Educational Settings: Reopening Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Educational Settings: Reopening

Kerry McCarthy Excerpts
Tuesday 26th January 2021

(3 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nick Gibb Portrait Nick Gibb
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My right hon. Friend raises an important point. He will know, given his background, that what matters is all of us obeying the rules that are set out very clearly and how, as a nation, we can manage the reduction in the transmission of this very deadly virus. It is beholden on all of us to obey those rules. The more we do that, the quicker we can reduce infection in our society and move out of the lockdown position.

Kerry McCarthy Portrait Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab) [V]
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I echo the concerns of the right hon. Member for Harlow (Robert Halfon) and my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull North (Dame Diana Johnson) about the warnings given by paediatricians and the Children’s Commissioner today about children’s mental health. In particular, I want to ask about children who have not yet been assessed for education, health and care plans and are now at home. What progress is being made in trying to ensure that they get their assessments, even though they are not in school, because we know that any delay in getting them assessed could have a serious impact on their educational and social development?

Nick Gibb Portrait Nick Gibb
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The hon. Member raises an important point. This is something that my hon. Friend the Minister is monitoring very closely with our expert advisers.