Commons Chamber

Thursday 5th June 2025

(began 8 months ago)

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09:35
None Portrait Oral questions: Cabinet Office
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**** Possible New Speaker ****

Order, Order, order. Order, order. We Order, order. We start Order, order. We start with
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None Portrait Q1. What steps he is taking to strengthen emergency preparedness. (904357)
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**** Possible New Speaker ****

questions. Number one.
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None Portrait Q2. What steps he is taking to strengthen cyber security. (904358)
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Question number two.
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None Portrait Q14. What recent progress he has made on establishing an infected blood compensation scheme. (904371)
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Question 14.
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None Portrait Business Statement: Business Questions to the Leader of the House
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We now come to Business Questions.
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Lucy Powell Portrait Rt Hon Lucy Powell MP, Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Manchester Central, Labour )
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Will the leader give the house the forthcoming business? for the week commencing 9 June includes Monday, 9 June, remaining stages of the planning and infrastructure Bill Day one. Tuesday, 10 June, consideration of the Lord's message today to use and access bill Lord's followed by remaining stages the planning and infrastructure Bill day two. Wednesday, 11 June, my right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will present the spending review 2025, followed by second reading of the sustainable aviation fuel bill.

Thursday the 12 June, general debate on the distribution of send funding, followed by general debate on the fifth anniversary of the COVID pandemic. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee. Friday, 13 June, Private Members' Bills. The provisional business for the week commencing 16 June will include Monday, 16 June, motion relating to the House of Commons independent complaints and grievous scheme, followed by general debate on Windrush day 2025. The subject of this debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee.

Tuesday, 17 June, remaining stages of the crime policing Bill day one. Wednesday, 18 June, remaining stages of the crime and policing Bill day two. Thursday, 19 June, motion to approve the draft nascent sing act to thousand three, UEFA women's championship licensing hours order 2025, followed by general debate on incontinence, followed by general debate on water safety education. The subjects for these debates were determined by the Backbench Business Committee. Friday, 20 June, Private Members' Bills. Colleagues may also wish to be aware that the business on Tuesday, 24 June and Wednesday, 25 June is expected to be debates on estimates.
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Jesse Norman Portrait Rt Hon Jesse Norman MP (Hereford and South Herefordshire, Conservative)
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Thank you very much. Today has a great double significance. It is world environment day which we celebrate the natural world and recommit ourselves as a parliament to seek to protect it. It's also the date of birth of Adam Smith, one of my great heroes, who did as much as anyone has ever done to explain the world in which we live. But if I may move from the sublime to the sublimely incompetent, otherwise this week has been one disaster after another for the government.

On Monday, we had to drag Leader of the House of Lords back yet again when she had to apologise yet again for the government's flagrant disregard of this House of Commons and briefing out the strategic defence review over the weekend. There is no more important issue than the defence of the realm. It is a UK wide long-term all-party matter and has a ways been treated as such. The government chose to share the document not only with its friends in the media but with the industry at least six hours before it came to this chamber or to opposition parties.

It is a matter of deep embarrassment and raises a serious question about the private sharing of financially sensitive information. The leader of the Defence Committee are both honourable people. I have no doubt that she has made the case every week in Cabinet for doing these communications properly. It is just extraordinary that these two mamas of the Cabinet are being hung out to dry every week by the 12-year-olds dry every week by the 12-year-olds in 10 Downing Street. You could have granted a you tube every single day this week, such as been a deluge of important announcements prematurely made outside of this house today.

The only mitigating factor is that the government has been so incompetent in handling it slow motion U-turn on the winter fuel allowance that no one has noticed anything else. There is still a statement on this issue to the house as well. But what about the strategic defence review itself? Start by starting a reviewers for their hard work over many months. I know everyone in this house will want to do that, but if we look at the review in terms of hard substance, matters become more difficult.

Many of the announcements repeat previous governments on submarines, on or press and warheads. Most crucially, where is the funding? Government ministers have tied themselves into knots over the last few days as to whether the 3% target is an ambition, and aim, or to be undertaken when fiscal circumstances allow the next Parliament. Luckily, one of the SDR reviewers was more honest saying in terms that the SDR's financial profile, the assumptions against which the reviewers were working, assumes that defence gets 2 1/2% of GDP in financial year, and 3% of GDP bound no later than 2034.

