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PRESS RELEASE : £53 million cash boost to improve housing support for drug and alcohol recovery [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 3 February 2023.

28 local authorities across England will receive funds to help people in drug and alcohol treatment.
- Funding will test the impact of providing additional housing support to improve recovery from addiction
- Strengthens commitment to reducing drug use, and improving treatment outcomes, as part of the government’s 10-year drug strategy
People in alcohol and drug recovery will soon have access to housing support, helping to break the cycle of addiction and improve health outcomes.

Up to £53 million will be allocated to 28 local authorities across all regions of England with the greatest need.

The funding will allow for local authorities to create new housing support schemes tailored to meet local need.

People in treatment for drug and alcohol dependence are often easier to support if their housing needs are addressed at the same time, as there is a strong link between having a stable home and improved treatment outcomes.

Examples of how the funding will be spent include specialist housing caseworkers supporting people in drug and alcohol treatment to access and maintain safe and suitable housing. Support will also look to help people create sustainable and long-term recovery by maintaining independent living.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

We’re supporting those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction by addressing the link between improved treatment outcomes and a stable home.

This £53 million funding, targeted to local authorities with the greatest need, will support the government’s ambition to reduce overall drug use to a historic 30-year low.

Health Minister Neil O’Brien said:

Alcohol and drug dependence can have a devastating impact on the lives of people, their families and wider society. It is essential to break this cycle of addiction.

The £53 million housing support funding will play a key role in testing how housing can help break this cycle, improve recovery and help people to live happier and healthier lives.

In Manchester, specialist housing caseworkers will work out of three prevention hubs to be established across the city, providing a rapid response to housing issues that may affect people in substance misuse treatment securing or maintaining accommodation over the long term.

In Lancashire, staff from across housing, drug and alcohol and health services will receive a programme of training to develop skills in substance misuse and housing related support and to will create a joined-up system across other organisations and public services, offering an improved experience for people experiencing homelessness.

In Wigan, peer mentors with past experience of drug and alcohol treatment will provide support to people struggling to maintain independent living to sustain their accommodation and improve recovery outcomes.

These projects will also expand our evidence base on treatment and recovery, with learnings helping to inform and develop future policy, in partnership with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Director of Addictions and Inclusion, Rosanna O’Connor said:

The need for better housing and employment support for people dependent on drugs and alcohol is a core part of the current 10-Year national drugs strategy. We have known, for too long, that people in drug treatment with housing problems do less well in their recovery. What we know less about is how to address these problems. For the first time, dedicated funding is available to improve housing support.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities are working closely with 28 local authorities up until 2025 to test and learn from specific approaches to housing support for this population, and Government will take the learning from these areas forward as part of its work to implement the Drugs Strategy.

This supports recommendations from Dame Carol Black’s independent review, outlining housing support as a key strand needed to improve the effectiveness of drug prevention and treatment to help more people recover from dependence.

It will support the government’s commitment to its 10-year drug strategy, which sets out the ambition to reduce overall use towards a historic 30-year low, getting people into treatment and deterring recreational drug use.

This aspect of the wider strategy is part of a total package of £780 million to rebuild drug treatment and recovery services, including for young people and offenders, with new commissioning standards to drive transparency and consistency.

Dame Carol Black statement:

Addressing the housing-related needs of people in treatment with drug and alcohol dependence was a critical part of my Independent Review of Drugs.

I am pleased that government is working with 28 local authorities across England to test the effectiveness of housing support interventions over the next 3 years.

Learning from these areas will inform and drive forward the 10-Year Drugs Strategy, making the case for safe and supportive housing in recovery from addiction.
03/02/2023
BIOGRAPHY : Thomas Curson Hansard

THOMAS CURSON HANSARD

Thomas Curson Hansard (1776-1833) was an English printer and publisher who is widely regarded as the father of parliamentary reporting. He was born in London and became a printer and publisher in the early 19th century. Hansard saw an opportunity to produce verbatim reports of parliamentary debates and began publishing them in 1812.

At the time, the reporting of parliamentary proceedings was limited and often partisan, and Hansard saw an opportunity to provide a more accurate and impartial record of the debates. He quickly established a reputation for accuracy and impartiality, and his reports became popular with the public and widely regarded as the authoritative source of information on parliamentary proceedings.

Hansard’s reports were a major innovation in parliamentary reporting, and he is credited with creating the modern Hansard. He was awarded a contract to supply reports of parliamentary debates to the government in 1829, and his reports became an important source of information and accountability in the UK.

