Speeches by Voaden.

“Just last week, a report by the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries—we know that by their very nature, actuaries are cautious people—stated that if we continue on our current path, a plausible worst case is that global GDP will collapse by 50% between 2070 and 2090, and that 4 billion lives could be lost by 2050. That i…”

“There has been a lot of conversation this morning about the benefit to homeowners of installing solar panels on new builds. If solar panels were included on new social housing, we would also be helping those who face the greatest challenge in paying energy bills, which have gone up since the energy price cap rise. That…”

“When the zero carbon homes standard was scrapped by the Conservative Government in 2015, a Government report said that scrapping that standard was designed to reduce regulations on house builders. Many people said that the Conservative party had been put under considerable pressure by house builders who were very gener…”

“It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Jardine. I thank my right hon. Friend the Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael) for securing this debate. As the Member for South Devon, I am proud to represent a constituency with a long and rich history of maritime activity. From the bustling port of Brixh…”

“I am sure that nobody in Devon will forget the horror of 2001, when half the farms in the county were affected by foot and mouth. Does the situation in Germany provide an impetus for the Minister to move forward with securing a veterinary deal with the European Union?”

“Many families are waiting a year or more for a plan and are choosing to put their child in a private setting so that they can get some education in the meantime. There has been no impact assessment done on parents who just make that decision without having the plan in place. Is that correct?”

“Secretary of State, what impact assessment has been made by the Department on the impact of VAT on private schools for families who choose to send their child to a private school that is not named in a child’s EHC plan?”

“Yes, we know about breakfast clubs but I was asking you about free school meals auto-enrolment. Is there any plan to roll that out?”

“We can see it has been successful in many councils. Is there a timeline—you are looking at it, but what does that mean?”

“Nearly half a million children are missing out on free school meals that they are eligible for. We know that that means that many schools are missing out on thousands of pounds of pupil premium funding that they could get. Can you tell us what the reasons are for not including auto-enrolment of eligible children in fre…”

“Are you considering further controls on social media use for children and other ways of protecting them from online harm?”

“The previous Government published guidance on prohibiting the use of mobile phones in schools but they stopped short of an outright ban. Given the rising evidence we are seeing about the harm that mobile phones cause to children and young people, do you support a ban on mobile phones in schools?”

“Recent estimates from the IFS indicate that growth in per pupil funding in 2025-26, 2.8% in cash terms, will not cover the expected increase in school costs. We know that some councils are asking to take money away from schools to secure the safety valve funding. In Devon they are talking about 0.5%. If this is done, s…”

“Obviously, everybody is not going to get everything on their wish list all over the country and there are lots of different demands, but it would appear that a bit more equity across the piece would, I would assume, be something you would like to see.”

“I would like to talk about the national funding formula. In Devon, where I come from, a school with 1,000 pupils would receive £8 million a year. In London, a school of the same size would receive £12 million a year, so a 33% difference in funding. What is your assessment of how the national funding formula currently w…”

“What impact assessment has been made about the impact of the VAT on private schools on the SEND capacity in state schools if those children are then removed from private schools and put into the state system?”

“I welcome the theory of simplifying local government, but I am concerned about the pace at which the Government are trying to move. Devon has a very complicated landscape, with Labour-run cities, a Conservative-run county and many Liberal Democrat districts. Conflicting proposals have already been submitted to the Gove…”

“No, I do not believe that goes far enough. There should be a legal right to access that data without having to go through any complaints process, particularly at a time when one is struggling with the worst bereavement imaginable. The petition seeks to address that gap in law and ensure that, in the tragic event of a c…”

“I could not agree more. What is becoming obvious is the impact of children being on their phones late at night, which affects their sleep—even that has a knock-on effect on how well they can operate. Parents across my South Devon constituency are desperate to protect their children, but they are overwhelmed by the digi…”

“I am very grateful to be able to speak in this debate, which was prompted by Ellen Roome’s petition, although I am extremely sorry that any of us needs to be here at all. I pay tribute to Ellen and all the other families in the Bereaved Families for Online Safety network for their tireless campaigning. A week before Ch…”