0:00:00 > 0:00:01for no longer than half an hour, not because it isn't important, it is
0:00:01 > 0:00:04extremely important, but so is the eight hours of protected business to
0:00:04 > 0:00:08follow. I have to balance these considerations, so self discipline
0:00:08 > 0:00:13is required. Urgent question, surveys and cable.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Can I ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a
0:00:16 > 0:00:19statement on the resignation of the board of the social mobility
0:00:19 > 0:00:28commission.Minister Robert Goodwill.Thank you for taking this
0:00:28 > 0:00:33a urgent question, which gives us an opportunity to underline our
0:00:33 > 0:00:36commitment to improving social mobility in our country. I'm
0:00:36 > 0:00:41extremely grateful to Alan Milburn for his work as chair of the social
0:00:41 > 0:00:46mobility commission over the past five years. We are already told that
0:00:46 > 0:00:50we plan to appoint a new chair, and will hold an open application
0:00:50 > 0:00:55process for that role. To ensure we continue to build on this important
0:00:55 > 0:00:59work and the foundation laid by Alan and his team can be built on.
0:00:59 > 0:01:06Tackling social mobility is the department's priority. We have made
0:01:06 > 0:01:11real progress in recent years, the attainment gap between disadvantaged
0:01:11 > 0:01:22children has narrowed.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26We are putting more money into the early years than ever before,
0:01:26 > 0:01:30spending a record 6 billion per year on childcare and early education
0:01:30 > 0:01:33support by 2019-20. We are increasing the number of school
0:01:33 > 0:01:40places with 4.9 billion more children. There are more than 15,500
0:01:40 > 0:01:47more teachers and state funded schools in England than in 2010.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50£140 million will target resources to support school performance and
0:01:50 > 0:01:55pupil attainment at the schools that need it most. The attainment gap, as
0:01:55 > 0:01:58highlighted by the commission, between disadvantaged pupils and
0:01:58 > 0:02:01peers has narrowed since we introduced the pupil premium, now
0:02:01 > 0:02:07worth 2.5 billion per year. In 2011, a Coalition policy, we continue to
0:02:07 > 0:02:12embrace. We know there is more to do. We focused on areas of the
0:02:12 > 0:02:16country with the greatest challenges and fewest opportunities, including
0:02:16 > 0:02:2272 million in the queue was the opportunity areas. We will publish
0:02:22 > 0:02:27plans for the second six areas in early November. The outgoing chair
0:02:27 > 0:02:30of the social mobility commission welcomed the launch of the programme
0:02:30 > 0:02:34and the government's commitment to addressing disadvantage, remaining a
0:02:34 > 0:02:38priority for the government.Sir Vincent cable.I don't think
0:02:38 > 0:02:42conservatives have ever claimed to be a party of equality, but they
0:02:42 > 0:02:47have always claimed to be a party of equality of opportunity, in other
0:02:47 > 0:02:50words, social mobility. When the Prime Minister took office, her
0:02:50 > 0:02:54first speech set out clearly the objective to do everything to help
0:02:54 > 0:02:58anybody, whatever their background, to go as far as their talents will
0:02:58 > 0:03:01take them. So what does the resignation of the commission tell
0:03:01 > 0:03:06us about the government's success in achieving that objective? The
0:03:06 > 0:03:11chairman of the commission was very pointed, he said, the worst possible
0:03:11 > 0:03:18position in politics is to set out a proposition that you want to heal
0:03:18 > 0:03:25social division, and then do nothing about it. It would be very
0:03:25 > 0:03:27difficult, I think, to spin the resignation of the commission in
0:03:27 > 0:03:34partisan terms, because Alan Milburn has served conscientiously, Labour
0:03:34 > 0:03:38Coalition and Conservative governments, amongst the
0:03:38 > 0:03:43commissioners who have resigned along with him, one was a highly
0:03:43 > 0:03:46respected former Conservative Secretary of State for Education.
0:03:46 > 0:03:53Very specifically, can I ask him about the most recent of the mission
0:03:53 > 0:03:59reports, to which he would no doubt be able to respond. Why is it that,
0:03:59 > 0:04:08of the 65 social mobility, everywhere from East Somerset to
0:04:08 > 0:04:17Midlands cities, or why only five has been covered by growth deals
0:04:17 > 0:04:20negotiated by the government? And since the report makes the point
0:04:20 > 0:04:26that geographical vision in Britain is now more extreme than in any
0:04:26 > 0:04:30other country in Europe, will the government consider reinstating the
0:04:30 > 0:04:34regional growth fund, which played an important role in the Coalition
0:04:34 > 0:04:40in addressing that point. And since the barriers to social mobility
0:04:40 > 0:04:45often rest in incentives to work, can I ask the Minister if he will
0:04:45 > 0:04:51explain how the 3 million cuts in the work allowance will affect
0:04:51 > 0:04:57people's willingness to work once they're in low-income employment.