After his death in 1833, his business was continued by his family, and the Hansard became an official government publication in 1909. Today, the Hansard remains an important historical document and a source of information on the debates and decisions of the UK Parliament.

Hansard’s legacy has had a lasting impact on parliamentary reporting and democracy in the UK. His commitment to accuracy and impartiality has set the standard for parliamentary reporting, and his name has become synonymous with the official record of parliamentary proceedings. He is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of parliamentary reporting and a key figure in the history of parliamentary democracy.

03/02/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New strategy to boost NHS access to innovative medical technology [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 3 February 2023.

Patients across the UK are set to benefit from access to safe, effective and innovative equipment and medical devices as part of the first ever medical technology (medtech) strategy published today.

The blueprint for boosting NHS medtech will focus on accelerating access to innovative technologies, such as the latest generation of home dialysis machines that enable patients to manage their own health at home and in their day to day lives.

It also sets out steps which need to be taken to ensure patients can access safe, effective and innovative technology through the NHS, which can help diagnose, treat and deliver care more quickly, freeing up clinician time. The NHS spends £10 billion a year on medtech including syringes, wheelchairs, cardiac pacemakers and medical imaging equipment such as X-ray machines.

Building on learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid development of medical technologies during that time such as lateral flow tests and ventilators, this strategy will ensure the right product is available at the right price and in the right place. As a result, patients will continue to have access to high-quality care, alongside improved patient safety and health outcomes.

The strategy aims to deliver value for money, using the latest data on the effectiveness of new technology to ensure prices are reasonable for the health system. It will also help build resilient supply chains and ensure the UK is prepared for future pandemics, just as demand for technology like syringes and ventilators rapidly increase during the pandemic.

Using medtech effectively will be critical in reducing waiting lists for treatment caused by the pandemic as it has the potential to speed up diagnosis and deliver new and improved ways to treat and support patients. For example, COVID-19 demonstrated the importance of fast and accurate diagnostic testing and genome sequencing to process and share results, and home lateral flow testing showed the potential for increased use of diagnostics outside of formal clinical settings, to support earlier diagnosis and free up staff time.

Minister of State for Health Will Quince said:

The UK’s innovative spirit delivered revolutionary technology during the pandemic – from COVID tests and ventilators – and we want to harness this in promoting cutting-edge medical advancements to improve patient care.

The NHS spends around £10 billion a year on medical technology and I’m looking forward to working with industry to use this as we focus on reducing hospital stays, enhancing diagnosis, preventing illness and freeing up staff time.

This new medtech strategy will help build a sustainable NHS with patients at the centre so people can continue to access the right care at the right time.

The key aims of the strategy are to:
- boost the supply of the best equipment to deliver greater resilience to health care challenges, such as pandemics, and enhance NHS performance through modernised technology which will enable faster diagnosis, treatment and ultimately discharge to free up hospital beds
- encourage ambitious, innovative research to secure the UK’s position as a global science superpower and attract vital investment for the UK economy and create jobs across the country. In 2021, there were already around 60 different research programmes supporting innovative technologies, representing over £1 billion of funding
- increase understanding and awareness of medtech by clinicians which will lead to more informed purchasing on new products and deliver better value for taxpayer money and better services for patients
- build on the Life Sciences Vision to improve collaboration between the NHS, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as an innovation partner to ensure patients can access the right products safely
The implementation plan to deliver on this strategy will be published later this year and will include a review of the £1 billion spent on appliances in primary care, new comparison tools to enable better decision making when purchasing which achieve the best results for patients, and collaboration with industry to ensure availability of key products to keep patients safe.

Dr Timothy Ferris, National Director for Transformation at NHS England said:

Medical technology has an enormous role to play in benefitting patients now and in the future.

The importance of medtech was made clear during the COVID-19 pandemic and as the NHS moves through its recovery, it will play a key role in addressing the challenges we face.

Dr Sam Roberts of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said:

It is essential that clinicians and patients can access the most impactful and cost-effective medical technologies, while medtech companies need to be confident that they are developing products which meet the needs of patients and the NHS.

This strategy sets out a clear vision for the future. NICE is excited to be part of the delivery of this vision, working with our partners to further develop world leading processes to provide a sustainable pathway for medical technologies, from innovation to implementation.

