King’s Speech

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Thursday 9th November 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)]

My Lords, today’s debate covers some of the important areas so vital to a well-functioning society, but it is regrettable that the measures announced in the gracious Speech do precious little to make a real difference to the ambitions and opportunities available to our country’s most precious resource—our children and young people. I have worked in education for much of my career, and I hope that experience will bring a helpful contribution.

Schools and further and higher education institutions continue to be impacted by the after-effects of the pandemic. It is well documented that there is a disparity in this impact between schools in deprived areas and those in the most affluent areas of our nations and regions. The biggest disparity is the epidemic of low attendance.

We face a lost generation of children. More than 1.5 million children were persistently absent across both the autumn and spring terms, which is almost double the number for the same period five years ago. Every day of education matters, so tackling persistent absence would be at the heart of Labour’s mission for education, as there appears to be no plans from this Government to get to grips with this epidemic.

A main education focus in the forthcoming legislation, if you look hard enough for it, is the proposition to replace A-levels and T-levels with the advanced British standard—although I would argue that it is an advanced English standard. During my teaching and examining career, I was fortunate to be part of the development of Curriculum 2000, which extensively rewrote A-level specifications and introduced the AS-level. I understand significant change and how carefully it needs to be implemented, and I believe that this is the wrong policy at the wrong time.

Admittedly, the post-16 curriculum in England is narrow by international standards, but that partly reflects the chronic underinvestment in sixth-form education, which is 15% lower in real terms than in 2010. Furthermore, under Conservative Governments, young people have experienced a narrowing of the curriculum far earlier than 16; it therefore makes little sense to broaden it from 16 onwards without doing more for earlier age groups. Ofsted has repeatedly warned against teaching to the test, but this is exactly what this Government have prioritised. These reforms do nothing to take on the attainment gaps that are established in the early part of the education system and only widen as young people progress through school.

The other area that was given scant attention in the Speech was the idea of low-value degrees. It is important for the Government to remember that we already have controls, so the regulator can impose sanctions for courses which breach certain minimum thresholds for continuation, progression and completion. If the Government really feel that those controls are not enough, they have had over 13 years to deal with this. Let us treat universities as a public good, not a political battlefield.

Persistent absence, crumbling schools, a recruitment and retention crisis and a postcode lottery of standards are some of the immediate issues that need to be dealt with. An extensive reconfiguration of the post-16 landscape and an attack on our universities is another unnecessary distraction. Fix the roof first, stop the rain pouring in and replace the crumbling concrete. Let us stop teachers leaving the profession in droves and ensure a proper teacher recruitment drive, so that we can fully staff our education establishments and give them the decent pay and conditions deserving of a professional workforce.

I was glad to see that Labour has commissioned the respected former chief inspector of Ofsted, Sir David Bell, to deliver an early years review to consider how to deliver new places, a motivated, well-trained workforce for high standards, and more accessible childcare; that will happen under Labour’s plans. In Breaking Down the Barriers to Opportunity, Keir Starmer set out clearly our fifth mission in government: breaking down the barriers to opportunity for every child, at every stage, and shattering the class ceiling. We will track this progress through three stages of education—boosting child development, with half a million more children hitting the early learning goals; achieving a sustained rise in young people’s school outcomes; and building young people’s life skills with an expansion of high-quality education, employment and training routes—so that more people than ever are on pathways with good prospects.

Nevertheless, I agree that it is a positive step that the Government will continue to act on concerns about the increasing number of children receiving an education outside the classroom. If we have the proposed register for all home educators, it will ensure that children are receiving a suitable education in a safe environment, with the tools and flexibilities for local authorities to check that.

In conclusion, I have spent my life as a public servant and I genuinely despair at the Government’s legislative plans for health and social care, education, welfare and public services; they are lacking in ambition and vision. I would have hoped that in at least one of these Bills, we might have seen something of true substance in one of the areas that are so crucial to a well-functioning society. As it is, it will fall to us parliamentarians to probe, push and negotiate our way to legislation that delivers real outcomes and some hope for the public. If that means sitting here until the early hours of the morning to defend the indefensible, so be it. After too many years of Conservative Governments, that is our democratic duty, and we will willingly contest for what is right and proper for the people of Britain.

