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Backbench Business, social mobility, child poverty strategy

MPs debate social mobility and child poverty strategy

3 July 2014

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On Thursday 3 July MPs debated social mobility and the child poverty strategy. This debate was scheduled by the Backbench Business Committee.

Watch the debate and read the transcript

This debate began at 2.16pm and was opened by Hazel Blears, Labour MP for Salford and Eccles. Minister for Schools, David Laws, responded to the debate on behalf of the Government. Shadow Minister for Education, Rushanara Ali, responded on behalf of the Opposition.

Backbench Business Committee

The Backbench Business Committee meets weekly on Tuesdays at 3pm to consider requests for debates from any backbench Members of Parliament on any subject, including those raised in e-petitions or national campaigns.

An MP must make a representation before the Committee for an e-petition or petition to be debated; e-petitions exceeding the Government's 100,000 signature threshold are not automatically allocated backbench time.

The Committee then has to decide how to allocate the limited Parliamentary time it has at its disposal. The Committee's meetings are always conducted in public and can be watched on Parliament TV.

Further Information