Speeches by Paffey.

“This is a related question, because the last Committee had evidence around these cost-related barriers. I am interested in things like school trips, uniforms, equipment—those kinds of things. There are measures, such as what is in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, around the cost of uniforms, and so on. Is the…”

“You will have heard me ask this question of the last panel, so it will be no surprise. I am interested in your assessment of existing Government measures like the attendance hubs and attendance mentors. What impact do you believe they have had?”

“A previous incarnation of this Committee made a recommendation that local authority support from councils should be audited—particularly things like education welfare officers—and that any funding to meet the guidance on that should be ringfenced. In your view, does that recommendation remain valid?”

“I am delighted to hear that each of these Best Start family hubs will have a fully trained and professional SEND co-ordinator to support families. Could the Minister say a bit more about how she envisages those co-ordinators working in partnership with local education, health and local authority partners to avoid silo …”

“My hon. Friend paints the picture of the crowning glory of the previous Labour Government, in the Sure Start centres, not just because they were a nice feelgood thing but because of the strong evidence of the benefits they brought. What a disgrace that year after year the Conservatives cut council budgets and shut thos…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention and I wish him every success in his constituency with the pilot breakfast clubs. We have all welcomed in the last week a restoring—let us be honest—of Sure Start-style family hubs which will provide wraparound support for parents. From the hubs I have seen in my constituency …”

“It is a pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Gareth Snell), although I feel I am breaking a run of excellent speeches from the Staffordshire massive. I very much welcome this debate on giving every child the best start in life. I think one thing we can agree on across all the Benches…”

“I agree that it is crucial to measure the progress of our children in key subjects to give them the best opportunities in life, but does the shadow Minister not accept, as I and many others do, that the climb up the international league tables was caused by restricting the breadth of the curriculum? That has come at th…”

“While the shadow Chancellor is engaging in such fascinating whataboutery at the Dispatch Box, will he take the opportunity to say which of the 25 tax increases in the last Parliament he regrets or would undo?”

“Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?”

“My hon. Friend is making an incredibly powerful speech about the resilience of her community and the action that this Labour Government are taking. Her constituents, like mine, are being lectured on personal responsibility. Does she share my astonishment that, despite the opportunity to take some responsibility themsel…”

“May I associate myself with the Prime Minister’s remarks? At a recent coffee morning, residents in Southampton Itchen told me how much they still miss the Bitterne NHS walk-in centre, which was shut down a decade ago under the Conservatives. May I begin by welcoming this Government’s 10-year plan and its commitment to …”

“Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 9 July.”

“There is evidence to suggest that the 30% of GCSE maths candidates who achieve below grade 4 are held back by misunderstandings of maths concepts that originate in primary schools. I visited a primary school last week and saw the work of the maths hubs. I saw some fantastic work there. Have you had discussions on how t…”

“Yes, apologies.”

“It is the post-16, but obviously something is not working pre-16. This leads to a wider point: if enough children do not grasp, or are not motivated enough to grasp, why maths and English are crucial—do not get me wrong; I absolutely believe they are—is there not a wider point around what is in the curriculum? Is there…”

“Why should it remain if your task in the review is to look at the fundamentals? Are we flogging GCSE maths and English, or should we be looking at the broader point of literacy and numeracy and how you achieve those? Is now not the moment to say in the review, “There is a better and more effective way of doing this,” r…”

“Staying on the theme of jobs and careers and then motivation to learn, it is pretty obvious that if there is a greater knowledge of the potential careers that are out there, and you foster an aspiration in young learners to do one or multiple of those jobs, then there will be a greater engagement with studies and their…”

“The interim report that you produced said that the expectation to study maths and English beyond 16 for those who have not achieved grade 4 should remain. Others take a different view and describe it as demotivating, humiliating and in urgent need of reform. Given the low rates of grade improvement—just a third in Engl…”

“It is really welcome that you are looking at it from primary because there is literally no other subject that we ask students to start aged 11 and then be assessed on aged 15, 16. I will just bring you back to the social justice point and the EBacc; there is a tension. In some cases, the EBacc is one of the sole driver…”