David Baines MP: speeches 2025

Speeches

• 9 Dec 2025 · Medal for Wounded Service Personnel · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. In our part of the world, we have a long and proud history of service in the armed forces; I know it is the same in his part of Merseyside as it is in mine. I thank him for raising that point and putting it on the record. I agree with Andy Reid and all those calling for this new medal. I am sure that many people in this country would agree too. It is time to address the gap in the system, honour our wounded and introduce formal recognition that says to every serviceperson wounded in defence of our nation, “We see you, we honour you, and we’ll never forget what you’ve given.”

• 9 Dec 2025 · Medal for Wounded Service Personnel · Hansard source

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  I completely agree with the hon. Member; he makes an excellent point. According to Ministry of Defence statistics, since January 2006 a total of 2,644 personnel have sustained battle injuries while on operation—that is, they were wounded as a result of hostile action. Behind every one of those numbers is a person like my constituent Corporal Andy Reid MBE, whose life has been permanently altered in service to this nation yet who receives no specific recognition for the wounds that he carries. On 13 October 2009, Andy stepped on an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province. He was 33 years old. The explosion destroyed his right leg below the knee, his left leg above the knee and his right arm above the elbow. Medical professionals doubted that he would survive, yet after just two weeks in hospital Andy made his first trip home to St Helens. Within a month, he met up with members of his patrol again. What Andy has achieved since is extraordinary. He married his wife Claire and became a father to two children. He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro on prosthetic legs, becoming the first triple amputee in the UK to do so. He raised over £200,000 for armed forces charities and he has established the Standing Tall Foundation in St Helens, providing mental health support and counselling for veterans and non-veterans alike. He received an MBE in 2019 for voluntary service to veterans and people with disabilities.

• 9 Dec 2025 · Medal for Wounded Service Personnel · Hansard source

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  I completely agree. Andy’s motto, that he is a survivor, not a victim, is not about wallowing in what has happened but recognising it and using it to grow and help others. That is exactly what he is doing day in, day out. Andy wears his operational service medal for Afghanistan with pride, but that medal tells only part of his story. It records where he served, not what he sacrificed; it does not mark the physical wounds he carries or the daily challenges he faces with tasks that others take for granted. Andy’s story is tragically not unique. The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan created a generation of wounded veterans. Thousands carry visible injuries—amputations, severe burns, blindness—while others carry hidden wounds, both physical and mental. Advances in battlefield medicine mean that many personnel thankfully survive injuries that would have been fatal in previous conflicts. That means more wounded veterans living among us, many facing lifelong challenges. Those men and women deserve formal recognition. Andy has been publicly advocating for the medal, drawing on his experience and extensive work with the veterans community. This is not the only campaign being fought for such recognition. Recently, the hon. Member for Cheadle (Mr Morrison) led a debate on establishing an injury in service award for emergency service personnel: police officers, firefighters and paramedics who have been injured in the line of duty. I fully support that campaign; it is good to see Parliament giving serious attention to recognising those injured while serving the public, which is long overdue. The campaigns for emergency services recognition and for a wounded in action medal both speak to the same principle: when people put their bodies on the line in service to others and pay a physical price, their sacrifice deserves formal acknowledgement. I want to be clear that this debate and a call for a medal for service personnel injured in combat is not about comparing public services. I completely support the call for recognition of those in the emergency services. Some would maybe combine the two campaigns into one medal, but I believe that our emergency services deserve unique recognition. I would also argue that the fundamental nature of military service—men and women deployed specifically to environments where armed enemies attempt to kill or injure them—is likewise worthy of separate and significant recognition. The Government have set an admirable goal: to make Britain the best place in the world to be a veteran, using a whole-society approach. This proposal for a new medal fits squarely within that vision. Defence companies have expressed positive interest in funding it. They recognise their obligation to support those wounded in service. With industry support, the cost to the public purse could be minimal. Even bearing the full cost, we are talking about recognition for individuals who have surely paid far more than any price we could put on a medal. This is the whole-society approach in action: Government setting policy, industry contributing resources, and the voluntary sector providing support, as I am sure it would. The medal would be the visible symbol at the centre of this effort. I believe it could also help to boost recruitment and retention, which the Government are keen to do. Those considering military service rightly want to know that any sacrifice they may have to make will be formally recognised. This new medal is, therefore, practical policy as well as a moral imperative. As to the injuries that might be eligible for the medal and how far back it would apply, my strong feeling is that veterans’ organisations and forces personnel should be involved in setting the terms. This would be their medal and they should own it. I do not believe it should be for MPs or civil servants to decide those details. Andy Reid does not lead this campaign because he seeks personal glory. He already has an MBE, the respect of his community and the gratitude of the charities he has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for. He campaigns because recognition matters. He has met countless wounded veterans who feel that their sacrifice too often goes unacknowledged. He believes those who have been injured in service to this country deserve to have that sacrifice formally recognised.