0:04:57 > 0:05:03Finally, the specific points, the commission is even handed, and it
0:05:03 > 0:05:05praises the Secretary of State for Education for her commitment, but
0:05:05 > 0:05:08what does it say about the government's commitment when the
0:05:08 > 0:05:13most committed and conscientious member of the Cabinet is Pezzella
0:05:13 > 0:05:19over a 60% cut in apprentice should, blocking social mobility through
0:05:19 > 0:05:25vocational education, under 6% will cut in school spending in the next
0:05:25 > 0:05:29five years.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34In conclusion, can I ask if he would agree with the chair's point that
0:05:34 > 0:05:44Brexit is now sucking the lifeblood of Government. The extreme Brexit of
0:05:44 > 0:05:49withdrawing from the single market and the customs union, the biggest
0:05:49 > 0:05:55casualties will be the social mobility cold spots that voted for
0:05:55 > 0:06:01Brexit.Thank you very much indeed, Mr Speaker. I would not recognise
0:06:01 > 0:06:03the characterisation that the Right Honourable gentleman made that we
0:06:03 > 0:06:11have done nothing, in his words, to address social mobility.
0:06:11 > 0:06:18Universities that make university entrance, where 43% of disadvantaged
0:06:18 > 0:06:27children are more likely to go to university than in 2009. We have 1.9
0:06:27 > 0:06:36more children going to outstanding schools than in 2010. I wouldn't
0:06:36 > 0:06:40recognise that characterisation. We have made particular progress in a
0:06:40 > 0:06:44number of areas, including our free childcare offer of 30 hours, which
0:06:44 > 0:06:49helps working families cope with the cost of childcare and juggling work
0:06:49 > 0:06:59at the same time. I would reaffirm the fact that we are fully committed
0:06:59 > 0:07:04to this. He talked about the geographical spread. In the report,
0:07:04 > 0:07:09you will see that it is patchy, with parts of London demonstrating real
0:07:09 > 0:07:13need for more assistance. We need to look at the Midlands, where more
0:07:13 > 0:07:17needs to be done, which is why we have designated the 12 opportunity
0:07:17 > 0:07:22areas in those areas where we've need to address children in early
0:07:22 > 0:07:27years, in terms of aspiration to get into employment, to get good
0:07:27 > 0:07:31qualifications, and the most difficult nut to crack - the home
0:07:31 > 0:07:35learning environment. Many children are starting nursery provision
0:07:35 > 0:07:38without the basic skills that many children from better off backgrounds
0:07:38 > 0:07:43would have. Can I also make clear that whilst Brexit is very important
0:07:43 > 0:07:51to the Government, we can walk and chew gum at the same time. We are
0:07:51 > 0:07:55absolutely committed to ensuring that we continue this process of
0:07:55 > 0:07:59improving social mobility for everyone in the country.Can I
0:07:59 > 0:08:04remind the House of what I said fewer than ten minutes ago, which is
0:08:04 > 0:08:10that the question is about the resignation of the board. Questions
0:08:10 > 0:08:13should be about that matter. It is not unreasonable to hope that the
0:08:13 > 0:08:24same might be said also of answers. Many people were inspired by what
0:08:24 > 0:08:27the Prime Minister said on the steps of Downing Street when she took
0:08:27 > 0:08:32office. Would my honourable friend look at the idea of using this
0:08:32 > 0:08:35opportunity of reforming the commission to create a social
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Justice commission at the heart of Downing Street and using it to
0:08:38 > 0:08:42assess the impact on every bit of domestic legislation on social
0:08:42 > 0:08:51Justice?I will put on record our commitment to maintain the social
0:08:51 > 0:08:55mobility commission. It has done great work in the last five years. I
0:08:55 > 0:08:59once again paid tribute to Alan Milburn for his work as chair. We
0:08:59 > 0:09:03need to bring in some new people and refresh the commission, some people
0:09:03 > 0:09:07that will hold us to account, hold our feet to the fire to make sure we
0:09:07 > 0:09:14have a good spread of representation on that commission.Angela Rayner.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Thank you, Mr Speaker, and may I thank the right Honourable member
0:09:17 > 0:09:22for Twickenham for securing this urgent question. Once again, this
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Prime Minister is not for turning up, nor is the Education Secretary.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30No wonder the former chair of the commission said that number ten were
0:09:30 > 0:09:35no longer listening. Perhaps the Minister can actually answer the
0:09:35 > 0:09:40questions he raised in his resignation letter. Is the
0:09:40 > 0:09:44Government really committed to the commission as an independent body?
