Nursery provision in South West England

Sharing your experiences for a Parliamentary debate

Image of a child's hands playing with wooden toy pieces

On Tuesday 6 February, Luke Pollard MP led a Westminster Hall debate on nursery provision in South West England.

To inform it, he asked to hear about your experiences.

Thank you to all those who responded to the survey.

Page contents:

  • MP's thank you message
  • Video of survey respondents' stories being shared
  • The Government's response
  • Links to read or watch the debate
  • Relevant Parliamentary activity
  • A debate explainer.
"I’d like to thank everyone from across the South West who shared their views on accessing nursery provision in their area.
"Several MPs representing constituencies in the South West came to the debate, and we spoke about many of the issues which you raised.
"Issues like childcare affordability, waiting lists, the impact on careers were all discussed, alongside other themes from your survey responses.
"Have a look at the transcript for the debate, or watch it using the links below. You can also see what the Government Minister said in response.
"Thank you again for your contribution to this important debate."
Luke Pollard MP
Luke Pollard MP

He shared some of the public's experiences in his speech:

The Government's response

The Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, David Johnston MP, responded to the debate on behalf of the Government. 

Watch or read his full speech for details where he covers a range of topics, including: 

Further information on these topics is provided in the Library briefings on early years funding and help with childcare costs in England.  

Parliamentary resources

House of Commons Library

Relevant research:

Relevant committee inquiries

Education Committee: Support for childcare and the early years (July 2023)

Read the Committee's report

What are Westminster Hall debates?

Westminster Hall debates enable backbench MPs from any party to raise an issue, and receive a response from the government.  

They do not involve a vote on a particular action or decision.  

Instead, the aim is to:  

  • raise awareness of an issue, often as part of a wider campaign 
  • seek to influence government policy
  • put the views of backbench MPs, opposition parties, and the government on record.

The setting

Westminster Hall debates happen in the Grand Committee Room – the second chamber of the House of Commons. 

Here, MPs sit in a horseshoe shape. This can help to encourage a constructive atmosphere.  

Chairing the debate

Westminster Hall debates are chaired by an MP. The role of the Chair is to:

  • ensure debates keep to the time allocated
  • call on MPs to speak
  • make sure MPs follow the rules of debate.

To mark the start of the debate the Chair says:  

"Order, order" 

Opening the debate

The MP leading the debate makes the first speech.

They will generally:

  • outline their views on the issue
  • present examples
  • in some cases, call on the government to take action. 

Backbench speeches

After the opening speech, other backbench MPs take turns to speak in the debate. 

The main opposition parties

For longer debates, the main opposition parties then have a chance to respond.

An MP from the third largest party generally goes first, and is followed by an MP from the official Opposition

They outline their party's position on the issue.  

The Government's response

The Chair then calls the Minister to respond to the debate on behalf of the government. 

The Minister will generally:

  • respond to concerns raised by MPs
  • explain the government's position and policies
  • share relevant plans or ambitions for the future.

Closing the debate

If there is enough time, the MP who opened the debate can make final comments. 

The debate is then concluded.

Engaging with debates

  • You can contact your MP and ask them to attend a debate. Or you can ask them to lead their own debate on an issue you feel is important.  
  • For some debates, you may be asked to share your insights and experiences. This can help inform the MPs taking part in the debate. See the Chamber Engagement website for details. 
  • You can watch debates online or attend in person. Find out what's on by looking at the Parliamentary calendar

Lisa, Ian and Charlotte helped inform previous debates on topics like the menopause and pensions advice:

For more on Westminster Hall debates, see How Parliament Works.

Photo credit: UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor