Speeches by Paffey.

“Based on your organisations’ experiences, what factors most commonly influence whether reunions between adoptees and birth relatives are positive, difficult or unsuccessful?”

“You raised an interesting concept about the street-level bureaucrat making those decisions. To what extent were those different adoption agencies, local authorities, and mother and baby homes complying with statutory requirements versus following informal, customary or socialised practices?”

“My first question is to Dr Lambert and Professor Harold. You made the distinction between the practical choices and the legal choices that could be made. In that same period that we are talking about—1949 to 1976—how did the legal framework, such as it was, shape the rights and the obligations of mothers, children and …”

“It sounds as though the customary still held dominance over the statutory framework that it was operating in.”

“Do any other witnesses, particularly Dr Greenlees, have any thoughts on statutory versus informal, customary practices in mother and baby homes?”

“I thank my right hon. Friend for a statement that not only tries to fix the deep cracks that have formed in this broken system in recent years, but sets out a wholesale vision for transforming it. This is long overdue and much needed by parents, students and teachers. She will know that although the system is on its kn…”

“Tomorrow marks one year since the residents of Sundowner Court in Southampton were forced to leave their home because of serious fire safety defects. Two neighbouring blocks followed suit soon after, and no one expects to be back in their home for at least another year. The Government rightly prioritised speeding up re…”

“18. What progress his Department has made on reforming the Building Safety Regulator.”

“This question will be for Mike, Claire and Clare: from a provider perspective, what are your views on the role that Ofsted currently plays in ensuring accountability in the early years sector? In addition to your current views on it, are there any improvements that you think need to be made to the inspection or regulat…”

“My next question is to Ann Graham around local authorities. Where does accountability for safeguarding in early years provision sit within local authorities? How is that accountability exercised in practice?”

“Are you confident that there is enough clarity in the assessment process to know whether you are dealing with an individual or a wider provider or cultural point?”

“Do you think that clarity around to notify or not to notify, and the thresholds of that, is an improvement that could be made? Is that a satisfactory situation?”

“Do you think that there are improvements that are needed so that local authorities have the tools, the capacity and the authority they need to oversee and intervene where necessary in safeguarding matters within early years provision?”

“My question is specifically to Jayne: where you have safeguarding concerns that arise, how does Ofsted distinguish between individual practitioner responsibility and the provider taking accountability for that?”

“I might have phrased it wrongly. It is more that they will be developing them in all these contexts. Is there one in which you see accelerated development rather than others?”

“That is great. Thank you.”

“I think we will have to move on.”

“Consistently wrong, and they have made a consistent and desperate attempt to be divisive. They are trying to split the country into those who pay tax and those who receive welfare. These generalisations around the “deserving” and the “undeserving” poor are not only crass but factually wrong. Many contribute through wor…”

“Good morning. There is a clear long list of wide-ranging desirable benefits. What is it specifically about reading that secures those benefits as compared to other activities that children might be doing: social interaction, playing games, being with friends and family, physical activity, even watching TV and so on? Dr…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for making that salient point, and I will come to that wider package of measures. Of course, we have heard straw-man arguments, saying, “Well, this one thing will not solve child poverty.” No one is claiming that it will solve child poverty; it is one piece in the jigsaw of the wider work that th…”