0:09:44 > 0:09:49Although the Government have said they put on record their commitment,
0:09:49 > 0:09:54what do they see as its role? And what will its remit be now? And how
0:09:54 > 0:09:59much funding will the commission have? Can he confirm that in the
0:09:59 > 0:10:04years since the commission's 2016 report, the Government has not
0:10:04 > 0:10:08adopted a single one of its recommendations and tell us if the
0:10:08 > 0:10:11commissioners raised that with ministers before resigning? The
0:10:11 > 0:10:17report said Britain had a deep social mobility problem, an unfair
0:10:17 > 0:10:22education system, a two tier labour market, and imbalanced economy and
0:10:22 > 0:10:24an unaffordable housing market, so what are the Government actually
0:10:24 > 0:10:31doing about it? Was this a factor in those resignations? On the labour
0:10:31 > 0:10:35market, the Prime Minister made a defining speech on insecure jobs.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40She has been developing an expertise on that lately. What ever happened
0:10:40 > 0:10:45to the Taylor Review? In education, has the Minister seen the
0:10:45 > 0:10:49commission's findings on the teaching workforce, an early years
0:10:49 > 0:10:54and kids in care who are still denied the 30 hours' entitlement?
0:10:54 > 0:11:00And has he listen to the recommendations on housing, regional
0:11:00 > 0:11:02transport infrastructure and rebalanced investment to create more
0:11:02 > 0:11:09decent jobs across the country? Mr Speaker, when a former Tory
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Education Secretary resigns from a Tory Government commission, we know
0:11:12 > 0:11:19this goes well beyond party politics. In his resignation letter,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22the chair of the commission said they were resigning because he had
0:11:22 > 0:11:26little hope of the current Government building a fairer
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Britain. If their own commission, Mr Speaker, has little faith in this
0:11:30 > 0:11:37Government, then why should the rest of us?Thank you very much indeed,
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Mr Speaker. I am happy to answer this question on behalf of the
0:11:42 > 0:11:46department, as the Minister for children and families and also the
0:11:46 > 0:11:48minister responsible for opportunity areas, which I think demonstrates
0:11:48 > 0:11:55our commitment to tackling social mobility in the cold spots, as laid
0:11:55 > 0:11:58out by the commission itself. She asked that the Government is
0:11:58 > 0:12:02committed to the commission - the answer is yes, absolutely. She asked
0:12:02 > 0:12:06about the role of the commission - that will not change. I pay tribute
0:12:06 > 0:12:11to the commission for the work it has done, and to Alan over that
0:12:11 > 0:12:17time. She asked about the workforce and education. We have 457,000
0:12:17 > 0:12:22teachers working in state funded education at the moment, more than
0:12:22 > 0:12:2615,500 more than before. She drew attention to the 30 hours of free
0:12:26 > 0:12:30childcare - that is an example of how we're helping working families.