Peter Ellingworth of the Association of British HealthTech Industries said:

ABHI welcomes the publication of the DHSC medtech strategy, and the recognition it brings to the importance of HealthTech in supporting the NHS to deliver exceptional care for people in the UK. HealthTech plays a valuable role in enabling improved outcomes through changing patient pathways as well as productivity and efficiency gains.

It is important that this strategy supports the ambition of the Life Sciences Vision to create an outstanding business environment for HealthTech companies. We look forward to working closely with the Directorate in the implementation the strategy.

This strategy follows action to cut NHS waiting times as one of the government’s top 5 priorities, backed by up to £14.1 billion of health and social care funding available for the next 2 years, on top of record funding and the publishing of a new urgent and emergency care recovery plan.
03/02/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Veterans charity born out of DIY SOS going “from strength to strength” [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 2 February 2023.

Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer and DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles visited Hull 4 Heroes today to meet charity staff and volunteers supporting veterans

Charity supports veterans across the City of Hull, North Riding and North Lincolnshire

A charity born out of inspiration from a veterans project on DIY SOS has been praised for helping ex-service personnel in north-east England.

Today, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer and DIY SOS Presenter Nick Knowles visited Hull 4 Heroes.

The charity, which has previously benefited from funding via the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, was founded in 2016 and provides crucial support services to veterans in Hull, North Riding and North Lincolnshire. Services provided by the charity include employment support, training, woodwork, cookery and mental health.

On the visit Mr Mercer met with veterans to learn more about how the charity helps people in the area, including through making large and small scale renovations to existing properties which veterans live in.

The Minister was given a tour of the warehouse facilities the charity runs, which stores personal possessions of ex-service personnel while they are moving or finding a new house. The charity also provided a Virtual Reality tour of their flagship project – a brand new housing development called the Veterans Village.

The Veterans Village will see the construction of a housing and rehabilitation site for veterans as they transition into civilian life. The 22 acre site will contain a residential area, training and support facility and a visitor centre.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer said:

It was a pleasure to visit the Hull 4 Heroes team with Nick Knowles today to learn more about the work they are doing to help ensure our veterans enjoy a smooth and successful transition to civilian life.

The valuable skills they are teaching offer a stable platform for those looking to get back into work, enabling employers across the UK to fully appreciate just how valuable our veterans can be.

Hull 4 Heroes was founded by Paul Matson, a veteran himself, who built a successful business following a difficult period after leaving the armed forces. His charity was created on the back of getting involved with the show DIY SOS Big Build on a veterans project in Manchester, called Veterans Street. As a consequence of seeing the success of this project, he decided to establish his own veterans support hub in Hull with the help of other members of the local armed forces community.

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs recently announced Op Fortitude, a single referral scheme for homeless veterans to access supported housing and wrap-around specialist care. Along with more than £8.5 million in funding for charity support services in veterans housing units, the scheme will ensure veterans homelessness is ended in 2023.

Following the success of a temporary pathway set up for the Christmas period last year, the referral scheme is being designed, taking forward lessons learned, and will launch in Spring this year.

03/02/2023
PRESS RELEASE : The UK commends the work of UN Mission in Iraq and welcomes the progress of the newly formed Government – UK Statement at the Security Council [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 2 February 2023.

Statement delivered by Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UN Security Council briefing on Iraq.

Thank you, Madam President. Let me start by thanking Japan for a highly professional and effective presidency in the month of January, and let me assure you and your team of our full support for your presidency this month. Thank you to the Special Representative for her briefing and to Dr Ahmad for the messages he brought forward today.

The UK commends the vital work of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq. As the Special Representative said, we also commend the longstanding commitment of successive Iraqi governments to working closely with the UN Mission.

We welcome the formation of the new Government of Iraq and Prime Minister Sudani’s focus on the delivery of services that the people of Iraq need. The UK will continue to support the Iraqi government on the range of challenges it faces. Key amongst these challenges are securing the country’s economic stability and the need for climate action, including energy transition and green economic reform. We hope to see the Government propose and pass a sustainable budget which stimulates investment in Iraq’s future. We encourage the government’s continued focus on tackling corruption, as the Special Representative said, and we echo the Special Representative and others on the importance of human rights and accountability.

Another central challenge is Iraq’s security. We remain committed to supporting the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government in their efforts to ensure the safety of Iraqi civilians, not least in the ongoing fight against the scourge of Daesh, and to safeguard the security and sovereignty of Iraq.

