Michelle Welsh

Michelle Welsh

Labour — Sherwood Forest

Speaking in the House of Commons on 27 October 2025

Debate

Holidays During School Term Time

Contribution

I absolutely agree, especially as someone who has a five-year old and was trying to balance this during the recess. Who pays the highest price for this? The children of the families who are already struggling. Those children often live in cramped housing, rely on school for hot meals and desperately need the stimulation, new experiences and simple joy of a family holiday. They are denied the chance to build memories and see the world beyond their postcode, which is vital. I have taken some of the most vulnerable children in the east midlands away on adventure holidays—they have an enormous impact on their education and wellbeing. We cannot stand by while a family’s well-deserved rest is treated as a penalty to be charged. A break for a family is not a privilege to be rationed; it is a right that must be protected.

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