Peterborough MP hopes to introduce school uniform bill in Parliament

The Labour MP won the right last week to introduce new legislation in the House of Commons through a Private Members’ Bill.

The successful MPs can introduce their bills on Wednesday, November 13, however, this will not take place if Parliament is dissolved due to a General Election.

The MP, who was elected in June, has spoken previously about how expensive the cost of school uniforms are and has called on parents to be allowed to buy plain uniforms before sewing on logos.

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Her draft bill calls for a maximum price that may be charged for individual items or groups of items, requirements for uniforms to be available from multiple suppliers or restrictions on items available only from a single supplier, and restrictions on which items may have requirements specific to the school.

It also calls for provisions for schools to provide financial assistance to parents in certain cases and restrictions on requirements for pupils of specific genders to wear specific clothing.

The MP said: “Should Parliament be sitting I have decided that for my Private Members’ Bill I will be putting forward an issue I feel really strongly about and have campaigned on ever since I was elected to Parliament in June. Simply put, buying school uniforms should not break the bank.

“According to the Children’s Society nearly two million children currently go to school in badly-fitting, unclean or incorrect clothing, while one in 10 families reported getting into debt over school clothes.

“This is why I have been working on legislation to ensure that school uniforms are more affordable through statutory guidance on costs. This legislation is long overdue and would benefit families in Peterborough and across the country who are already struggling to make ends meet.”