News story

30th October 2003

Local MP to Lead Debate on "Parents Under Pressure"

Northavon MP Steve Webb has secured time in Parliament next Tuesday (November 4th) to lead a debate calling for Government action to support hard-pressed parents. The MP has initiated the debate because of a growing concern about the pressures on parents to work long hours, often including evenings and weekends, which mean they are prevented from spending time with their children.

In many cases parents report that they would prefer not to work these long or unsocial hours but are forced to do so. This may be because local house prices are only affordable on the strength of two full-time salaries, or because in a “24-7” world, employees are under increasing pressure to work evenings or weekends. With parents able to spend less time with their children, and especially young children, there is evidence of a “parenting deficit” with children starting school lacking basic social skills.

 The MP will call for a review of policies across a whole range of Government departments in order to provide greater support for parents and to reduce the pressure on them to spend excessive amounts of time away from their children. Children’s minister Margaret Hodge is expected to answer the debate and set out the Government’s position.

Commenting in advance of the debate, Steve Webb said:

“Being a parent is probably the most important job in the world. Yet so many parents are under real pressure to work long or antisocial hours and are denied the time with their children that they long for and their children need. As a result both parents and children are losing out.

The purpose of my debate is to get the Government to think again about the pressures that parents are under and to find ways of supporting parents who want to reconnect with their children”.
 

Click here to read the debate.