Select committee inquiry
Social Mobility Policy
Closed
What the inquiry looked at
“Read the key points in our report summary”
The committee's words, from the inquiry page on parliament.uk ↗.
What the government said
The government responded on 24 July 2026. The deadline was 2 February 2026.
Read the government's response ↗ Read the report ↗ Report an error
How the inquiry ran
Each dot is a dated item listed on this page, from the inquiry's opening on 4 March 2025 to 24 July 2026. The dashed mark is the deadline Parliament records for the government's response.
- Oral evidence 12 sessions
- Report 18 Nov 2025
- Government response 24 Jul 2026
What it recommended
The committee's recommendations are not listed here yet. Read them in Report - Social Mobility: Local Roots, Lasting Change ↗ on parliament.uk.
Evidence
Oral evidence sessions 12
- 17 Jul 20252 witnesses: Alison McGovern MP, The Rt Hon. the Baroness Smith of Malvernparliament.uk ↗
- 26 Jun 20254 witnesses: Dr Emma Gordon, Jennet Woolford, John Friedman, Mark Brewinparliament.uk ↗
- 19 Jun 20255 witnesses: Jonathan Roberts, Kate Smith, Kerry Booth, Professor Ruth McAreavey, Sharon Payneparliament.uk ↗
- 5 Jun 2025Oral Evidence Panel 1; Oral Evidence Panel 27 witnesses: Danielle Lewis-Egonu, Emma Meredith, Helene Dearn, Julia Nix, Nick Riddle, Rebecca Boomer-Clark, Tim Aldridgeparliament.uk ↗
- 22 May 20254 witnesses: Andy Case, Andy Murray, Jon Richards, Kate Bellparliament.uk ↗
- 15 May 20253 witnesses: David Willetts, Justine Greening, Nik Millerparliament.uk ↗
- 1 May 20254 witnesses: Dr Fiona Hill, Professor Andy Long, Professor Louise Kempton, Sir David Bell KCB DLparliament.uk ↗
- 24 Apr 20254 witnesses: Barry Fletcher, Dr Gianfranco Addario, Graham Cowley, Professor Lisa Russell Russellparliament.uk ↗
- 3 Apr 20253 witnesses: Chris Welham, David Houghton, Paul Gerrardparliament.uk ↗
- 27 Mar 2025Oral Evidence Panel 13 witnesses: Jo Fry, Neil Morrison, Tom Lyasparliament.uk ↗
- 20 Mar 2025Oral Evidence Panel 1; Oral Evidence Panel 26 witnesses: Dr Louise Ashley, Professor Anna Mountford-Zimdars, Professor Graeme Atherton, Professor Kathryn Mitchell, Professor Liz Mossop, Professor Stephen Machinparliament.uk ↗
- 13 Mar 20253 witnesses: Alun Francis OBE, Resham Kotecha, Rob Wilsonparliament.uk ↗
Who gave evidence 48 witnesses
- Alison McGovern MPMinister for Employment, Department for Work and Pensions
- Alun Francis OBEDeputy Chair, Social Mobility Commission
- Andy CaseSenior Policy Adviser, NEU
- Andy MurrayNational Officer, Unite
- Barry FletcherCEO, Youth Futures Foundation
- Chris WelhamChief Executive Officer, Licensed Trade Charity
- Danielle Lewis-EgonuChief Executive, Cygnus Academies Trust
- David HoughtonFounder, Social Mobility Ventures
- David WillettsPresident, Resolution Foundation
- Dr Emma GordonDirector, ADR UK (Administrative Data Research UK)
- Dr Fiona HillReviewer, Strategic Defence Review
- Dr Gianfranco AddarioResearch Director, National Centre for Social Research
- Dr Louise AshleyReader and Associate Professor, Queen Mary University London
- Emma MeredithDirector of Skills Policy and Global Engagement, Association of Colleges (AoC)
- Graham CowleyNEET Strategic Partnership, Blackpool
- Helene DearnInterim Executive Director for Skills, Health & Communities, The West Midlands Combined Authority
- Jennet WoolfordDirector for Public Policy Analysis, Office for National Statistics
- Jo FryGroup HR Director, Mears Group
- John FriedmanCo-Director of Opportunity Insights, Brown University
- Jon RichardsNational Secretary, Education, UNISON
- Jonathan RobertsDirector of External Affairs, Country Land and Business Association
- Julia NixJob Centre manager, East Anglia Region, DWP
- Justine GreeningFounder and Chair, The Purpose Coalition
- Kate BellAssistant General Secretary, TUC
- Kate SmithChief Executive, Connexus housing association
- Kerry BoothChief Executive, Rural Services Network
- Mark BrewinDeputy Director Data Sharing and Acquisition, HMRC
- Neil MorrisonDirector of Human Resources, Severn Trent
- Nick RiddleOperations Director, Central England, DWP
- Nik MillerCEO, Bridge Group
- Paul GerrardCampaigns, Public Affairs and Board Secretariat Director, The Co-op
- Professor Andy LongVice Chancellor, Northumbria University
- Professor Anna Mountford-ZimdarsCentre for Social Mobility, The University of Exeter
- Professor Graeme AthertonAssociate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Regional Engagement, University of West London
- Professor Kathryn MitchellVice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of Derby
- Professor Lisa Russell RussellProfessor in Education and Employment, Manchester Metropolitan University
- Professor Liz MossopVice Chancellor, Sheffield Hallam University
- Professor Louise KemptonProfessor of Urban and Regional Policy, Newcastle University
- Professor Ruth McAreaveyCo-investigator, National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise
- Professor Stephen MachinProfessor of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- Rebecca Boomer-ClarkCEO, Lift Academies
- Resham KotechaDeputy Chair, Social Mobility Commission
- Rob WilsonDeputy Chair, Social Mobility Commission
- Sharon PayneRegional Rural Mobility Manager, Transport East
- Sir David Bell KCB DLVice Chancellor, University of Sunderland
- The Rt Hon. the Baroness Smith of MalvernMinister for Skills, Department for Education
- Tim AldridgeDirector of Children and Learning, Camden Council
- Tom LyasHead of Resourcing & Social Mobility, Browne Jacobson LLP
Meetings and visits 2
- 10 Jul 2025Private meetingFormal meeting (private meeting)
- 12 Jun 2025Private meetingFormal meeting (private meeting)