Member

It was one year ago this week that we had the Second Reading of this Bill in this House. I close by expressing my gratitude to your Lordships’ House for its constructive and valuable scrutiny on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. I thank all noble Lords I have engaged with during its passage. I thank the Opposition Front Bench, in particular the noble Baroness, Lady Barran, given her announcement today—though I would have thanked her anyway. When I arrived in this House, she kindly agreed to have a coffee with me to talk about her experiences and help me to settle into my role here. She has been enormously concerned about the effectiveness of our schools and the safety and well-being of our children. She has been a doughty opponent. She has always been clear about the detail and always willing to engage outside this House, in order to bring that experience to improve our considerations. I am slightly fearful that she will be even more difficult to deal with on the Back Benches than she has been on the Opposition Front Bench. I know that for her Opposition service and her service as a Minister, there are many people who have enormous respect for her and the contribution that she has made.