The great irony is that not three weeks from now, we have the NATO summit which will call not 3% before 3 1/2% plus one and 1/2%. We are light years away from that commitment. The money will not begin to flow into the Armed Forces until the defence industrial strategy plan is announced later this year, hopefully in a proper way to this house. That will be 15 months after the government took office. It is lucky we don't have a war in Europe.

Where is the threat to this? No extra cash means no extra commitment. No commitment means no credibility. No increased sense of threat from those we face. We know there is a war in Europe in which Russia is moving men and material to pressure on in Ukraine and threaten the Baltic states. Ukraine had a glorious victory we cannot rely on them. We must support them in their struggle against Russia. The president has directed the army to develop the capability to invade Taiwan by 2027, and we know that NATO allies have a collective responsibility to each other have a long way to go before they are even at 2% of GDP, let alone 3 1/2%.

Instead of giving real leadership, putting cash in the table, our own government's talk about readying the country for war while it continues to dither and delay.
10:41
Lucy Powell Portrait Rt Hon Lucy Powell MP, Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons (Manchester Central, Labour )
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Thank you. I understand that today is the Parliamentary editor of the press Association, Richard Wheeler, and his last day. He has covered our proceedings for 12 years and that is quite a shift, I'm sure we can all agree. Brexit, COVID, six prime ministers, and many interventions from the honourable member for Strangford all covered by member for Strangford all covered by him. And as I've just announced, on Monday, 6 June, we shall debate the motion in my name to implement the recommendations of last years Independent Kernaghan review of parliaments independent complaints and grievance scheme.

The IC GS was set up in 2018 in response to many serious incidents of lien, sexual harassment, unacceptable behaviour and poor culture. Through its work and poor culture. Through its work and its existence strides have been made in addressing our reputation and improving working culture. However, we must continue to do better and to respond. That is why I have tabled these proposals from the independent review to strengthen and improve the processes of the IC GS. I have asked its director for a full briefing which I will place in the library ahead of the debate so that members can consider these issues more fully.

Can I thank the honourable gentleman for wanting a replay of the Urgent Question on Monday? I did say that with your permission, I would come back to the house following some questions that were put to me in that debate that were raised, so without going through the whole thing again now, I do just want to be clear about some of the things that did and didn't happen. The government was endeavouring to act in good faith and to follow procedure and practice for many previous STLs, and I have looked at all of those practices from previous STLs.

We do recognise there is room for improvement, but I want the house to know that advanced briefings were offered to all opposition spokespeople. The chair of the defence Select Committee has a select view from the Defence Committee, and embargoed copy of the full SDR was provided to the Select Committee Clark shortly after 10 AM, and hardcopies were provided to the Conservative and Lib Dem spokespeople. 90 minutes before the statement. As I reiterated on Monday, the full document was laid 1st to the house in the afternoon.

I have spoken with you, and with the Defence Secretary, who I'm sure the whole House will agree does take his responsibilities to this house incredibly seriously. And he wants to now draw up a clear process for this government and future governments to follow so that expectations from all concerned are clear about that. But I do have to say again, I really won't be taking advice from the honourable gentleman about respecting Parliament when he was a minister and a Member of Parliament in the last government that saw the Supreme Court to say that that government had acted illegally by provoking Parliament.

No greater disrespected this house than that. Or perhaps the former prime minister under which he served, found to have misled this Parliament. Again, no worse crime that can be committed, and he wants to talk about defence spending, and they had 14 years in government get a 2.5%. Did they get to 2.5% in any one of those 14 years? No, they did not. When was the last time that this country spent 2 1/2% on defence? Oh yes, it was the last time Labour wanting government, and that is what we are doing again now, so he might want to take a look at his own record about that.

But I have seen no that, today, we have had a big move on the economy from the Conservative party. A big move that they want to draw a line under Liz Truss, but where was the apology because I didn't hear that. They finally seem to recognise that crashing the economy was a big error, but they don't seem to understand that it was ordinary working people of this country that did and still are paying the price for their actions, and they should be apologising for it.

He wants to be going around spending more money but didn't get the memo about that I think it is important we are clear about why we took the decision to be dipped at the start of Parliament. His government left no fiscal responsibility which is something that they want to retain and veer left gaping black holes and public finances and borrowing costs were at record highs. The cost of living crisis was crushing ordinary people and when markets lose confidence, what they did under his government and are potentially doing at the start of this Parliament, when the economy crashes, it is those on low fixed incomes like pensioners, families living in poverty, who can see the cost of living going up and they will pay the heaviest price when the economy crashes and that is why the Labour Government puts economic stability first.

