Question
I thank the Minister for his strong and consistent leadership on this issue over the last two years. I totally agree that the expectation should be for school leaders, parents and the Government to work together. I really welcome what he said about further guidance being on the way for parents. Some constituents have contacted me with concerns about how some schools have been proactively sending out guidance from the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign whereas others have said that that is perhaps a partisan campaign, which seems to me to be overly cautious. Will the Minister join me in paying tribute to the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign and expand on whether he thinks that some of its campaigns, such as the parent pact, are useful tools for parents?50% vibes
Answer
I thank my hon. Friend for his campaigning and leadership on this issue in his constituency. I know that he has an active Smartphone Free Childhood campaign group and that he has been a big advocate with Joe and Daisy, the leaders of the movement. Many hon. Members across the House will be familiar with the campaign; I would not describe it as partisan at all. The campaigners have built a remarkable community behind the change, and the attention that they have brought to this issue has been part of what has shifted politics on it in recent years.14% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (45/100)
The reply directly thanks the MP for his campaigning and praises the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign's community and influence, which fully answers the first part of the question. It does not say whether the campaign's initiatives or the parent pact are useful tools for parents, so the second part goes unanswered. The asker would likely need to follow up to get a view on that point.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will the Minister pay tribute to the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign? | Addressed | Direct | The Minister directly thanks the MP for his campaigning and leadership and praises the campaigners' remarkable community and their influence on the issue, which is a clear tribute to the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign as asked. |
| What is the Minister's view on whether some of the Smartphone Free Childhood campaign's initiatives, such as the parent pact, are useful tools for parents? | Not Addressed | Generic | No statement expresses a view on whether the campaign's initiatives, or the parent pact specifically, are useful tools for parents; the reply only describes the campaign's community, its advocates, and its political influence. |