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Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 28 Jan 2025
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fifth sitting)

Speech Link

View all Darren Paffey (Lab - Southampton Itchen) contributions to the debate on: Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fifth sitting)
Speech in Public Bill Committees - Tue 28 Jan 2025
Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fifth sitting)

Speech Link

View all Darren Paffey (Lab - Southampton Itchen) contributions to the debate on: Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fifth sitting)
Division Vote (Commons)
28 Jan 2025 - Water (Special Measures) Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Darren Paffey (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 313 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 180 Noes - 325
Division Vote (Commons)
28 Jan 2025 - Water (Special Measures) Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Darren Paffey (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 312 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 73 Noes - 321
Division Vote (Commons)
28 Jan 2025 - Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fifth sitting) - View Vote Context
Darren Paffey (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 11 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 5 Noes - 11
Division Vote (Commons)
28 Jan 2025 - Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Fifth sitting) - View Vote Context
Darren Paffey (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 11 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 5 Noes - 11
Division Vote (Commons)
28 Jan 2025 - Water (Special Measures) Bill [Lords] - View Vote Context
Darren Paffey (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 312 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 181 Noes - 322
Division Vote (Commons)
28 Jan 2025 - Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Sixth sitting) - View Vote Context
Darren Paffey (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 11 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 2 Noes - 11
Division Vote (Commons)
28 Jan 2025 - Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Sixth sitting) - View Vote Context
Darren Paffey (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and in line with the House
One of 11 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 3 Noes - 11
Written Question
Outdoor Education
Friday 24th January 2025

Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of outdoor education for (a) children’s access to outdoor learning opportunities and (b) the development of skills; and the (i) adequacy and (ii) sustainability of the funding for outdoor education.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

All children and young people should have the opportunity to learn about and connect with nature.

Spending time in, and connecting with, nature has been linked with improved mental and physical health outcomes for children and young people. The most consistent findings point to improved resilience, decreased stress, increased levels of physical activity, and lower levels of obesity. Outdoor education specifically is also linked to improved motivation, social capital, and sense of belonging in school.

The department is supporting a 12-month project (running from July 2024 to June 2025) led by researchers at the University of Oxford. The project will assess the evidence of nature-based programmes for mental health and wellbeing in young people, delivered through schools. Evidence will help the department understand the value of nature for mental health in the school environment. We expect to receive outputs, including a peer reviewed paper and policy brief, in summer 2025. More information about the project can be found here: https://www.agile-initiative.ox.ac.uk/sprints/is-nature-a-policy-solution-to-mental-health-in-schools/.

Through the National Education Nature Park initiative, children and young people have exciting opportunities to participate in low or no cost outdoor education within the boundaries of their education setting.

Participating children and young people will also develop their scientific, analytical and digital mapping skills. This will allow them to build careers and access jobs that require a knowledge of sustainability and climate change to support the transition to net zero and nature’s recovery.

The department announced £15 million of capital funding over the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years as part of the roll out of the National Education Nature Park. This funding is available to support settings and young people that need the most help in accessing nature.