The Government finally published the much-delayed Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) review, which you can read here.
New proposals include digitising paperwork so parents can receive speedier extra support for their children and a greater focus on early intervention with an additional 5,000 early-years teachers trained to become Special Educational Needs co-ordinators (Sencos).
I spoke in a debate about support for black victims of domestic abuse and urged the Government to support Valerie’s law. This proposal is named after a constituent, Valerie Forde, who was brutally murdered with her 23-month-old daughter, Jah-zara, by her ex-partner. Valerie’s law would mandate specialist cultural competency training for police officers, relevant government agencies, and domestic violence safehouse staff so that black and minority ethnic women affected by domestic abuse are appropriately supported.
This week the Chancellor delivered his Spring Statement. He unveiled an increase in the threshold for paying National Insurance and a tax cut in two years’ time. These announcements do nothing to help people struggling now. I challenged the Chancellor and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury directly on this. See here and here.
I challenged the Chancellor on the Government's inability to tackle COVID loan scheme fraud during pandemic. The Chancellor claims he had to act quickly at the start of the pandemic, but with even just a short pause for better planning and preparedness, some of estimated £26 billion paid out under fraudulent claims would have been saved. The money lost to fraud would have mitigated the rise in National Insurance contributions that will hit on 1 April. This comes at the worst possible time with rising prices and soaring inflation creating the perfect storm for households.
I was appalled to read the City & Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership’s review into the incident with Child Q. This was a young black girl who was on her period and was strip-searched by police officers at her school without an appropriate adult present because she allegedly smelt of cannabis. Read the report in full here.
After a recent IT refresh a local tech business, Logixal, asked for help in distributing over 100 pieces of high-quality PCs, monitors, mice, and keyboards. I put them in touch with Hackney youth groups and organisations that work with young people, including the Gascoyne and Morningside Youth Club, Evergreen adventure playground, the Pedro Youth Club, Mouth That Roars, and Tropical Isles.
Ukrainian refugees have been through hell and back but are still being put through more difficulties by the Home Office. I pressed the Home Secretary, Priti Patel MP, on what security risk a 90-year-old woman fleeing war in Ukraine poses, or people in their sixties, or mothers with small children? See here. The Government’s approach to Ukrainian refugees just underlines the chaos at the heart of the Home Office. It needs to urgently get a grip.
A real pleasure visiting Olive School this morning to see their new permanent site and listen to some excellent poetry from the pupils.
What security risk does a 90-year-old woman fleeing war in Ukraine pose? Or people in their sixties? Or mothers with small children?
The Government’s approach to Ukrainian refugees just underlines the chaos at the heart of the Home Office. It needs to urgently get a grip.
We all have so much to thank the NHS for. Hackney's NHS heroes went above and beyond for us during the pandemic, working through extraordinary and difficult conditions. The NHS Parliamentary Awards are your chance to help recognise this dedication.
See below for a list of the ten categories I can submit nominations for. More information about each category can be found here.