Live Education Questions House of Commons

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welcome to BBC Parliament live coverage from Westminster. Into our

there are two urgent questions in the House of Commons, the first is

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join me for a round-up of the day at both houses of parliament at 11pm.

First there are questions to the education secretary and her team of

ministers. Order! Order! Questions to the

Secretary of State for education, Mr Mark Spencer. Number one. Thank you

very much Mr Speaker and can I begin by welcoming the new shadow front

bench to their respective roles and in particular at the lady from

Washington and I look forward to working with her as I have in the

past I'm sure with she and the rest of the House will agree that kinship

care is vital for children cannot live at their parent. Which is

white... Which every counsel showed published a family and friends care

policy. 83% of Labour 30s now have a published policy compared to 42% in

2012 and I intend to write against councils on this issue. I am

grateful for that response and will the Minister recognised the

importance of kinship carers are taking in many of whom are

grandparents for those who do have responsibility for. Up their

responsibilities prevent them from working full-time and I wonder what

assessments you can give for damn parents who are kinship care for

their duties? He is right to raise the crucial role that working

grandparents play for childcare and supporting working families and

there is a carb gram and we recognise that fact and we announce

plans to extend the current system to also cover working grandparents

by providing much greater choice for families trying to balance childcare

and work. We will bring forward that legislation to enable this change

and implementing it by 2018. Carers save the taxpayer a great deal of

money as well as being the best option for the children they are

looking after, so as well as the publication by the authorities of

their practice, will he ensure those local authorities have the resources

they need to support kinship carers of say that taxpayer money, and do

what is right for the carers and the children, short-term and longer-term

as well. The reason why we take such a strong interest in this issue is

for all the reason is that the honourable gentleman just said, they

are performing a role that would otherwise have to be performed by

the state, that is why whether it through discretionary housing fund

or the work that we are doing with family rights group and other family

group conference is to help those families where it is at all possible

help children keep living with them and will help save taxpayer money

and the children's futures. Given the significant financial pressure

on the former fostering system of placement breakdown, will be

ministers support with the adoption form grant where that has

significant impact and... Where we are matching the money with the

intent to support kinship care. My Honorable friend will be aware of

the already impressive impact the adoption support fund already had on

helping those families care for is some of the most notable children in

our society and it is clearly having a positive approach like that across

the board that will help many of those other families struggling in

similar circumstances to bring about those outcomes happy to do the

special guardianship review which is under way, they will all help to

deliver what will be better support for pre-and post placement for all

those children who need it. At my last surgery I had to families who

are taking on kinship responsibilities and they have less

support and ongoing support than adoptive parents, can the government

ensure that they equal support as adoptive parents? I think I have

just touched on the previous answer about the support that we have

offered on adoption, others support is available to kinship carers and

their own local authority area, and that is why Allstate inspections of

local authorities including the family imprint statutory guidance,

we majored is greater emphasis on... In that share parental leave

will help many families to have a grandparent who works to hold the

childcare to provide flexible to bribed a better balance between

having a family in good childcare and play. I was privileged to meet

with a group of kinship carers and a family rights group in Parliament a

couple weeks ago and they told me that the government's changes to

welfare might an intended consequence and deterring people

from taking up kinship care because many look after more than three

children. What assessment has the Minister made of the likely impact

changes to tax credits on this group of people who are doing such a

fantastic work? The honourable gentleman is right to highlight the

importance of making sure we have the right support in place for

kinship carers and any changes that are made are thought through

carefully and that is what we have done. You also know, that the two

child policy that is being brought in is not until April 2017, so any

extra support kinship carers give from their local authority is

disregarded when it comes to an introduction of a benefit cap and

there is other support in exceptional circumstances that are

affected by the changes from April 2017, and we are happy to think

about them in the future. Question to Sir. I will answer this question

with cat question number 12. We are protecting schools budget with

arises pupil numbers and make significant progress toward fairer

funding for school. Which we have now confirmed we included in budgets

for next year as well. My right honourable friend will know that

schools and Savage are received about ?320 less per pupil than the

English average. At the reach risk of boring you Mr Speaker, in 1992I

raise this. I raised it in Prime Minister questions with Tony Blair

witch was sympathetic but did nothing as well and in the last

parliament I it was told we give leave rules who... We are in

government now so what are we going to do and when will it happen?

Considered exotic but he is never considered boring, not by the chair

anyway. I agree with you on those remarks, my honourable friend under

Parliamentary Secretary of state met with colleagues since Aperture two

discuss funding and I think he was not there but he was there in

spirit. You protect the funding and staff a jurist of people with...