0:12:30 > 0:12:36We have a high uptake. There are parents up and down the country who
0:12:36 > 0:12:40have told me it has transformed their lives, enabling them to work
0:12:40 > 0:12:44and have childcare and indeed put £5,500 in their pockets. I am
0:12:44 > 0:12:48pleased with what we're doing to address social mobility. To listen
0:12:48 > 0:12:50to the party opposite, you would think that everything was beautiful
0:12:50 > 0:12:56when they power. In many cases, we are still sorting out the mess they
0:12:56 > 0:13:01left behind.Can the Minister confirm when the Government is
0:13:01 > 0:13:04likely to publish its social mobility strategy, and are there
0:13:04 > 0:13:08likely to be any changes in the light of what Alan Milburn has said
0:13:08 > 0:13:14in recent days and his resignation? I thank the honourable lady for the
0:13:14 > 0:13:19question. We continue to work hard and our social mobility action plan
0:13:19 > 0:13:26and plan to publish it soon.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Alan Milburn is no
0:13:26 > 0:13:31longer a member of this House, so he observes the Government from a
0:13:31 > 0:13:35slightly detached point of view, so when he says that this Government is
0:13:35 > 0:13:37riddled with indecision, dysfunctionality and a lack of
0:13:37 > 0:13:41leadership, I have to say to him, he should see it from where I'm
0:13:41 > 0:13:45standing. It is a lot worse than that. We are approaching a perfect
0:13:45 > 0:13:51storm in this country of freezing wages in real terms, cutting
0:13:51 > 0:13:55benefits in real terms, and rising prices. A perfect storm where the
0:13:55 > 0:13:59poor will pay for the failure of Government policy. I ask the
0:13:59 > 0:14:04Minister, what assurances do we have that given that the Government
0:14:04 > 0:14:08continues to be obsessed by Brexit that he will listen to any advisors
0:14:08 > 0:14:15in this policy area that are appointed in the future?Alan
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Milburn has advised the Government through his commission over the last
0:14:18 > 0:14:22five years, and much of his advice has been taken on board by the
0:14:22 > 0:14:26Government. Indeed, when he was publicising his most recent report,
0:14:26 > 0:14:30he made some very constructive comments. I stand by the record as
0:14:30 > 0:14:34outlined in the answer to the initial question from the Right
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Honourable gentleman. We have made progress but there is much left to
0:14:37 > 0:14:41be done. The best way of getting families out of poverty is to ensure
0:14:41 > 0:14:52that they get into the workplace.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55We have record levels of employment. The best way to get children the
0:14:55 > 0:14:58best opportunities in life is to deliver a great education, and we
0:14:58 > 0:15:00are delivering a better education for more children in England than
0:15:00 > 0:15:03ever before.I was pleased to hear from the Minister about the home
0:15:03 > 0:15:06learning environment, alongside our good schools, giving true
0:15:06 > 0:15:10opportunity to our children. On this side of the House, we want our
0:15:10 > 0:15:14children to go as far as their talents will take them. Does this
0:15:14 > 0:15:22opportunity not give a renewal which we can take?I remind her again, the
0:15:22 > 0:15:28resignation of the board, that is the matter of which we are treating.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32The home learning environment is one of the toughest nuts to crack. Many
0:15:32 > 0:15:38children do start education without the basic skills they need, and much
0:15:38 > 0:15:42of that may be to do with the fact that no one reads to them, that the
0:15:42 > 0:15:47television is not switched off. We want to address that challenge.The
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Minister has come here and is doing his best to ignore the fact that the
0:15:50 > 0:15:56entire board of the social mobility commission have resigned. Why does
0:15:56 > 0:16:04he think that is? Can he give us an answer?Well, if she looks back over
0:16:04 > 0:16:07the last five years, she will see that Alan has been supportive of
0:16:07 > 0:16:14much of the action we are taking. Such as the Department for Education
0:16:14 > 0:16:18opportunity areas. We are all working together to tackle the
0:16:18 > 0:16:22challenges of social mobility. I think this will give us an
0:16:22 > 0:16:24opportunity to refresh the commission, to improve the diversity
0:16:24 > 0:16:31of the commission, and I can assure the House that we're not in a
0:16:31 > 0:16:35position of employing someone who is a patsy for the Government. I want
0:16:35 > 0:16:38someone who will continue to hold our feed to the fire and to work
0:16:38 > 0:16:42constructively with those in central Government and local Government to
0:16:42 > 0:16:49deliver these solutions.Before the commission resigned, did they
0:16:49 > 0:16:54suggest one radical idea for driving social mobility through the
0:16:54 > 0:16:57education system? Why don't we concentrate on the children from the
0:16:57 > 0:17:04most deprived backgrounds and most deprived postcodes, give them an
0:17:04 > 0:17:07intelligence test at 11 for which they cannot be chewed up, put them
0:17:07 > 0:17:11in special schools and have a rigorous academic education? Why do
0:17:11 > 0:17:15we call these schools grammar schools?That wasn't one of the
0:17:15 > 0:17:22suggestions he made as he was leaving, as I understand it.
