Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Children Not in School: National Register and Support

23 January 2024 · 2 other contributors

Opened by Bridget Phillipson Lab Houghton and Sunderland South

EducationChildren & Families

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Bridget Phillipson raised concerns about children not in school: national register and support in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • The motion condemns the Secretary of State for failing to address the issue of persistent school absence.
  • The motion calls for legislation to amend the Education Act 1996 to require local authorities to maintain a register of children not attending school.
  • The motion outlines procedural requirements for the debate on the topic.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Bridget Phillipson Lab Houghton and Sunderland South

The motion condemns the Secretary of State for her failure to address the crisis of persistent school absence. It calls on the Government to introduce legislation amending the Education Act 1996, establishing a mandatory duty for local authorities in England to maintain a register of eligible children not attending school as outlined in Part 3 of the Schools Bill [Lords] from the 2022-23 Parliamentary session. The motion also sets out specific provisions and procedural requirements for this debate.

Other contributors (2)
  • Rosie Winterton Speaker

    The Speaker outlined that there would be two debates with limited time allocated, suggesting opening speeches should last around 15 minutes each. For Back-Bench Members, the time limit for speeches will likely be about five minutes, indicating a need to keep contributions concise.

  • Bridget Phillipson Lab Houghton and Sunderland South

    Proposes to condemn the Secretary of State for Education's failure in tackling persistent school absence. Calls on the Government to immediately introduce legislation amending the 1996 Education Act, compelling local authorities to keep a register of eligible children not attending school as detailed in Part 3 of the Schools Bill [Lords] from the previous session. The motion also sets out specific procedural requirements for this debate.

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