0:00:20 > 0:00:23Cadet in and welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage of
0:00:23 > 0:00:28Commons. In an hour Theresa May will update MPs concerning the outcome of
0:00:28 > 0:00:32last week's talks with the EU over the interim Brexit deal, the Prime
0:00:32 > 0:00:36Minister will tell MPs there is a new sense of optimism in the Brexit
0:00:36 > 0:00:38negotiations after her deal agreed in the early hours of Friday, which
0:00:38 > 0:00:43should ensure the negotiating teams move on to the next phase of talks.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46After that the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will make a statement
0:00:46 > 0:00:51concerning his recent visit to the Middle East. The main business in
0:00:51 > 0:00:53the Commons today is the debate on the general principles of the
0:00:53 > 0:00:58Finance Bill, implement and measures outlined in last month's budget.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Don't forget to join me Keith McDougal for a round-up of the day
0:01:02 > 0:01:07in both Houses of Parliament when the common-sense tonight. First, its
0:01:07 > 0:01:09questions to the Education Secretary Justine Greening and her ministerial
0:01:09 > 0:01:10team.
0:01:16 > 0:01:25SPEAKER:Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State for Education
0:01:25 > 0:01:36James Cartlidge. Justine Greening. Thank you, Mr Speaker, I will answer
0:01:36 > 0:01:39questions one and 22 together with permission. We have made significant
0:01:39 > 0:01:43and ambitious reforms to the education system since 2010
0:01:43 > 0:01:46expanding childcare provision, raised school standards, transformed
0:01:46 > 0:01:50apprenticeships and increased university access and will continue
0:01:50 > 0:01:54to drive social mobility through the whole education system and beyond
0:01:54 > 0:01:57into careers. Equality of opportunity is essential to make our
0:01:57 > 0:02:03country one that works for everyone, not just the privileged few.I thank
0:02:03 > 0:02:06my Right Honourable friend for that. In light of the excellent news that
0:02:06 > 0:02:09we have seen the best improvement in reading standards in our schools for
0:02:09 > 0:02:1415 years, not least due to the excellent work of my honourable
0:02:14 > 0:02:18friend, does my Right Honourable friend agree with me there is no
0:02:18 > 0:02:20measure that could so simply boost social mobility as this kind of
0:02:20 > 0:02:25dramatic improvement in education standards?Absolutely, I do. And in
0:02:25 > 0:02:31fact it was put forward in the teeth of opposition from many MPs on the
0:02:31 > 0:02:35opposite benches in this House. Last week's International Reading results
0:02:35 > 0:02:40not only showed reading in England has improved for pupils from all
0:02:40 > 0:02:44backgrounds, but that crucially it is low performing pupils that I
0:02:44 > 0:02:48gaining the most rapidly, and this means whereas 58% of pupils reach
0:02:48 > 0:02:53the expected reading standards in the first screening check in 2012,
0:02:53 > 0:02:57now that figure is 81% and indeed there has been no welcome of this
0:02:57 > 0:03:03progress from the opposition at all. Nigel Huddleston.Thank you, Mr
0:03:03 > 0:03:07Speaker. Does the Secretary of State agree that the recent social
0:03:07 > 0:03:11mobility report show that social mobility is not just a question for
0:03:11 > 0:03:14inner cities but Shire counties like Worcestershire and is in this very
0:03:14 > 0:03:16justification for a fairer funding formula that will redress the
0:03:16 > 0:03:23relative underfunding of our schools?This was an important
0:03:23 > 0:03:29reform in funding to make sure that all children are invested in
0:03:29 > 0:03:31properly and indeed looking at opportunity areas, we are focusing
0:03:31 > 0:03:36our efforts on areas of the country with the greatest challenges and the
0:03:36 > 0:03:39fewest opportunities. We have invested £72 million in opportunity
0:03:39 > 0:03:42areas but some of those are in overall areas and he is absolutely
0:03:42 > 0:03:46right to flag up that talent is spread evenly in this country but
0:03:46 > 0:03:50opportunity is not and we are determined to change that.One
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Member of the House is keen to generate her commitment to equality
0:03:53 > 0:03:57and is wearing a rainbow pullover. The rainbow symbol of equality, I'm
0:03:57 > 0:04:01referring to be Honourable Lady, the member for Wakefield, to whose
0:04:01 > 0:04:07contribution we look forward to with eager anticipation. Nic Dakin.Thank
0:04:07 > 0:04:11you. Sixth form colleges are well recognised for their role in
0:04:11 > 0:04:15delivering social mobility and yet that is now at risk as we have seen
0:04:15 > 0:04:20an underfunding by £1200 per student compared with 11-16 funding. Is the
0:04:20 > 0:04:25Secretary of State going to act to address this before it's too late?
0:04:25 > 0:04:31As he will know, we are putting more money into making sure that post-16
0:04:31 > 0:04:34education is consistently gold standard, whether young people are
0:04:34 > 0:04:37following academic roots, or technical education routes. I'm sure
0:04:37 > 0:04:43he will have welcomed the announcement of extra premiums for
0:04:43 > 0:04:47maths students in the budget a couple of weeks ago.Vince Cable.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Since the Secretary of State was the only member of the Cabinet to get a
0:04:51 > 0:04:55pass mark from the Social Mobility Commission, can machine out cement
0:04:55 > 0:04:59her reputation by intervening to stop the catastrophic decline in
0:04:59 > 0:05:05apprenticeship starts?Well, I will be setting up social mobility action
0:05:05 > 0:05:08plan later this week, and in relation to his claims on
0:05:08 > 0:05:11apprenticeships, actually we have seen apprenticeship starts remain on
0:05:11 > 0:05:19track to have 3 million by 2,020 and we have already seen 1.1 million
0:05:19 > 0:05:23since May 2015. Rather than talking them down, Mr Speaker, it would be
0:05:23 > 0:05:29better if he talked our education system up.Thank you, Mr Speaker. I
0:05:29 > 0:05:33congratulate the schools minister on the incredible work on reading of
0:05:33 > 0:05:37young children. Can I ask my honourable friend, terms of social
0:05:37 > 0:05:40justice, which are considered providing 30 hours of free childcare
0:05:40 > 0:05:45particularly for foster children in line with those of working parents
0:05:45 > 0:05:55by dropping the eligibility earnings gap for childcare from 100,000 down
0:05:55 > 0:05:59to 65,000?30 hours free childcare policy has been incredibly popular
0:05:59 > 0:06:03with parents, nine out of ten of them say they very much like it and
0:06:03 > 0:06:07welcome it. We are actively looking at the issue mentioned in relation
0:06:07 > 0:06:15to foster children.Thank you, Mr Speaker. As chair of the APPG on
0:06:15 > 0:06:19social mobility we are concerned to read the Social Mobility
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Commission's report and subsequent comments from the outgoing chair.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25But the Secretary of State or a minister agreed to meet with the
0:06:25 > 0:06:29APPG to discuss where we go from here?I hope he will be able to
0:06:29 > 0:06:33welcome the action plan I set out later this week. The time has come
0:06:33 > 0:06:36for us all now to move from talking about the problem, which we have
0:06:36 > 0:06:41done a lot and for many, many years, to deciding that we have it within
