Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill: motion to disagree with Lords Amendment 41B

Parliament voted on 15 April 2026 to reject Lords Amendment 41B to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which concerned school uniform costs. The motion to disagree with the Lords passed by 254 votes to 144. The government argued the amendment was unnecessary because a cap on branded uniform items was already being implemented through the Bill, and that adding further statutory requirements at that stage would create confusion for schools and parents. The vote means the Lords' additional provisions on uniform affordability will not form part of the legislation. The Bill already contains a cap on the number of branded uniform items schools can require, which the government presented as the operative policy response to uniform costs. In practical terms, schools and parents will be governed by that cap rather than any further statutory duty introduced by the Lords amendment. The government said it had surveyed parents and school leaders extensively and would continue to monitor the impact of the cap as it was rolled out. The vote divided sharply along party lines. All 254 ayes came from Labour and Labour and Co-operative MPs, with no Conservative, Liberal Democrat, or Green members supporting the government's position. The 144 noes comprised 83 Conservatives, 52 Liberal Democrats, 4 Greens, 2 members of Your Party, and 4 independents, with one independent voting with the government. There were no notable cross-party rebellions within Labour's ranks. The division was one of several on the same day in which the government rejected or modified Lords amendments to the Bill, including related votes on school phone bans, social media provisions, and school admissions.