Early Years Interventions

Debate between Lord Young of Cookham and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Wednesday 1st December 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

As the noble Lord said, it is very important that no one is left behind. The SEND review is looking at ways to improve the outcomes for children and young people with SEND. There has been a consultation and proposals will be published in the first three months of next year, when I hope we will know more.

[Lord Young of Cookham (Con)]

Has my noble friend had time to read your Lordships’ Public Services Committee’s report on vulnerable children, published a fortnight ago, finding that many fall through the gaps—going into care, being excluded, joining county lines and ending up in custody—and cost far more than if there had been early intervention? Can she ensure a positive response from the Government to the committee’s recommendation that the Government should publish and fund a co-ordinated national strategy to give a better life chance to these vulnerable children?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

I have to say to my noble friend that I have not read the report, but I certainly will—it is going to be my weekend reading. We welcome the report from the Lords Public Services Committee. We are reviewing its recommendations and will respond in due course. Our work and investment towards introducing family hubs that work with children and families from birth to adulthood is so important in the field of vulnerable children and young people.

UK: System of Government

Debate between Lord Young of Cookham and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Tuesday 21st January 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

Obviously, the commission will need to command public confidence through its membership and the way it operates. The Government are wholly mindful of that.

[Lord Young of Cookham (Con)]

My Lords, further to the reply my noble friend has just given about the commission, is it the Government’s position that there should be no legislation on constitutional matters before the commission has met in order to get a coherent view, or is it proposed that there should be some individual measures of constitutional reform in advance of the commission considering them?

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen]

I thank my noble friend for that question. He is slightly jumping the gun, because we have a couple of reviews ongoing. We have the Dunlop review, which is looking into these matters, and the devolution White Paper. They are both due to report this year, so we will know more then.

Electoral Fraud

Debate between Lord Young of Cookham and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen

Wednesday 29th March 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen (Con)]

My Lords, when I was standing where my noble friend is now standing—he is doing such a fantastic job—I remember talking about pilot schemes that we planned, which I feel would help us decide the way to go. Can he reassure me that they will still take place?

[Lord Young of Cookham]

My noble friend is much missed at the Dispatch Box when questions are asked about electoral matters. We plan to go ahead in 2018 with a number of pilots to test voter identification. This is a recommendation made several times by the Electoral Commission: that when you vote, there should be some evidence that you are you say you are. We plan to pilot that next year and hope that some of the local authorities which have been identified as being at risk will apply to be part of that pilot.