0:06:41 > 0:06:44us to be able to work together up-and-down the country to now
0:06:44 > 0:06:51tackle it.Thank you, Mr Speaker. I agree with the honourable member for
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Harlow. Last week the early years minister used 30 hours of childcare
0:06:55 > 0:06:59funding as an example of government's commitment to social
0:06:59 > 0:07:03mobility. He knows foster children are some of the most vulnerable
0:07:03 > 0:07:07often starting school having already fallen behind their peers. Many
0:07:07 > 0:07:12would benefit from access to high-quality early years. Therefore,
0:07:12 > 0:07:16why have fostered children been excluded from the 30 hours offer and
0:07:16 > 0:07:20can the Minister confirm today when this discrimination will end?Well,
0:07:20 > 0:07:25I am pleased that she recognises the 30 hours policy is a good thing and
0:07:25 > 0:07:30ideally would be extended to more Georgian, and as I have just said to
0:07:30 > 0:07:35honourable friend, my honourable friend, we will look at that -- more
0:07:35 > 0:07:43children.Mr Nicholas Guerin. Academies and multi-Academy trusts
0:07:43 > 0:07:49are subject to a much stronger accountability regime than local
0:07:49 > 0:07:53authority. Academies are required to publish audited financial accounts
0:07:53 > 0:07:55annually and the education and skills funding agency oversees
0:07:55 > 0:08:00compliance with the funding agreement. Would take swift and
0:08:00 > 0:08:05robust action at the first sign of failure, either financial failure or
0:08:05 > 0:08:10academic underperformance. 98% of academies and trusts 2016 - 17
0:08:10 > 0:08:15accounts received a clean Bill of health from the auditors.In my
0:08:15 > 0:08:19constituency of Hartlepool we have suffered significant cuts in central
0:08:19 > 0:08:22budgets that support the most vulnerable people in our
0:08:22 > 0:08:27communities. Hartlepool council has suffered cuts of almost 50% over the
0:08:27 > 0:08:31last five years. Isn't it time when demands on services continue to rise
0:08:31 > 0:08:35rapidly, the council has tried hard to protect front line children's
0:08:35 > 0:08:38services but even here there has been a reduction of 40% in funding.
0:08:38 > 0:08:44Can the Secretary of State explain how our most vulnerable children and
0:08:44 > 0:08:46young people will have increased social mobility in light of
0:08:46 > 0:08:49significant and growing pressures on social care, funding for those...
0:08:49 > 0:08:54SPEAKER:Border force of the question is too long and it doesn't
0:08:54 > 0:09:01relate to the matter we are discussing. -- order. We're talking
0:09:01 > 0:09:04about financial accountability of multi-Academy trusts.Mr Speaker, we
0:09:04 > 0:09:09are spending record amounts in school funding £41 billion this year
0:09:09 > 0:09:14rising to £43.5 billion by 2019-20 and in the new National Funding
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Formula a fairer system than previous governments had shied away
0:09:17 > 0:09:26from introducing, we do give huge priority to funding disadvantage.Mr
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Philip Davies.Mr Speaker, last month at these questions I raised
0:09:29 > 0:09:34the case of a school in my constituency which had had £276,000
0:09:34 > 0:09:38snaffled from its funds from the Wakefield city Academy trusts
0:09:38 > 0:09:44shortly before its collapse. It is in a very deprived constituency and
0:09:44 > 0:09:47understandably they want their money back. Can the Minister tell us what
0:09:47 > 0:09:51doing to get the money back?My honourable friend should know that
0:09:51 > 0:09:56no Academy trust can profit from their schools. The trust will not be
0:09:56 > 0:10:01able to retain any reserves it has at the point of dissolution and
0:10:01 > 0:10:04we're working with the academies and preferred new trusts to determine
0:10:04 > 0:10:11appropriate support and proper funding.Mary Cray.I hope the
0:10:11 > 0:10:16question lives up to the jumper, Mr Speaker. I fear it may not! Despite
0:10:16 > 0:10:22what the Minister says the acting Chief Executive of Wakefield city
0:10:22 > 0:10:27academies trust managed to pay himself £1000 a day in his company
0:10:27 > 0:10:31owned by his daughter, £60,000 a year for parking services and
0:10:31 > 0:10:35despite these excessive sums it appears the audit committee didn't
0:10:35 > 0:10:40meet for one full calendar year in order to sign off the probity of
0:10:40 > 0:10:44these payments. How many more Academy trusts across the country
0:10:44 > 0:10:48are in special measures? How many more has he sent his special
0:10:48 > 0:10:52auditors in to have a look. He sent them into Wakefield but he didn't
0:10:52 > 0:10:56tell anybody else about what was going on, leaving the trust to fail
0:10:56 > 0:11:01in September on the first week back. All related party transactions have
0:11:01 > 0:11:05to be disclosed and they are. We are working with the Wakefield city
0:11:05 > 0:11:10academies trust to transfer all 21 academies to new sponsors, trusts
0:11:10 > 0:11:13with a track record of improving schools and delivering high academic
0:11:13 > 0:11:16standards and the transfers will take place in a way that secures the
0:11:16 > 0:11:23financial futures for each school. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The excellent
0:11:23 > 0:11:27school working with King Alfred's School in my constituency since they
0:11:27 > 0:11:30were placed in special measures last year have made excellent progress
0:11:30 > 0:11:33but the board of directors are nervous about formalising the
0:11:33 > 0:11:36sponsorship until urgent repairs have been made to the school. Will
0:11:36 > 0:11:40the Minister meet with me and representatives so that we can
0:11:40 > 0:11:43resolve the impasse at the earliest opportunity?I'd be delighted to
0:11:43 > 0:11:47meet my honourable friend to try and resolve that impasse. We are
0:11:47 > 0:11:50spending record amounts of capital on our school system, £23 billion in
0:11:50 > 0:11:59this period.Thank you, Mr Speaker. I'm confused, Mr Speaker, in 2015
0:11:59 > 0:12:03the education funding agency conducted a financial management and
0:12:03 > 0:12:08governance review of the Wakefield City Academies Trust, the felt
0:12:08 > 0:12:12trust, but it was not published, placing the trust's commercial
0:12:12 > 0:12:17interests above the interests of the 8500 pupils. So, can the Minister
0:12:17 > 0:12:21answer my honourable friend's question from Wakefield? How many
0:12:21 > 0:12:28more are in peril on his watch?
0:12:28 > 0:12:32As I said earlier 98% of academy trusts in 2016 got a clean bill of
0:12:32 > 0:12:36health. We take the financial probity of the academy system
0:12:36 > 0:12:40seriously. All academies are to publish financial accounts.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Something that local authority schools do not. The fact there are
0:12:44 > 0:12:49far fewer schools today rated inadequate down 2010 is a tribute to
0:12:49 > 0:12:55the structural reforms and academies programme. 450,000 pupils are in
0:12:55 > 0:12:58sponsored academies now, rated good or outstanding. These are schools,
0:12:58 > 0:13:04that under his watch, his party's watch were underperforming before we
0:13:04 > 0:13:18turn them into sponsored academies. Come on, lad.With your permission,
0:13:18 > 0:13:23I would like to answer this question and also question ten. The
0:13:23 > 0:13:26government is making a significant capital investment into the school
0:13:26 > 0:13:32is spent. £23 billion in capital funding over the period 2016-2021.
