Question Time Event November 2009

At least a million children of school age in England have a health condition. Many of them are struggling as they are not receiving the support they need when at school.

An alliance of over thirty organisations is campaigning on behalf of these children. The alliance was established following a successful lobby of Parliament in November 2008, and the subsequent Schools  Bill put forward by Jim Cunningham MP.

The Question Time event was the first major event to be organised by the alliance. It aimed to continue the debate surrounding health support in schools and to keep the key asks of the alliance on the political agenda.

The event was chaired by BBC journalist Jon Sopel and brought together a panel of key politicians and decision makers, as well as a group of more than forty children with various health conditions.

The event gave the young people the opportunity to share their experiences and to ask questions of the panel. Helen Southworth MP, who hosted the event, commented that the occasion was also very important for MPs, who are always keen to receive first-hand feedback and to use this to inform their decisions. More than forty young people attended the event held at the House of Commons.

Click here to read the Alliance Policy Briefing

Over forty young people attended the event at the House of Commons