Lords Overhaul Schools Bill: Cheaper Uniforms, Trust Inspections

High-Level Summary

The House of Lords took oral questions on arts education (the Music and Dance Scheme), the performance of UK start‑ups, and sustainable water management in Yorkshire, before examining plans for a new National Police Service. Peers then spent most of the day on Report of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, agreeing government and backbench changes on school uniform costs, elective home education safeguards, free school meals, child performers, and trust‑level inspection of academy proprietors. The Government narrowed a proposed direction power over academies and secured provision for Ofsted to inspect academy trusts, with consultation and piloting promised. A Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill was introduced. Late in the evening, transitional business rates regulations were approved; a regret amendment was withdrawn.

Detailed Summary

Schools: Music and Dance Scheme – Question

Baroness Smith of Malvern confirmed continued support for the Music and Dance Scheme and explained that longer‑term funding decisions will follow the next Spending Review. She noted that bursaries remain targeted: “We continue to fund the music and dance scheme, providing bursaries to over 2,000 students”. Baroness Keeley and others warned that frozen or short‑term settlements discourage low‑income families from taking places; the Minister acknowledged pressures, saying funding had been “largely static” since 2010 and in some years cut in cash terms, while stressing: “the fact that we have not been able to announce funding yet does not mean that we are not committed to the scheme”.

Peers highlighted VAT‑related cost pressures and risks to schools’ viability. The Minister said the current year’s scheme value was maintained and “we have provided an additional £4 million to support parents having to pay for the impacts of VAT on private schools”. Asked if a closure was acceptable, she replied, “No, it is not” and said 2026‑27 funding would be announced soon. On wider benefits, she undertook to explore how specialist schools could support state schools: “Considering how we can build support from the specialist schools into our state schools is an interesting idea”.

UK Start‑up Companies – Question

Baroness Lloyd of Effra cited resilient entrepreneurship data, including: “One‑year survival rates have also remained strong, holding at over 93% in recent years”. In response to calls for stronger evaluation of tax‑advantaged schemes, she referred to HMRC’s 2022 evaluation—“75% of enterprise investment scheme companies strongly agreed that finance led their company to grow”—and a Treasury call for evidence.

On scale‑ups, she set out an “entrepreneurship prospectus” focusing on public R&D, procurement reform, tax reliefs and later‑stage finance, including “strengthening the ability of public finance institutions to invest at series B and beyond”. She added that the Government aims to cut administrative burdens by 25% and had “announced in October 2025 that we would exempt tens of thousands of companies from producing strategic and directors’ reports”. On energy access for AI start‑ups, she said AI growth zones will “include full access to energy as part of the package”.

Yorkshire: Sustainable Water Management Solutions – Question

Baroness Hayman of Ullock said the Government is working with the Connected by Water partnership and promoting measures such as SuDS and rainwater reuse to address flooding and drought: policy “encourages sustainable drainage systems in new developments and collecting and reusing rainwater”. She emphasised a major flood‑protection programme: “£2.65 billion to better protect properties by March this year”.

She confirmed updated national standards for SuDS in June 2024 require designs to reflect climate change, and that at least 4% of flood/coastal erosion investment will go to natural flood management—“at least £300 million” over the next decade. On leakage, Defra expects Ofwat to challenge companies to halve leakage by 2050 and supports rolling out 10.4 million smart meters in 2025–30 to improve detection.

National Police Service – Question

Lord Hanson of Flint said work would start immediately to establish a national police service, with legislation “as soon as parliamentary time allows.” It will begin by hosting national services and later take on crime‑fighting responsibilities: “It will first host national services such as IT and the National Police Air Service and later bring in national crime‑fighting responsibilities”. He added that the Government wants fewer forces to improve efficiency: “The Government want to see a reduction in the number of police forces”.

On accountability, he said: “we are going to abolish police and crime commissioners and replace them with local management” via mayoral or council‑nominated arrangements. On responsibilities for fraud and cyber, he said decisions were pending, with the City of London Police “extremely central” to a fraud strategy coming shortly. He confirmed that devolving policing to Wales is “not on the agenda” for this reorganisation.

Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill – First Reading

The Bill was brought from the Commons, read a first time and ordered to be printed.

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – Report (4th Day): Child poverty targets

Lord Bird’s Amendment 107 sought binding child poverty reduction targets. Supporters argued targets aid accountability, while critics warned about perverse incentives. Lord Bird framed targets within a broader strategy that “could fit in a panoply of organised, convergent energy that is used to get rid of poverty”. Baroness Lister urged a “yardstick” to judge the Government’s strategy.

