COST OF SCHOOL UNIFORMS

That this House notes that a full school uniform can now cost hundreds of pounds, with costs continuing to rise; further notes that the Government has not issued the statutory guidance on school uniforms that was announced in 2015; is deeply concerned by the increasing financial pressure on parents caused by welfare changes, cuts to tax credits, the growth of low-wage, insecure work, the effect of cuts on school budgets and the reduced availability of school uniform grants due to local government cuts; believes that schools should be properly funded by central Government and not be forced to use school uniforms to raise funds; further believes that school uniforms should not be cost-prohibitive for parents or a source of excessive profits for private companies; and urges the Government to end austerity, reverse cuts to school budgets and implement statutory guidance to ensure the availability of affordable school uniforms, including options such as sew-on logos that can be applied to generic uniforms.