0:17:22 > 0:17:28Although the question was delivered with lucidity, it suffered the
0:17:28 > 0:17:31disadvantage of being utterly irrelevant to the resignation of the
0:17:31 > 0:17:37board. Perhaps we could again return to the matter in hand. Let's take a
0:17:37 > 0:17:40good, honest, reliable citizen. There are so many to choose from on
0:17:40 > 0:17:46both sides! Peter Kyle.I will struggle to live up to that! Alan
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Milburn said he has resigned because of dysfunction in the Government and
0:17:49 > 0:17:53a lack of fermentation. The minister in his response gives the impression
0:17:53 > 0:18:03he resigned because all the work was already done. Can he once again give
0:18:03 > 0:18:05us a clearer explanation - why did this board resign, from his
0:18:05 > 0:18:13perspective?Well, Mr Milburn was already told on the 22nd of November
0:18:13 > 0:18:17that while the post would be readvertised he would not be
0:18:17 > 0:18:21expected to apply, so in terms of the resignation, as he described it,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24we were looking to refresh the board and bring in some new blood, and I
0:18:24 > 0:18:27think that will give us an opportunity to improve the
0:18:27 > 0:18:31functioning of the board. This is no personal reflection on Alan Milburn
0:18:31 > 0:18:35or the work he has done. He has been very good over the five years he has
0:18:35 > 0:18:43done the job and help us to account and help our feet to the fire, as
0:18:43 > 0:18:45the commission was designed to do. Needless to say, all members are
0:18:45 > 0:18:54honest. That goes without saying... Reports reproduced -- reports
0:18:54 > 0:18:59produced show who... While there is more work to do, does the Minister
0:18:59 > 0:19:04believe that there is progress we should be proud of?Absolutely,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08there are parts of the country were tremendous progress has been made,
0:19:08 > 0:19:12not least in London, not only in education but in other areas, it has
0:19:12 > 0:19:17shown the way ahead. I am optimistic as our 12 opportunity areas get into
0:19:17 > 0:19:20full implementation that we will see improvements in those areas and we
0:19:20 > 0:19:22will learn lessons that can be applied elsewhere around the
0:19:22 > 0:19:27country.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Is the falling social mobility reported today good reason for the
0:19:30 > 0:19:33commission to resign, or should it be the government resigning for its
0:19:33 > 0:19:41failure?I'm aware of the Joseph Rowntree Report on relative poverty.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46Can I point out to the honourable gentleman that absolute poverty has
0:19:46 > 0:19:51fallen by 300,000 since 2010, and pensioner poverty remains close to a
0:19:51 > 0:19:58historic level. That poverty affects people in their everyday lives.
0:19:58 > 0:20:03Maybe people aren't as aware as they would be compared to real poverty.
0:20:03 > 0:20:09I'm sorry the board has chosen to resign, this party has done so much
0:20:09 > 0:20:14for social mobility, and I would consider myself an example. When it
0:20:14 > 0:20:18comes to re-pointing a new board whether we can look at having more
0:20:18 > 0:20:23than four members to have a bit more diversity of membership. The
0:20:23 > 0:20:27honourable gentleman makes a very good point. There is no limit on the
0:20:27 > 0:20:33number on the board. It had almost ten at one time. I hope the
0:20:33 > 0:20:36publicity surrounding this question today may encourage people to apply
0:20:36 > 0:20:41to be on the board. We want a wide cross-section of applications, not
0:20:41 > 0:20:47necessarily somebody that has been involved in politics, but someone
0:20:47 > 0:20:51that is at the cutting edge of delivering solutions. The board
0:20:51 > 0:20:54members have clearly become exacerbated by the UK Government
0:20:54 > 0:21:01failing to acknowledge and act on their work lifting people out of
0:21:01 > 0:21:03poverty, doesn't the Joseph Rowntree foundation today highlight and
0:21:03 > 0:21:09exacerbate that? I think the report from Joseph Rowntree on relative
0:21:09 > 0:21:14poverty will always of course perfect changes in levels of
0:21:14 > 0:21:22pensions, and levels of employment. An unfortunate side-effect of that
0:21:22 > 0:21:29would be that relative poverty would increase. There are now over 300,000
0:21:29 > 0:21:32people in absolute poverty, a figure important for them in everyday lives
0:21:32 > 0:21:38as they shop for Christmas.As the new board is formed, one of the key
0:21:38 > 0:21:42areas of expertise we need is to build on record employment as for
0:21:42 > 0:21:47the first time ever those entering in work will continue to get work
0:21:47 > 0:21:51from their job coaches, unlocking potential to keep their work,
0:21:51 > 0:21:55increase hours and pay, and progress within work. Can that be a real
0:21:55 > 0:22:01priority for a new board member.I think there are a number of areas of
0:22:01 > 0:22:05experience and expertise we wish to see from new board members. This is
0:22:05 > 0:22:09an opportunity to refresh the board, and I look forward to an aspiring
0:22:09 > 0:22:12chair of the social mobility commission to take forward the work
0:22:12 > 0:22:18that Alan Milburn set the foundations for.The Minister's
0:22:18 > 0:22:23attempt to divert attention from what has happened has not worked. Is
