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Domestic violence campaigners and charities, including Kaleidoscopic UK, have warned that post-separation abuse is too often missed by the justice system. How many more victims must be failed before the Government take action to ensure that post-separation abuse is properly recognised across policing, prosecution and the courts?

The Minister played a significant role in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK branch and internationally prior to his appointment. Were there any discussions at CHOGM about the role that Parliaments and parliamentarians across the Commonwealth can play in the future shape of the Commonwealth?

The Sentencing Act 2026 had a very clear aim, which was to stabilise the prison capacity crisis and to prevent victims from having to go through the ordeal of finding out that their perpetrator was being released not because they had served their time, but because there was a capacity crisis. However, the Government’s own capacity projections depend on both building capacity and keeping current cells operational. In the Budget, the MOJ’s capital for maintenance was reduced from £2.3 billion to £1.9 billion for 2029-30, but the cost of the maintenance backlog sits at £2.8 billion and cells are regularly being taking out of use. Can the Lord Chancellor confidently and categorically rule out, at the Dispatch Box, any more early release schemes before the end of this Parliament?

Shamefully, some 12.5 million slaves were sent across the Atlantic during the slave trade, and it is reckoned that 90% of them were captured and traded in horrific circumstances by African kings. Does the Minister agree that it would be ridiculous to hold the descendants of those African kings responsible for the sins of their fathers? Should we not learn from the King, our chief diplomat, by expressing sorrow from the depth of our soul, but not getting involved in apologies, let alone reparations?

This week is the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers’ annual Respect Week to raise awareness of the impacts of retail crime. From working with Thames Valley police in my patch, I know that a significant proportion of shoplifting is done by a small number of shoplifters who are repeat offenders and is often linked to substance abuse. Local Reading charities like Change Grow Live do great work to combat that. What more can the Department do to support that work and tackle the cycle of reoffending?

I mean no disrespect to the Minister when I say that this statement should have been made by the Prime Minister. The Government have rightly championed the value of Commonwealth partnerships, but is the Minister aware that the Global Health Partnerships scheme set up by the coalition Government at a time of economic austerity—that has been enormously valuable to Commonwealth countries, as well as enhancing Britain’s national interest and our health services—now faces being defunded thanks to the savage cuts to the international development budget made by the last Government? Will he personally look at whether this great scheme can be saved?

The threat that this country faces from hostile state actors is of grave concern to Members and parties on both sides of the House, and the security of parliamentarians as they go about their roles is central to democracy. A key component of countering political interference in our democracy is the foreign influence registration scheme. I welcome the Minister’s comments, but can he say more about the funding that is going into tackling hostile state threats? Will he confirm that the foreign influence registration scheme is being operationalised, and will he commit to not politicising the security of parliamentarians, unlike, I am afraid to say, the Opposition?

I would like to ask about my constituent Ranem. When a family court told her that her son could not be taken out of the country, she believed it was safe for Ibrahim to be with his father, but it was not safe. Four years ago this week, he was abducted by his father and taken to Saudi Arabia, and Ranem has not seen him since. How can we ensure a better system, in which, when the courts make an order, ports know about it and enforce it, so that mothers do not have to go through what Ranem is going through?

7. Whether his Department plans to review licence and probation supervision arrangements for convicted sex offenders following their release from custody.

Can the Minister reassure my constituents, who are in their 90s and are the victims of an alleged large fraud, that the lengthy delays they have experienced so far are being addressed urgently so that they can finally see justice done, particularly in view of their age?

Employment tribunal backlogs have reached record levels, with more than 70,000 open single claims and some hearings outside of London delayed until 2029. The Employment Lawyers Association estimates that the phased introduction of the Employment Rights Act 2025 over the course of the next year will increase the tribunal caseload by up to a third. Does the Minister accept the concerns of the legal sector that extending employment rights without the ability to enforce, due to court backlogs, is meaningless and making access to justice in these life-changing disputes a postcode lottery?

I welcome the Minister’s statement. On Friday, I visited Lancaster high school in my constituency; under the leadership of Colin Malone, it has seen its best-ever GCSE results. During my visit, I did not see or hear a mobile phone. It is an example of a mobile-phone ban ensuring that children’s educational outcomes are improved. Will the Minister join me in congratulating Colin Malone on his leadership? My question to the Minister is about changing technology. While we are talking about mobile phones, I am aware that technology is moving on, with AI glasses and smartwatches also in the mix. Does he have any thoughts on that?

Members across this place know personally about espionage risks to our democracy, and I know that that is true of the shadow Security Minister. Does my right hon. Friend agree that we must all be vigilant as we go about our work in this place?

Parents across Bracknell Forest will welcome the strengthened guidance on mobile phones in schools and the fact that the Government are having a look at edtech. I agree with the Minister that we need to make sure that the guidance is implemented in an intentional way, guided by pedagogy. May I ask him to touch on data concerns? One of my concerns about AI being utilised in the classroom without clear guidance is that we need to make sure that the data is kept safe and secure. It should not be the case that foreign tech companies are profiting from sensitive data from our young people.

