Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill

The supplementary memorandum assesses two government amendments to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill for compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights: (1) a clause requiring local authorities to allow reasonable contact between looked-after children and their siblings, subject to the child’s welfare; and (2) a new allergy-safety policy regime for schools under the Children and Families Act 2014, with duties to create, publish and review policies and to regulate allergy management (including emergency medication and staff training), extended to non-maintained special and independent schools. It concludes these measures engage rights under Articles 8 and 2 (and related protections under Article 14), but are justified and proportionate, supported by safeguards such as guidance, oversight, and potential regulations compatible with the Convention. Overall, the amendments are deemed compatible with the ECHR and aimed at safeguarding welfare and health within education.”} }{}? Wait, the format expects a single object with

This is the Lords’ marshalled list (dated 24 March 2026) of motions to be moved on consideration of Commons Reasons and Amendments to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. It records Lords’ amendments (covering safeguarding, adoption funding, sibling contact, health funding, online safety, school costs, allergy safety, smartphone use and related provisions) and the Commons’ reasons for not insisting on them, plus in some cases amendments in lieu proposed by the Commons (38A–38G, etc.). The document shows the Commons largely opposing the Lords’ changes—citing unnecessary delay, costs, or existing guidance—while offering alternative measures for consideration.

The Lords publish motions to consider the Commons’ reasons for disagreeing with several Lords’ amendments to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and to decide whether the Lords should insist on those amendments. The paper lists multiple amendments (including 2, 5, 16, 19, 21, 37–38, 41, 42, 44, 102 and 106) and states the Lords do not insist on them where the Commons disagreed, with one motion proposing to accept the Commons’ amendments 38A–38D in lieu of 37–38. Dated 23 March 2026.

Legislation would require state-funded schools to have an allergy safety policy, review it annually, and publish it (including on the school website), with further details set by regulations and updated statutory guidance. It also creates a regulation‑making power to require additional allergy management duties (emergency medication, staff training, incident reporting, etc.), to be applied using the negative procedure. The duties would be extended to non‑maintained special schools and independent educational institutions through amendments to related acts.

Two Lords amendments are tabled: Amendment 17 would extend the Children Act 1989’s parental contact rules to include siblings (including half- and step-siblings) of a child in care; Amendment 105 would require schools to have an allergy-safety policy, with annual review and publicity, backed by regulations and extended to applicable schools under the Education Acts.

The Senedd approved a Legislative Consent Motion allowing the UK Parliament to consider provisions in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that relate to devolved matters. This approval was supported by memoranda and committee reports laid in 2025–2026.

The amendments would confer three new delegated powers on the Secretary of State: to regulate internet services to restrict or prevent children’s access or features (clause 65); to change the minimum age of consent for processing personal data by information society services under the UK GDPR (new Article 8(2A)); and to require age verification for consent (new Article 8ZA). These powers would be exercised by regulations, with affirmative parliamentary scrutiny, and would be guided by evidence and consultation, using the Online Safety Act 2023 framework and GDPR provisions. The aim is to respond quickly to online safety risks while maintaining parliamentary oversight.