September 2025

I have mentioned the investment that we are putting into early education—£8 billion this year and £9 billion next year. We have announced the largest ever increase in the early years pupil premium, and case studies from across the country are demonstrating the difference that this programme is making. However, as I mentioned, we want to make the process simpler for parents and learn lessons from the past, and we will set that out in due course as part of our wider reform agenda.

I know that my hon. Friend is really passionate about these issues and wanting to make life so much easier for families in her constituency. School-based nurseries will help drive quality in early education and ensure good-quality access for parents. I mentioned the double drop-off that many parents face; accessing a school-based nursery and then dropping off their older child at primary school is a much simpler and more convenient approach. I am very happy to follow up on my hon. Friend’s point

I thank the hon. Member for his question and for his engagement on these extremely important issues. I pay tribute to the family he represents. I have met with them personally to understand the changes they are keen to see. The safety of our youngest children is of the utmost importance to my Department. I am keen to continue to engage with the hon. Member as we hear the family’s concerns and bring about the change that they expect.

My hon. Friend likes to lobby me on these issues, and I pay tribute to his hard work in delivering for his constituency. I also thank those who work in nurseries and schools across his constituency, who we have worked really hard to rebuild the relationship with after the failures of the previous Government.

The hon. Member will know that I have prioritised getting to know the Minister responsible in Northern Ireland in order to discuss these issues, and I am really pleased that the Northern Ireland Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Fleur Anderson), is sat next to me. I will continue to engage with the Government in Northern Ireland on the issues of workforce and sufficiency, and where we can, I am very keen to support the community in dealing with the challenges they face.

Today’s milestone moment is delivering real change for families across the country, including in my hon. Friend’s constituency. We are really pleased by the milestone we have met today, but there is much more to come to make sure we break down the barriers to opportunity for every child in every part of the country.

As a relatively new dad, my hon. Friend has been a real champion on these issues in this House, and it was a real pleasure to meet him earlier this year to discuss some of the issues he faces. I pay tribute to those who work in the early years sector in his constituency—they are working day in, day out to ensure every child gets the best start in life.

I thank my hon. Friend for visiting the HAF programme in his constituency, where he saw first-hand what a brilliant scheme it is, providing healthy meals, enriching activities and Government-funded childcare places for children from low-income families. That is exactly what this Labour Government want to invest in, and we are.

It was a real privilege to visit my hon. Friend’s constituency to see at first hand the hard work she is undertaking with school staff and nursery settings. She is absolutely right: our investment in early years will make a huge difference to children’s lives by allowing them to socialise and to develop the skills they need to succeed in life, as well as delivering real benefits for parents across the country, saving them on average £7,500 a year.

This Government have a clear mission to break down the barriers to opportunity and to remove the stain of child poverty on our society. That is why I was so pleased to announce in the House earlier this year that the down payment on the child poverty strategy will lift 100,000 children out of poverty and ensure that half a million more children can access free school meals from September next year.

I thank Mr Hickman for that feedback. We are absolutely committed to delivering on our commitment to create tens of thousands more places through new and expanded school-based nurseries, backed by more than £400 million of investment. That will help more families access Government-funded childcare and ensure that every child gets the best start in life.

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Phase 2 of the school-based nursery programme, with a stronger focus on supporting families in disadvantaged areas, will make a huge difference. From 22 September this year, schools can apply for up to £150,000 from a £45 million fund, enabling at least another 300 school-based nurseries across the country.

My sister has worked in the early years sector for 30 years, and the early years workforce are at the heart of our Government’s plan for change to ensure that every child gets the best start in life. We are committed to making childcare more affordable and accessible for families. This week, a key milestone has been met, but there is more to do, and I look forward to working with my hon. Friend to make sure that every child, whatever their background, can succeed and thrive through good-quality

I thank all those who have contributed to the key milestone that has been met today. My hon. Friend mentioned the valuable role of trade unions, and I agree with him. Today, we are launching phase 2 of the school-based nurseries programme, with a stronger focus on supporting families in disadvantaged areas. The application window for schools to apply will open on 22 September, and I know he will be keen to encourage schools in his constituency to apply for this exciting opportunity.

My hon. Friend is right to flag the significance of free breakfast clubs in primary schools, which we are rolling out across every primary school in the country. That is on top of what we have delivered today with our funded childcare, with 30 hours of support each week. That will save parents on average £7,500 a year. We are a Government who take seriously support for children and families across the country, easing some of the pressures they face, but also ensuring that every child gets the be

I pay tribute to all those who have helped deliver the holiday activities and food programme in my hon. Friend’s constituency and across the country. We have had 5 million days delivered this year alone. That is a huge investment in our children’s futures and making sure they have access to good-quality enrichment activities, hot food and opportunities that they might not ordinarily get at school or at home.

My hon. Friend will know that our landmark strategy sets out our first steps towards delivering a decade of national renewal and strengthening family services. We are always keen to learn from other countries, because in order to achieve our ambitions as a country, we need to learn from elsewhere. He will know the value I place, as a former playworker, on play provision, and I am happy to discuss these issues further with him.

I thank my hon. Friend for his proactivity in bringing parents together to hear their thoughts and views. We are a Government who are listening to what parents tell us, and we want to act to ensure that every child gets the best start in life. He is absolutely right that investing in early education and supporting early intervention around any additional needs that children have are vital in ensuring that every child gets the best possible outcomes and life chances. I know that he will continue

My hon. Friend reminds us that the effects of the huge contract with Norway to build frigates in this country will be dissipated right through our economy and into constituencies such as my hon. Friend’s across the country. We should be celebrating the international agreements that we have, not going abroad and doing this country down.

I will certainly ensure that the hon. Lady gets a discussion with the relevant Minister on the issue of conditional selling, which sounds like something that should concern us all.