It is our first priority because we recognise who pays the heaviest price when this goes wrong and so I recognise this and the honourable gentleman seems to want to spend more money from the dispatch box without saying where it will come from and the shadow business secretary seems to want to get rid of tax increases from the Budget without saying where it will come from. We are putting our values in further and seeing huge investment in the North, the Midlands, transport infrastructure, the jobs of the future, down waiting lists every month and 3 million more NHS appointments and announcing the biggest expansion of free school meals in years, lifting 100,000 children out of poverty because that is the difference it makes, securing the real incomes of ordinary working people and putting public services
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Bob Blackman Portrait Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East, Conservative)
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I would like to thank the leader

**** Possible New Speaker ****

I would like to thank the leader from making time for the debate on dementia but I think the leader should apologise to the proposers of should apologise to the proposers of the debate or the Thursday before we the debate or the Thursday before we rose. You had to adjourn the House rose. You had to adjourn the House for an hour and the government for an hour and the government finally made a statement and next Thursday there will be a statement from the Business and Trade Select from the Business and Trade Select Committee and I'm glad the debate Committee and I'm glad the debate will be well attended and the applications are now open and we will consider applications and give priority for departments that were not chosen earlier this year and, in addition, on Tuesday, there will be the debate on funding and the impact on international development and on Thursday there will be a debate on humanist marriages and on Tuesday, June 17, a debate on aviation and on June 19, on improving social mobility, followed by a debate on Down syndrome regression disorder.

Over the weekend, we had a cross- party delegation from India and it is the first time we have had a cross-party delegation from India for many years and it included individuals and parliamentarians and many MPs and members of the House of Lords went to meet them and two things came out of it. There is the uneasy truce between India and Pakistan which could be violated at any time with further terrorist action and the second is India is reaching out for security and Defence measures across the west.

Could we have a statement from the Foreign Secretary next week on what we will do to support India in the need to quash terrorism? need to quash terrorism?
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11:49
None Portrait Ministerial statement: Free School Meals eligibility expansion
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Morgan.
11:49
Stephen Morgan Portrait Stephen Morgan MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Portsmouth South, Labour)
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With permission Mr Speaker I will make a statement to update this house about free school meals for children. This is a government that puts children first. They are the centre of the change that we want to see because what we do for our children we do for our country. If we want to break the unfair link that is between background and success, if we want to deliver opportunity to every home, if we want to shape a fairer society, it has to start with our children.

It has to start with the fundamentals. Making sure that every family has a stable loving home where no child lacks food or warm. That simple dignity should be the uncontroversial birthright of every child as they grow up in a civilised society. After 14 long years, that dignity was not universal, nor that birthright uncontroversial. When this government won the trust of the British people, which members opposite forfeited last July, the legacy of their shameful record in power was a record number of children growing up in poverty.

4.5 million children robbed of opportunity and hope. Of life chances and possibilities. Child poverty is a scar on our society. It is a mark of the failure of members opposite to grow the economy and spread success to working people. To deliver for the next generation, the ordinary hope that tomorrow will be better than today because of the last government did not see the growing number of families in deep poverty as a failure to be addressed. But let me be very clear, the growing numbers on free school meals under the last government were an index of failure, not a story of success.

This government is determined to turn the picture around, tackling child poverty and spreading growth and opportunity to every family in every part of our country. That is why today, I'm announcing the biggest expansion of free school meals eligibility in England in a generation. Because we can and we must end the scourge of child poverty. Today we are setting out that we will give every child whose family is in receipt of Universal Credit the entitlement of free school meals.

That means not simply meals in mouths but crucially money back in the pockets of parents and families on an unprecedented scale. Mr Speaker, this is a historic change for children and for families. 100,000 children lifted out of poverty. That is a mark of a government that is serious about backing parents and tackling child poverty. The mark of a government with a Plan for Change. The mark of a government with the ideas, investments, and determination to investments, and determination to see it through.

And on that note, this government's Child Poverty Taskforce, which my right honourable friend the secretary of state co- chairs, the work and pensions secretary, is forging ahead. We have listened to parents, to charities, to people with lived experience. And now we are acting. Bringing the change that children and families deserve. In the months and years to come, the change will be shaped by the child poverty strategy which we will publish later this year. Mr Speaker, this is an intervention that backs parents as well as children.

