Speeches by Sewards.

“The TV Harrison football ground in my constituency is a historic part of Wortley. It is known as Wortley’s Wembley, and Leeds United legends such as David Batty and Paul Reaney used to train and play on it. However, after being abandoned over recent decades, it was at risk of being lost forever. After a six-year campai…”

“May I briefly commend the Health Secretary for his comments on the morning media about events in this place yesterday? Empathy is in short supply in politics, and we could do with a bit more of it. I really welcome the 10-year health plan, and specifically the focus on outcomes and the transformation of the NHS into a …”

“Would you consider changing the SEND code of practice to enforce this?”

“Thank you, Minister. We know about three quarters of students with SEND receive some provision, but it is inconsistent and the quality is all over the place. Much of the written evidence we have received as part of this inquiry states that there is a desperate scramble for EHCPs precisely because parents know that if t…”

“So the most acute needs are going to be dealt with by the specialist school places, and that has stayed fairly consistent from the data you have seen from the last two years, but those other needs you talked about are going to be addressed in mainstream education. That is the general direction of travel, is that correc…”

“That makes sense. You will be aware from the conversations around us that time is short, so I will just leave it at this question. You have obviously had this data; you have been collecting it for two years. What has your analysis shown you? Where are the needs?”

“I will continue on that line of questioning. There have been calls on the Government to publish the data on both SEND provision and then the data they have about areas of high needs to see whether they match up. Of course, we know that they do not. Are you going to publish this data?”

“There are no decisions yet. Thank you.”

“You mentioned statutory support. The Committee has heard lots of evidence that suggests we should put SEN support on a statutory footing. What do you both think about that?”

“I warmly welcome the Minister’s statement. As a dad, I know from two very recent experiences how valuable paternity leave is for fathers. Good companies also know that, as Tesco and other good employers have already increased their employee paternity leave offers because they know that a good workforce is a happy workf…”

“My hon. Friend has done tremendously well tonight, and he has been so generous with his time. I am fortunate enough to represent two parish councils, one town council and numerous residents’ groups. Across my constituency, I have got dozens of councillors in Gildersome, Drighlington and Morley who obviously have the ex…”

“I welcome the Minister’s response to the urgent question. The purchase of 12 new F-35A aircraft will increase our nuclear capabilities and shows that our commitment to NATO is unshakeable. As the chair of the Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire all-party parliamentary group, I am always on the lookout for opportunities fo…”

“The Government have said that poor mental health is “a significant barrier to learning”. We also know from NHS data that about a quarter of 17 to 19-year-olds have a probable mental health disorder such as depression or anxiety. What are you doing to support young people with mental health issues in FE?”

“During our visit to City College Norwich yesterday, we spoke with a few of the teachers. One who taught electrical engineering was very candid with me, and he gave me permission to share this: he could double his salary if he were to leave that job and go back into industry, but he loves working with students too much.…”

“I am very pleased, Minister, to hear you talk about the fact that the pay disparity is not acceptable. We know that the median average difference between the pay of a school teacher and the pay of an FE teacher is currently about £5,500, but they do similar jobs and both are just as essential as each other. Do you plan…”

“We have heard that the Government want to put further education providers’ funding on an equitable basis for 2025-26. What does this actually mean in practice? Will it go far enough to address college teachers’ concerns about pay disparities in particular?”

“I will leave that particular campaign there, but I will be in touch with you separately. You know the impact that it can have on parents who have to reduce the amount of time they are working to get their children into FE, but I will pick that up with you separately outside of the Committee. My last question is about S…”

“Brilliant stuff; thank you very much. I have two questions about SEND students. The first one is a little bit closer to home. There is no legal requirement for local authorities to provide free school transport to students with SEND who are aged between 16 and 19 and have already completed their compulsory education. W…”

“I thought that was an interesting point about media studies. It got a bad rap at the time but I remember studying media studies and it gave me valuable skills to analyse the content that I was seeing. I have never been able to see a documentary in the same way again. My first question is to Professor Lundie but it is o…”

“Again to Sara, sticking with the religious education curriculum, what are the challenges associated with the way that religious education is dealt with by legislation? I have a specific example here but I thought I would ask you the open question first.”