27 to help them maintain, improve, and ensure the suitability of their estate. This is the second y…”
“The Government’s reforms to technical and vocational qualifications for 16-19 year olds in England represent once-in-a-generation reforms to vocational education, transforming the vocational landscape for millions of 16-19 year olds and sup…”
“Kinship care ensures that children who cannot live with their birth parents are able to grow up in homes filled with love, stability, and a sense of belonging, often at times of crisis and without preparation. The Government recognises the …”
“We will consider ways to make the student loan system fairer, as the Prime Minister said last week. This Government have already reintroduced maintenance grants and raised the repayment threshold to above average graduate salaries, and we a…”
“It is a pleasure to respond on behalf of the Government to such a constructive and heartfelt debate. I thank everybody for their contributions, and I particularly thank the honourable Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine) for securi…”
“I thank my honourable Friend the Member for Worcester (Tom Collins) for securing a debate on this important matter. Like him, I recognise the enormous contribution that kinship carers make to children’s lives. This Government are committed …”
“I am today announcing that the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will be extended until March 2028 (the end of the current Spending Review period) and that the Budget will be increased by 10% to £55m for 2026/27. I reco…”
“Today I am setting out the Government’s plan to increase the number of foster care places in England and renew fostering for modern family life. Foster families provide the stable, trusted relationships that children in care need, yet the n…”
“Today I am announcing the launch of the UK’s refreshed International Education Strategy.…”
“More than 260,000 state-funded pupils took at least one A-level in the summer of 2025, and we expect that to remain steady in the future. T-levels continue to grow: at the last count more than 25,000 students embarked on them, which represe…”
“I would like to express my gratitude to my honourable Friend the Member for Southend East and Rochford (Mr Alaba) for securing the debate. He has a dedicated record of 15 years of service as a youth mentor, and has worked as a school govern…”
“Today government has launched a public consultation on the Child Protection Authority (CPA) for England, a new national body with one clear purpose: to protect children. In addition to this consultation, we are also publishing new analysis …”
“Today I am announcing the publication of the government response [https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/franchising-in-higher-education] to the consultation on franchising in higher education, as announced in the Post-16 Education and…”
“I thank the honourable Member for South West Devon (Rebecca Smith) for securing this debate and highlighting these important issues. Having spoken to her in our first week in this place as newly elected Members of Parliament, I know she car…”
“Rolling out technical excellence colleges is one way that Labour is rewiring our skills system, to unlock opportunity for our young people and drive growth for our country, and alongside techs for construction, clean energy, digital and adv…”
“The Government is taking a step today to ensure Social Workers can continue to support and protect the most vulnerable and marginalised members of our society by announcing an independent review of Social Work England. This statement to the…”
“I thank my honourable Friend the Member for Doncaster Central (Sally Jameson) for securing this debate at the start of Care Leavers Month. She brings to this place her insights from the prison system, in which she saw the tragic and avoidab…”
“Funded institutions for those aged 16 to 19 have the freedom to decide how to use their funding for the provision they offer, including whether they offer the international baccalaureate.…”
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