Our free school meals expansion put up to £495 back to parents pockets every year. For them, that means more freedom in how they support their families, more choice in how they care for their children. More opportunities to get on and live a good life. Our expansion of free school meals is not just about the here and now, it is about investment in our children's futures. And it sets them free. Free from the worries and strains of growing up in poverty.

Free to learn and play. And do the very best in school. Today's announcement is not just antipoverty, it is pro learning. I know members across the house will agree with me when I say that those two called shine brightest when they shine together. That is what the evidence tells us. Because these meals need to be healthy. The School Food Standards have not been revised since 2014. But this government is acting quickly to put that right. That is why I am pleased to announce today that we are now working with experts from across the sector to revise those standards.

We are supporting schools with the latest nutritional guidance because the benefits were children of getting a decent healthy meal at school are huge. Their attendance hi, their focus sharper, their behaviour better, their grades stronger. Their future is brighter. And the chance to succeed should be open to all. That is the sort of society I want to live in, and this government wants to build. The kind of change our children need is not the work of a single day or a sickle policy, even one as important as this.

That is why today's announcement is part of our wider approach and moral mission for child poverty strategy, the opportunity mission, this government Plan for Change. We have already begun rolling out school- based nurseries and 30 hours of government funded childcare, saving parents up to £7500 each year. Children are already eating and playing and learning together as part of our free breakfast clubs which reached 750 schools saving parents another £450 a year. We are cutting the cost of school uniforms for 4.2 million children saving some parents £50 in their back-to-school shop.

On top of that we are recruiting more teachers, driving high and rising standards in our schools, reforming children's social care, boosting the early years pupil premium and so much more. Growing up I saw first-hand the devastating impact poverty can have on a child in Portsmouth. Friends coming to school hungry not ready to learn. That is why I'm proud to stand here today as we offer a helping hand for every child, to ensure every child, whatever their background, or wherever they come from, achieves and thrives.

We are delivering the change parents need and children deserve. The change that will break the unfair link between background and success once and for all. That means doing everything in our power to end child poverty. Because today we say enough is enough. Today we begin to turn the tide. Today Mr speak at the fightback that began in July last year kicks up a gear. We are acting to secure a brighter future for our children and for our country as well. I commend this statement to the House.
11:56
Neil O'Brien Portrait Neil O'Brien MP (Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, Conservative)
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Shadow Minister Neil O'Brien. sight in the statement. The truth is that the family is benefiting from today's announcement of the very ones who are paying for it. The same group of people are the ones who are hit hardest by Labour's National Insurance increase. Labour promised not to increase National Insurance but they broke that promise. And now someone earning just £30,000 a year will be taking home £500 less as a result of that tax increase will stop someone just £9000 a year, the exact are the people who should benefit, losing 5% of their income.

The government wants talk about the impact on poverty of the money they're giving today they don't talk about the impact on poverty of the much larger sum of money they are taking away. In fact his way through they have not done any distributional analysis of the £25 billion that they are taking away, it clearly targeted on low income households. The Minister today finally say how many households is that pushing into poverty? Will he finally admit that figure? While free school meals Odyssey welcome, things that have been cut to pay for it are much less welcome.

For example, the government broke its promise to fully fund the National Insurance increase will schools, they broke their promise to fully fund the pay award. As a result, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies that leaves the £400 million funding hole for our schools. And an increase in achievement across the board, and the biggest increase was in the lowest half of the income division. That is much harder to do when you have taken £400 million out of our schools. And what else is being done to balance out the cost? In schools we know the government support for maths, science, physics, Latin, can eating and cadets.

Got rid of the successful behaviour. We know that nurseries are saying they are on the brink because of the National Insurance increase. In fact the early years Lions say the situation is "Catastrophic. " We know DfE announced a real terms 10% cuts to university teaching grant they abolished 90% and higher apprenticeships, something that they announced during recess, funny that. There the education press are saying that the next cost saving measure to pay for announcements like this will be to abolish EHCPs for anything other than special schools.

Will the Minister today rule that out? He doesn't always out, the whole House will hear and we will know exactly what is going to happen next. Turning to the numbers, what is the real net effect of all this? In 2018 it was set out that pupils who gained FSN would not disadvantage and that has doubled the number of people who are eligible to 25.7% of the DfE has announced that those protections will end in September 2026 for this new policy comes in.

Will the Minister say how much with the end of those transitional protections reduce the number of children who are eligible for FSN? Am I right that the king it is 1.2 million? Will the Minister agree to publish a figure finally? How many children have been on traditional protection will lose their free school meals when they change education? With the Minister finally admits the figure? There's another sting in the tail today, because school budgets are going to be hit, that is how this is being paid for.

