Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Tuesday 4th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. Please, I have a lot of Members to get in and I am trying to help everybody. Don’t be tempted—that is the easy answer.

[Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)]

T3. I know that the Chancellor and her team are well aware that families, such as those in my constituency of Lewisham East, are struggling with homelessness and temporary accommodation. Will she consider increasing finance to local councils so that they can better support constituents and improve their wellbeing and security?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Monday 21st July 2025 Commons Chamber

[Janet Daby]

I thank my hon. Friend for her thoughtful question on the prefabs. We have a plan to build, and I will take up this matter further with the appropriate Minister.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Monday 16th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Janet Daby]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right that we continue to support and train adults, and many adults with seniority in their professions will continue to offer excellent support, mentoring, internship and guidance to younger apprentices. The change we have put in place will enable apprenticeship opportunities to be rebalanced towards younger people and will create more opportunities for those entering the labour market.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Neil O’Brien (Harborough, Oadby and Wigston) (Con)]

Ministers recently announced that they were axing level 7 apprenticeships. Strangely, they made the announcement during recess; and also strangely, it was only the day after the announcement that they finally answered my parliamentary question from April, revealing that they were making a 90% cut in those apprenticeships. This is blowing a huge hole in the NHS workforce plan, leading to a shortfall of 11,000 nurses. If Ministers will not listen to the many employers saying that this will make it much more difficult for people who are not so well-off to get into the professions, will they at least rule out cutting level 6 apprenticeships next?

[Janet Daby]

I can reassure the shadow Minister that level 6 apprenticeships are a core part of our offer, and we will continue to fund them. I also say politely to him that we will take no lessons from Liz Truss’s previous Health Minister; that Government left our NHS on its knees, and we are having to rebuild it from its foundations again.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Janet Daby)]

I agree with my hon. Friend that it is time for a new direction for Scotland with Scottish Labour. In England, we are making over £1 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028-29 to support young people into the industries of the future. That is because we are unlocking opportunity and driving growth through our plan for change.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Monday 28th April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Janet Daby]

Too many young people have been locked out of accessing apprenticeship opportunities, and apprenticeship starts by young people under 25 fell by almost 40% between 2015-16 and 2023-24 under the previous Government. We are developing new foundation apprenticeships to give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Monday 27th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Janet Daby]

I reiterate that the one-off £50 million grant will enable colleges to respond to current priorities and challenges as they see fit, including workforce recruitment and retention. It is up to those colleges and sixth forms to choose how to use that funding to best meet learners’ needs. I invite the hon. Member to write in if he would like some further information.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Speaker]

Does the Minister wish to answer that question, because it is definitely not linked?

[Janet Daby]

I assure the hon. Member that the Secretary of State has had such conversations and will continue to do so.

--- Later in debate ---

[Janet Daby]

The Government have an extremely challenging fiscal inheritance and tough choices need to be taken on how funding should be prioritised to generate opportunities for all. Employers will still be able to offer and invest in level 7 apprenticeships where they feel they provide a good return on investment. We have taken advice from Skills England, which engages with employers on funding for level 7 apprenticeships, over the autumn. The Department expects to make a final decision on affected apprenticeships shortly.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Monday 9th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Janet Daby]

I thank my hon. Friend for her thoughtful question. The Government are committed to ensuring that young people have access to appropriate education and career opportunities, but the focus must be on delivering provision that offers them the best learning experience and opportunities possible. In Knowsley, A-level provision has not been deemed viable owing to a lack of demand, but students there have access to high quality post-16 academic provision in surrounding boroughs.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Monday 4th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Janet Daby]

The sun is obviously shining on Eastbourne, even though may not be shining everywhere else at the moment because of the weather. A visit to Eastbourne to celebrate the hub sounds delightful, but this falls to my noble Friend, Baroness Smith of Malvern, so I will pass on these comments to her.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister, Neil O’Brien.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Tuesday 14th May 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)]

Almost two thirds of children on remand in youth detention do not go on to receive a custodial sentence, and 17% are acquitted, meaning that they were freed from a criminal charge altogether. It costs between £129,000 and £306,000 per year to keep just one child on remand in youth custody. Does the Minister view that as the best use of public money, or does he feel that it could be managed in a more efficient and effective way with an alternative remand provision?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Tuesday 26th March 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)]

The Government have decided to change the use of Cookham Wood youth offender institution to an adult prison. That follows a lack of progress in improving young people’s access to education, and increased violence on the prison estate. The behaviour management method of keeping young people in their cells has failed. This decision puts a spotlight on the wider crisis in adult prisons. When the young people are transferred, how will the Minister ensure that the practice of keeping them in their cells, and the cycle of violence, will end?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Tuesday 20th February 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)]

I recently visited Cookham Wood young offenders institution. There, officers told me about the challenges they face, including a staffing shortage and shocking recruitment issues, which have led to rising levels of violence. Can the Minister say when he last visited Cookham Wood, and why this Government continue to be unable to solve those crucial problems?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Tuesday 9th January 2024 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)]

The Children’s Commissioner’s report on family contact in the youth estate states that at the weekend, in two young offenders institutes, boys spent only up to one hour outside their cell each day. We can clearly see why that has led to an increase in violence. What is the Minister going to do about it?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Tuesday 21st November 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I welcome the new shadow Minister.

[Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab)]

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Education is vital to reduce violence, especially on the youth estate. However, violence on the youth estate is skyrocketing. Since last year, assaults on staff have increased by 33%. That puts prison staff at risk in their workplace and increases the trauma experienced by children and young people. It can also prolong their rehabilitation. How will the Minister use education and other methods available to him to reduce that violence?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Janet Daby

Monday 20th July 2020 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. We need to get through topicals, so can we speed up a little?

[Janet Daby (Lewisham East) (Lab) [V]]

YourNeighbour.org, a digital platform supporting over 1,300 churches, estimates that faith groups are providing more than 10 million meals a month to people up and down our country who would otherwise go hungry. Our faith groups have missed out on weekly donations and opportunities to raise funds, and they are running out of money and are in desperate need of financial assistance. What assessment has the Minister’s Government made of the financial hit to places of worship, and why have the Government not provided ring-fenced support to ensure that they can continue their very much needed work?