Oral Answers to Questions
Clive Jones Excerpts(1 week ago)
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Georgia Gould
I look forward to working with the APPG. We agree that we need to equip young people with key knowledge and skills to adapt to a rapidly changing world, and the curriculum and assessment review will say more about the wider curriculum.
Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)
Children with SEND: Assessments and Support
Clive Jones Excerpts(1 month, 1 week ago)
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Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Allin-Khan. I and many of my constituents would like to thank my hon. Friend the Member for South Cotswolds (Dr Savage) for introducing the debate. People living with special educational needs and disabilities are like everyone else: they have dreams, passions, interests and their own individual identities. They do not want to be defined by the challenges they face, but by the capabilities they possess.
Early assessment is vital. Early identification leads to better outcomes. Early support prevents difficulties from escalating, improving long-term educational and other outcomes. After years of Conservative neglect, the SEND system needs fundamental change. All stakeholders must be listened to and understood. Reforms must be ambitious; reform is an opportunity to address enormous, complex issues.
In my Wokingham constituency, the number of children with EHCPs has grown by nearly 100% between 2019 and 2025. Many of these children have been out of school and in alternative provision for a long time, often because there are simply no schools available and willing to meet their needs. A fair society requires that every child is valued, supported and empowered to reach their full potential. We must ensure that vital reforms to SEND are approached with the honesty and ambition that will improve outcomes for children with special educational needs.
Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund
Clive Jones Excerpts(1 month, 3 weeks ago)
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This information is provided by Parallel Parliament and does not comprise part of the offical record
Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Sussex (Alison Bennett) for securing this debate. In a recent parent and carer survey examining the impact of cuts to the ASGSF, the findings were alarming. Some 71% of children have seen a reduction in the number of therapy sessions, and 34% of families have been forced into an unethical choice between having an assessment of their child’s needs but no treatment, or treatment of unassessed needs.
The cuts to therapeutic packages have led to an increase in school exclusions, which were already far greater than for non-care-experienced children. They have led to an increase in child-on-parent violence, impacting 75% of families. There are children experiencing suicidal feelings who no longer have therapeutic support. Only 1% of families answering the survey have found the new £3,000 fair access limit sufficient to meet their child’s needs. Just 1%—that is a dreadful statistic.
The Government’s changes to the ASGSF have contributed to placements without adequate therapeutic support, despite us knowing the harm that this causes. The Government should think again, consult with families and the sector, reverse the cuts and ensure that a permanent fund is created that allows all families access to the right levels of specialist therapeutic support, right from the start and throughout their young lives. Only then can children heal and thrive.
Emma Lewell (in the Chair)
Unfortunately, we are going to have to reduce the time limit to a minute and a half. I call Martin Wrigley.
Windrush Day 2025
Clive Jones Excerpts(4 months, 1 week ago)
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Lisa Smart (Hazel Grove) (LD)
There have been some incredibly powerful speeches this evening, and I feel really lucky to be participating in the debate. There is a lot to celebrate, but there is an awful lot to be really angry about as well.
We owe an enormous amount to the Caribbean and broader black-British community for their contributions to our society, not least the Windrush generation’s key role in building the NHS, and in my own region, the black-Caribbean community’s role in profoundly shaping Greater Manchester’s cultural landscape and social fabric. In 1966, Louise Da-Cocodia became Manchester’s first senior nursing officer, having come from Jamaica in 1955. Confronted with relentless racism in her role, she channelled her experiences into activism, becoming a key anti-racist campaigner, and her legacy continues through the organisations she helped to establish.
In 1980, Kath Locke, a pioneering mixed-race community activist, founded the Abasindi Co-operative, a black, women-led community organisation based in the Moss Side people’s centre. It offered essential services, including a drop-in centre for the elderly, a community health hub and a Saturday school to tackle educational underachievement and high youth unemployment.
In 1991, the NIA centre, now the Playhouse theatre in Hulme, opened as the first large-scale arts venue in Europe dedicated to African and Caribbean culture. Its inaugural event featured none other than the legendary Nina Simone. Today, the Chuck gallery in central Manchester continues that legacy by showcasing and celebrating Afro-Caribbean and African art. It works to foster greater understanding and appreciation of Caribbean artistic perspectives.
Here in the UK, far too many people’s lives are still blighted by prejudice, discrimination and inequality. Racism is still far too prevalent in our society. We all have a responsibility to recognise that reality, but also to recognise the role that we can play in challenging that injustice. I am proud that the Lib Dems are committed to fighting for racial equality, and that means unequivocally condemning racism in all its forms and tackling injustice wherever we see it.
In her opening, very powerful remarks, the hon. Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Helen Hayes) rightly laid out that the previous Government failed to deliver the justice that Windrush victims so deeply deserve. The Government dithered and delayed on implementing the recommendations of Wendy Williams’ lessons-learned review. Liberal Democrats will keep pushing the Government.
Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)
The Windrush generation made a huge contribution to the life and the economy of the UK, but I want to pay tribute to the Hong Kong community in my constituency of Wokingham and across the United Kingdom, who I am sure will make the same contribution to the UK. I am deeply concerned that the Government are piling uncertainty and worry on British Hongkongers through their reforms to indefinite leave to remain. These people, who are living here in Britain, already fear retribution from China. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Government should have their back and maintain the five-year pathway for British national overseas status holders?
Lisa Smart
I am very grateful to my hon. Friend for raising the huge contribution of Hongkongers in his constituency. I have asked the Minister before about some of the changes the Government propose to the time period for indefinite leave to remain. The Minister has answered that a consultation is under way, and I am sure that she will talk about that in her closing remarks. I feel that we need to value the contribution made by those who are new arrivals in our country, and I agree with my hon. Friend’s comments.
The Liberal Democrats will keep pushing the Government to right the wrongs forced on to the Windrush generation, including by urgently implementing the lessons-learned review in full and making the compensation scheme independent of the Home Office. Like the hon. Member for Clapham and Brixton Hill (Bell Ribeiro-Addy), I hope very much that the Minister is in a position to update the House on the progress being made on righting those wrongs and delivering justice.
The Lib Dems have long pushed for the implementation of a comprehensive race equality strategy, which would include provisions aimed at reducing the disproportionately high and utterly shameful maternal mortality rates for black women and for eliminating racial disparities in maternal health, as other right hon. and hon. Members have mentioned this evening.
Adoption and Kinship Placements
Clive Jones Excerpts(5 months, 1 week ago)
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Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I thank the hon. Member for South West Devon (Rebecca Smith) for securing this important debate.
The Government’s cuts to the adoption and special guardianship support fund are going to harm vulnerable children in my constituency of Wokingham and across England. Those children and their families will see vital therapies suspended, and they do not know when, or even if, they will resume. Prior to the cuts, one family received 264 hours of therapy, but that will now fall to just 32 hours. Will the Minister meet me and my constituents to discuss the cuts to the ASGSF, so that she can hear directly from those affected? Will she publish the analysis on which the changes to the ASGSF were made? Will she detail the level of consultation that was undertaken with service providers and adoptive and kinship families before the cuts were announced?
Finally, I pay tribute to all the families who will be affected by the cuts, and ask them to continue their incredible work in fighting against them. I also thank my constituent, Clare Solomons, who has worked so hard in organising petitions, speaking in the media and being an invaluable source of advice on this issue. I hope the Minister will listen to the experience of families and reverse the cuts as soon as possible.
Free School Meals
Clive Jones Excerpts(7 months, 1 week ago)
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Liz Jarvis (Eastleigh) (LD)
I beg to move,
That this House has considered free school meals.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Dowd. It is a great honour to introduce this debate on free school meals—the first opportunity to discuss this important issue since the general election. Today’s debate was prompted by my conversations with primary school teachers in my constituency, who told me of their concerns at the lack of funding for free school meals and breakfast clubs. The number of children in our country going to school hungry is unacceptable, and that impacts families in my constituency of Eastleigh and across the UK. The chance to have the best start in life should be available to all children, regardless of background.
The cost of living crisis has driven countless families into hardship. The Government’s own figures estimate that 4.3 million children, or 30% of all children in the UK, are living in poverty, with the figure at 21% in my constituency. As of January 2024, 18.5% of pupils in Eastleigh—that is 2,426 children—were entitled to benefit-based free school meals, yet we know many more who would benefit from a free school meal do not meet the strict eligibility criteria and miss out. The Government must look at this issue with the urgency it requires, because those children are being failed.
Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)
While I was the leader of Wokingham borough council, I ensured that we funded free school meals during the school holidays for children who received them during term time. That was absolutely the right thing to do to ensure that children were not left hungry and at a disadvantage because of their background. The Times reports that 1 million children face losing their free school meals. Does my hon. Friend agree that that is troubling, and that the Government must ensure that children entitled to free school meals continue to receive them during school holidays?
Liz Jarvis
My hon. Friend makes an excellent point, and I absolutely agree. I also congratulate him on the work that he did at the council to ensure that children did not go hungry in the school holidays. I wish more and more councils were able to do that.
How are children supposed to get good grades at school, engage in sports and achieve their dreams for a better future if they are hungry? Four in five teachers told the National Education Union that they see children unable to concentrate due to the impact of deprivation. Polling of 10,000 teachers across England conducted by School Food Matters showed that a quarter of teachers have used their own money to feed children. For families who are struggling, a free school meal would make a huge difference. When children are well fed, they perform better at school, are healthier, and have improved long-term outcomes.
Oral Answers to Questions
Clive Jones Excerpts(9 months ago)
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Janet Daby
I thank my hon. Friend for raising her concern so passionately. We are aware that Kent county council is taking the necessary steps to best meet the needs of families, and will continue to provide family hub services from existing alternative sites nearby. That said, I am happy to meet her to discuss the matter further.
Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)
Wokingham borough council often struggles to find schools, including specialist schools, that can meet the needs of SEND pupils. As a result, many children are receiving education other than at school, or are reliant on alternative provision. Even so, there are often instances in which some needs identified in the EHCP are not met. Will the Minister—
Mr Speaker
Order. I am sorry; it is meant to be a topical question. Somebody have a quick go at answering.
Education, Health and Care Plans
Clive Jones Excerpts(9 months ago)
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Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Dr Huq. Well done to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Marie Goldman) for securing this debate.
The cost of SEND provision for Wokingham borough council is incredibly high. This has a huge impact on our council’s budget and frequently contributes to parents’ expectations and, sometimes, elements of the EHCP not being met, with all the consequences that come with that. Despite costs rising, Wokingham borough council is set to lose another £1 million of funding under the current draft local government settlement scheme, when Wokingham is already the lowest-funded unitary authority in England. What are Ministers’ thoughts on how the Government can help councils like Wokingham? Will the Minister meet with me and representatives from Wokingham borough council to discuss the challenges we face locally when it comes to funding SEND provision? Are there any plans to review the process of producing EHCPs to make them more user-friendly, thereby leading to greater efficiency and effectiveness?
Trades and Apprenticeships
Clive Jones Excerpts(10 months, 1 week ago)
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Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Betts. I thank the hon. Member for Portsmouth North (Amanda Martin) for securing this important debate.
We do not have a construction college in Wokingham borough, and residents hoping to undertake a trade apprenticeship will find that the closest colleges are in Bracknell, Reading or even Basingstoke. Anyone who wishes to undertake a civil engineering course will need to travel as far away as Fareham, an hour and 18 minutes away by car. The lack of local training centres has proved to be a challenge for construction companies in the area. Often, young apprentices do not have cars, and so cannot drive long distances, or lack the financial means to travel very far out of the borough. Given that the existing public transport is not very good, the problem is set to get bigger with the Government’s removal of the £2 bus fare cap. More must be done to support young apprentices.
It is unfortunate that there is a currently significant skills gap in the construction sector in my constituency of Wokingham, and across Berkshire. I thank Paul Britton of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce for its work on Berkshire’s local skills improvement plan. It has calculated a 19% decline, locally, in the number of carpenters’ and joiners’ jobs, an 8% drop in electricians’ and electrical fitters’ jobs, a 9% decrease in construction operatives’ jobs, and a 7% fall in elementary construction occupations. Despite that overall decline, we have an estimated need for an extra 4,300 jobs, and 14,900 replacement workers in those sorts of jobs will be needed by 2035. What will the Minister do to cover the shortages that we know are in the pipeline?
Just about everybody will say that they have difficulty finding a carpenter, a plumber or an electrician. Employers state that greater knowledge of the sector is needed in schools to show the opportunities and career progression that is available. Employers also note that the skills gap is not just limited to traditional trades, but to digital and sustainable skills in the construction sector. Can the Minister explain the Government’s plans for building awareness of apprenticeships in schools?
The Liberal Democrats would create a new lifelong skills grant for every adult, giving them £5,000 to spend on approved education and training courses to gain skills for the jobs of the future. Our existing system is not set up for a world of work in which the skills we learn at 18 or 21 will not last a lifetime. How will the Minister’s plans for Skills England and reforming the apprenticeship levy yield better opportunities for apprentices in Wokingham, especially in the construction sector? Will the Minister commit to meet me and the companies that offer apprenticeships to discuss what they need from the Government to deliver better opportunities for apprenticeships in Wokingham?
Turning to the issue of recruitment and completion rates, there is a perception of trade apprenticeships as muddy boots and jobs for young boys. Through the work of Wokingham’s section 106 employment and skills plan, we hope to change that perception. Locally, 30 community skills events have been held to help break down the stereotype, including work experience, careers talks in schools and site visits. However, there are foundational issues with the existing structures that the Government need to address before firms can consider establishing apprenticeships.
Specifically, Wates Construction is currently managing the Gorse Ride redevelopment project in my constituency. It has highlighted a problem that similar and smaller subcontractors experience. They sometimes do not have the capacity to take on apprentices due to the value of the contract and the duration, where they may not be on site for long enough. Although shared apprenticeship schemes are great, they have to pay agency fees on top of apprenticeship wages, which makes it an unaffordable option. Can the Minister address the issues raised by Wates Construction about the affordability of apprentices? What more can be done to ensure businesses like theirs can take on more apprenticeships?
Home-to-School Transport: Children with SEND
Clive Jones Excerpts(10 months, 3 weeks ago)
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Clive Jones (Wokingham) (LD)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Mark. I thank the hon. Member for Thurrock (Jen Craft) for securing this debate. Wokingham borough council had previously been promised two SEND free schools, yet both are waiting for approval to proceed. I would therefore be grateful if the Minister could do some digging into when the schools will be delivered, and write to me and the council, updating us on progress.
I had prepared more detailed remarks. However, I ask the Minister if she will meet me, the local executive member for children’s services and the director of children’s services at Wokingham borough council to discuss the situation, and to help us understand the Government’s plans for reform and what we can do to deliver the most for our SEND children.