Equality: Break Down Barriers to Opportunity Mission
Debate between Baroness Blake of Leeds and Baroness Penn
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
This lends itself to one of the key vulnerabilities: families ending up in difficulties and children having to come into care. The Government are investing £39 billion in affordable housing and £13.2 billion in the warm homes plan, working with the existing housing estate. Housing is critical to well-being. The noble Baroness is right that kids having to move around a great deal adds to their vulnerability.
Baroness Penn (Con)
My Lords, a key part of this mission is focused on the first 1,001 critical days of a child’s life. Evidence shows that having a father involved at this time supports the child’s future social and emotional development, as well as their future academic outcomes. Our current system of parental leave offers no support for self-employed fathers, meaning that only one in six takes any time off at all when their child is born. This contributes to the motherhood penalty. What are the Government going to do about this?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The noble Baroness is absolutely right about the importance of the involvement of anyone who is in a parental position. Involvement starts before birth, in helping to prepare both parents for the huge changes that are about to happen. This is one of the factors that we will look into, to make sure that we create more opportunities where we can. I am not sure why men choose not to take up their parental leave offer, but I am happy to talk to the noble Baroness afterwards if I have misunderstood the tenor of her question.
Early Years Education
Debate between Baroness Blake of Leeds and Baroness Penn
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The right reverend Prelate’s question is pertinent. We know, for example, that a high percentage of prisoners in the prison system have very low literacy rates. It is crucial that departments talk to each other and work together. That is why I mentioned in my Answer the mission on improving outcomes, which will benefit and improve not only education outcomes but health and well-being generally.
Baroness Penn (Con)
My Lords, research published by the Government on Monday showed some two year-olds spending five hours a day on average on screens, with a strong negative association with their language development. In that context, I welcome the Government’s commitment to produce guidance for parents in this area, but that is useful only if it reaches parents and they use it. What plans do the Government have for a public health campaign, to ensure that this guidance reaches parents where they actually get their information, which, I am afraid to say, may not be government websites? What plans does the Minister have to work with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that it is used by GPs, health visitors and others as well?
Baroness Blake of Leeds (Lab)
The whole purpose of investing in this area is to increase access for families generally. It is crucial that the information that the noble Baroness raises is disseminated to as wide a number of people as possible. Evidence suggests that it is not just about the young people and children themselves; it is about the use of devices by the adults in their lives too. There is a huge amount to do, and a lot of emerging evidence, but increasing access and coming up with programmes of work has to be the way forward.