Girls’ Education

Martin Whitfield Excerpts

Thursday 5th September 2019 Commons Chamber

[Alok Sharma]

As the hon. Lady will know, we do a wider piece of work across government to end conflict, working with our partners internationally. For example, around £3 billion has been put into a UK programme on Syria. Clearly, however, we must keep focusing on these areas. It is important that, if children are caught up in these areas, they continue to receive basic education and we are focused on that.

[Martin Whitfield (East Lothian) (Lab)]

I welcome the Secretary of State to his position. Will he confirm that good practices such as the “Send My Friend to School” initiative are important in exploiting the messaging on this, as is the mental health of girls involved in education? What will the Government do to continue to support the mental health of young women in their education?

[Alok Sharma]

Mental health is of course an important issue, which has risen up the agenda over a number of years. The Government are doing their part through the Departments of Health and Social Care and of Education, and where DFID is able to offer support, it will do so.