Speeches by Brackenridge.

“I feel that you have answered my follow-up question, which was going to be about lessons to learn from international models and other countries. Thank you.”

“Dr Castro-Kemp, we will further consider the research that you have undertaken, in particular on how England defines SEND, the statutory support available through EHC plans and the criteria for eligibility.”

“How effective is the Equality Act 2010 in addressing barriers to education for pupils with SEND? What recommendations could be made to improve its implementation?”

“A further question. I have heard concerns that there are some local authorities that are refusing to recognise dyslexia. Based on your experience and expertise, what impact will this have and how does it align with the Equality Act? I am happy to open that up to whoever feels comfortable with answering it.”

“I feel that you have answered my follow-up question, which was going to be about lessons to learn from international models and other countries. Thank you.”

“A very happy birthday to you, Mr Speaker. I welcome the extension of the warm home discount to all households on means-tested benefits from this winter. Many low-income households were excluded because their homes were not classed as having a high cost to heat. In Wolverhampton North East, only 18% of households benefi…”

“6. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of extending the warm home discount to all households in receipt of means-tested benefits on people receiving those benefits.”

“In July, I came from the classroom to this Chamber. I have seen the harm that poverty does to children, particularly those from families on universal credit who were not able to claim free school meals, probably because their parents were grafting in low-paid jobs or in insecure work. Does the Minister agree that havin…”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Erdington (Paulette Hamilton), whose tenacity in tackling this issue—with the ear of Simon Foster, our police and crime commissioner, and of the chief constable, Craig Guildford—has been outstanding. I have been…”

“I am delighted to have championed additional funding of more than £10 million for the Royal Wolverhampton NHS trust and over £1 million for Walsall Manor hospital for essential work and upgrades. Let us contrast that to the Tories, who oversaw a backlog of maintenance and crumbling hospitals. Will the Leader of the Hou…”

“I thank every Member who attended the debate. I am sure the Minister will heed our voices, because we speak for and serve our communities. It is really disappointing that not one Conservative Back Bencher attended the debate. I will not get drawn into the denial that I heard from the shadow Minister. We have heard powe…”

“I will.”

“I certainly agree. Communities like ours have borne the brunt of these cuts, and we see this playing out on our streets, in our schools and, unfortunately, in the criminal justice system. This should never have happened. It cannot continue, and it must never happen again. That is why I am calling for a project of natio…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered Government support for disadvantaged communities. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Roger. I thank the Minister for taking the time to come and listen to us, and we can see by the attendance today that this issue truly resonates in all our communities a…”

“I absolutely agree. If I drive 10 minutes in my constituency, the life expectancy increases by more than seven years, which is shocking. This is not the politics of envy; it is the reality after the politics of inequality. This is about restoring people’s chances to participate in Government, making it something that i…”

“I thank my hon. Friend. I speak from personal experience, and I will always champion the excellent work that Sure Start centres did. They were there for me, my neighbours and my community. We must learn lessons from the past. We need strategic, neighbourhood-based investment, not competitive bidding pots that lead to t…”

“Investment has to go where it is most needed. Hon. Members feel strongly about that, which is why we see such representation in this debate. Child poverty in Wolverhampton North East tells a clear story. In 2014-15, 22% of children were living in absolute poverty. That figure now stands at 31%, which should shame us. M…”

“I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend, who is clearly a champion for families and children in her constituency. Our communities are burdened with deep-rooted barriers—obstacles caused by poverty, economic inactivity, inequality, educational disadvantages, poor access to healthcare and years of systematic under-investm…”

“I absolutely agree. I signpost hon. Members to yesterday’s meeting of the Education Committee, where we heard from a representative from the National Union of Students about the clear link with the barriers that certain young people face to get to college or school. I beg hon. Members to look at that. What makes those …”

“I agree. Hon. Members will hear more about ICON’s work in my speech, because it paints a picture of our communities. This is a project of national renewal that is designed to work with communities, to rebuild from the ground up and to restore hope and dignity to our places. It is a strategy about the huge importance of…”