Overseas aid is critical to improving our security not just at home but around the world. It improves resilience, strengthens institutions and enables our Commonwealth brothers and sisters to thrive. The Minister references defence and national security spending decisions. I am sure he recognises how ODA investment makes our interests at home and overseas more secure. I am particularly concerned to see the cuts to funding for countries with existing programmes from £546 million to £131 million. Can the Minister explain in more detail how those cuts have been assessed and what impact they may have on programmes that are already in progress and on our security at home and overseas?

I presume it is too much to expect a Government Minister to admit that the shadow Education Secretary was right to propose this measure previously and that the Government were wrong to vote against it, so let me ask him something easier to answer. What does he think the measures will be in the evolutionary process that he describes when schoolchildren start returning to the classroom with long essays that have clearly been the result of the application of AI? It will put teachers in an extremely difficult position, and it would be good if we could be ahead of that particular curve.

I welcome the steps the Minister outlined to ensure phones will no longer be a distraction in the classroom, but for many children they can be a lifeline if they have chronic conditions such as type 1 diabetes. I am pleased to see an acknowledgement about an exemption for medical or disability purposes. My concern is that if there is a supply teacher, or if children are moving year group or moving school and transitioning, how will the information be passed on to ensure we do not end up in a situation where a child needs to use a medical device or app on their phone to monitor their health condition and they end up being denied it?

I thank the Minister for his statement, which answers the call from many school leaders in my constituency for the Government to lead on this issue and provide a consistent approach that all schools can follow. Will he join me in praising Winsford academy in my constituency, which took bold action in early 2024 to introduce phone pouches after more than 350 incidents over a five-week period. The school reported immediate improvements in concentration and social interaction, and they were sustained over time. Does he agree that this is exactly the sort of outcome we want replicated across all schools?

I have had over 500 emails from constituents calling for a smartphone-free childhood, so I welcome today’s announcement. However, while restricting access to smartphones, schools are increasingly issuing laptops and tablets that pupils can take home and use beyond the school day. As some independent schools are re-examining the role of screens in education, technology use is expanding across the state school sector. Will the Minister explain how the Government will ensure that one form of screen dependency is not simply being replaced by another? What consideration has been given to the amount of time that children spend using school-issued devices both in and outside the classroom?

In 1943, Churchill reportedly said: “We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us.” —[ Official Report , 28 October 1943; Vol. 393, c. 403.] Later, the academic John Culkin said, “We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.” Will the Minister assure the House that the Government will ensure that that trap is not fallen into as regards edtech and other forms of digital technology relating to our children?

I welcome the thought that has gone into this new guidance for schools on phones, but young people have told me that their worst relationship with their devices is when they are at home, not when they are at school. I really welcome the independent safety certification approach, but we need to close the loopholes on safety for digital devices across the board so that they meet the same standards as technology everywhere. Does the Minister agree that we have more work to do to implement digital product safety so that technology is safe for everybody, everywhere, all the time?

I very much welcome this change of heart from the Government. There is no place for phones during the school day, and stronger guidance for schools on mobile phone use is a very welcome step, as is the edtech review. Classrooms should be places of focus and learning, free from the addictive and demanding world of social media that, sadly, so often leads to bullying, but schools need the right equipment and procedures in place. We Liberal Democrats are very clear that it should be up to headteachers to decide how they keep phones out of reach of pupils, but I reiterate the Chair of the Education Committee’s comments that this will come at a cost and that school budgets are already stretched to breaking point. Some schools will ask parents to buy the pouches, but parents are already facing the ever-rising costs of sending children to school. Can the Minister assure me that school leaders across the country will have the necessary funding to implement the guidance effectively? For schools that want to ban smartphones completely—some are going down that route already—one barrier is that some bus companies require bus fares to be paid on an app on a smartphone, and they are not willing to change their ways. Is the Minister looking at these sorts of barriers for schools that want to go a step further? I welcome the clear assurance from the Minister that, for pupils with medical or special educational needs and disabilities, appropriate exemptions and adjustments will be made by schools. This must not be onerous or discriminatory towards individual children. Will he confirm that young carers will be included in such exemptions? Finally, with an increasing number of schools giving children digital devices to do schoolwork on throughout the school day, and then homework at home, can the Minister confirm whether the edtech review will also look at the amount of screen time that children in schools are being exposed to?

I thank the Minister for his statement, and welcome the announcement of strengthened guidance on mobile phones in schools. It constitutes agreement with the Select Committee, which called for a policy whereby children have no access to their phones during the school day rather than a “not seen or heard” policy. The Committee also said that schools should be given the resources, where needed, to implement such a policy in full. For secondary schools, the cost of buying pouches can be as much as £20,000. How will the Government ensure that schools have the resources to implement the policy effectively? The Committee is currently undertaking an inquiry on AI and edtech. We have received a vast amount of evidence about the complexity of this landscape and the challenges that schools face in respect of procurement and the deployment of technology, and understanding the pedagogical basis that underpins it. Standards should be set, and I welcome the Government’s consultation, but they should be set in relation to a clear sense of the educational purpose of the technology, a deep understanding of pedagogy, and an understanding of the technology itself. What work has been undertaken on those aspects to underpin the Government’s thinking in this area?

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?