Drugs: Black Review

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Tuesday 19th October 2021 Lords Chamber

[Lord Kamall (Con)]

The noble Baroness raises a very important point: we should look at this more globally, not just look at our country’s drug strategy in isolation. Various departments across government are looking at that and working with partners across the world, but I shall write to the noble Baroness in more detail.

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)]

The recurring theme in the report of the importance of holistic care—supporting individuals who use drugs with their health and well-being, housing needs and opportunities for education, training and employment—is very pleasing. It is also good that there is testimony in the report from people with lived experience, who can help to shape the support needed. Building on the question from my noble friend Lord McConnell, can the Minister explain how there will be a commitment to essential funding to put many of these excellent recommendations into practice, both in the UK and in the devolved Governments?

[Lord Kamall (Con)]

The Government will respond to the Dame Carol Black review by the end of the year, and that includes how much funding will be committed. The Government are committed to looking at the review’s distinct proposals to see what resources will be needed and to make that bid.

National Health Service Commissioning Board and Clinical Commissioning Groups (Responsibilities and Standing Rules) (Amendment) Regulations 2020

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Monday 8th June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab) [V]]

My Lords, as my noble friend Lord Hunt said, if nothing else comes out of the current crisis, we must have a plan to bring long-term sustainability to care homes and peace of mind to those who live in them.

In February, I noted in my maiden speech to this House that the Prime Minister had announced last August that he intended to,

“fix the crisis in social care once and for all, and with a clear plan we have prepared to give every older person the dignity and security they deserve.”

This bold assertion was shortly followed by a slightly less-than-firm assurance, as he appeared to back-track on this plan—as indeed he has back-tracked on so many important matters in recent weeks and months during this public health crisis.

In August 2017, when I led the WLGA, Welsh councils won a legal dispute over who paid for nurses delivering social care in residential homes in Wales, as the Supreme Court ruled in our favour. At the heart of this decision was a grey area where, in the absence of a definitive legal position, two different systems had attempted to come forward with their own distinct interpretation of the law, and the Supreme Court ruling had wide-reaching effects across the UK. However successful we were at the time in securing health funding for healthcare in our care system, this pandemic has served only to exacerbate several underlying problems with the system as a whole, and none so important as sustainable funding for social care, now and in the future.

Wales cannot wait for the UK Government’s proposals on social care. Social care is under pressure from a squeeze on funding, an ageing population and a high staff turnover. The state spends about £1.2 billion on adult social care every year in Wales. In a statement three months ago in the Senedd, the Health Minister said that the cost is predicted to grow between £30 million and £300 million by 2023—and that is before the costs of the implications and aftermath of the pandemic are included.

A consultation on possible reforms to social care is due to start this summer, and the Welsh Government will call for honesty and a grown-up debate on increasing care costs. I recommend to the Minister that the UK Government incorporate a similar honest debate on the long-term financial sustainability of care homes.

Finally, I am very pleased to support the First Minister’s initiative that, in Wales, care home staff will get a £500 bonus as a recognition of the incredible work that they have done during this crisis. Mark Drakeford said that this payment recognises the tremendous dedication of the tens of thousands of social care workers throughout Wales—including ancillary staff, such as cooks and cleaners, as well as nursing staff—who are caring for some of the most vulnerable in our communities.

I recommend to the UK Prime Minister that he follows Mr Drakeford’s lead in showing a practical, tangible response to those workers who do so much, yet are so fiscally under-rewarded. An immediate decision that the UK Government could implement is to make this payment tax-free and reward the social care workforce in full. I believe the current position is that the UK Government have, disappointingly, turned down the Welsh Government’s request for recipients of this bonus not to be taxed. They should be able to keep every penny.

Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Tuesday 12th May 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)]

My Lords, we understand that the regulations require a review every three weeks. However, it is of the utmost importance that this review should include a range of engagements and practical, meaningful discussions with the opposition parties, trade unions, and, not least, the First Ministers of the devolved Governments. Mark Drakeford said recently that he does not think there has been “sufficient” communication. He said that is has been three weeks since he wrote to Michael Gove asking for a “regular pattern of engagement” between devolved Administrations and the UK Government. He said:

“We didn’t have, in my mind, that reliable rhythm of contact … Where we had it, it was good. But as I said before it was in fits and starts”—


and he did not think that that was sufficient. Does the Minister agree that three weeks is far too long for one Government to receive a communication from another? Therefore, in the light of these comments, will he assure the House that he will engage with the Government so that Mr Drakeford’s request for a regular pattern of engagement with UK Ministers becomes the norm and not the exception?

