Member

Every single parent or carer is ambitious for their children. The vast majority are currently working every hour that God sends, just to make ends meet, and they will welcome the breakfast clubs and help with the cost of uniforms, not to mention the Employment Rights Bill and other things that Opposition parties continue to vote against. This Bill does a lot, and I will vote for it with enthusiasm, but there is still a lot more to do. I have a huge amount of sympathy with some of the tabled amendments, particularly those that would increase the take-up and availability of free school meals. For example, the use of auto-enrolment is a no-brainer, and I hope the Government will look at that. More generally, if we are to improve children’s wellbeing, we will have to end child poverty. That will need a whole-of-Government and national effort that is much bigger than this single Bill or any other, so I look forward to the report of the child poverty taskforce in due course—hopefully, sooner rather than later.