Oral Answers to Questions

Tom Rutland Excerpts

Monday 1st December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Bridget Phillipson]

We are investing the international student levy into support around skills and access to high-quality further and higher education colleges targeted at students who most need that support in subjects most closely aligned to our industrial strategy and Government priorities. That will make a huge difference to young people from not very well-off backgrounds, allowing them to access university. We are backing our universities with the measures that we have set out on tuition fee increases, which will give our institutions stability.

[Tom Rutland (East Worthing and Shoreham) (Lab)]

T7. Under the Conservatives, too many children’s life chances were scarred by poverty, but thanks to the choices made by this Labour Government last week, nearly 1,300 children in East Worthing and Shoreham are set to have their futures brightened. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is only under a Labour Government that all children will get the best start in life?

[Bridget Phillipson]

The Conservatives might not be serious about tackling child poverty, but the Labour party is and always has been. This Government will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, alongside other measures such as Best Start family hubs, expanding childcare and new free breakfast clubs—[Interruption.]