What are we doing in Wales to protect the population from the pandemic? Mark Drakeford announced on Saturday that the Welsh Labour Government would extend the stay-at-home regulations for a further three weeks, albeit with some modest adjustments, becoming the first UK leader to do that formally. Wales currently has six regional drive-through testing centres and eight mobile testing units operating across the country. Together with the ongoing rollout of an online portal for booking tests and the planned introduction of new home testing kits, that will help significantly to increase daily testing in Wales. The message remains the same: stay home, protect the NHS and save lives. The Health Minister gave a further public update on the outbreak in Wales earlier today.

Another vital area for the Government to consider is local government. Councils, with their knowledge of their local communities, are ideally placed, with the skills, knowledge and experience on the ground to help the Government achieve their ambition to ramp up the level of testing and contact tracing necessary to defeat this disease. I did not hear the Prime Minister mention in his update anything specific about their important role in this public health crisis.

The LGA has said that

“the sharing of information is essential if we are to succeed in driving down the numbers of new people being infected once the lockdown is gradually lifted and access people who will not be reached by the new NHS app.”

Key sources of data are needed by councils, such as access to testing results across all sites, hospitalisation records for those with Covid-19, death certifications in which the disease is identified, and many more indicators, so that councils can identify hotspots, map where the virus is prevalent and plan for action. Can the Minister find out how much detailed liaison work is happening with local government on these matters and if not, why not?

Covid-19: Social Care Services

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Thursday 23rd April 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lady Wheeler for bringing this important debate to the House today, and for her excellent speech. I am in close contact with the Welsh Government and local council leaders in Wales; therefore, my contribution will focus on the provision in Wales and demonstrate how social care services are being sustained at this critical time.

A group of Ministers has twice-weekly calls with all council leaders. In addition, there is constant contact between central and local government officials. As noble Lords know, the Coronavirus Act 2020 allows local authorities flexibility in the provision of care, but children were not included in this for Wales, unlike in England, so the legal protection for children’s care and support is being maintained in Wales.

Some £40 million has been provided in emergency funding for social care for an eight-week period, via local authorities, and it is expected that more funding will be needed from the Westminster Government to meet the increased costs of PPE, food, staffing and ICT that are being incurred by adult social services. It comes from the £1.1 billion fighting fund created by the Welsh Government to support public services to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

But 10 years of underfunding have seriously impeded the Welsh Government’s ability to respond financially. Their budget is billions below what they would have expected to receive based on the first decade of funding from a Labour Government. They have, however, as my noble friend Lord Hain noted, consistently spent more: 48% more on social services in Wales than in England. How much better the UK care sector would be if that focus had been taken by the UK Government.

The Welsh Government have since written to all registered providers of care home services, highlighting the need for care homes to sign up to the new care and support capacity tool, and to raise concerns with their local authority and the Care Inspectorate Wales without delay if they consider there to be imminent risks to the continuity of care.

Some 40% of all PPE now being distributed by the Welsh Government is going to social care, and the testing of social care staff and residents of care homes who are symptomatic started in Wales before it did in England. It is a shame that Dominic Raab did not mention that fact yesterday in the House of Commons when attacking the work of the Welsh Government Minister in charge of health.

Wales is the only UK country providing free childcare for all pre-school children, aged up to five, and for vulnerable children—those with social workers or a statement of special educational need.

Testing is an evolving area of work and Public Health Wales continues to increase capacity for testing through the establishment of drive-through testing facilities.

I hope that this brief but detailed account of work being undertaken in Wales brings some reassurance to Members that the Welsh Government are in close liaison with local authorities and are carrying out their duties at this critical time. I urge the UK Government to fully fund the work of the Welsh Government in dealing with this pandemic.

