Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Bridget Phillipson and Neil Shastri-Hurst

Wednesday 11th November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

Abusive conversion practices have no place in our country, and no one should face abuse because of who they are or who they love. We have brought forward a draft Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny because we want to get it right. I look forward to the Joint Committee’s recommendations and to working across the House to finally deliver that long-overdue ban.

[Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst (Solihull West and Shirley) (Con)]

T5. Will the Minister set out what steps she is taking to ensure compliance with the legal framework around single-sex spaces for all public bodies?

[Bridget Phillipson]

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for ensuring that public bodies honour their responsibilities and provide appropriate single-sex spaces, as well as ensuring that we have services available for everyone in our country. Government Departments have also published guidance so that we can be clear about how we will deliver on our responsibilities, but we recognise and will uphold the ruling of the Supreme Court.

Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life

Debate between Bridget Phillipson and Neil Shastri-Hurst

Monday 7th July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for identifying the work that is already going on in her constituency. Although it is led by the Department for Education, the strategy that we are setting out today is the work that we will drive right across Government. We are working with colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions on access to childcare support and on routes back into work and training for parents, but also with colleagues in the Department of Health and Social Care on how we can improve access to speech and language support, health visiting support and much more besides. That is why my right hon. Friend the Health Secretary set out a direction that aligns with ours through the 10-year NHS plan.

[Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst (Solihull West and Shirley) (Con)]

In her statement, the Secretary of State said that every child deserves a great education, including children with SEND. I do not think anybody could disagree with that, but for parents and pupils in my constituency, and up and down the country, warm words are one thing but concrete outcomes are another. Can the Secretary of State guarantee that not a single child who is currently in receipt of special needs support will lose it under the Government’s policies?

[Bridget Phillipson]

Children will continue to receive the high-quality support that they need—I can give the hon. Gentleman that absolute and categorical assurance. Once again, I observe that Conservative Members did not show the same level of interest when they were in government. That is why we have ended up in this sorry state, with far too many children being failed by the system left behind by his party. We are determined to improve outcomes for children with SEND and to put in place better support, and that is backed up by the extra investment already going into the system.

Of course, there is much more that we need to do to deliver better outcomes for all children. That is what we are working towards, and the reform that we will set out will be properly informed and shaped by the conversations, discussions and meetings that I, ministerial colleagues and officials are having with parents, groups and campaigners in order to get this right. If the Conservatives would like to be constructive about that—just for once—I would be happy to engage with them on it, but I am afraid that is not what we are seeing this afternoon.