The Government pointed to a published strategy projecting “the largest reduction in child poverty by any Government in a single Parliament, lifting 550,000 children out of poverty” and committed to monitoring: “a baseline report will be published in summer 2026, with annual reporting on progress thereafter”. Outcome: the amendment was withdrawn.

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – Report (4th Day): Social media access and online harms

Lord Storey’s Amendment 108 proposed a harms‑based regime requiring platforms to set and justify minimum ages (default 16) for access. He argued against a simple blanket ban: “we believe that it is not as simple as that. A blanket ban is not that easy”. Outcome: on division, Ayes 67, Noes 191; the amendment was disagreed.

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – Report (4th Day): Free school meals

Government Amendments 111 and 112 were agreed to facilitate information‑sharing so schools and local authorities can identify eligibility, and to extend free school lunches on request to pupils at maintained schools or pupil referral units where they or their parent receive universal credit.

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – Report (4th Day): School uniforms (costs, branded items and PFAS)

Lord Mohammed of Tinsley’s Amendment 114 replaced a cap on the number of branded items with a monetary cap on the total cost of required branded items, to address affordability: “What matters to families is not how many items are required but how much they are forced to pay”. The House divided and agreed the amendment (Ayes 255, Noes 183). A related proposal to exempt loaned or gifted branded items from any cap fell to pre‑emption after Amendment 114 was carried.

On chemical safety, Baroness Boycott highlighted risks from PFAS in clothing. The Minister said Defra “will shortly publish a PFAS plan” and committed to “updating procurement guidance to recommend that schools consider sourcing PFAS‑free uniform”.

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – Report (4th Day): Elective home education – consent, meetings and registers

Baroness Smith of Malvern introduced measures to provide proportionate safeguards at points where children can become less visible to professionals, citing the Sara Sharif review. She said the aim is targeted oversight, not expanding child protection systems, at “specific points where children can become less visible to professionals”. Government Amendment 120 was agreed, extending the need for local authority consent to withdraw a child from school where the child has been on a child protection plan in the last five years. The House also agreed Baroness Barran’s Amendment 121A on division (Ayes 231, Noes 147), adding further consent triggers (including ever having been subject to Section 31 or 47 proceedings, or current Section 17 child‑in‑need status).

Peers agreed a pilot of mandatory pre‑withdrawal meetings with local authorities (Amendment 125), with outcomes recorded: “the local authority must record the outcome of the meeting or whether the meeting was refused”. On the children‑not‑in‑school register, the House agreed to require early consideration of the home environment within 15 days of registration, alongside the ability to request a visit. Further changes streamlined data collection (e.g., estimates rather than exact time allocations; thresholds for listing external providers) and made related regulations subject to the affirmative procedure in England and Wales. The Minister said the package “reduce[s] the burden on parents” while enabling local authorities to meet education and safeguarding duties.

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – Report (4th Day): Child performers and the register

Baroness Benjamin sought to avoid unintended impacts from the children‑not‑in‑school register on child performers. The Government confirmed that “school‑registered child performers” will be excluded and committed to a wider review: “We recognise the need to review child performance regulations, and the Government are committed to doing so”.

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – Report (4th Day): Inspection of academy proprietors and academy interventions

Government Amendment 192 narrowed a new power so that directions to academy proprietors can be issued only where there is an actual breach of duties under funding agreements, removing the anticipatory element. Government Amendment 193 established Ofsted inspection of academy trusts, requiring reports on leadership, governance, improvement and resource management, and enabling intervention where a trust is not performing to an acceptable standard. The Government said the system will be developed with the sector and “thoroughly tested” through consultation and piloting before routine inspections begin.

Baroness Barran’s Amendment 194—seeking to retain a duty to issue academy orders for failing schools except where no suitable sponsor is available, with a published improvement plan—was defeated (Ayes 16, Noes 92).

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill – Report (4th Day): Yeshivas and regulation (Clause 37)

The Bishop of Manchester raised concerns that yeshivas (religious‑instruction institutions) might be adversely affected by Clause 37. The Minister said the clause is not intended to close yeshivas—“it is categorically not the Government’s intention to close down yeshivas”—and allows for tailored standards, with consultation before regulations: “Ministers have not yet decided which standards would be prescribed”. The amendment was withdrawn.

Non‑Domestic Rating (Chargeable Amounts) (England) Regulations 2026 – Motion to Approve

The House approved transitional relief regulations for the 2026 revaluation, including a one‑year 1p supplement to help fund the scheme. The Minister said the scheme “gradually phases in large bill increases created by the 2026 revaluation” and noted separate additional relief for pubs and live music venues. Lord Jamieson moved a regret amendment citing pressures on hospitality, but later said, “I beg leave to withdraw my amendment”.