Question
I thank the Minister for his statement. I stopped being a teacher in 2020. I am pretty certain that kids had smartphones in 2020, yet I heard nothing from the then Government about banning them, so it is a bit rich of the Opposition to suggest that we have done nothing about it. On young carers, the Minister will know that I am a big advocate of supporting them and have often raised the issue of young carer leads in every school. Will he add to what he has said about ensuring that young carers are not disadvantaged, taking into account what he said to the previous speaker?
Answer
My hon. Friend mentions young carers about as much as he mentions Harlow! [ Interruption. ] Yes, very disappointing! To repeat the point, it is important that young carers at school have the freedom to get on and learn. There are ways of ensuring they have the ability to contact home. I know there are thousands of heads of year and pastoral leads in schools who have a very good understanding of the children in their school and will help to facilitate that connection so that they are not isolated or disconnected.17% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (35/100)
The reply partly addresses the question. It names pastoral leads and heads of year as a way to help young carers avoid isolation, and says they can keep in contact with home. However, it relies on vague wording such as "there are ways of ensuring" and sets out no concrete provision, so the answer is hedged throughout. Someone who asked this question would probably need to ask again for specifics before they could act on it.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Minister add to what he has said about ensuring that young carers are not disadvantaged, taking into account his remarks to the previous speaker? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply adds to the Minister's earlier position by naming a mechanism, pastoral leads and heads of year who will facilitate connection so young carers are not isolated, and by saying young carers can keep contact with home. However, "there are ways of ensuring" is vague and gives no concrete provision, so the answer is thin rather than a full addition. Statements 1 and 2 are banter and do not bear on the item. |