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Education and Inspections Bill

I wish to speak briefly on the principle of listening to children as far as we can. I welcome the many things that the Government are doing to support families, especially the recent increase in maternity leave and benefit and support for fathers. However, year on year an increasing number of parents are separating and an increasing number of children are being taken into care. I believe that the BMA has recently produced a troubling report on the mental health of children. There is a lot of disruption in children’s families. One consequence of that is that it can be difficult for parents to listen to their children. Children get ignored because of the upheavals in their family. So it is important for the self-esteem of children from those backgrounds that every opportunity is taken to listen to them and take their contribution on board as far as possible. Recently, I was with my nine month-old great nephew. We were engaged in a game where he was pulling faces and I was responding to the faces that he made. I have heard that, like my great nephew, infants become delighted with the fact that they can influence the adults close to them and they get carried away with that. The same principle applies to the matter that we are discussing—the feeling that one can influence the world and one’s environment even when one feels small and insignificant. That is especially true of children from families where there is disruption. Therefore, I strongly support the principle of what is proposed and look forward to the Minister’s response.