Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) opinion: Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill impact assessment, issued on 31 January 2025, when collective agreement for the relevant regulatory provisions was obtained; on what grounds the legislation was judged sufficiently urgent to proceed before the RPC had issued an opinion; and whether ministers were informed prior to Second Reading on 8 January 2025 that the RPC had not yet completed its scrutiny.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is a key step towards delivering the government’s Opportunity Mission to break the link between young people’s background and their future success.

The Bill’s impact assessments were submitted to the Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) on 5 November 2024, in accordance with the Better Regulation Framework. Collective agreement was provided for measures in the Bill by the Home and Economic Affairs Committee and Parliamentary Business and Legislation Committee in advance of the Bill’s introduction, as required.

The department published the Bill’s impact assessments on 30 January 2025, ahead of the RPC’s final opinion being published on 31 January 2025. The RPC gave the Bill’s impact assessments a green-rating, finding them fit for purpose. Ministers were kept updated throughout.