Issue
Education & Welfare
Issue Type
National Policy
Year
2025
Last Wednesday, I voted for the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. I voted against the Conservative’s amendment to decline to give a Second Reading on the Bill.
The Conservative amendment was a ‘reasoned amendment’ – this means that its sole outcome would have been to block Labour’s bill from progressing to a Second Reading. If the amendment had passed, it would not have automatically led to a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation focused on grooming gangs, it simply would have defeated the entire Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. Of the causes the Conservatives listed for declining the bill, only one sentence mentioned a ‘call’ for a national statutory inquiry into historical child sexual exploitation focused on grooming gangs.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill represents a transformative approach to education and child welfare. It aims to improve teaching standards, as well as relieve the financial pressures faced by families sending their children to school. Free breakfast clubs will be rolled out in primary schools, saving parents an annual average of £450 per child. Furthermore, a cap on the number of branded school uniform items that families are required to buy will save struggling families a further £50 per child.
Additionally, this Bill is the single biggest piece of child protection legislation in a generation. It introduces groundbreaking reforms to children’s safeguarding and social care. The Bill introduces better protections for children who are at risk of serious harm or abuse, as well as improved support for children with complex needs. Finally, it will ensure that children cannot fall through the cracks so easily – it will allow those that are currently missed by public services to get the support and protection they deserve.
If the Conservatives’ amendment were successful, parliamentary procedure would have prevented the Bill from being reintroduced. I voted to protect the Bill, and as such, I voted for the safety of future generations of children.
Following Elon Musk’s remarks on X in support of Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, a.k.a. Tommy Robinson, the national debate around this Bill has turned to focus on child sexual abuse and exploitation by grooming gangs.
The sexual abuse and exploitation of children are the most heinous of crimes. Perpetrators of these crimes must be held to account for their actions, prosecuted, and punished accordingly. What’s more, victims and survivors must receive sufficient support and protection.However, this increase in defence spending unfortunately requires cuts elsewhere. The Government has made the difficult decision to decrease our spending on development assistance from 0.5% of our GDP to 0.3%, with the aim of increasing it back to 0.7% when fiscal circumstances allow it. I am proud of the work the UK does overseas, helping to create a world free from poverty and working towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals through clear, effective, and modern development policy. The Government’s commitment to a renewed approach characterised by genuine respect and partnership with the Global South is something to be proud of.
Whilst in opposition, Labour supported the establishment of The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). Over seven years, the IICSA engaged with more than 7000 survivors, processed 2 million pages of evidence, and published 61 reports and publications. Yet, whilst the Conservatives were in power, they failed to implement a single one of the 20 recommendations from the final IICSA report.
We must consult with victims and survivors’ groups and be led by them in determining whether to undertake a new national inquiry. I was glad to hear the Home Secretary announce a new victims and survivors panel to oversee reforms and ensure the recommendations of IICSA are implemented. The Prime Minister’s office also said that the Government would grant a new national probe into the grooming gangs scandal, should it be called for by victims’ groups.
It is essential that the government prioritise the needs and desires of survivors in this process. The trauma of those that have been abused is not something to be capitalised upon by politicians. I believe all MPs welcome strengthened public interest into protecting our citizens, especially children, from sexual abuse – so long as it is genuine, consistent, and not predicated upon the demographic of the perpetrators.
Yours sincerely,
Taiwo Owatemi, MP for Coventry North West.