• 9 Dec 2025 · Medal for Wounded Service Personnel · Hansard source

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  I beg to move, That this House has considered the potential merits of a medal for service personnel wounded in combat. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Vickers. The UK’s military honours system is comprehensive. We recognise gallantry through the Victoria Cross and the George Cross. We commemorate operational service through campaign medals. We created the Elizabeth Cross in 2009 for families of the fallen. Yet there remains no official recognition for those wounded in service. Unlike the United States, with their Purple Heart, the British armed forces have no equivalent. While everyone who serves deserves recognition, I believe that those who are injured deserve special acknowledgment of their sacrifice. Let me start by saying that serving in the military is a positive and honourable career choice. Like everyone in my constituency of St Helens North, I am proud of our community’s history and heritage of service, and I am incredibly thankful and respectful of all those who serve today and everything they do. I have heard at first hand from servicemen and women that a life in the forces brings with it fantastic opportunities for those who join—opportunities for education, training, travel and personal development. Our armed forces play a significant role in defending and protecting us all and we should celebrate that, but those who join the armed forces know that by the intention and design of their role they are significantly more likely to face hostile action than those in other public services. Military personnel are deployed specifically to environments where armed enemies attempt to kill or injure them. That is the fundamental nature of military service, not a criticism of it, but we need to recognise the unique sacrifice that it entails.

• 17 Nov 2025 · Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Power Station: Wylfa · Hansard source

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  I strongly welcome this announcement. Nuclear is a growing sector. Just on Friday, in Haydock in my constituency, I helped officially to open the new HQ of Delkia, a relatively new company that does a lot of work in this sector. Will the Minister assure me and small and medium-sized businesses such as Delkia that they will benefit from this growth, supported by this Government?