0:13:32 > 0:13:42King creating over 6000 new school places. Thousands of projects to
0:13:42 > 0:13:46improve the physical condition of school buildings. Since 2010,
0:13:46 > 0:13:54capital funding has resulted in 735,000 new places, revenue funding
0:13:54 > 0:14:00at an all-time high of £41 billion. I thank the Minister for that reply.
0:14:00 > 0:14:06Recent research found that 94% of teachers pay for essential classroom
0:14:06 > 0:14:11supplies, including in my constituency, where glue sticks are
0:14:11 > 0:14:15being broken by hard-working staff. Does the minister maintained that
0:14:15 > 0:14:21Portsmouth schools have enough money and resources?No parent should be
0:14:21 > 0:14:25expected to pay for the basic needs of the school. Parents can be asked
0:14:25 > 0:14:30to fund school trips and extra thing. We're spending record amounts
0:14:30 > 0:14:37on our school system £41 billion, rising to 43.5 billion by 2019, and
0:14:37 > 0:14:42standards are rising in the school systems. In reading, maths, GCSEs,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46despite a more rigorous curriculum at secondary school and the primary
0:14:46 > 0:14:52sector.Can the Minister confirm that despite the additional 1.3
0:14:52 > 0:14:56billion announced in July, the school budgets are still facing a
0:14:56 > 0:15:021.5 billion real terms funding shortfall, which nothing has been
0:15:02 > 0:15:06done to reverse?My honourable friend the secretary of state
0:15:06 > 0:15:11announced an additional £1.3 billion in July, as the honourable gentleman
0:15:11 > 0:15:15kindly acknowledged. That means not only have we maintained school
0:15:15 > 0:15:19funding in real terms as we did in the last parliament. We have
0:15:19 > 0:15:22maintained school funding in real terms for people in this period up
0:15:22 > 0:15:29to 2020.As I understand it, currently, bids for capital spending
0:15:29 > 0:15:31on maintenance for schools is assessed by the state of the
0:15:31 > 0:15:37building. Given there is significant competition for these bits, and it
0:15:37 > 0:15:41is difficult to assess the state of the building in one area of the
0:15:41 > 0:15:44country, and another in different schools in the country. Is there not
0:15:44 > 0:15:49a case for assessing the historical underfunding that has taken place in
0:15:49 > 0:15:53various areas of our country?I'm grateful to my honourable friend for
0:15:53 > 0:15:57that question. We deal with historic underfunding through a fair national
0:15:57 > 0:16:03funding formula. As far as capital spending is concerned, we're
0:16:03 > 0:16:06spending £10 billion up to 2021 in school replacement, maintenance and
0:16:06 > 0:16:10improvement. That has to be determined by the condition of the
0:16:10 > 0:16:14school. We have conducted a national survey of all schools in the country
0:16:14 > 0:16:20so that systems there.Cannot bank the Secretary of State for a superb
0:16:20 > 0:16:23response to the question I asked that the last education questions
0:16:23 > 0:16:30session. On Friday I was meeting a headteacher, Helene
0:16:34 > 0:16:39Gayle, to discuss the condition of their brief, could you guarantee
0:16:39 > 0:16:47that they will get sufficient funding?I cannot comment on
0:16:47 > 0:16:51individual bid. I had the answer was superb as previous answers he has
0:16:51 > 0:16:57had.The executive member of children at Leeds City Council wrote
0:16:57 > 0:17:02to me today after writing to effective state on the 28th of
0:17:02 > 0:17:05September about health and safety issues in barely a schools,
0:17:05 > 0:17:10including ones trying to become academies. The response from the
0:17:10 > 0:17:14department was about sit funding and academies. What further funding is
0:17:14 > 0:17:16therefore Ellie a schools
0:17:19 > 0:17:23-- L E a schools who have serious concerns like asbestos funding?We
0:17:23 > 0:17:28have allocated £4.2 billion since 2015 to maintain and improve school
0:17:28 > 0:17:32building. Some is allocated to local authorities because they are best
0:17:32 > 0:17:39placed to know the priorities of the schools in the local authority area.
0:17:39 > 0:17:49A Bilic Academy in my local constituency faces serious
0:17:49 > 0:17:52difficulties, because of the previous headteacher, he built a sex
0:17:52 > 0:17:56dungeon for his own private use. He's now in prison, but the
0:17:56 > 0:18:00financial remain. With the Minister agree to meet with me and
0:18:00 > 0:18:03representatives of the school to discuss the way forward?I would be
0:18:03 > 0:18:07very happy to meet my honourable friend to discuss the financial and
0:18:07 > 0:18:16academic future of that school.Can the Minister confirm the budget
0:18:16 > 0:18:19actually cut education capital funding by £1 billion this spending
0:18:19 > 0:18:25review? And part of that cut is removing over three quarters of the
0:18:25 > 0:18:29healthy people's capital programme? Perhaps even cause the Pledge
0:18:29 > 0:18:35earlier this year, Mr Speaker, the healthy people's fund would not fall
0:18:35 > 0:18:40below £415 million regardless? Will he now apologise for breaking that
0:18:40 > 0:18:46promise?The honourable lady has misunderstood the budget process. We
0:18:46 > 0:18:51have not cut £1 billion from the capital spending of school. What we
0:18:51 > 0:18:53have done is converted development of the healthy schools budget into
0:18:53 > 0:19:00revenue spending, to ensure that schools are properly funded on the
0:19:00 > 0:19:06front line, because we believe that schools need to be properly funded.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11That is how we managed to allocate an extra £1.3 billion to school
0:19:11 > 0:19:14funding, something she has called for and the school system has called
0:19:14 > 0:19:21for.Thank you Mr Speaker. Knowsley Metropolitan Borough will benefit
0:19:21 > 0:19:24from an initial A-level offer in September 20 18th through North
0:19:24 > 0:19:30Regency college imminent merger with Saint Helens College. The 2018-19
0:19:30 > 0:19:33perspectives has been published in the setting up the A-level offer is
0:19:33 > 0:19:38available. The department is working with the local authority to ensure
0:19:38 > 0:19:43the limitation of Knowsley Best Together the wider local plan for
0:19:43 > 0:19:47improving access to A-levels in Knowsley.I thank the Secretary of
0:19:47 > 0:19:51State for the answer. In a number of meeting between the MPs, ministers
0:19:51 > 0:19:55have promised to bring in a recognised excellent provider to
0:19:55 > 0:19:59restore academic provision to Knowsley. Whilst the provision of
0:19:59 > 0:20:05college vocational programmes is welcome development, it is not
0:20:05 > 0:20:09enough. What progress has been made to deliver the promises local MPs
0:20:09 > 0:20:15have heard from ministers in the last year?I'm happy to speak with
0:20:15 > 0:20:18her and colleagues. I'm sure she remember from the I centre following
0:20:18 > 0:20:24the meeting, I have asked my officials to specifically convened a
0:20:24 > 0:20:29further meeting locally to agree an approach on the maths programme and
0:20:29 > 0:20:32the English roll-out. Which will specifically focus on improving
0:20:32 > 0:20:38level three maths.While the new A-level provision from next
0:20:38 > 0:20:45September in Knowsley is very much to be welcomed. They commit to
0:20:45 > 0:20:49working with the local authority and the commission it established under
0:20:49 > 0:20:55the leadership of Christine Gilbert, to ensure more young people in
0:20:55 > 0:21:00Knowsley are able to take advantage, not just of academic A-levels, but
0:21:00 > 0:21:05also vocational qualifications?We do want to make sure that kind of
0:21:05 > 0:21:08offer is available for every single child in our country, including
0:21:08 > 0:21:14Knowsley. As he alludes, a lot of work to be done to make sure in the
0:21:14 > 0:21:19coming years the education offer on people's doorsteps in Knowsley gets
0:21:19 > 0:21:22better. There is a lot going on locally, also, lamented by the
0:21:22 > 0:21:28National focus we have had on standards. As I have written to him,
0:21:28 > 0:21:33I'm very happy to do my role in making sure we work together to
0:21:33 > 0:21:41improve education outcomes for children in Knowsley. The government
0:21:41 > 0:21:45is committed to tackling our Johnson shortage of stem skills, to grow the
0:21:45 > 0:21:50workforce we need right and economy. The budget announced an additional
0:21:50 > 0:21:56£406 million for mass, digital and technical education. A new post six
0:21:56 > 0:22:01mass premium, and an £84 million programme to improve the teaching of
0:22:01 > 0:22:08competing. Both of which aim to increase in take-up.Children in
0:22:08 > 0:22:13England of anything in from the governor's focus on Stem subjects.