Schools would continue to receive the pounds but I am determined to

make further progress on this. Thank you Mr Speaker. Undercurrent of

funding arrangements, funding and Worcestershire is ?4231 and in

others it is ?5,218, when she visits and iMac will she be able to deliver

good news to my constituents that will narrow this gap. I think my

honourable friend, I am looking forward to my visit to

Worcestershire, I cannot say what I am saying at that point. But I know

other members up Westchester, haven't absolutely tirelessly

campaigning for fairer school funding for some time and I know

they will be welcoming nearly ?7 million extra for schools there and

I will look further into this. Could she also look at where that

equitable funding ends up in terms of where students and up? Students

who end up in further education or at home colleges or studio schools,

the factory matters so many kids in our country are not getting their

fair share. I think the honourable gentleman -- I think Mack the

honourable gentleman. We are looking at all elements of funding for the

forthcoming spending review, but we have made it very clear that we want

to protect and we are protecting funding and that means the amount of

funding to schools goes up as the amount of pupils go up. Funding

request sits happily with pupil premium policy, has the Minister any

thoughts on either revising or reviewing? I think we can all agree

that pupil premium funding has been hugely successful, that over two and

a half billion pounds have been given to schools for additional

funding to help those who are disadvantaged and schools are

offending it... Spending it by and large effectively. At the school

funding formula should reflect deprecation funding, but we

absolutely want to make sure that the pupils with the same needs

attract the same funding. But I think it is successful. Given the

complexity of this issue does the Secretary of State agree with me

that we he proposals relatively soon so the education select committee

for one can examine these proposals, so we can be satisfied that they are

a long-term solution to a significant problem. I think the

chairman of the select committee, any solution must be long-term and I

can assure them that if there is any changes there will be extensive

consultation and members of the select committee and members of

schools be involved. Like many other parts of London have an acute

shortage of primary and secondary provision over the course of this

Parliament, will the Secretary of State agree to lead with me and

discuss this, and will she allow local authorities with a good track

record of authority maintained schools not just expand local

schools but build new ones. I think the honourable gentleman for his

question and I am sure I or one of the ministers will be happy to meet

him, but the last Parliament put ?5 billion extra to... And ?7 billion

for new places across the system and his own party took out funding for

pupil growth. Thank you Mr Speaker. In a similar vein, peoples in my

constituency to see the last per pupil and I have the backing of

thousands of teachers and parents on petition for our fairer funding

campaign, can I give them any indication that the Minister, they

will be missed to listen to. I think my honourable then. -- I think Mack

my honourable friend. Their funding is a huge issue but what I can sure

her is that I am aware of these issues as our ministers across

government. Thank you Mr Speaker that Institute of fiscal study shows

that for the first time since the mid-90s, school spending for pupils

has fallen, they have fared huge cuts, can the Secretary of State

ushered the stuff that any increases in funding in one area of her budget

will not be at the further expense of others? The honourable gentleman

will know that I cannot give any predictions of the fourth spending

review until all of those negotiations and discussions with

the Treasury are concluded. Of course fairer funding and the issues

we have been discussing are very important part in to the pressures

on school's budgets across the country. Thank you, number three Mr

Speaker. I will ask this question with questions number four, 11, and

13. We have high aspirations for all children and want them to be able to

fill that potential academically and mentally. It is best supported if

they have good mental health, character and resilience. I am

pleased of a new initiative has been established between our local mental

health service providers in rural pressure ships trust and local

community groups. Will my right honourable friend agree that local

issues like this have a important role to play and improving mental

health in our communities? I absolutely do recognise it being to

get mental help support to children quickly and I welcome the

initiatives that have been established. We believe that this

investment of ?1.4 billion were mental health services which this

government has announced will make a real difference. I am delighted to

see there are so many questions on children's mental health in the

session today. Thank you Mr Speaker. A parent of a young girl

and... Wrote to me and she is suffering from eating disorders and

had a harrowing account of getting support for her daughter, and one of

the things you suggested would make a difference is to have a presence

directly in school so they could intervene earlier. My colleague on

the front bench pointed out that we know from the ISS that real-time

funding to schools is going to be cut for the first time since 1990,

so what can the Secretary of State say directly to my constituent to

reassure her that every young person will have access to mental health

services directly in their schools so resort... These sorts of

situations can be avoided in the future. All and he's here these

height... Heart rending stories and I've had these types of cases

brought to my attention by constituent parents. A significant

sum of that is going to be spent on supporting young people with eating

disorders but also contributing one and a half million to a partner in

NHS England to treat single points of contact and special mental health

services to work together so schools that don't have mental health

experts know exactly who to go to and how to get help for their pupil.

The Secretary of State may be quite that... Part of this stems from poor

health, what can the government do to make sure that each pupil has a

single point of contact, and not just in one school but for other

education from age four they leave to be able to tackle this particular

problem? Can think my honourable -- can I thank my honourable friend. I

should also mention that for the first time this year the Department

of Education included just under ?5 million for organizations such as

mined and placed it be and put new resources for parents on the

website. Thank you Mr Speaker, as someone who has been a council lead

member for children and education in the past I know how important a

mental health service is but also the educational psychology service

to ensure that teachers and other school staff are able to keep

children with challenges in school and learning effectively. To mental

health foundation, Mr Speaker, said one in ten children have mental

health problems at some point in their school career. 81% of

educational psychologist and increasing the band for their

services in the last 12 months and there is a shortage of their

services and also the dead sites are leading the... Leaving their

profession in large numbers, probably due to the pressure of the

workload. How are they in ensuring there are adequate professional

psychologist working in the schools. We got the rest of it and

we are deeply obliged, but a degree of truncation would be helpful. I

thank the honourable lady speaks and great passion about it, and will

commission a more with the psychologist more than we did last

year and she is right to say that a lot of this is about making sure

that people stay in education and there are not barriers, I will write

to her with more details. Thank you Mr Speaker colleagues have pointed

rightly to the impact of mental health on the children themselves.

Mental health problems with the children also impact the whole of

the family. Which you like to say what we are doing in that respect?

The honourable gentleman as aptly right. When someone in a family,

particularly a young person is struck with a mental ill health, it

affects the whole family. That is why funding through things like...

The programme I mentioned, as well as the mind as website which are up

provides resources for parents, and I strongly encourage any parents who

are worried about mental health of their children have the early

conversations with people in their schools and head teachers and

teachers to... Thank you Mr Speaker, since 2013-20 of 14

institutions have received a national funding rate which we have

held steady in 15-16 but we understand the financial challenges

in the sector and have announced reviews to make sure we have

sustainable institutions giving high-quality education. They can

guarantee funding for anyone age group, but the Minister knows that

their sector has suffered a disproportionate cut in funding over

many years and it does not even include six form in schools, not

included in the review, what are we going to be doing to protect 16

through 19? The regional school parent... Commissioner who is to

commission schools in their area is always going to be part of these

reviews. They can bring in the perspective of all six forms in

schools, but I do not think he would believe it was practical to include

every single school with a 6 form in this result and we are determined to

review Bell have a result in a short space of time so we will have

specialised institution... Edged... Institutions providing education.

With my right honourable friend congratulate this move to

consolidate efforts and provide better provision for young people

going to education when he goes and visited the college with me. I would

love to come because it is an example where model for what the

sector should be doing. It is important for Honorable members to

remember that the sector is independent, government cannot force

people or institutions to emerge, but we can encourage them and we can

show the great examples, such as he has. Colleges are concerned that in

Manchester review starts with a strong presumption that merger of

colleges is the only way forward, the other ways to achieve financial

stability spurt colleges is given serious consideration if they

present a strong case for the. We are certainly open to a whole range

of options, ultimately it is the colleges themselves to determine

what will work pays... Best, but I would not agree with her that anyone

should of a merger, a merger can mean that you save on a whole lot of

administrative and management costs up the city can put forward more

money in paying for teachers doing the job that we all want them to do.

Thank you Mr Speaker, in the last Parliament government cut funding

for 16 to 19-year-olds on education spending and today we learn funding

allocations for colleges and schools for 16 to 19 are down over a

hundred... ... Jeopardizing colleges and their students, so with this

record has the Minister got any guarantees for this spending review

to secure viability for the 16 through 19 sector. We might want to

look over the channel over the education sector where we do not

have a government getting a grip on spending in ensuring a spall... Said

he economy, your portable word teachers are laid off, and where

their teachers have a 30% cut in their salary. We have a education

system that can educate students for a lack of work. Number six Mr

Speaker. Mr Speaker it is crucial that we evaluate impact children's

centres... Three interim reports were published in June 2015, and I

expect the full impact report to be published later this year and a

consultation to follow on how children's injuries can have the

greatest impact on local communities going forward top yellow can I