• 11 Nov 2025 · Remembrance Day: Armed Forces · Hansard source

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  The communities I represent in St Helens North have a long and proud connection with the armed forces, from the St Helens Pals of the first world war, to groups such as Newton-le-Willows sea cadets and local veterans organisations, who do outstanding community work across the borough. Last week, in Parliament’s garden of remembrance, I planted a cross dedicated to Corporal Derek Johnson, who lived in Haydock, and who sadly passed away in June. He served in the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, and went on to found the North West Veterans Corps of Drums, which supports the veterans community and takes part in fantastic public performances. In September, we welcomed the Minister for the Armed Forces to St Helens North to meet local veterans and discuss what more we can do to ensure that all those who have served get the support that they need and deserve. The veterans’ strategy announced yesterday is a hugely positive step towards ensuring that no one who served is left behind, but there is always more that we can do. My constituent Andy Reid MBE is a triple amputee who was injured by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2009. In the years since, he has done a huge amount of work for wounded veterans, charities and the wider community through his Standing Tall Foundation. He is calling for a new medal to address a significant gap in our honours system. The UK has no formal medal to recognise service personnel wounded in combat. While we rightly honour those who have fallen through the Elizabeth Cross, there is no equivalent recognition for those who carry the physical scars of their service throughout their life. That places us out of step with key allies such as the United States, which has the Purple Heart, and India, which has the Wound medal. I fully support his campaign. I have already raised the matter with Ministry of Defence colleagues, and will be writing to the Cabinet Office to set out the case. On Sunday, I had the honour of attending remembrance events in Earlestown, Haydock, and St Aidan’s church in Billinge. This morning, I attended a moving service at the Crank and Kings Moss war memorial. When we attend remembrance events, we remember all those who served, and especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice, but we also think about what they fought for and whether we are living up to the ideals that they defended. Sadly, the last witnesses of the great war have now left us, and those who witnessed the second world war and experienced its causes and consequences are increasingly fewer in number. I think of my grandparents, Gerald and Elsie Howard, and Peter and Joan Baines, who are no longer with us. I think about them all increasingly often. I did not ask them about their experiences when I had the chance—I wish that I had—but I do know the kind of people they were, and what mattered to them. They worked hard all their lives, they loved their families, they valued community and good humour, and they believed that people should look out for one another. I do not think we have changed that much. My grandparents and their generation fought for and earned the right to live in peace, and it seems to me that that is a fight that every generation has to have, in one form or another. The voices and the experiences of those generations who lived through something similar to what we face now might be increasingly distant, but we must remember them, and we do. It is also important that we learn from them. I firmly believe that the tolerant, fair-minded, community-spirited and outward-looking Britain that my grandparents fought for and loved is still who we are. We can all play our part in defending those values—and we must, particularly those of us in this place—but there should be no doubt that those who are willing to step up and do so in uniform as members of our armed forces deserve the greatest praise. All those in St Helens North who served, and all those who continue to do so, can be assured of not just my thanks, but my support.

• 5 Nov 2025 · Curriculum and Assessment Review · Hansard source

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  There is a lot to welcome in the statement, but will the Secretary of State please assure me and families in St Helens North that not only will we have the measures in the curriculum review, but more certainty will be provided in the schools and SEND White Paper in the new year, and that all proposals to help all pupils, such as extending continuous provision throughout the whole of key stage 1, will be considered?

• 3 Nov 2025 · Public Office (Accountability) Bill · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend and pay tribute to him for all the work that he has done for years to help to get us to this point—it is incredible. I completely agree with him about the things that need to be done to strengthen the Bill, but does he agree that this is the start of the process—just another step on the journey—and not the end by any means?