0:22:13 > 0:22:21Does she agree all children in the UK, not just those in England should
0:22:21 > 0:22:32be encouraged to study maths and technology.
0:22:39 > 0:22:44You look at Scotland's mean scores, they have dropped across all testing
0:22:44 > 0:22:49areas between 2012 and 2015. That is the legacy of the Scottish
0:22:49 > 0:22:54Government, for its children. It is behind England in science, and
0:22:54 > 0:23:04maths. It is behind England in real terms, a shocking indictment. At the
0:23:04 > 0:23:06meeting of the all-party Parliamentary group, so I met a
0:23:06 > 0:23:10number of young ambassadors with accident suggestions encouraging
0:23:10 > 0:23:15young people who study Stem subjects.One of them would be the
0:23:15 > 0:23:18measuring of the number of engineers schools produce, rather than going
0:23:18 > 0:23:23to university, will the Minister consider this?We are moving in the
0:23:23 > 0:23:27right direction. She is right to raise a point around the pipeline.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Not just getting better grades at GCSE, but seeing more young people
0:23:31 > 0:23:38take A-level maths. Now the most popular A-level. Seeing that go on
0:23:38 > 0:23:42to university, and into careers. We have seen a 20% increase in the
0:23:42 > 0:23:46number of girls taking stem A-levels in the UK. There is much more work
0:23:46 > 0:23:52to be done.My honourable friend will be aware of the excellent
0:23:52 > 0:23:56support we have been given Haywards Heath by her right honourable friend
0:23:56 > 0:24:00the member for Guildford. Helping to reopen the Hayward seeks sixth form
0:24:00 > 0:24:06college. So sadly that close. Though she realised this college will be
0:24:06 > 0:24:09the most perfect location for a Stem College in the south-east of
0:24:09 > 0:24:14England?Well, I think he raises an interesting proposal. Very pleased
0:24:14 > 0:24:20he is working so effectively with my honourable friend. Improving our
0:24:20 > 0:24:25investment in stem from a critically changing young people's perceptions
0:24:25 > 0:24:29of stem, so they can see what a fascinating career life ahead of
0:24:29 > 0:24:33them in doing Stem subjects and stem A-levels. Critically stem degrees.
0:24:33 > 0:24:40That is how we constantly change this topic for the better.I'm sure
0:24:40 > 0:24:46the Secretary of State will know in Scotland stem teachers need to have
0:24:46 > 0:24:49a stem university level qualification. We have retained the
0:24:49 > 0:24:53professionalism. What I would like to talk about is the issue of girls
0:24:53 > 0:25:00into stem. As we approach Christmas, the gender stereotyping in toys is
0:25:00 > 0:25:06simply depressing. With boys being presented with that silly Mac
0:25:06 > 0:25:13technical toys, and girls expected to become pretty homemakers. Even
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Lego making a distinction with Princess Lego set. What a
0:25:16 > 0:25:18presentation is the secretary of state making to toy manufacturers
0:25:18 > 0:25:23and retailers to ensure gender neutral toys are promoted, and girls
0:25:23 > 0:25:28are encouraging to stem?My right honourable friend will be having a
0:25:28 > 0:25:33Round Table on these sorts of issues. More broadly, she should
0:25:33 > 0:25:37focus on the underlying strategy we need to have to see more young girls
0:25:37 > 0:25:42and women going into stem careers. The good news if the numbers of
0:25:42 > 0:25:46women accepted on to stem undergraduate courses has increased
0:25:46 > 0:25:54in England by 25% since 2010.We are committing £84 million of new
0:25:54 > 0:26:01funding between 2018-2023 to support competing in the teaching in school.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06Including training up to 8000 secularists teachers to teach the
0:26:06 > 0:26:10new competing science GCSE. National Centre for competing education, and
0:26:10 > 0:26:16online resource for A-level. This will support schools to deliver the
0:26:16 > 0:26:20new competing curriculum, which includes coding from Key Stage 1.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24And our reformed GCSE and A-level, both of which have a strong focus on
0:26:24 > 0:26:33programming.Google is one of the fastest areas for tech start-ups. It
0:26:33 > 0:26:40is important to meet the challenges and the room and economy. Will my
0:26:40 > 0:26:43right honourable friend recognise both the secondary schools and the
0:26:43 > 0:26:46colleges in Cornwall are ready and raring to go to fill gaps in the
0:26:46 > 0:26:51growing economy market?We recognise both the challenges and the
0:26:51 > 0:26:54successes in Cornwall. My honourable friend is one of Cornwall's greatest
0:26:54 > 0:27:16champions. The Cornwall and Scilly Isles area is one of the first areas
0:27:16 > 0:27:18where we are establishing a skills advisory panel with local education
0:27:18 > 0:27:25and enterprise partnerships.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28This success of T-Levels that will incorporate coding and programming
0:27:28 > 0:27:32in education will largely rely on addressing the chronic underfunding
0:27:32 > 0:27:35in our colleges so was the Secretary of State disappointed like Bury
0:27:35 > 0:27:38College in Holy Cross in my constituency that the Chancellor
0:27:38 > 0:27:41ignored the pleas to address the great iniquity of funding post-16
0:27:41 > 0:27:46and what will she be doing about it? Mainly the honourable gentleman
0:27:46 > 0:27:52missed the announcement about £500 million of extra funding for the
0:27:52 > 0:28:00technical education post-16.Wearer Hobhouse.Russian number seven, Mr
0:28:00 > 0:28:06Speaker.Local authorities have the powers to ensure that children being
0:28:06 > 0:28:10educated at home by their parents are well educated and safe. But I'm
0:28:10 > 0:28:15not confident these powers are being used properly everywhere. That is
0:28:15 > 0:28:19why the forthcoming consultation on revised guidance for authorities and
0:28:19 > 0:28:22parents is so important. Every child needs a good education including
0:28:22 > 0:28:27those who are home-schooled.I was ever so slightly disappointed that
0:28:27 > 0:28:30you didn't notice my excellent sweater!
