May I thank Jenny Rathbone for tabling this very important discussion? Obviously, it is hugely concerning. As someone who was previously a councillor in Rhondda Cynon Taf, I was particularly concerned by the high levels of school exclusions, and particularly among young boys. It seemed to be a problem that wasn't being addressed. I know now, from casework coming in to my office, in terms of school exclusions linked to child and adolescent mental health services not being available, and 30-month waiting times, and these young people are desperate for help, their families are desperate to find them the support that's required, and yet the only route possible is then to exclude them from the one place where they should be safe and where they should be supported. It's also the ad hoc support at present. Some schools are able to afford in-house councillors, therefore bypassing things like CAMHS and providing that immediate support. I'm also concerned with some of the three-to-16 and three-to-19 schools, and what I'm told by parents and teachers and pupils about how difficult it is when you have perhaps pupils that require greater support, but the school just cannot provide that. There are also exclusions because teachers are concerned about the impact of, perhaps, behaviour that may be considered threatening on younger pupils, those who are in the three-to-11 age, and thinking about the general impact. 

So, this is something we must get to grips with. It's a situation that's worsening, and it's particularly problematic in some of our disadvantaged areas where there's child poverty and there are so many different concerns. I also know that parents are fighting for support, but not all parents and carers are able to fight for that support, and therefore we're in this circle of people being failed generation after generation.

School exclusions—I completely agree with you—they should be a last resort. We should be keeping children and young people in school, and I hope we can do more to secure that in the future.