We welcome Prime Minister Sudani’s work to reinforce the security of Iraq’s borders. We commend Prime Minister Sudani’s engagements throughout the region and his government’s efforts to encourage regional stability through broader bilateral relations. We encourage further regional dialogue, including on crucial transnational issues such as water security and the adverse impacts of climate change. And we welcome UNAMI’s important role in support of these efforts. Continued close cooperation between the government of Iraq and regional partners is important to reinforce both Iraqi and regional security and stability.

We welcome ongoing contact between Baghdad and Erbil to settle outstanding issues of concern. We encourage all sides to engage in dialogue to resolve differences where they exist, including on the hydrocarbon law and the budget. We also welcome and encourage dialogue between the Kurdish political parties, and we will continue to emphasise the urgent importance of passing a law facilitating elections in the Kurdistan region this year.

Finally, we would also like to thank the Special Representative for her update on missing Kuwaiti and third country nationals, and missing Kuwaiti property. We welcome and encourage the commitment of all parties to making further progress on this important issue.

Thank you.

03/02/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Dangerous thief, Jordan Peacock, given extended spell in prison [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 2 February 2023.

Thief who ran over his victim as he tried to flee with stolen goods will spend longer in prison.

A thief who ran over his victim as he tried to flee with stolen goods will spend longer in prison after his case was referred under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Jordan Peacock, 26, from Worksop, Nottinghamshire, was one of three men who stole toolboxes from an electrician working in Whitwell. When the electrician realised, he attempted to close the gates to prevent the getaway car leaving the premises.

Peacock drove the vehicle directly at the victim, running him down and destroying the gates, before attempting to drive away while the victim was still under the vehicle.

The electrician suffered grave injuries including fractured hip, collarbone, ribs and shoulder blade.

The other men fled the scene on foot as the iron gates had become stuck in the wheels of Peacock’s car.

Peacock pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and two counts of theft and was sentenced at Derby Crown Court to 4 years and 3 months’ imprisonment.

Following the sentencing on 7 November 2022, the case was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Peacock’s original sentence was found to be unduly lenient by the Court on 2 February 2023 and was increased to 6 years and 3 months.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said:

This is a shocking and brazen case. Jordan Peacock’s behaviour cannot be tolerated in our society, and this increased sentence better reflects this dreadful crime which has left a lasting impact on his victim.

02/02/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Leaders meet to strengthen UK resilience [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 2 February 2023.

Leaders from across the public, private and voluntary sectors, including the emergency services, have met today to continue to strengthen the UK’s resilience.
- First UK Resilience Forum since publication of government’s strategy on resilience
- Leaders from National Police Chiefs Council and National Fire Chiefs Council, as well as leaders in energy, transport and business, at the meeting
Leaders from across the public, private and voluntary sectors, including the emergency services, have met today to continue to strengthen the UK’s resilience; scanning future threats and discussing the work underway as part of the government’s new Resilience Framework.

Chaired for the first time by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, and Lead Minister for Resilience, the Rt Hon. Oliver Dowden MP, it is the first meeting of the UK Resilience Forum since the publication of the government’s new strategy on resilience which officially makes resilience a national endeavour.

Speaking at the meeting, the Minister said:

I am delighted to Chair today’s Resilience Forum, bringing together leaders from across the public, private and voluntary sectors, including our dedicated emergency services, to strengthen our national resilience; scanning future threats and discussing the important work that’s already underway as part of our ambitious Resilience Framework.

Attendees included the Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, Civil Contingencies lead at the National Police Chiefs Council, leaders across the energy, transport, water and telecom sectors, and representatives from business and the voluntary and community sector.

The Forum highlighted the importance of taking a ‘whole of society’ approach to resilience as outlined in the Framework – empowering individuals, businesses and other organisations to play their part in building resilience across the UK. They also welcomed the work underway to achieve the commitments set out in the Framework which include:
- Delivering a new UK Resilience Academy, making world class professional training available to all that need it
- Appointing a new Head of Resilience, to guide best practice and encourage adherence to standards; making the government more transparent and accountable
- Clarifying roles and responsibilities in the UK government for each National Security Risk Assessment risk, to drive activity across the risk lifecycle
- Significantly strengthening Local Resilience Forums in England
- Developing a Measure for Social Vulnerability as an indicator of socio-economic resilience and how risks impact across communities and vulnerable groups
Civil Contingencies lead from the National Police Chiefs Council, Assistant Chief Constable, Owen Weatherill, said:

We support the government’s ambition to build greater resilience through a national approach, and we recognise the benefits of having resilient communities able to support themselves as much as possible during a crisis – this enables emergency services to focus their response on the most vulnerable people in society.