0:28:30 > 0:28:44LAUGHTER I have now!The skills required for
0:28:44 > 0:28:47a parent to home educate a child successfully, have they been
0:28:47 > 0:28:51assessed?There are some very good examples of home educating being
0:28:51 > 0:28:55delivered, in some cases by qualified teachers, but it is
0:28:55 > 0:28:59important that home education is not, for example, used as an
0:28:59 > 0:29:04alternative to exclusion, or indeed for the lack of provision of dreck
0:29:04 > 0:29:08Special Educational Needs and we are very much on that case.Many
0:29:08 > 0:29:12Traveller children are home-schooled yet only 4% go to university with
0:29:12 > 0:29:16Dummigan compared with 43% nationally and it's the worst
0:29:16 > 0:29:22education outcomes of any group. Will my Right Honourable friend meet
0:29:22 > 0:29:27with me to discuss how Traveller children access education like every
0:29:27 > 0:29:31other child in the UK?Traveller children are the outliers in every
0:29:31 > 0:29:34statistics that we see, while local authorities have no specific power
0:29:34 > 0:29:44or duty to monitor the quality of home education, the duty to ensure
0:29:44 > 0:29:51they are receiving the correct level.Does the Minister agree with
0:29:51 > 0:29:56the Chief Inspector of schools Amanda Spellman that so called off
0:29:56 > 0:29:58rolling, including home-schooling and alternative provision of sight
0:29:58 > 0:30:03is one of the big scandals happening in our education system at the
0:30:03 > 0:30:07moment? The IPPR estimate that 48,000 children are now often
0:30:07 > 0:30:10rolled. What does the government plan to do to give local authorities
0:30:10 > 0:30:15the powers and capacities to deal with this issue and force
0:30:15 > 0:30:17multi-academy trusts to stop off rolling people in the pursuit of
0:30:17 > 0:30:22standards?This is certainly against the admissions code and as I have
0:30:22 > 0:30:26already said I'm not satisfied in every occasion that these rules are
0:30:26 > 0:30:30being applied properly and that is why we are consulting soon on
0:30:30 > 0:30:33revised guidance for parents and local authorities with the aim of
0:30:33 > 0:30:36clarifying how local authorities can take effective action when children
0:30:36 > 0:30:45are not served well by home education.Lucy Allan.We are
0:30:45 > 0:30:48driving forward reforms in children's social care to ensure
0:30:48 > 0:30:51that all vulnerable people, children and families receive the highest
0:30:51 > 0:30:55quality of care and support. We have invested over £200 million through
0:30:55 > 0:30:59the innovation programme to test and develop better practice including
0:30:59 > 0:31:01testing approaches to help vulnerable children to remain safer
0:31:01 > 0:31:07in their own homes.Lucy Allan.I thank the Minister for his reply.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10With record numbers of children being taken into state care, and
0:31:10 > 0:31:14more and more families being subjected to the statutory
0:31:14 > 0:31:16investigations, funding for children's social care is
0:31:16 > 0:31:20increasingly directed at these last resort interventions, instead of
0:31:20 > 0:31:24supported measures to help families at an earlier stage. Given the
0:31:24 > 0:31:28lifelong cost to children of this skewed model, will the Minister
0:31:28 > 0:31:31considered a fundamental review of children in social care to ensure
0:31:31 > 0:31:34families are supported to achieve the best outcomes for their
0:31:34 > 0:31:41children?I agree with my honourable friend that a serious programme of
0:31:41 > 0:31:45reform of children's social care is needed. We set out our mission for
0:31:45 > 0:31:49delivering excellent children's social care in putting children
0:31:49 > 0:31:52first. This outlines our reform programme seeking to approve the
0:31:52 > 0:31:55quality of social work practice, Cray systems and environments where
0:31:55 > 0:31:59great social work can flourish and promote multi-agency working
0:31:59 > 0:32:02involved in supporting children and families and everyone can work
0:32:02 > 0:32:07together effectively.The honourable member for Telford is right. There
0:32:07 > 0:32:12should be agreement across the House that early intervention is not only
0:32:12 > 0:32:16more cost-effective, it's actually more effective in human terms. Would
0:32:16 > 0:32:20the Minister accept that at the moment there is a crisis of the
0:32:20 > 0:32:23funding of children's care? Within that crisis, unless we are prepared
0:32:23 > 0:32:27to make the money for early intervention upfront it will simply
0:32:27 > 0:32:29force local authorities to chase the crisis and not do the early
0:32:29 > 0:32:34intervention.I absolutely agree that early intervention and
0:32:34 > 0:32:40innovation in how early intervention can be more successful and it's
0:32:40 > 0:32:44vital to delivering good children's social care and that's why we have
0:32:44 > 0:32:46our £200 million innovation programme, aiming to secure how best
0:32:46 > 0:32:52we can deploy the resources that we make available to local authorities.