• 3 Nov 2025 · Public Office (Accountability) Bill · Hansard source

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  This has been a long time coming. We finally have before us a Bill that is, in the eyes of those who matter—some of whom are sat in the Gallery today—worthy of the name “Hillsborough law”. That is a huge achievement and, as others have said, it is the result of a lot of hard work and campaigning by a lot of people. The fact that victims have had to fight so hard just to get to this point shows exactly why the Bill is needed. Nobody should have to fight the state for truth and justice after the death of a loved one—nobody. The way the Hillsborough families have fought for so long is inspirational, but the fact that they have had to do so is unacceptable. They should never have been put through it. I was just nine years old when Hillsborough happened. I vividly recall the news and images coming through that day. I can remember seeing the TV reports and the national newspapers in the days and weeks that followed. Most of all, I remember the shocking speed at which completely false allegations were invented and deliberately spread about the victims and the ordinary fans who tried to help them. I remember the lies that were told about innocent men, women and children who simply went to watch a football game. Those lies were told, encouraged and believed by people in positions of power—including in this place—whose duty was supposed to be to protect ordinary people. Those lies stuck. They piled insults and further harm on top of unimaginable pain, grief and loss. It has taken 36 years to get to this point—to have the Prime Minister introduce a Bill in this place, with a Government so clearly committed to delivering this law and a worthy legacy for victims not just of Hillsborough but of other scandals such as Grenfell, the Manchester Arena attack, Orgreave, the infected blood scandal and so many others—it would take the rest of my available time to mention them. By doing so, we pay tribute to the victims, survivors and families not just in words but in action, to better protect ordinary people now and in the future. I have met and known families who were affected by Hillsborough, including the Aspinall family. Margaret Aspinall is in the Gallery today, and her daughter Kerry is a lifelong friend of my wife. I have seen the impact that it has had on their family. They live and breathe it to this day. Time and again, innocent ordinary people have been treated appallingly while at their most vulnerable. The state, which should be there to protect them and serve them, has too often deliberately got in their way, obstructed justice and protected itself instead of the victims. I have always said that I cannot and will not support anything called a Hillsborough law if the Hillsborough families did not feel that it was worthy of that name, so I am delighted that they support the Bill before us. I am also pleased to hear that, so far, all the talk has been of strengthening the Bill, not watering it down. However, the Bill is not perfect, and the Hillsborough Law Now campaign group— many of whom are in the Gallery—has identified areas in which we can improve and strengthen it. I have known one of that group’s members, Debbie Caine, who is not here today, for many years. She has campaigned tirelessly for years to get us to this point, and I thank her for everything that she has done. The campaign group want to ensure that the duty of candour applies consistently to all public authorities, including the security and intelligence services. They ask for certainty about the commencement of the Bill, and insist—not unreasonably—that it should come into force upon Royal Assent, not at some unspecified later date. They ask for enhanced whistleblowing protections specific to disclosures made under the new duty of candour. They also have concerns about the current wording on “harm”, which is limited to an identifiable victim. As we know from numerous shameful examples, public deceit can cause institutional or systemic harm rather than individual injury, and we need clarity on that. I am sure that those and other issues will be the subject of some debate in Committee. I want to be clear that, from this moment, the process must result in a stronger Bill, not a weaker one. Too many people have had to fight too hard for too long just to get to this point. We must see this through and get it right. This is no time to be timid. We were elected with a mandate to deliver this law and to do so properly. The victims of Hillsborough and too many other tragedies deserve nothing less.

• 3 Sept 2025 · Duty of Candour for Public Authorities and Legal Representation for Bereaved Families · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Hobhouse. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne) for securing this debate and pay tribute to him for his tireless work, for so long, to raise awareness of the injustice suffered by the victims of Hillsborough and their loved ones. I know people who were directly affected by Hillsborough. I have tried to support them and their truth and justice campaigning in my time in politics. As council leader in St Helens in 2022, I took forward a motion, which I am pleased to say was backed unanimously, to support the introduction of the Hillsborough law and to support my hon. Friend’s “The Real Truth” legacy project. There is not much that would give me greater satisfaction than voting to pass the Hillsborough law in this place, in the role that I now hold. I am not trying to make anyone feel old, but I was just nine years old when Hillsborough happened. But I can vividly remember the news coming through that day. I can remember the newspapers and TV reports in the days and weeks that followed. I remember, in the aftermath, the shocking speed with which the completely false allegations were invented and deliberately spread—the lies that were told at the time about people like me, from communities like mine, by people in positions of power, including in this place. Well, we are in this place now, and we have a Government in power who have said repeatedly that they are committed to introducing the Hillsborough law and supporting victims and their families. We hold the power and we need to use it while we have it, because our enemies always do. I know that the Minister rightly cannot and will not share the details of private conversations, but I can say that in every conversation I have had with her, her commitment and determination to get this right has come through loud and clear, for which I thank her. Enough is enough; nobody should have to fight for truth and justice over the death of a loved one. The way the Hillsborough families have fought for so long is inspirational but also unacceptable. They should never have been put through it. The state protected itself instead of the victims after Hillsborough, which it has done since time and again. It will be able to do it again unless we change things. I will finish by saying publicly what I have said to the Minister and others privately: I cannot and will not support anything that the Hillsborough families do not support. This is not a time to be timid. The Government have been given the mandate to do this and to do it properly. If Ministers can bring forward a Bill, as I hope they will, which has the support of the Hillsborough families and those of other victims who have had to fight too hard for too long for justice, I will take great pleasure in supporting it fully and standing up to the vested interests that have delayed it for too long. Let us get it right and let us get it done.

