Oral Answers to Questions

Jessica Toale Excerpts

Monday 14th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I am very clear that this is about not just the letter of the law but the spirit of the law, and I want to see schools following the spirit of the new legislation. I have further powers, should I need to use them, to pull in a school’s uniform policy. I do not want to see jumpers and other things that children actually have to wear being branded as optional.

[Jessica Toale (Bournemouth West) (Lab)]

T4. Changes to higher education funding affecting high-cost creative subjects will cost Arts University Bournemouth in my constituency more than £300,000 this financial year. This will affect jobs and course availability, and it undermines the creative industries as a pillar of our industrial strategy. Will the Secretary of State meet me to discuss the funding crisis affecting our creative arts university and work with us to protect these vital institutions?

[Lucy Powell]

I am really happy to meet the hon. Lady to discuss this, because our creative arts universities, such as the one in her constituency, provide fantastic qualifications for young people to get the jobs they need.