0:32:52 > 0:32:56Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Minister has presided over rising care
0:32:56 > 0:33:03numbers and a shortage of foster carers. Over 70% of children's homes
0:33:03 > 0:33:06are now run for profit. These providers are warning of imminent
0:33:06 > 0:33:08close as if his government doesn't get their act together and tackle
0:33:08 > 0:33:13the issue of backdated sleep in shift payments that have led to
0:33:13 > 0:33:17debts of up to £200 million for some homes. Where does the Minister
0:33:17 > 0:33:22propose placing our looked after children when his Government's
0:33:22 > 0:33:26reliance on the private sector fails?Certainly she draws attention
0:33:26 > 0:33:34to the figures, the statistics show an increase of 14% in care order
0:33:34 > 0:33:39applications in 2016-17 compared to 15-16. However, the latest available
0:33:39 > 0:33:42figures in 17-18 showed a plateauing of care order applications compared
0:33:42 > 0:33:47to the previous year. I would pay tribute to all of those developing
0:33:47 > 0:33:49effective children's care, not only in the private sector but also many
0:33:49 > 0:33:54local authority providers and foster carers who do operate outside local
0:33:54 > 0:34:01government employment rules. Question number nine, Mr Speaker.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05Teacher numbers are at an all-time high. In fact, there are now 15,500
0:34:05 > 0:34:11more teachers than in 2010, postgraduate recruitment is at its
0:34:11 > 0:34:21highest level, since 2012-13. In 2015-16, we welcomed back for how --
0:34:21 > 0:34:264200 teachers to the classroom and 8% improvement on 2011. We are not
0:34:26 > 0:34:28complacent and continue to invest in teacher recruitment and we are
0:34:28 > 0:34:32actively addressing the issues that teachers cite as the reason for
0:34:32 > 0:34:35leaving the profession.I thank the Secretary of State for her answer
0:34:35 > 0:34:39and I would draw your attention to the situation in my constituency of
0:34:39 > 0:34:45Reading East and the evidence from the School review body. The body
0:34:45 > 0:34:50stated that schools will not be able to recruit and retain a workforce of
0:34:50 > 0:34:53high-quality teachers to support achievement, particularly in the
0:34:53 > 0:34:58light of predicted increasing is in pupil numbers. I'd like to ask her
0:34:58 > 0:35:04what action the government is taking to deal with teacher recruitment and
0:35:04 > 0:35:07retention and will she meet me and local heads to discuss it?Retention
0:35:07 > 0:35:10rates are broadly stable over 20 years, the overall vacancy rate of
0:35:10 > 0:35:17all teachers is about 0.3%, and he asked about what we are doing on
0:35:17 > 0:35:20quality of teaching the moral quality of people coming into
0:35:20 > 0:35:23teaching. The proportion of people entering teaching with a degree or a
0:35:23 > 0:35:30higher qualification is now at 98.5%, up 4.3% since 2010, and
0:35:30 > 0:35:34indeed 90% of this year's cohort of trainees have first-class degrees,
0:35:34 > 0:35:39higher than any of the last five years.Mr Speaker, given that the
0:35:39 > 0:35:43self build and custom house building act is now on the statute book, will
0:35:43 > 0:35:46the Secretary of State meet with me and the National custom self build
0:35:46 > 0:35:50association to explain how the provisions of that act can be used
0:35:50 > 0:35:56to recruit and retain teachers in difficult to fill subjects?I would
0:35:56 > 0:35:59be very, very happy for myself or a ministerial member of my team to
0:35:59 > 0:36:04meet with him. That is an excellent Bill that has come through
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Parliament at an important time, I'm very happy to talk to him about how
0:36:07 > 0:36:10we can make sure that young people coming through our education system
0:36:10 > 0:36:14are connected with some of the great career opportunities that await them
0:36:14 > 0:36:19when they leave.Angela Rayner. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Given by the
0:36:19 > 0:36:23Secretary of State just said about our excellent teachers, I hope we
0:36:23 > 0:36:28can all agree, Mr Speaker, it's time to end the real terms pay cuts for
0:36:28 > 0:36:32teachers. The OBR have warned that it will lead to the school squeezing
0:36:32 > 0:36:39nonpaid spending and reducing the
0:36:39 > 0:36:40it will lead to the school squeezing nonpaid spending and reducing the.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45The Chancellor wants us to believe cuts to schools have ended. They
0:36:45 > 0:36:48cannot both be right. Which one of them is putting the con into the
0:36:48 > 0:36:58Conservatives?Obviously the remit letter will be sent shortly. What
0:36:58 > 0:37:03I've tried to set out is a broader strategy we have for teaching as a
0:37:03 > 0:37:07profession, not just in relation to financial incentives and making sure
0:37:07 > 0:37:11they are in the places where we want teachers particularly to teach, but
0:37:11 > 0:37:15also later this week we will issue our strengthening cutie yes
0:37:15 > 0:37:18consultation. I hope that will be welcomed. And of course we are
0:37:18 > 0:37:22working hard to improve unnecessary workload, and of course Mr Speaker
0:37:22 > 0:37:26earlier this year I held a flexible working summit with the professions
0:37:26 > 0:37:29including unions to talk about how to ensure teachers can stay in the
0:37:29 > 0:37:36profession.Question 11, Mr Speaker. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and if I may
0:37:36 > 0:37:43I will answer questions in 11 and 12 together. We are determined to reach
0:37:43 > 0:37:473 million apprenticeship starts in England by 2020. There have been 1.1
0:37:47 > 0:37:52million new apprenticeship starts ten dumb act since 2015 but these
0:37:52 > 0:37:58are also about quality. I'm very pleased that there were 24,600
0:37:58 > 0:38:03starts, all new employer designed apprenticeship standards in 2016-17.
0:38:03 > 0:38:12A huge increase from 4300 the year before.Given that the average
0:38:12 > 0:38:17monthly stats for apprenticeships is 17% lower than they need to be to
0:38:17 > 0:38:21hit the government's 2020 target, does the Minister agree that local
0:38:21 > 0:38:26leaders and businesses are better equipped to meet these targets than
0:38:26 > 0:38:32the Conservative government?I think you'll find you talk to employers,
0:38:32 > 0:38:36it's only because of the reforms we have brought in that have allowed
0:38:36 > 0:38:41employers to be at the very heart of this that we are making the progress
0:38:41 > 0:38:44we have. Numerous governments, Mr Speaker, have attempted to do
0:38:44 > 0:38:48something about this and it's only now we are seeing real change.
0:38:48 > 0:38:57Virendra Sharma.Thank you, Mr Speaker. According to a new report
0:38:57 > 0:39:01by the southern trusts, two thirds of apprenticeships are merely
0:39:01 > 0:39:07rebadged existing places turned into apprenticeships. What steps is she
0:39:07 > 0:39:14taking to ensure existing employees are not included and use, Kemperman
0:39:14 > 0:39:17established stomach...
0:39:19 > 0:39:24It is critical. If I think of the apprentices I have talked to and
0:39:24 > 0:39:28employers I have talked to about apprenticeships, there is no doubt
0:39:28 > 0:39:32about it, we have a skills shortage and employers are absolutely
0:39:32 > 0:39:37determined to make sure that they have the workforce they need to
0:39:37 > 0:39:42deliver the skills they will need for their businesses for the future.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45A great champion of vocational training and apprenticeships was
0:39:45 > 0:39:50recently rated as are standing by Ofsted. Will my Right Honourable
0:39:50 > 0:39:53friend join me in congratulating the principle of the college, staff and
0:39:53 > 0:39:56students who are all working so hard so that they are equipped with the
0:39:56 > 0:40:02training and skills fit for the future?Well, I'm delighted to join
0:40:02 > 0:40:05my honourable friend in congratulating Fareham College. In
0:40:05 > 0:40:13fact, I met recently and employer who started and in -- innovative
0:40:13 > 0:40:17collaboration with the college doing a brilliant job, and really
0:40:17 > 0:40:20addressing the skills shortages in the areas. Employer is coming
0:40:20 > 0:40:25together, working successfully with a local college and making sure that
0:40:25 > 0:40:29they have the power behind them to make sure they get the skills in an
0:40:29 > 0:40:37area that is underrepresented.Could you talk about the work to get
0:40:37 > 0:40:42people with learning difficulties to get involved with the jobs market?