Policing has a key role to play in resilience planning, both at local and national level and we will work closely with Resilience Forums to ensure the new Framework is successful and helps those most in need.

CEO of the National Emergencies Trust, Mhairi Sharp, said:

The UK Resilience Forum is bringing together the public, private and third sectors to compare perspectives and shape plans in the round to strengthen the UK’s resilience. For the National Emergencies Trust it’s a valuable opportunity to share lived experience and learnings from UK emergency survivors.

Executive Director at the Environment Agency, Caroline Douglass, commented:

I’m pleased to represent the Environment Agency at the UK Resilience Framework – it is vital we work alongside partners to strengthen our resilience to risks, including extreme weather caused by a changing climate. With at least one in six people in England at risk from flooding from rivers and the sea, it’s crucial that we create climate-resilient communities.
02/02/2023
Bambos Charalambous – 2023 Speech on the International Day of Education

The speech made by Bambos Charalambous, the Labour MP for Enfield Southgate, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons on 26 January 2023.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Sharma. I refer the House to my entry on the Register of Members’ Financial Interests—I am the co-chair of the APPG on global education. I thank my friend, the right hon. Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford), for securing this timely and important debate to mark the International Day of Education and for her excellent speech. As co-chairs of the APPG, we both care deeply about this topic and are working closely together to shine a light on the importance of inclusive and quality education for all.

As we mark the International Day of Education this week, it is staggering to note that 222 million children around the world are affected by emergency and protracted crises and in need of urgent educational support. This has grown from an estimated 75 million in 2016, as more children around the world are missing out on essential education time. We find these children facing some of the world’s foremost challenges, from the war in Ukraine and the repression of women and girls in Afghanistan to the impact of food insecurity in the horn of Africa and climate-related disaster in the Sahel.

Education is every child’s right. It is fundamental to creating a peaceful and prosperous world. My hon. Friend the Member for Harrow West (Gareth Thomas) emphasised the value of education for all. Labour recognises the importance of quality, safe, inclusive and free public education as the cornerstone of the UN sustainable development goals. Education saves lives; improves nutrition and health; reduces child, early and forced marriage; and leads to more equal, respectful and open societies.

On visits abroad, I have seen the scale of the challenges we face in global education, in particular for women and girls. As the hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Mrs Grant) succinctly put it, girls’ education is an absolute game-changer. She is absolutely right to make that point. Every day, girls face barriers to education caused by poverty, child marriage and gender-based violence, poor infrastructure, cultural norms and practices and fragility. Around the world, 129 million girls are out of school, including 32 million of primary school age, 30 million of lower secondary school age and 67 million of upper secondary school age. As eloquently pointed out by the hon. Member for West Worcestershire (Harriett Baldwin), in countries affected by conflict, girls are more than twice as likely to be out of school than girls living in non-affected areas.

This year, UNESCO has dedicated the International Day of Education to the women and girls of Afghanistan. What is happening there is an absolute tragedy: the Taliban’s barbaric ban on the participation of women in public life means schools and universities have been closed to Afghan women and girls, in violation of their fundamental rights and freedoms. Since the fall of Kabul, the Taliban has stopped 850,000 secondary age girls from attending school; as we have heard throughout today’s excellent debate, the impact of that ban is devastating. At the same time, the world has watched in awe as brave girls and women in Afghanistan have protested and demanded the right to go to school in the face of repression by the Taliban. Afghanistan can never flourish while half its population is relegated from public life.

We must pay tribute to all those fighting for their right to education, but they need more than warm words and solidarity. The UK must act by working internationally to hold the Taliban to account for its escalating crackdown on women’s rights and doing everything possible to support education for all in Afghanistan, including through the Global Partnership for Education, which is making up to $300 million available in support of education for Afghan women and girls. Can the Minister say what steps the UK Government are taking with the international community to support women and girls’ education in Afghanistan? More specifically, will she rule out reductions in UK funding to Afghanistan while negotiations between the de facto authorities and the diplomatic and humanitarian communities are ongoing?