0:22:23 > 0:22:27he in Paris that according to the Rowntree Report, the government has
0:22:27 > 0:22:31presided over a record increase in poverty, particularly amongst young
0:22:31 > 0:22:40people and pensioners.Once again, I must repeat that while there are
0:22:40 > 0:22:47changes in relative poverty, absolute poverty has fallen.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51Education is key to improving social mobility, so will the Minister
0:22:51 > 0:23:00ensure that the new commissioners who are appointed recognise that the
0:23:00 > 0:23:04proportion of pupils attending good or outstanding schools has increased
0:23:04 > 0:23:15from 66% in 2010 to 87% today.One of the best routes out of poverty,
0:23:15 > 0:23:24out of the trap that social mobility failures put people in, we have more
0:23:24 > 0:23:33people from underprivileged backgrounds go to university.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37In the years I worked in the university sector, a great deal of
0:23:37 > 0:23:41time was spent going out to schools to in Courage schools from all
0:23:41 > 0:23:45background to apply to university, what message does it send when the
0:23:45 > 0:23:48chairman of the committee 's aunt and says the government does not
0:23:48 > 0:23:55have time for social mobility?That is not the case. Social mobility is
0:23:55 > 0:24:02absolutely at the top of my priority list, and the Prime Minister's
0:24:02 > 0:24:04priority list, delivering social mobility is something we are
0:24:04 > 0:24:08committed to and the evident already given in terms of progress in many
0:24:08 > 0:24:15areas, including university bears testament to that.Rather than
0:24:15 > 0:24:20appointing politicians as replacements to the board, would my
0:24:20 > 0:24:25right horrible friend consider people with experience, because I
0:24:25 > 0:24:28can suggest a list of brilliant people that do incredible work that
0:24:28 > 0:24:34he might want to consider. Absolutely. When we open the
0:24:34 > 0:24:39process, and indeed, I must make it clear that Alan Milburn was told
0:24:39 > 0:24:44there would be an open process, opening up the selection, and he
0:24:44 > 0:24:51said in that letter he would not apply for that. I hope we will get a
0:24:51 > 0:24:55wide range of applicants, to choose the best with the best ability, to
0:24:55 > 0:24:58help us in moulding our future policies in terms of improving
0:24:58 > 0:25:02social mobility. Why hasn't the government adopted
0:25:02 > 0:25:06any of the recommendations of the social mobility commission since
0:25:06 > 0:25:102016? How does he expect to attract new commissioners when he ignores
0:25:10 > 0:25:14the important work they do
0:25:14 > 0:25:14new commissioners when he ignores the important work they do?We
0:25:14 > 0:25:19haven't ignored the work they do. The social ability index has been a
0:25:19 > 0:25:23useful tool for the government in prioritising how it should address
0:25:23 > 0:25:26some of the problems, and the opportunity areas, some of which
0:25:26 > 0:25:32announced in September, they are targeted at the areas identified by
0:25:32 > 0:25:36the social mobility commission in its cold spot programme.Alan
0:25:36 > 0:25:48Browne.The BMJ journal report estimates that up to 120,000 deaths,
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Scotland's children's Commissioner threatened to take the UK Government
0:25:52 > 0:25:56to court over Universal Credit. Life expectancy has fallen for the first
0:25:56 > 0:26:03time in decades. What change is the government going to make, what's it
0:26:03 > 0:26:06going to do to get a new independent commission in place to hold the
0:26:06 > 0:26:10government to account? The recruitment process will
0:26:10 > 0:26:14commence as soon as is all, we will ensure we get the best people to
0:26:14 > 0:26:19advise us, and to advise this House in the progress that we continue to
0:26:19 > 0:26:23make. The situation has improved since 2010, and we continue to
0:26:23 > 0:26:28ensure that it will improve in the future.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31With all the board members resigning, and with the release of a
0:26:31 > 0:26:35new report today by the Joseph Rowntree foundation, it shows that
0:26:35 > 0:26:40there has been a 5% increase in lone parent families in poverty since
0:26:40 > 0:26:452010-11. Does the Minister agree that the government's ambition for
0:26:45 > 0:26:54social mobility has failed? Our 30 hours free childcare offer is
0:26:54 > 0:26:59available to lone parents that only need to earn £6,500 a year to
0:26:59 > 0:27:02qualify. It is an opportunity for low and parents to get the
0:27:02 > 0:27:08workplace, put that money into the family budget, and get themselves
0:27:08 > 0:27:14and their families out of their situations.Can the Minister assure
0:27:14 > 0:27:20us that unlike Norwich, his own social mobility opportunity board,
0:27:20 > 0:27:24where they have appointed a crony, would you consider allowing a select
0:27:24 > 0:27:30committee to appoint this public position in future?I actually
0:27:30 > 0:27:33thought the honourable gentleman was better than that, we have some great
0:27:33 > 0:27:38people on the board in Norwich, and I look forward to working with them
0:27:38 > 0:27:44to improve better opportunities for people in Norwich.The Minister is a
0:27:44 > 0:27:47plain speaking Yorkshire, and I wondered whether he could those
0:27:47 > 0:27:54attributes to explain why he thinks the whole of the board resigned.