0:40:42 > 0:40:46We are doing a huge amount of work and as chairman of the all-party
0:40:46 > 0:40:49group on apprenticeships my honourable friend is doing a lot of
0:40:49 > 0:40:53work himself. We have specific targets. We want the proportion of
0:40:53 > 0:41:01people with learning disabilities for them to represent 20% all
0:41:01 > 0:41:04apprenticeship starts by 2020 and we have made progress. The trajectory
0:41:04 > 0:41:13on people with learning disabilities is going up.Thank you, Mr Speaker.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17We welcome the development of family hubs, win many areas are already
0:41:17 > 0:41:21moving towards this model of support for children and families. It is up
0:41:21 > 0:41:25to local authorities to decide how to organise and commission services
0:41:25 > 0:41:28in various. Local councils are best placed to understand local needs and
0:41:28 > 0:41:35are best placed to meet them. Following the recent Green paper
0:41:35 > 0:41:39transforming children and young people's mental health provision,
0:41:39 > 0:41:43can I urge my Right Honourable friend to encourage local
0:41:43 > 0:41:46authorities to provide better support for parents and carers in
0:41:46 > 0:41:53the area of mental health. Certainly in the green paper we commit to
0:41:53 > 0:41:57working with the work centres to publish and promote guidance to
0:41:57 > 0:42:00local areas to encourage evidence -based commissioning of intervention
0:42:00 > 0:42:04aimed at supporting parents and carers including parenting problem
0:42:04 > 0:42:07is. We are supportive of councils who wish to roll out family hubs but
0:42:07 > 0:42:10ultimately it's up to the local council to decide on the best
0:42:10 > 0:42:18solution for their area.Question 14.Thank you, Mr Speaker. We have
0:42:18 > 0:42:21put in place key reforms to drive investment in apprenticeships,
0:42:21 > 0:42:25employer designed apprentice ship standards to meet their needs and
0:42:25 > 0:42:29drive of quality. The apprenticeship levied to encourage sustained
0:42:29 > 0:42:33employer investment. And by 2019-20 the spending on apprenticeships in
0:42:33 > 0:42:40England will reach £2.4 billion, double in cash terms what it was in
0:42:40 > 0:42:442010.
0:42:44 > 0:42:51I thank the Minister for that response, I was recently able to
0:42:51 > 0:42:55meet a training provider in my area. Given the changes to printer ships
0:42:55 > 0:42:59brought in by the government. With the minister be prepared to meet
0:42:59 > 0:43:03with me, to ensure we offer smaller and more raw employers support that
0:43:03 > 0:43:07the committee is offering?I am extremely happy to meet my
0:43:07 > 0:43:13honourable friend. I recently met my honourable friend, the member for
0:43:13 > 0:43:18Taunton Deane about this issue. We need to make sure apprenticeships
0:43:18 > 0:43:24work for all communities, wherever they are, and whatever sector.What
0:43:24 > 0:43:29is the government doing to address the report of a 61% fall in a
0:43:29 > 0:43:32printer ships starts since introduction of the apprenticeship
0:43:32 > 0:43:41levy?I'm a disappointed that the right honourable friend from
0:43:41 > 0:43:44Twickenham is not here to listen to the rest of his question. If you
0:43:44 > 0:43:49look to the figures more closely, I will now talk to the gentleman
0:43:49 > 0:43:54opposite. There was a sharp spike in victory this year 46%, compared to
0:43:54 > 0:44:012016. This year's starts are therefore down just 2.8% overall.
0:44:01 > 0:44:07Entirely as we anticipated. We brought in new systems, it is right
0:44:07 > 0:44:13employers who are paying the levy are taking the time to plan. I would
0:44:13 > 0:44:16suggest, Mr Speaker, the honourable members opposite need to talk up
0:44:16 > 0:44:26apprenticeships and apprentices.Our Mandarin excellence programme
0:44:26 > 0:44:30established in 2014 aim to have 5000 people fluent in Mandarin by 2020,
0:44:30 > 0:44:36and is on track to achieve that. I pay tribute to the honourable member
0:44:36 > 0:44:44for Dorset West he proposed the idea to me. It is now 47 schools, with
0:44:44 > 0:44:461400 pupils participating. All committed to eight hours a week of
0:44:46 > 0:44:53study. Four Aberdeen class, four Amazon homework. The intention is by
0:44:53 > 0:45:01year 13 they will be fluent in Mandarin reaching the international
0:45:01 > 0:45:07standard HSK5. It is a very informed scribbled by ministers, but they are
0:45:07 > 0:45:10too long.We are all very entertained by the Minister of
0:45:10 > 0:45:15State. Good to do so more briefly. Mr Speaker, last week the British
0:45:15 > 0:45:22government hosted the UK Young Leaders in Round Table, the people
0:45:22 > 0:45:25to people dialogue between the UK and China. Having recently visited
0:45:25 > 0:45:28China and seemed a great opportunity, with the Minister agree
0:45:28 > 0:45:32with me more schools offering Chinese or Mandarin would increase
0:45:32 > 0:45:36and strengthen the global strategic partnership between our to Macca
0:45:36 > 0:45:41countries?My honourable friend is right. Last week we invited Minister
0:45:41 > 0:45:45Chen from China, and my right honourable friend the Secretary of
0:45:45 > 0:45:48State to meet 140 pupils participating in the Mandarin
0:45:48 > 0:45:53excellence project. He was impressed by the standard of the Mandarin
0:45:53 > 0:45:56being spoken by year eight people studying Mandarin for just one year
0:45:56 > 0:46:07on this programme.Number 17, Mr Speaker.EU staff make an important
0:46:07 > 0:46:12contribution to our universities. The UK and EU have reached a
0:46:12 > 0:46:15compromise on scissors rights allowing EU citizens to continue
0:46:15 > 0:46:20living there broadly as now, having to provide 72 such starkly in our
0:46:20 > 0:46:28institutions.In my constituency, one university has made staff
0:46:28 > 0:46:31redundant, citing Brexit and the UK Government's immigration policies as
0:46:31 > 0:46:36a cause. Napier University has advised me potential staff members
0:46:36 > 0:46:40from other EU countries are turning down a job offers. What concrete
0:46:40 > 0:46:46reassurance can you give these two national award-winning universities
0:46:46 > 0:46:50that Brexit will not further affect staffing levels?Mr Speaker, that
0:46:50 > 0:46:55uncertainty is completely unnecessary, I would point them to
0:46:55 > 0:46:57the joint report issued by the commission in the UK Government last
0:46:57 > 0:47:02Friday. Pointing to our continued participation in programmes such as
0:47:02 > 0:47:08Horizon 2020. Not until March 2019, but the end of 2020. An important
0:47:08 > 0:47:12reassurance they should appreciate is that many are my constituents in
0:47:12 > 0:47:17east Aaron Finch working academic and research, and they are worried
0:47:17 > 0:47:19about the affected breaks in collaboration with European
0:47:19 > 0:47:25institutions.What reassurance can Minister give my constituents?They
0:47:25 > 0:47:28should take reassurance from the statement put out on Friday. We will
0:47:28 > 0:47:33participate in Horizon 2020. The Rasmus plus, beyond the point of
0:47:33 > 0:47:40Brexit. Until the end of 2020, that is the fundamental importance in our
0:47:40 > 0:47:47scientific endeavour.School standards are rising in England
0:47:47 > 0:47:51thanks to our government's reform and the hard work of teachers and
0:47:51 > 0:47:56students. Last month we saw Ofsted published data showing there are 1.9
0:47:56 > 0:48:01billion more pupils in good or outstanding secondary schools more.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03We have seen the international results showing England rising up
0:48:03 > 0:48:08the league table. English students outperforming their peers across the
0:48:08 > 0:48:12world in reading and literacy. We help first skills Summit with
0:48:12 > 0:48:17leading British employees. We have published Avenue career strategy to
0:48:17 > 0:48:20make sure every single young person, whatever their background can get
0:48:20 > 0:48:26the right advice they need for a career. We are also finding our
0:48:26 > 0:48:29consultation on accelerated degrees, which will not only be more
0:48:29 > 0:48:32cost-effective for students, but unable more students to have
0:48:32 > 0:48:37university as an option.Mr Speaker, if you want to promote opportunity
0:48:37 > 0:48:41and reduce inequality you have to start in the classroom. That is
0:48:41 > 0:48:46where pioneering reforms like the phonics revolution setting chain by
0:48:46 > 0:48:50my right honourable friend the member for Bognor each is make such
0:48:50 > 0:48:53an important difference. It is the teachers who have made it happen.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57With my right honourable friend the Secretary of State thank the
0:48:57 > 0:48:59teachers in Newark and Nottinghamshire and across the
0:48:59 > 0:49:04country for their hard work? Absolutely. Teachers in Newark
0:49:04 > 0:49:07should be congratulated for the results they are achieving for local
0:49:07 > 0:49:13children. It is telling, Mr Speaker, all the changes being brought in the
0:49:13 > 0:49:17school system driving up standards with the help of teachers and
0:49:17 > 0:49:21students, academies, free schools, the phonics, the new curriculum,
0:49:21 > 0:49:25GCSEs and A-levels, every single one of them were opposed by the party
0:49:25 > 0:49:29opposite. They never miss an opportunity to talk down in our
0:49:29 > 0:49:36schools. And our teachers. Always a deafening improvements in standard.
