Speeches by Asato.

“Some of that crosses over with my next question, which is about what practical changes to post-adoption counselling services would help to ensure that mothers and adoptees can safely access the care that they need. I am quite interested in trauma-informed pathways, because although the evidence base for its effectivene…”

“Do any other panellists have comments on what practical changes we could make to post-adoption counselling?”

“I am Jess Asato MP. I want to declare an interest as having formerly worked at Barnardo’s.”

“There is well-documented evidence that mothers and adoptees affected by forced adoption practices can feel shame, self-blame and trauma. We heard that extensively from our first panel. What is your assessment of the current availability of trauma-informed mental health pathways for adult adoptees and birth mothers?”

“Could you talk a little bit more about the oversight mechanisms that you have just mentioned to monitor adoption practices during this period? I think we have heard your answer on this, but I want to ask again, whether those were effective in preventing coercion or malpractice.”

“I will come to Professor Cremin. We know that there are often motivating factors used with children, such as rewards, targets, competitions, to encourage them to read. Is that a positive or a negative benefit in the overall pleasure in reading?”

“We hear that there has been a 36% decrease in children who enjoy reading in their spare time since 2005. How important is reading ability in motivating children to read for pleasure compared with other factors? I know we have discussed this a little bit so we don’t have to go too much into it but who might want to take…”

“Do we have time to come back to best practice in schools a little bit? What are the best evidence-based approaches that schools can take to promote reading for pleasure? I will start with Teresa. I will call this the parents’ question. Does World Book Day work?”

“Also it is about those who said that they enjoyed reading in their free time, trying to make that distinction between school and home.”

“Is there any evidence that reading time is being replaced by time on screens in any of your research?”

“You mentioned curriculum pressures. Is there any evidence that the actual curriculum, particularly an over-focus on grammar, can diminish a love of reading into something that is so much about the analysis of the work that it may detract from just the love of just reading the story to understand the narrative and the c…”

“Do any of you have any particular approaches that work best for boys? We know there is a gender divide and that boys in particular are at their lowest level ever of reading for pleasure. Only if you have any evidence specifically for supporting boys in school. No. Are there any particular approaches that have been demo…”

“To explore that a little bit more, sometimes parents may say, "Well, I was never a reader, so that is probably just inherited. You have probably just not got a reading brain.” It is a bit like people who say that they have a maths brain or a social sciences brain. Could you tell me a little bit more about how that is n…”

“Very quickly, is there any evidence that suggests that there is a tactile dimension to holding and reading a physical book that helps with the retention and comprehension versus, say, a Kindle, or are you just as likely to remember, retain and comprehend a book on a device as you are in the physical object?”

“This leads me very nicely to my next question. What would you suggest are the main causes of the decline in reading for pleasure among children in recent years? I will start with you, Teresa, and then go down the panel.”

“It covers eight to 18-year-olds, so not just teenagers?”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered women’s safety while walking, wheeling, cycling and running. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. Violence against women and girls happens in every corner of life: in our homes, in our workplaces, on the internet and in public. Whether we are commutin…”

“I thoroughly agree. Women are often filmed while running, and girls are put off exercise by the way that men create this material, which can go viral. We have seen recently that men have been using smart glasses to film women in public spaces going about their everyday lives. Those women have then been harassed, with e…”

“As a fellow East Anglia MP, I praise Norwich Cycling Campaign for its women’s safety audit. I am sure it is a model that many local areas should follow. In the medium and long term, of course, we want to see real change. A poll conducted by the Cycle to Work Alliance in 2024 found that safety concerns deter 45% of pote…”

“I absolutely agree. I firmly support the idea of a social media ban for under-16s, partly because of the huge impact it has on girls and their body image, which obviously affects the way they think about taking part in sporting activities, often in public. We also know that many of those girls are catcalled and whistle…”