Speeches by Paffey.

“I have a quick supplementary on this to underpin. We have talked a lot about assessment, but there is the content as well in the curriculum. The interim report identifies a major problem with modern foreign languages teaching. I declare an interest: I am a former university lecturer of languages and I have my own views…”

“I will skip to the next question because Jill brought it up. The EBacc has been mentioned. ASCL has called for the scrapping of the EBacc. I wonder what the panel’s view is on the advantages and the disadvantages of doing so. Maybe we will quickly start with Tom and then take any other comments from others within the t…”

“Is that disconnect between the aspirations that 17 and 18-year-olds have and the likely jobs that are available to them the same across all groups or do they differ by sex, ethnicity or socioeconomic status?”

“Do you know how much that research on the misaligned aspirations is feeding into how our careers advisers work? Obviously, our point here is on the curriculum and assessment review. I have long said if we tailored maths more towards, “Here is the maths you are going to need for running a small business, running your ow…”

“I thank the Minister for his statement, and I very much welcome the strong words of condemnation. None of us will ever forget the horrors of 7 October for the Israeli people, but these latest announcements show an Israeli Government who I fear are out of control and making fools of us as allies. First, when my hon. Fri…”

“Professor Kessler, sticking with the comments on commissioning referred to as potentially chaotic at points, obviously your research refers to a myriad of commissioning challenges. Basically what are the priorities, locally and nationally, for getting that sorted? What action needs to take place? What, if any, role do …”

“I was recently at a family hub in my constituency looking at some of the work that they do, as effectively reinvented Sure Start centres. Given the things that we are talking about, that need for better integration between health, education, early years, and given the fact that they all continue despite extra Governmen…”

“Professor Kessler, sticking with the comments on commissioning referred to as potentially chaotic at points, obviously your research refers to a myriad of commissioning challenges. Basically what are the priorities, locally and nationally, for getting that sorted? What action needs to take place? What, if any, role do …”

“Out of those two, what would you say is the more pressing one? Is it the structure that means you are essentially a traded service rather than being funded as you would like to, or is it the demand for the statutory work around needs assessments?”

“I was recently at a family hub in my constituency looking at some of the work that they do, as effectively reinvented Sure Start centres. Given the things that we are talking about, that need for better integration between health, education, early years, and given the fact that they all continue despite extra Governmen…”

“The work of upskilling school staff in order to support them but also to relieve some of the pressure on health professionals and EPs, in your view is that an effective intervention and measure?”

“We recognise that the staff shortages have an impact on how much direct support can be provided in educational settings. Beyond that, what challenges are your members facing? This is a question to Lisa and Janet to begin with. What are your members facing in those barriers to being able to offer that direct support?”

“Out of those two, what would you say is the more pressing one? Is it the structure that means you are essentially a traded service rather than being funded as you would like to, or is it the demand for the statutory work around needs assessments?”

“The work of upskilling school staff in order to support them but also to relieve some of the pressure on health professionals and EPs, in your view is that an effective intervention and measure?”

“We recognise that the staff shortages have an impact on how much direct support can be provided in educational settings. Beyond that, what challenges are your members facing? This is a question to Lisa and Janet to begin with. What are your members facing in those barriers to being able to offer that direct support?”

“Sadly, after years of Tory Government, fewer younger people in Southampton Itchen are successfully engaged in employment, education or apprenticeships compared with the national average. What specific steps will the Secretary of State take to ensure that apprenticeship and university routes are equally valued and equal…”

“I know a number of you made suggestions in your answers to the first question, so that is good to have those on record as well.”

“I will be asking about capital later.”

“I should probably put on record, Chair, that until my election, I was a member of the UCU, which Jo leads. Let us turn to the other £300 million that we were mentioning, so the capital funding for colleges that was announced for 2025-26. How do each of you believe that funding should be prioritised?”

“A number of you have mentioned the rising number of students in the sector, and we have heard about the extra capacity—space and equipment—that is going to be needed to accommodate them. Does the Government’s capacity funding go far enough on that? If not, what else can be done by providers and teachers to mitigate the…”