Speeches by Voaden.

“We have a UN-declared man-made famine, children and babies being starved to death, and journalists murdered. Now the world’s leading genocide scholars state that Israel’s actions meet the legal definition of genocide. It is clear that painstaking, careful international diplomacy is not working fast enough, and the Gaza…”

“If they are banned completely from secondary schools, a lot more parents will delay getting a phone because there will not be the pressure to get one for year 7. That could mean that children do not start using them until they are a bit older, which in itself could help.”

“I would like to talk about the anxiety that some children have about going to school. A survey by the ASCL showed that 92% of secondary school teachers and leaders had been given as a reason for absence that a child was too anxious to attend school, and 57% of primary school teachers and leaders have said the same. Sta…”

“We had a discussion about fines with the previous panel, so I would just like to ask you how effective you think legal interventions such as fines are in improving attendance for different groups of pupils. Does it work with particular groups, does it not work at all, or is it brilliant?”

“If they are banned completely from secondary schools, a lot more parents will delay getting a phone because there will not be the pressure to get one for year 7. That could mean that children do not start using them until they are a bit older, which in itself could help.”

“There is evidence that if schools completely ban mobile phones—not a “Put it in your bag and pretend it’s not there” policy, but a “Do not bring it into school” policy—absence is massively reduced. I cannot remember what the percentage is and I could not find it quickly, and I am not quite sure what the correlation is …”

“There is evidence that if schools completely ban mobile phones—not a “Put it in your bag and pretend it’s not there” policy, but a “Do not bring it into school” policy—absence is massively reduced. I cannot remember what the percentage is and I could not find it quickly, and I am not quite sure what the correlation is …”

“We had a discussion about fines with the previous panel, so I would just like to ask you how effective you think legal interventions such as fines are in improving attendance for different groups of pupils. Does it work with particular groups, does it not work at all, or is it brilliant?”

“I would like to talk about the anxiety that some children have about going to school. A survey by the ASCL showed that 92% of secondary school teachers and leaders had been given as a reason for absence that a child was too anxious to attend school, and 57% of primary school teachers and leaders have said the same. Sta…”

“Do you think that maybe we are focusing on the wrong thing by fining parents whose child maybe attends every day all year and then takes one week out of school in June to go on holiday?”

“Do you think that maybe we are focusing on the wrong thing by fining parents whose child maybe attends every day all year and then takes one week out of school in June to go on holiday?”

“I rise on behalf of residents of Totnes to present a petition concerning the closure of Leatside pharmacy, formerly based at Leatside GP surgery, and I declare that I am a patient. Since the closure, many residents have faced longer waiting times and struggled to obtain prescriptions and advice, and the surgery has bee…”

“20. What steps she is taking to support schools that plan to ban smartphones.”

“Every day we see more and more reports of children being killed in cold blood while they queue for food. The horror cannot get any worse. Prime Minister Netanyahu has already rejected the statement signed by 31 countries—it did not take him long—and it is clear that he is not interested in stopping this horrific offens…”

“Last Thursday, I felt the fear in a hall full of parents of primary school children in Totnes as they listened to campaigners going through the evidence of the impact of smartphones on kids at secondary school. There is a clear safeguarding issue around kids seeing videos of hardcore pornography and violence. I am ther…”

“Poverty robs children of their future: it limits their life chances; impacts their long-term health; and reduces their ability to participate in the bits of childhood that widen their experience, build resilience and teach new skills. We may live in a beautiful part of the world, but the children in South Devon who go …”

“Since the election, three post offices in my constituency have closed—in Churchstow, Aveton Gifford and Dittisham—through the resignation of postmasters and, in one case, the death of the local postmaster. Each time, the Post Office says that it is carrying out a review, and each time it quickly decides to close the po…”

“My hon. Friend is talking about the provision in rural areas. We have a wonderful nursery called Rainbow nursery in Totnes, which serves not only the town but the wider area. There are very few, if any, village nurseries, so lots of people come into the town to use the nursery provision. It is absolutely rammed, with a…”

“I share the concern about delays in justice—no rape victims should ever have to wait five years for their day in court—but I am seriously concerned about the limiting of trial by jury and how it could dent confidence. As the Minister considers these reforms over the summer, will she please give some thought to more ser…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Pritchard. I thank the hon. Member for Sherwood Forest (Michelle Welsh) for securing this important debate. High-quality early years education is one of the most important investments we can make in not just children’s development but the future of our society. The …”