Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in Education Settings Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Covid-19: Impact on Attendance in Education Settings

Daisy Cooper Excerpts
Wednesday 30th June 2021

(2 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Gavin Williamson Portrait Gavin Williamson
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I absolutely agree. My hon. Friend will probably have seen the figures: more than 50 million tests have already been conducted across schools and colleges. We are very much aware that testing has been an important part of getting schools reopened, and we continue to work with colleagues in the Department for Health and Social Care and in track and trace to ensure that testing is available to all pupils and their families.

Daisy Cooper Portrait Daisy Cooper (St Albans) (LD) [V]
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The number of children missing school is rising every single day and families are at their wits’ end, while the Government are once again far too slow to react. Will the Government act now and establish a rapid taskforce with public health directors and school leaders, with a mandate to keep schools open safely?

Gavin Williamson Portrait Gavin Williamson
- Parliament Live - Hansard - - - Excerpts

It is fair to say that Liberal Democrats have never been very good at numbers. Actually, schools are open right across the country—they are welcoming children. Millions of children are in school, benefiting from being with their teachers, and we continue to take action to ensure we do everything we can to maximise the number of children there. As part of step 4, as I touched on earlier, we will be looking at lifting more restrictions; that will be announced in the near future.