Children’s Social Care: North-east England

Chris McDonald Excerpts

Wednesday 5th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Chris McDonald (Stockton North) (Lab)]

Further to the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth) about kinship care, many of my constituents have benefited from the Family Rights Group, which provides advocacy and saves the Exchequer many tens of millions of pounds. Will my hon. Friend join me in commending the work of the Family Rights Group and expressing the hope that its funding will continue into the next financial year?

[Mark Ferguson]

I thank my hon. Friend for that excellent point. The Family Rights Group saves a huge amount of money and does incredibly valuable work, and it is important to talk about the funding here.

The funding for children’s services is incredibly important. Since 2010, for example, Gateshead council’s budget has been cut to the bone. Children’s services have been cut by a staggering £31 million, driven by huge and frankly unfair cuts, and the people of Gateshead have had to pay for this in every sense of the word. We all remember the former Prime Minister’s comments about removing funding from areas of need—places such as Gateshead and places represented by those here on these Benches today—and giving it to areas whose needs are deserving but, I am afraid, less acute. But against the odds, Gateshead council’s children’s services have recently been praised for their hard work to prioritise prevention and early intervention, and have been recognised by Ofsted for their dedication to our children and young people.

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris McDonald Excerpts

Monday 9th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Janet Daby]

I thank my hon. Friend for really pushing me on this issue, and for explaining the situation so well. I acknowledge to him and the sector the uncertainty and difficulties in this area. Following the election, we moved quickly to pause the defunding that was scheduled for 31 July 2024. I fully appreciate that colleges need time to plan their provision, and that students need time to plan what courses they will take. We are working as quickly as possible to conclude the review, and we will publish the outcomes before the end of the year.

[Chris McDonald (Stockton North) (Lab)]

16. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce levels of child poverty.

[Michelle Welsh (Sherwood Forest) (Lab)]

23. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce levels of child poverty.

[The Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson)]

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of our opportunity mission. After a decade of Conservative Government, far too many children are growing up in poverty. It is a scar on our society, a blight on young lives, and the centrepiece of the Conservatives’ shameful legacy. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and I are getting on with the job of chairing the child poverty taskforce, which has started the urgent work needed ahead of the publication of our child poverty strategy in spring 2025.

[Chris McDonald]

During the summer, I visited the holiday activities and food programme run by Stockton borough council, which provides a healthy meal for low-income families in my constituency. Can my right hon. Friend provide some assurance that funding for that programme will continue into next year?

[Bridget Phillipson]

I join my hon. Friend by extending my thanks to the staff at Stockton borough council for their hard work on the holiday activities and food programme over the past year. We are working through our budget settlement to agree measures to support families during the holidays, and in due course we will set out what further steps we can take. He will know, as I do, that while talent is spread across our country, opportunity is not. His constituency is full of children whom the Conservatives let down. This Labour Government will break down barriers.