Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill debated in the Lords

The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill will strengthen safeguards for children's social care, offer increased support for care leavers, regulate the use of social worker agencies and enshrine kinship carers in law.

The bill will also require state primaries to offer free breakfast clubs, limit the use of uniforms branded with school logos, regulate academies and introduce a register of children not in school.

Debate on the draft law

During second reading, members discussed the main topics in the bill and drew attention to concerns or specific areas where they believe amendments (changes) are needed.

Members speaking

Baroness Smith of Malvern (Labour), Minister for Skills at the Department for Education, opened the debate and responded on behalf of the government.

More than 70 members took part, including:

• Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrats), vice president of children's charity Barnardos
• Baroness Eaton (Conservative), former school teacher and leader of Bradford City Council
• Lord Farmer (Conservative), chair of the Family Hubs Network
• Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrats), former school teacher in the UK and Germany
• Lord Hampton (Crossbench), head of design and technology, Mossbourne Community Academy
• Lord Harris of Peckham (Conservative) chair of the Harris Federation of Schools education charity
• Lord Knight of Weymouth (Labour), chair of E-ACT Multi-Academy Trust, STEM Learning Ltd and the Council of British International Schools
• Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour), honorary president and former director of the Child Poverty Action Group
• Baroness Longfield (Labour), executive chair of the Centre for Young Lives think tank
• Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative), vice president of the National Association of Child Contact Centres
• Lord Moynihan of Chelsea (Conservative), chair of educational reform group Parents & Teachers for Excellence
• Lord Russell of Liverpool (Crossbench), former chair of PSHE in schools charity Coram Life Education
• Lord Storey (Liberal Democrats), former primary school headteacher and leader of Liverpool City Council
• Baroness Tyler of Enfield (Liberal Democrats), former president of the National Children's Bureau and former chair of the Kid in the Middle Coalition of Charities
• Lord Wei (Conservative), former director of educational charity Absolute Return for Kids (Ark)
• Lord Young of Cookham (Conservative), chair of Marlow Education multi-academy trust.

Five former Secretaries of State for Education also contributed to the debate:

• Lord Baker of Dorking (Conservative)
• Baroness Shephard of Northwold (Conservative)
• Lord Blunkett (Labour)
• Baroness Morris of Yardley (Labour)
• Baroness Morgan of Cotes (Non-affiliated)

Catch up

• Watch the Parliament TV recording.
• Read the Lords Hansard transcript. 

Explore further information 

Find out more about the bill in the House of Lords Library briefing. 

Next steps

Committee stage, the first chance for line by line examination of the bill, is scheduled to begin on Tuesday 20 May.

Image: Anastasia Shuraeva / Pexels