Week In Westminster: w/c 1st June
- Jun 5
- 3 min read
On Monday, the week kicked off with the Government making a statement to the House of Commons on the 'Humble Address' - the process by which Parliament has been scrutinising the handling of the Mandelson appointment. I was pleased to see the Government deliver on its commitment to full transparency, having released over 300 documents. This is as well as the Government setting out a package of further reforms, from new rules on vetting for political appointments, to an independent review of how non-corporate communication channels like WhatsApp are used across government.
Elsewhere in the Chamber, the Health Bill had its second reading. The Bill is a critically important step forward for NHS reform and one I’ll be keeping a close eye on (and – in future newsletters – going into greater detail on!). Tuesday brought an urgent question in the House on the Milburn Review interim report - the independent review commissioned by the Government into why so many young people are not in employment, education or training.
It’s a matter I care deeply about. Over 90,000 young people across Yorkshire alone are not in work, education or training - nearly the population of the entire city of Doncaster. The system we've inherited was built to write people off rather than help them on. I'm keenly awaiting the full report's publication at the end of this year. In the meantime, the Government is acting through its £2.5 billion 'Youth Guarantee'. The scheme will deliver 200,000 jobs and apprenticeships, with hiring incentives targeted at local businesses and full funding for apprenticeships at small and medium-sized enterprises. These are not handouts - they are a hand up, and young people across Ossett and Denby Dale deserve a chance to go as far as their hard work and talent will take them.
Also this week, the Armed Forces Bill entered Committee Stage, with MPs going through the legislation line by line. This Bill delivers on the Government’s promise to enshrine the Armed Forces Covenant in law for the first time, establishes a new Defence Housing Service to improve the quality of homes for service personnel and their families, strengthens protections for victims of service offences, and gives defence personnel new powers to tackle drone threats near military sites. The legislation is critical for our national security, and the health and happiness of armed service personnel and their families.
On Thursday, I was also pleased to see the Department for Education publish important new guidance on children in care, setting out a commitment to make enduring relationships, the central focus of the children's social care system. The announcement was part of broader work the Government is undertaking to ensure children in care are no longer overlooked.
Also, I wanted to share some brilliant stats from the DfE this week - including that the Government are over 70% of the way to our target to recruit 6,500 new teachers, and that we've officially served 10 million free breakfasts to the children who need them most. That’s 10 million easier mornings for parents and 10 million more days of concentrated, focused learning.
Finally, for the rest of the week, I’ve enjoyed some brilliant constituency visits. Yesterday I was at New Hall Prison hearing about efforts to rehabilitate offenders, today, I’ve been at Emley Moor Mast, learning about the important role it continues to play in our broadcasting and national infrastructure. Best yet, I’ll be spending the weekend at the brilliant Ossett Beer Festival, enjoying a pint, a Morris dance, and all of the publicans and brewers who make our area great.
A prison, a pylon and a pint – what a weekend! |
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