Oral Answers to Questions

Cat Smith Excerpts

Monday 4th July 2022 Commons Chamber

[Ms Lyn Brown (West Ham) (Lab)]

7. What steps he is taking to reform children’s social care services.

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

20. What steps he is taking to reform children’s social care services.

[The Secretary of State for Education (Nadhim Zahawi)]

We will publish an ambitious implementation strategy later this year following three important pieces of work: first, the independent review of social care—the MacAlister review—and then the Competition and Markets Authority study on the children’s social care market, and the national panel review of the deaths of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes and Star Hobson.

[Nadhim Zahawi]

As the hon. Lady will know—and as she probably remembers from when I was Children and Families Minister—we launched the care leaver covenant, which has made a significant difference to many of our young people in care as they transition out of care. There is also the work we are doing to support those 300,000 families who need that additional support. The work of MacAlister will make a huge difference. The hon. Lady knows that we have “staying put” and “staying close” to help those young people as they transition through, but I give her a pledge that we are serious about implementing the MacAlister review.

[Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab)]

This weekend, as the Secretary of State will have seen, the Swedish Government announced a review into the profit motive in children’s education. Can he confirm, perhaps with yes or no, that the profit motive must be taken out of the care of our most vulnerable children?

[Nadhim Zahawi]

I am grateful for the hon. Lady’s question. Part of why I mentioned the Competition and Markets Authority review to make sure that the system is working properly is that it is something I am concerned about. I would focus on profiteering rather than profit, because I think people will want to go into this sector to help children, and I do not have a problem with their making a profit. It is excessive profiteering that I am certainly concerned about.