The UK is, and continues to be, a vocal supporter of girls’ education. But it is fair to say that the Government need to translate that rhetoric into results. According to analysis by the ONE Campaign, an estimated 7.1 million children, including 3.7 million girls, lost their education due to recent cuts to the UK’s aid budget. Alongside cuts, we also have delays—most recently to the international women and girls strategy, which the Government confirmed last week has been delayed once again. We cannot allow ourselves to fail a generation of young people, and that is why Labour urges the Government to announce a strong and early pledge for the Geneva Education Cannot Wait conference next month.

Since its establishment in 2016, Education Cannot Wait has reached 7 million children and adolescents with quality education in some of the toughest crisis zones globally. UK funding has supported an estimated 1.5 million of those children, but the challenge has grown since then. Civil society, members of the public and many parliamentarians have called for the UK to pledge £170 million over the 2023-26 period: a 13% share of Education Cannot Wait’s fundraising target. That would directly provide 2.6 million children in an emergency or protracted crisis with quality education, 60% of whom would be girls. Can the Minister confirm whether the UK Government will commit to make such a pledge ahead of next month’s conference? If so, when can we expect the announcement?

It is imperative that the Government meet their own targets on providing quality foundational learning to the most marginalised, including girls and children with disabilities. Girls and boys in conflict zones, climate shocks and natural disasters, and refugee settlements deserve to learn to read and write, do maths and prosper as much as any other child, yet just one in 10 of the 222 million children affected by crises are meeting required minimum levels for literacy and numeracy. Such extreme levels of illiteracy and innumeracy are an early warning sign that global educational goals, and related sustainable development goals, are in jeopardy. At the current rate of progress, it will take at least 40 years to achieve the sustainable development goal 4 target on learning.

In 2019, over half of children in low and middle-income countries were living in learning poverty, meaning that they were unable to read and understand a simple text by age 10. In sub-Saharan Africa, that figure is closer to 90%. Behind those numbers, millions of vulnerable girls and boys around the world await our collective action. From inside makeshift refugee settlements, the damaged walls of classrooms, and communities torn apart by war and disaster, those children are holding on to the hope that education will allow them to realise their dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, scientists, teachers or whatever other profession they seek to achieve.

As we mark International Day Of Education, I want to end by sharing the thoughts of young people campaigning for their generation’s future. This week, I had the pleasure of meeting with the Global Partnership for Education youth leaders in Parliament as part of their youth action tour. The youth leaders are young people with lived experience from partner countries, and it was incredibly moving to hear directly from them about why we need to protect and increase education funding worldwide.

Another group of young people that I would like to highlight are Send My Friend to School youth campaigners. Each year, around 250,000 young people from across the UK take part in the campaign, meeting dozens of MPs. I have met their excellent campaign champions on a number of occasions. I am always inspired by the passion and commitment that they have for other children around the world, who are not fortunate enough to receive the kind of education that we do here in the UK.

I end with the following words from Jenson, aged 10, speaking on behalf of his classmates at Colne Engaine Primary School in Braintree:

“We think every child has the right to have an education. Reasons that stop children from going to school like natural disasters and disease, war and famine are not chosen by the children.”

Let that ring true in all our ears and urge us to act now as we celebrate International Day of Education.

02/02/2023
Patricia Gibson – 2023 Speech on the International Day of Education

The speech made by Patricia Gibson, the SNP MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons on 26 January 2023.

I am very happy to participate in this debate, as an English teacher of 23 years before I was elected to this House. The International Day of Education is an important date in our calendar, and the theme this year is:

“To invest in people, prioritise education”.

I pay tribute to the hard work of the teachers in my constituency. I am currently undertaking my annual visit to my local schools, and I am always impressed by our young people’s political engagement, which is both impressive and refreshing. I pay tribute to them and the staff, who work hard to deliver education in my constituency.

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as the International Day of Education in celebration of the role of education in peace and development. I thank the right hon. Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford) for securing the debate. Education is a human right, a public good and a public responsibility. The right hon. Lady reminded us that illiteracy across the globe disproportionately affects women and girls, and that educating women and girls provides huge and lasting benefits to their communities and children, and helps to avert child marriage, which is important for the future and prosperity of developing countries.

I agree with the point the hon. Member for Harrow West (Gareth Thomas) made about the FCDO doing international development work of such importance in this and many other fields. We really should be looking to restore the Department for International Development; everybody in this Chamber agrees that the FCDO does important international development work, but that merits a Department for itself.

The hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Mrs Grant) reminded us of the huge benefits of educating women and girls and of the vast scale—some might say the daunting scale—of the challenge. It is important that the international community works together to address it, if for no other reason—although there are many reasons—than the risk of violence to women and girls, which goes alongside being deprived of and facing barriers to education.

It is indisputable that inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all are inextricably linked to a country’s success in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that leaves millions of children, youth and adults behind. Today, 244 million children and youth are out of school, and 771 million adults are illiterate. Their rights to education and so much more are being violated. That is unacceptable.

UNESCO is dedicating this year’s International Day of Education to girls and women in Afghanistan who have been deprived of their right to education, and is calling for the immediate lifting of the ban restricting access to education. The hon. Member for West Worcestershire (Harriett Baldwin) said that global education commands agreement and support across the House—it is one of the rare occasions when we see that happening. I note her comments that children are being deprived of their education in far too many circumstances, both refugees and in a more general, global sense. The international community must continue to work to change that.

I want to focus on the situation in Afghanistan, which is alarming and bewildering to many of us looking on in the west. The Taliban regime is denying its daughters, wives and sisters access to any form of schooling whatever. Today marks 493 days since the Taliban banned teenage girls from school, and 32 days since it banned women from going to university and working in national and international non-governmental organisations.

Currently, there are 2.5 million Afghan girls and young women out of school, 1.2 million of whom were denied access to secondary schools and university places following the regime’s diktat about women in education. Despite international condemnation, the Taliban regime justified that step on the basis that some women had not adhered to its interpretation of Islamic dress code, and that conservative traditions must be protected. It is an interesting conundrum that repressing, diminishing and controlling women in that way is such a priority for the Taliban regime, despite the fact that 28 million Afghans require aid, with some 6 million on the brink of famine—some 93% of Afghans do not have enough food, according to the UN. Winter temperatures are plunging as low as -17°C, and even lower in mountainous areas, so making it a priority to deprive women of their education seems bizarre to anybody looking on.

Amid all that, Save the Children had no choice but to pause its aid efforts in areas where it could not operate without its female staff, because women are essential to the safe and effective delivery of its services. Can it really be true—I cannot believe that I am asking this question—that the Taliban would rather its people died of starvation than women be seen to undertake useful work to assist Afghan civilians?

Being a girl or woman in Afghanistan under the Taliban must surely be a frightening, marginalising and desperate experience. In essence, Afghan women are back to being invisible in public life, imprisoned in their home and, where applicable, ordered to cover their ground and first-floor windows so that women inside cannot be seen from the street. Women can have the end of their thumbs cut off for wearing nail varnish. In such a regime, where women are viewed as chattels and the possession of male relatives, of no value as human beings, robbed of their dignity and their identity reduced to the clothes that they must wear, how can we be surprised that such a regime explicitly forbids the education of its women?

It is heartbreaking to consider that in the 20th century, until the conflicts of the 1970s, Afghanistan was seen as a progressive country. Afghan women were first eligible for the right to vote in 1919, only a year after women in the UK enjoyed that right and a year before women in the US were allowed to vote. As part of that, how women’s rights to education in Afghanistan have been rolled back is remarkable and frightening.

No society can truly prosper socially, economically or culturally unless there is access to education for all on an equal basis. Until the Taliban in Afghanistan understands that, the international community must continue to stress it and to engage on the issue when possible. I hope that the UK Government will play a leading global role in that international effort. Access to education is such a basic universal human right that denying it to women in Afghanistan or anywhere based on gender is incompatible with all that is right and decent.

As we commemorate the International Day of Education, it is right and fitting that we dedicate this day in 2023 to girls and women in Afghanistan who have been deprived of their right to education. Only a regime that seeks to control and tyrannise would fail to recognise that access to education for all its people has no downside for that society. We see that depriving Afghan women and girls of education goes hand in hand with the loss of so many other rights.

I know that all right hon. and hon. Members will seek to show solidarity with Afghan women and seek to restore their access to education. That should be a fundamental red line in all international engagement with the Taliban regime. Without access to education, the lives of Afghan women will be poorer, their children will be poorer, their communities will be poorer, the once great country of Afghanistan will be poorer, the climate will be poorer and the world will be poorer—poorer in ways that are beyond measure. We must stand up for Afghan women and girls and for the access to education that they need and deserve, with all the opportunities and fulfilment that go alongside securing that education. That applies to women and girls not just in Afghanistan, but across the world.