NHS: Targets

Baroness Wilcox of Newport Excerpts

Thursday 6th February 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab) (Maiden Speech)]

My Lords, to begin at the beginning, I thank the doorkeepers who have guided me more than once along different corridors, parliamentary staff who supported my induction, my party colleagues and the Front-Bench team who patiently explained the rules and regulations of this House. I have been shown great kindness and I appreciate the privilege that it is to be here. My parents are no longer here to share this day, but I have a wonderful partner who has always made sure that our life together over 30 years has allowed me the freedom to pursue a political career, which is not always conducive to family life. I will always be grateful to her for her love and support.

A girl from the Rhondda, I attended the Central School of Speech and Drama and then had a teaching career in London and south Wales that lasted almost 35 years. I was an elected member of Newport City Council from 2004, the first woman to lead that council and subsequently the first woman to lead the Welsh Local Government Association. I am immensely proud of the work of local government, running public services day in and day out despite all the difficulties, and working in such ventures as city deals. I now look forward to the future of the ground-breaking collaboration across both countries and both Governments, with the innovative Western Gateway project that stretches from Swindon in the east to Swansea in the west, bringing breadth and depth to the model of economic growth.

I thank my noble friends Lord Hain and Lady Morgan of Ely for supporting me through my introduction on 4 November, the day that marked the 180th anniversary of the Newport Rising at the Westgate Hotel. We owe the Chartists an enormous group debt of gratitude for their immense bravery and sacrifice in fighting for the vote for ordinary people. I was keen to have my introduction on that day and to remember that Newport is indeed the UK’s city of democracy.

I am pleased to make my first contribution to the House on the NHS. Wales is the inspirational source for this great institution and I feel entirely comfortable offering personal reflections. But I intend to do this through the prism of well-being and, in particular, as the former leader of Newport City Council, I will concentrate on the crucial impact of social care. Noble Lords will know that the additional NHS funding will be wasted if we do not deal with the continuing and growing problem of social care. I am from that tradition of socialism that seeks workable answers to people’s problems. Social care has been subject to a plethora of reports, commissions and solutions. The promised government Green Paper was postponed at least six times and Simon Bottery, a senior fellow at the King’s Fund, has described it as the

“zombie of modern policy debate, stumbling unsteadily around in circles.”

All Governments of various hues and all political parties have failed our communities on this issue. If we are to solve the problem of what amounts to the most pernicious means test in the welfare state, a new political consensus is required. Genuine attempts by recent political leaders of all hues to do something different blew up in the face of blunt political onslaughts.

The Prime Minister announced in his first speech last August that

“we will fix the crisis in social care once and for all with a clear plan we have prepared to give every older person the dignity and security they deserve”.

A fully worked-up plan is desperately needed, not another rough draft. No one doubts the difficulty of delivering a solution. Contextually, those in local government have had to deal with a decade of austerity. I can testify to the day-to-day grind of trying to protect the public realm—which libraries and leisure centres do I cut to protect the looked-after children’s budgets? Can we afford to maintain those CCTV cameras and at the same time sustain direct payments for disabled adults and young people?

In Wales, our Welsh Government and Welsh councils resolved to protect social care. We put in place the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 with all attention aimed at supporting those who rightly desire independent living. Furthermore, in Wales, no one who is eligible for care at home is expected to pay more than £90 a week towards it. But I am not claiming that we have solved the problem. Huge efforts are under way to find new funding models, including a common social insurance scheme. A report by the economist Gerry Holtham is looking at an emerging preference from that work for a simpler social care tax in Wales to pay for social care. Indeed, the idea that there is a magic solution that does not involve paying more tax is disingenuous. In a statement to the Assembly just this week, the Health Minister told Assembly Members that the cost of care is expected to grow between £30 million and £300 million by 2023. If the Government seriously want to improve the quality and reach of care, it will require more funding. If Members say they do not want to raise more taxes, they have to identify where the money will come from. Raising money from elsewhere will target other areas for cuts. After a decade of austerity, there is little more that public services can absorb.

Our responsibility as politicians is to tell the truth on this. My plea is simple: let us work together to find a solution. It will not happen overnight and it will cost billions, but it is the greatest political imperative we face since the founding of the NHS over 70 years ago. More delay or failure is not an option for those who need that care.