0:27:54 > 0:28:02I think, as I made clear, we need to refresh the board, and the board
0:28:02 > 0:28:06have been very effective. We had a recruitment earlier in the year,
0:28:06 > 0:28:10when we didn't feel we have the right calibre of new people coming
0:28:10 > 0:28:14in. This is a great opportunity to get new blood onto the commission,
0:28:14 > 0:28:19and make sure we can continue the work as started by Alan and his
0:28:19 > 0:28:23board, to ensure we continue to identify the challenges in terms of
0:28:23 > 0:28:26social mobility in this country, and identify the best ways of addressing
0:28:26 > 0:28:33them.If everything the Minister says is true, why is it that Gillian
0:28:33 > 0:28:38Shephard, a Conservative member of the board was absolutely livid about
0:28:38 > 0:28:44the way the government had treated the commission?I can't speak for
0:28:44 > 0:28:49the right honourable lady, but as I say, we had the opportunity to get
0:28:49 > 0:28:53new people on the board. A number of numbers on the board had been
0:28:53 > 0:28:57long-standing, and a refresh of the board and bringing new people in,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00whilst at the same time recognising the contribution made by existing
0:29:00 > 0:29:04members of the board, gives an opportunity to increase diversity
0:29:04 > 0:29:15and experience of that particular body.Could the Minister confirm
0:29:15 > 0:29:18whether he or the Education Secretary have had the chance to
0:29:18 > 0:29:22speak to any of the board since their resignation? And indeed,
0:29:22 > 0:29:26whether they have been able to establish whether the whole self
0:29:26 > 0:29:29closure of our children's centres across the country and the 25 in
0:29:29 > 0:29:37Warwickshire have contributed. Secretary of State spoke to Alan
0:29:37 > 0:29:43Milburn on 22nd November. I understand the other members that
0:29:43 > 0:29:46attended the resignation have written letters that have not been
0:29:46 > 0:29:52made public, which is interesting. One of the challenges for local
0:29:52 > 0:29:56government is how to deliver good services to children, and the
0:29:56 > 0:29:59children's centres are one way to do that. But the children's Centre in
0:29:59 > 0:30:05my own constituency, the real problem is the kids aren't here,
0:30:05 > 0:30:10they stuck at home, their parents might bring them in. Ministers
0:30:10 > 0:30:18around the country will demonstrate better ability.The lack of
0:30:18 > 0:30:22government seriousness in the issue of social mobility, which is what
0:30:22 > 0:30:28the resigned commissioners claimed is evidenced by the millennial 's,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31the generation earning less than the generation before. Did that push
0:30:31 > 0:30:34them over the edge? Under discovered, things can only get
0:30:34 > 0:30:41worse. -- under this government.The honourable lady makes a little pond.
0:30:41 > 0:30:51The East Anglia Co-op are now selling goods past their best before
0:30:51 > 0:31:01date, but I don't think...Order. I know there are only a fuel left, but
0:31:01 > 0:31:06there will be many opportunities to fully aired this matter, and looking
0:31:06 > 0:31:09at the members standing, I am sure that if I didn't say that, they
0:31:09 > 0:31:12would find them anyway.