Monday
On Monday, I will return to Westminster where I will be hosting the launch of the Oracy APPG report ‘Speak for Change’. There is a growing consensus across society including government, employers, teachers, and parents, as to the importance of oracy in education. However, members of the Oracy APPG are concerned that oracy is being undervalued and overlooked within state education, denying the majority of children and young people the opportunity to develop these vital skills and hampering social mobility, educational achievement, wellbeing and future employability. This inquiry will investigate the current provision of oracy education in the UK, assess the value and impact of oracy education and identify the barriers to children accessing and receiving quality oracy education.
I will also be attempting to ask the new Secretary of State for Defence, Penny Mordaunt, about what support can be given to veterans suffering with mental health problems following the recent suicide in my constituency.
Tuesday
On Tuesday, I will be attending the Education Select Committee. This is the twelfth and final oral evidence session of the Committee’s inquiry into special educational needs and disabilities. This session with Ministers and civil servants is an opportunity for Members to seek clarification on evidence that has been gathered throughout the inquiry and explore the SEND reforms with the Department. I will be raising concerns about the lack of funding and support for children with SEND.
Wednesday
On Wednesday, I have the privilege to join Diana Johnson in hosting the headscarf revolutionary, Yvonne Blenkinsop at the House of Commons. Yvonne’s story is exceptionally inspirational and is one that should be shared widely both in Hull and outside of it. I will also be speaking in the Opposition Day debate on social mobility and inequality. Hull has some of the poorest areas in the country and, in my constituency of Hull West and Hessle, one in three children live in poverty. Poverty affects life chances and fewer people in Hull are likely to be in a managerial or professional role than in other parts of the country. I will be arguing that it is only through regional investment that we will see an increase in social mobility and a reduction in poverty.
Thursday
My meetings on Thursday include STAND about the ongoing dispute around the fisherman’s memorial and how I can support them. I will also visit Advanced Modular Management Solutions, I have spoken before about how keen I am to support the modular building industry and I see it as a key area for growth of high quality jobs in the area.
I will also be hosting an evening to discuss how we help children who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences. The other important thing that is happening on Thursday is the European Elections and I would encourage everyone to vote Labour. No one expected us to be holding these European elections, but the Government’s complete failure on Brexit means they are going ahead. Only the Labour Party, which represents all parts of the country, whether people voted to Leave or to Remain, is committed to finding a solution which can bring the country together. From taking urgent action on the climate emergency, to protecting and strengthening workers’ rights, to facing down the far right, our manifesto speaks to the lives of people in Britain and across Europe. The real divide in our country is not how people voted in the EU referendum. It is between the many and the few- Labour is on the side of the many. Labour is on your side.
Friday
My meetings on Friday include the Ergo Innovation Centre, the Education Alliance and the Apprenticeship Ambassador Frank Clayton.
