Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chris Vince and Georgia Gould

Monday 19th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Georgia Gould]

As I set out, we have heard that too many families across the country are having to fight for, and wait for, support. That is not acceptable, which is why we are bringing forward the investment in early intervention that we have talked about today: the £3 billion for specialist places, the £200 million for teacher training, and the Best Start hubs. But we know that more needs to be done, which is why we are having a national conversation about SEND and will be bringing forward reforms.

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

I note that the Minister has not been to Harlow yet. [Laughter.] Families in Harlow have completely lost faith in the SEND system that we inherited. I do not think that it is too much of a stretch to suggest that parents are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after battling to get support for their children. Will she outline, based on the specialist places she mentioned in a previous answer, what the Government are doing to ensure that we have a system that does not pit families, and indeed education professionals, against a system that is broken?

[Georgia Gould]

I will make sure that that oversight is corrected as soon as possible—although, I am not sure that my hon. Friend has actually invited me to Harlow yet, but I know the Prime Minister has been. My hon. Friend has written to me with stories of parents fighting the system—I have heard many like them—completely exhausted and often having to give up their jobs in order to fight for support for their children. It is just not good enough. We recognise that support needs to be available much earlier, we are investing in it, and that is the basis of the reforms that we will be bringing forward.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chris Vince and Georgia Gould

Thursday 5th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Chris Vince (Harlow) (Lab/Co-op)]

T7. Due to our dire economic inheritance, it is vital that every penny of public money is spent wisely. In my constituency of Harlow, £29 million was spent on Sir Frederick Gibberd College only for it to be deemed unsafe and to be pulled down. What steps will the Government take to ensure that we spend money wisely, that we do not spend unnecessary money on unnecessary consultants, and that we get the best for the people of Harlow?

[Georgia Gould]

Under the Conservative Government, too much taxpayers’ money was wasted on eye-watering consultancy contracts. We are taking steps to stop all non-essential Government consultancy spending this year and halve Government spending on consultancy in future years. [Interruption.] It might be hard for Conservative Members to hear about their record, but it is harder for us to live with it.