• 2 Jul 2025 · Armed Forces Commissioner Bill · Hansard source

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  Like everyone else in this House, I am incredibly proud of our armed forces, and particularly of our relationship with them in St Helens. Just yesterday, the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment paraded through St Helens town centre after being awarded the freedom of the borough—we are so incredibly proud. Does the Minister agree that we just need to get on with this now, so that we can show a united front and speak with one voice in support of our armed forces, and give them the support they need?

• 1 Jul 2025 · Parental Leave Review · Hansard source

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  I warmly welcome the review, as I know will families and dads in St Helens North. I am also sure that Jay White, who runs the Dad Matters organisation in St Helens, which supports new dads and is doing a great job, will warmly welcome it as well. With dads across the country and, as we have already heard, across the Chamber, I have been supporting The Dad Shift campaign, saying that two weeks are not enough. I know from personal experience, and from speaking to dads across St Helens, that it is not enough. Will the Minister confirm for the benefit of dads in St Helens North and elsewhere that the current state of paternity leave, including consultation with employers, will be a key focus for the review?

• 1 Jul 2025 · Poverty Reduction · Hansard source

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  St Helens is ranked as the 26th most deprived area nationally, and that poverty has an impact on health and sickness from pre-birth to old age. As a country, we spend more on crisis intervention and less on early intervention after 14 years of the Tories. Will the Chancellor please assure me and people in St Helens North that this Government will do all they can to properly fund councils and health services to help more people live longer, healthier lives?

• 22 May 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  My constituent, Corporal Andy Reid MBE, was severely injured while on patrol in Helmand province in 2009. He defied the odds to survive and has continued to do so every day since. He has undertaken a huge amount of charity work, including through his Standing Tall Foundation, which does incredible work across St Helens, the region and the whole country. In a ceremony in St Helens today, he is to receive the King’s Coronation Medal. Will the Leader of the House join me in paying tribute to Andy and all the work he has done, and in thanking him for his service and for everything he continues to do for people up and down this country?

• 19 Mar 2025 · Transport Connectivity: North-west England · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh and Atherton (Jo Platt) for securing this debate on a topic that is popular in our region—as is clear from attendance this morning. For decades we have suffered cuts to bus routes, unreliable train services and fragmented transport planning. Economic growth has not been the only thing impacted. Social isolation has worsened and the changes have impacted vulnerable groups who rely on public transport—especially, in places like St Helens, on buses. I am pleased that the last two issues have already been mentioned, as they are sometimes overlooked. Eighty-two per cent of all public transport journeys in the Liverpool city region are made by bus, but our region, including St Helens North, has been hit hard by the national decline in bus services. Since 2020, we have lost 15 routes. Much of St Helens North is rural; the cuts have left many areas, such as Rainford, reliant on infrequent, heavily subsidised services. Across the entire Liverpool city region, a staggering 6 million service miles have been withdrawn since 2018, directly impacting our residents. For 40 years, since Thatcher’s failed deregulation experiment, we have suffered a system in which private operators dictate routes based on profit rather than public need. As the leader of St Helens borough council before becoming an MP, I was a member of the Liverpool city region combined authority, and strongly supported the pursuance of bus franchising, bringing our buses back under greater public control. I am delighted to say that, thanks to metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and other local leaders, including St Helens borough council leader Anthony Burns, St Helens will, from September 2026, be the first area in the Liverpool city region to benefit from publicly controlled bus services. That means that routes, fares and timetables will be set by the combined authority, not dictated by private companies: passengers first, not profit. The story is similar when it comes to our rail network, with delays and cancellations plaguing too many people who are reliant on trains to travel for work or leisure. The state of some of our stations is not good enough either, particularly when it comes to accessibility. In 2025, it is surely not too much to expect that every station should be fully accessible to all passengers. It is a scandal that stations including Garswood and Earlestown in St Helens North do not have step-free access. This is something that local Labour councillors, campaigners and our metro Mayor are all keen to fix, and they have my full and ongoing support. I should be grateful if the Minister would share his view on that, either when summing up or outside of the debate. St Helens North and our wider borough is in a great location, in one strong city region and bordering another, with the M6, the M62 and major rail routes running through it. With affordable and reliable public transport, there is no limit to the growth that we could unlock. As in so many things, all we are looking for is fair funding and the opportunity to fulfil our potential.