02/02/2023
Helen Grant – 2023 Speech on the International Day of Education

The speech made by Helen Grant, the Conservative MP for Maidstone and the Weald, in Westminster Hall, the House of Commons on 26 January 2023.

I, too, congratulate my right hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Vicky Ford) on securing this important debate in recognition of the International Day of Education.

I am hugely honoured to be the Prime Minister’s special envoy for girls’ education. My role is to globally champion his message that providing 12 years of quality education for every single girl on the planet is one of the best ways of tackling many of the major issues facing the world today, such as poverty, climate change and inequality. Investing in girls’ education is an absolute game changer: if we want to change the world for the better, girls’ education is a great place to start. The child of a mother who can read is 50% more likely to live beyond the age of five, twice as likely to attend school themselves, and 50% more likely to be immunised. Girls who are educated are more able to choose if and when to have children, and how many children they have.

Girls’ education is, of course, vital for women and girls, but it is also extremely important in levelling up society, boosting incomes and developing economies and nations. Tragically, the pandemic has been one of the biggest educational disruptors in our history, affecting 1.6 billion learners at its peak in 2020. It also created a global education funding gap of $200 billion per annum. In poorer countries now, over 70% of children cannot read a simple text by the age of 10.

Many of those children are girls, many of whom will never return to school, or even start school, lowering their chances of future employment and decent livelihoods. Out of school, girls are at greater risk of violence, sexual violence, forced marriage, early marriage, female genital mutilation and human trafficking. All those factors are creating the very real risk of a lost generation of girls, and we must work hard and together to stop that happening.

We also need to work better and differently. The UK has played a leading role in education policy and financing: we put girls’ education at the very heart of the 2021 G7 summit in Cornwall, giving it the priority and profile—as well as the financial and political commitments—that it needs and deserves. We also agreed two new, ambitious global targets: getting 20 million more girls reading by the age of 10, and getting 40 million more girls in primary and secondary school in low and low-to-middle income countries by 2026.

At the global education summit in London, also in 2021, we raised a landmark $4 billion for global education with our international partners, which will help another 175 million children to learn. At COP26 in Glasgow that year, we made the important connection between girls’ education and climate change, showing how girls’ education can be very much part of the solution. That is because girls who are educated are much more able to participate in decisions, actions and leadership in relation to climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation.

We know that education interventions must provide more than just learning, and the UK will continue to be a gender equality leader, tackling the issues that prevent girls from getting to school and staying in school. No girl should have her hopes and dreams dashed because she has had to marry too early or become a mother due to a lack of family planning advice.

In my role as the Prime Minister’s special envoy, I have been able to travel extensively to see for myself some of our education programmes and how they are changing lives for the better. In Ghana, in the hills of Aburi, I sat in on non-formal community classes where young mothers brought their babies to school. In Sierra Leone, I saw programmes that focused on improved learning, but also on special measures to address violence in and out of school and other safeguarding issues. In Nigeria, I saw how our teams on the ground have adapted programmes to respond to covid school closures. They achieved that through community-based learning programmes, the recording of radio and TV lessons, and accelerated learning programmes to help children catch up. I had the opportunity to meet virtually with schoolgirls and teachers affected by the conflict in Syria. I heard how education was providing a real lifeline and a space for children to see their friends, rebuild their self-confidence and self-esteem and develop the skills they need to break the cycle of poverty, while also providing them with a sense of hope and optimism for the future. I was inspired by the dreams of one young girl who hoped to become an architect to rebuild Syria for the future, and another who wanted to be a social worker to protect children from violence. These girls are our future, and ensuring their right to safe, quality education is essential.

The weight of the challenge on girls’ education is significant, but our ability to make a change in the world —if we work together—should never be underestimated. We all must raise our game and rally the world behind the global targets that have been set and agreed. Achieving global targets requires a global response. Governments must prioritise education reforms, listen to civil society and not be afraid to partner with technical experts so that they can design their reforms around real evidence of what actually works. We need to urgently recover those learning losses caused by covid by focusing on foundational learning skills. Basic numeracy and literacy are essential for children to be able to stay in school and progress to higher levels.

We must listen carefully to our girls and hear what they say they want and need from their leaders—be it safer roads for walking to school, free sanitary products to help with confidence and school attendance, or separate toilets for privacy. Last but certainly not least, our global leaders need to speak out much more about the importance of educating our girls and to explain all the advantages for girls and women and for their children, their families, their communities and, of course, their nations.

02/02/2023