That is because FSM is at the moment gateway to pupil premium. That means 1000 forging £80 per pupil in primary, a bit over £1000 in secondary schools. As a result of this decision, schools are going to lose that. 1.2 million pupils on traditional protection currently bringing with them about 1000 Georgian pounds each. It is £1.5 billion currently going to their schools and pupil premium funding that they are going to lose. Will it be replaced by this announcement? No because today the government because today the government brokered the link for the first time between FSM eligibility and pupil premium.

So on one side you lose the other you're not getting it back. I had under wondered where the money was coming from and now we know. I asked the Minister how much will that cost schools and how much is it saving the DfE? And on a smaller point can I confirm that the government will apply the same to holiday activities and food will also not trigger an increase in net funding. The same also true of homeschool transport and how it is being paid for? Is it we need more detail.

Mr speak that we have become rather cautious about positive sounding announcements from this government on this side of the house. The other day ministers were here and they announced they were going to continue the adoption of special fund. But it slipped their minds. Slipped their minds to mention it was been cut by 40%. It must have just slipped their minds. So we like to know the detail we get positive announcements. So I end by asking some questions. Will he agree to publish how many children are currently on transitional protection and how much the end of that protection will reduce entitlement to freeze Camille? The mist agreed to publish how much schools will lose overall under the pupil premium as result of breaking the link between FSM and the pupil premium? And to ask again because the whole House will hear the answer, will the Minister rule out abolishing EHCPs
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Helen Hayes Portrait Helen Hayes MP (Dulwich and West Norwood, Labour)
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Order. Can I warmly welcome the expansion of the free school meals entitlement today? It is an evidence-based approach which many of us have campaigned for over a long time which will close the disadvantage gap in schools, tackling child poverty, benefiting health and supporting children to learn. I hope the government would agree that every child who is eligible for this expanded entitlement should be able to receive it. Whether children get a free school meal they are entitled to or not should not depend on somebody else making an application for them through a complex process.

The government knows which families are in receipt of Universal Credit so can I ask the Minister if he is considering auto-enrolment for this expanded entitlement? It could be easier to achieve than auto- enrolment under the previous entitlement and it should be the case every child is able to benefit. Can I seek an assurance today that this positive announcement is not an indication that other measures to reduce child poverty such as scrapping the two child cap have been taken off the table? Finally, as a London MP and former Southwark councillor who was proud to be part of the council but introduced universal preschool meals -- free school meals, and I'm proud we have funded universal free school meals for all primary school children in London, can I ask for confirmation London will also receive the funding for this expanded entitlement so it can be put to the benefit of reducing child poverty in London further? further?
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12:06
Munira Wilson Portrait Munira Wilson MP (Twickenham, Liberal Democrat)
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Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

**** Possible New Speaker ****

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I also thank the Minister for I also thank the Minister for advanced site of his statement. I warmly welcome this announcement. It will make such a difference to the lives of children up and down the lives of children up and down the country. We know the impact free school meals can have. A hot, school meals can have. A hot, healthy meal in the middle of the day helps children to learn, concentrate and thrive. Making sure HR does not go hungry can truly HR does not go hungry can truly change a Child Trust life.

That is why the Liberal Democrats have why the Liberal Democrats have championed free school meals for so long. We have long called on successive governments to take this successive governments to take this step. That is why this policy was in our election manifesto last year. Even though it was not in labour's, I am delighted they are taking our I am delighted they are taking our idea today. It is why we introduced Universal Infant Free School Meals when we were in government.

It is why we are today sharing in the joy of the tireless campaigners and struggling families for whom this is a victory. For too long, too many children in this country have gone hungry through the school day. The previous Conservative government ignored the advice of their own czar and even Michael Gove to leave children in poverty without the meals they deserve and need. But this can only be the start. We need this policy to be fully funded and properly implemented. We need auto- enrolment as the chair of the Select Committee has said so every child gets the meals they are entitled to.

Because thousands of eligible children currently are missing out. Now we know the government are looking to the Liberal Democrats for policy ideas on tackling the cost of learning so could I urge them to look again at capping the costs of branded uniform items, not the number of branded items? Finally, if the government is serious about tackling the scourge of child poverty, will they finally scrapped the two Child Benefit cap?
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This debate has concluded
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