Parliamentary News 24th - 28th June 2019

Children’s Future Food Report

On Thursday (27 June 2019), there was a backbench business debate on the Children’s Future Food Report.

In April 2019, the Food Foundation published the findings of its Children’s Future Food Inquiry. The report argues that children's development is being restricted by the effects of poverty. It highlights that the number of children experiencing symptoms of food insecurity, or whose family income is evidently insufficient to afford a healthy diet amounts to between 20% and 30% of all children in the UK.

The report highlights that the early years have a defining impact on a child’s development, affecting everything from educational achievement to economic security to health. It raises concerns that schemes in place to protect maternal and infant nutrition for those living in poverty are too small to make a difference. For example, it notes that less than half of children in poverty are eligible for Healthy Start, and of these a third are not actually registered for the scheme.

The inquiry’s work now joins a body of important literature that highlights the shocking levels of poverty in our country. One hungry child is one too many, but UNICEF estimates that 2.5 million British children live in households where food is not always securely available. Additionally, the Trussell Trust points out that more than 500,000 emergency food parcels went to children alone last year.​ It is shocking and unacceptable that child hunger still exists in our country to this extent.

Food insecurity blights children’s immediate and future lives. It can trigger mental health problems, and it can damage a child’s physical health. It can lead to obesity and restricted growth, and it can delay healthy development. It affects children’s school attendance as well as their ability to learn.

The Food Foundation report shames this Government, but it is also a wake-up call, and it must lead to action. It is vital that the Government pledges to tackle child poverty with a new Child Poverty Strategy.

Co-operatives

On Thursday (27 June 2019), a Backbench Business Debate took place on co-operatives.

Co-operatives are enterprises that trade for the common good as opposed to the private benefit of their shareholders. They are essentially a self-help mechanism enabling people collectively to meet their shared needs in a broader social context. They have a purpose that goes beyond the immediate business itself. This means looking beyond the personal, private needs of individual members and accepting the importance of collective needs, alongside looking outward to wider interests including others affected by the business, wider society, and crucially, future generations. I welcome the diversity, vibrancy and social purpose that the co-operative sector can bring.

Worker-owned companies have a clear productivity advantage over conventional businesses. I believe we should be more ambitious about what can be achieved, so we can see more resilient, high-productivity businesses in an economy that is fairer for everyone.

However, co-operatives can only truly thrive in a supportive regulatory and legislative framework, backed by practical support from local and national government. I believe that there is so much more that could be done to support the sector.  Indeed, the Opposition has been clear that in Government it would work with the co-operative movement to at least double the size of the co-operative sector.

Armed Forces Day

Saturday 29 June 2019 is the eleventh annual Armed Forces Day and in a debate on Wednesday (26 June 2019), MPs showed their appreciation for all that our armed forces do for our country.

The debate not only covered the tremendous work and commitment that our armed forces provide but also some of the issues they are concerned about. It is only right that we give attention to improving the situation for our armed forces. Disappointingly, satisfaction with service life remains below the peak of 61% that was reported in 2009 and today stands at only 46%.

Subjecting armed forces personnel to the public sector pay cap has meant that they have received a real-terms pay cut for seven years running. The number of personnel choosing to leave the forces is at historically high levels and pay remains one of the top reasons why personnel decide to leave. To make sure that our personnel receive a fair pay rise every year the Government should scrap the public sector pay cap that is currently keeping wages down.

Housing is also an issue for our personnel and their families. There have been persistent complaints about housing maintenance in service accommodation. The Government should be putting pressure on private companies with existing contracts to deliver properly maintained and promptly repaired homes for service personnel and their families. The Government should ensure decent housing which recognises their needs and respects their wishes.

A recent Children’s Commissioner for England report highlighted how service children are sometimes not placed in the most appropriate school with siblings or other forces children from the same unit, causing unnecessary distress. I believe local councils should be empowered to ensure a fairer admissions system for every child and develop admissions strategies which can cater more effectively for the specific needs of all service children, recognising the challenges of frequent moves, and the benefits of keeping siblings and other service children together.

These significant issues and many others were debated on Wednesday, and it was an important opportunity for MPs to show gratitude and appreciation to our armed forces community ahead of Armed Forces Day.

Divorce, Dissolution and Separation

On Tuesday (25 June 2019), MPs debated the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Bill at Second Reading.

Current divorce law does not encourage couples to separate amicably, which leads to unnecessary conflict and reduces the chances of reaching an agreement on care for children and financial issues.

The Bill seeks to reform procedures for divorce and the dissolution of civil partnerships by removing the need for one party to allege unreasonable behaviour. It also removes the possibility of one party refusing to divorce.

90% of family lawyers represented by Resolution say the current law makes it harder to reduce conflict between ex-partners. Additionally, 69% of the public are in favour of no-fault divorce. I believe that old and outdated divorce rules need to change, and I have long supported calls for the introduction of a no-fault divorce procedure.

While I welcome the reform presented in the Bill, I urge the Government to consider it alongside the wider changes required to our justice system. For example, I am deeply concerned over cuts to legal aid which mean that the legal representation required to reach the right divorce settlement will be available only to those with the funds to pay for it. A lack of legal support makes it difficult for people to understand the intricacies of important changes.

It is vital that the Government ensures that people going through divorce or other conflicts have a positive and fair experience while seeking justice.

I am pleased that the Bill passed its Second Reading without a division. It will now progress to Committee Stage for further scrutiny. I will follow the progress of this Bill closely.