• 18 Mar 2025 · Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill · Hansard source

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  I rise to support this Bill in its entirety, and I will speak about part 2 in particular. It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner (David Simmonds), who spoke about people hanging their heads in shame. It is not in scope of the Bill, but I could talk about the fact that more children are coming to school not ready to learn. I could talk about the SEND crisis, the rise in child poverty or the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training. We could talk about the Conservatives’ legacy and hanging our heads in shame, but I do not think he would want to hear that.

• 10 Mar 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

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  On Friday, I attended an event organised by Age UK Mid Mersey at the Mansion House in Windle in my constituency, taking questions from service users and volunteers. It was no surprise to me that crime and policing, and specifically the threat of antisocial behaviour, was raised by those present. Older people told me that they were scared to leave their home, especially after dark. For their sake, and for all those in our communities, we need to take our streets back. The Bill is a step towards doing that. Many of the Bill’s welcome measures are aimed at tackling what, for too long and by too many, has been thought of as low-level crime. Antisocial behaviour, whether public drinking, drug use, vandalism or off-road bikes tearing up sports pitches and parks, is completely unacceptable. It blights our communities and can ruin lives. People in St Helens North have great pride in where they live, but that has been tested too often by a mindless minority. In recent weeks in Blackbrook, I have heard reports of some young people targeting buses and shops with objects, even causing some buses to be diverted. They are a minority, and I know most young people will be just as appalled by that sort of behaviour as most people of any age, but it is totally unacceptable. The introduction of respect orders will help to address some of that by targeting repeat offenders and ensuring that they face real consequences. Most of all, restoring neighbourhood policing will send a message that we will not stand for it. Another crime that for too long has been seen as low level and has been effectively decriminalised is shoplifting. My mum was a shop worker, working in what was then the Co-op on West End Road in Blackbrook. She regularly encountered shoplifting—and, I am sad to say, much worse. She was assaulted at work, as were many other women she worked with. When it comes to violence against shop workers, we need the police and businesses to take every possible step to protect workers and customers, and to punish those responsible. I strongly welcome the proposals in the Bill. People in St Helens North deserve and demand to feel safe. The Bill contains many steps in the right direction to ensure that crime does not dictate the way that we live our lives, and that those responsible face the consequences of their irresponsible actions. Our police must have the resources and the powers to tackle antisocial behaviour and violent crime—both prevention and punishment. It is about protecting our communities and ensuring that they are places to live, work and raise a family in peace. That is all most of us want, and we need to deliver it.

• 24 Feb 2025 · Breakfast Clubs: Early Adopters · Hansard source

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  I am delighted that three schools in my constituency—Ashurst primary, Garswood primary and PACE—are part of this initial roll-out, and I am delighted for them. I was also delighted to hear Carr Mill primary school in my constituency get a mention by the Secretary of State in her statement. I congratulate Mr Maley, the headteacher, and all the staff on the outstanding work they are clearly already doing—I know they are doing it, because I used to work there, and it is a great school. Like many Members, I have already been contacted today by other families and schools to ask when they can be part of this scheme. Can the Secretary of State assure me and my constituents that the Government will work as quickly as possible to roll it out to all primary schools? Can she also assure my constituents who are concerned about school funding that schools will be properly resourced to deliver this, as well as everything else they have to do?

