A total of 23 female Labour MPs, including MP for Walthamstow Stella Creasy and shadow children's minister Emma Lewell-Buck, had tabled an amendment to the bill that would place a duty on local authorities to ensure all children in their areas received personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.
Labour's proposals would have stipulated that statutory PSHE lessons would have to include education on sex and relationships, same-sex relationships. sexual consent, sexual violence, and domestic violence.
Education watchdog Ofsted would carry out targeted inspections of provision as part of safeguarding requirements, and pupils would be able to withdraw from the lessons if requested, as is currently the case with existing SRE provision.
But Conservative MPs blocked the move, defeating Labour's amendment by 10 votes to five following an hour-long debate during a public bill committee meeting.
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