• 13 Feb 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on rugby football league, I will start by thanking you, Mr Speaker, and congratulating you on your recent term as president of the Rugby Football League. You have always been a great champion of the greatest game, and I thank you for that. I am sure you are as excited as I am that the season is under way and the super league kicks off tonight. This year, rugby league celebrates its 130th anniversary. In all that time, no representative of the sport has ever received the highest honour of a knighthood or damehood, although there have been many worthy candidates for those honours and recipients of others, including Billy Boston, Alex Murphy and Kevin Sinfield. Does the Leader of the House share my dismay, frustration and surprise at this oversight? Can she advise me on how best to raise it, and who with, to ensure that our great game and some of the outstanding individuals who represent it receive the recognition that they deserve?

• 6 Feb 2025 · Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Eleventh sitting) · Hansard source

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  The Minister just mentioned areas where schools already collaborate well with local authorities, and I am pleased to say that St Helens is one of those areas. From my experience as council leader before coming here, and since then as a Member of Parliament, I am aware that maintained schools and academies work together collaboratively very well, both with each other and with the local authority. Does the Minister agree that the clause is simply about ensuring that that remains the case and that local authorities have the support they need to ensure that local schools work for local families?

• 4 Feb 2025 · Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting) · Hansard source

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  In an ideal situation, of course I want whoever is teaching my children to be qualified, and I do not think that is an unfair expectation. Going back to a point that has been made, we have heard that that is already the situation in maintained schools. To bring what may be the conclusion of the debate back to its start by mentioning the rugby league—which I am very happy to talk about for many hours, if anyone will indulge me—in my constituency of St Helens North, our rugby league club does outstanding work across the community including in both maintained and academy schools, with children across the borough getting access to high-quality sports coaching. That will not change. At maintained schools across the country, pupils have access to specialist adults coming in and teaching them all sorts of things in the presence of qualified teachers as well. That will not change. This is about high expectations. Like the debate we had about branded items, most parents and families listening to this will be absolutely baffled at the Opposition and at how much time we are spending talking about something that, to most parents, should be a standard expectation —that the people teaching their children are qualified.

• 4 Feb 2025 · Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting) · Hansard source

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  Will he give way? [ Laughter . ]

• 4 Feb 2025 · Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting) · Hansard source

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  I do not believe they are contradictory, because expecting an outstanding education involves expecting teachers to be qualified. The hon. Member’s colleagues have said that, and witnesses in oral sessions said the same. Of course qualified teachers are the ideal. I do not believe it is contradictory to say that I expect teachers to be qualified and that I want my children to have an outstanding education—those things go hand in hand.

• 4 Feb 2025 · Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Ninth sitting) · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Edward. I was not going to speak in this debate, but I have sat here in increasing bafflement—a bit like the debate we had in a previous sitting on branded school uniform items. I think most ordinary families watching or listening to this debate will share my confusion. We have heard time and again from Opposition Members about whether the measure is needed. I have QTS—I was a teacher in a previous life 10 years ago—but I am speaking as a parent. I have one child at a maintained primary school, and my eldest child is at an academy secondary school. I do not care what kind of school they go to, as long as it is a good school and they get a good education with good outcomes. For me, this is about expectations and high standards. As a parent, I am entitled to expect that both my children are taught by qualified teachers.

• 4 Feb 2025 · Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Tenth sitting) · Hansard source

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  In schools that follow the national curriculum, there is nothing stopping teachers from differentiating and offering support to children who are not up to the required standard in reading and writing when they go from year 2 to year 3, for example. That happens now in thousands of schools up and down the country without issue. What is the problem with having the national curriculum in schools that would be expected to differentiate anyway?