0:49:36 > 0:49:46All about party politics.Get in there, man!Friday's National Audit
0:49:46 > 0:49:53Office report on the HU market is hugely damaging. Saint is failing
0:49:53 > 0:49:56students, and anyone else would raise questions of mis-selling.
0:49:56 > 0:50:00Meanwhile we have the student loans Company in crisis, all under this
0:50:00 > 0:50:10minister's watch. What does he say now to the NAO.The National Audit
0:50:10 > 0:50:14Office pointed other students want value for money. That has been the
0:50:14 > 0:50:18guiding objective of the entire higher education reform programme.
0:50:18 > 0:50:22That is why we set up the office for students insuring universities are
0:50:22 > 0:50:24held to account for the teaching quality and value for money they
0:50:24 > 0:50:28delivered to students.Mr Speaker, my right honourable friend is
0:50:28 > 0:50:33absolutely right to shout about the fact 1.9 million children are in
0:50:33 > 0:50:35good or outstanding schools, including in Corby and East
0:50:35 > 0:50:42Northamptonshire. Equating to 87% of children, comparing to 66% in 2010.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46Will she agreed me that is real progress, not the result of an
0:50:46 > 0:50:49increase in the school-age population as some have suggested?
0:50:49 > 0:50:54My honourable friend is absolutely right. We want every child to have a
0:50:54 > 0:50:57good school plays. One that provides them with the knowledge and skills
0:50:57 > 0:51:02to succeed in the future. Thanks the changes made by the escarpment and
0:51:02 > 0:51:06the hard work about the teachers up and down the country he is right to
0:51:06 > 0:51:10cite 87% of children in good or outstanding schools compare to 66%
0:51:10 > 0:51:19in 2010.The university and academic community in the North of Ireland
0:51:19 > 0:51:23has worries ahead of the recent Brexit negotiation. For the sick to
0:51:23 > 0:51:27the stage at the same assurances to the academic community in Scotland.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30Which is concerned about the recruitment and retention of EU
0:51:30 > 0:51:36nationals?I hope the announcement Prime Minister and the European
0:51:36 > 0:51:40Union commission on Friday will have very much later many of the
0:51:40 > 0:51:43understandable concerns EU workers had in relation to their future
0:51:43 > 0:51:50state this in the UK.Mr Speaker, many speakers in my constituency
0:51:50 > 0:51:54tell me they spend a lot of time on Pastoral care responsibilities.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58Particularly relating to mental health. What is the government doing
0:51:58 > 0:52:01to help schools where children's mental health is a particularly
0:52:01 > 0:52:06acute issue?He's absolutely right to raise this issue. On the 4th of
0:52:06 > 0:52:10December we publish the Green paper transforming children and young
0:52:10 > 0:52:13people's middle their provision. With free hedge and £50 million of
0:52:13 > 0:52:17funding. These new measures include mental health support teams
0:52:17 > 0:52:21providing a step change to the level of early intervention treatment,
0:52:21 > 0:52:25available to people. A clear ambition for a four week waiting
0:52:25 > 0:52:30time for specialist NHS services. Also providing new training for the
0:52:30 > 0:52:36designated mental health senior lead in schools.The House of Commons
0:52:36 > 0:52:40nursery is an award-winning nursery, recently the manager has been
0:52:40 > 0:52:45awarded nursery manager of the year for looking after children during
0:52:45 > 0:52:48the Westminster terror attack. Within minutes the joining with
0:52:48 > 0:52:51commending them for their work that acknowledge the pressure they and
0:52:51 > 0:52:57other nursery providers are put in by the inadequate funding of the 30
0:52:57 > 0:53:01hours provision of free childcare?I would pay tribute to nurses up and
0:53:01 > 0:53:04down the country providing fantastic childcare particular is part of the
0:53:04 > 0:53:0930 hours free funding. Getting a little bit tired of the Labour Party
0:53:09 > 0:53:12criticising the scheme. It is actually be delivered fantastically
0:53:12 > 0:53:18well. 216,000 parents registered for September intake. 94% have taken
0:53:18 > 0:53:22those places. I look forward to another cohort of children coming in
0:53:22 > 0:53:30on January one.The Minister has spoken about proposals for revised
0:53:30 > 0:53:32guidance on home-schooling. Warwickshire County Council tell me
0:53:32 > 0:53:36there is no requirement for parents to register with the local
0:53:36 > 0:53:39authority. Making it difficult to ensure home-schooled children get
0:53:39 > 0:53:42the education they deserve. Would such a change be part of the revised
0:53:42 > 0:53:49guidance?Children educated at home at the responsibility of their
0:53:49 > 0:53:54parents. Compulsory registration is not necessary. What is necessary is
0:53:54 > 0:53:57that local authorities take effective action in cases where
0:53:57 > 0:54:00parents are unable to provide a proper education. I'm certainly
0:54:00 > 0:54:05happy to meet with my honourable friend to discuss his suggestion.
0:54:05 > 0:54:10Thank you Mr Speaker. The parents of a child with Asperger's contacted me
0:54:10 > 0:54:14recently explaining in depth how their son's School has failed to
0:54:14 > 0:54:18consider his needs and the great stress this has caused them and
0:54:18 > 0:54:25their family. As a signatory of the ambitious Buddhism pledge in the
0:54:25 > 0:54:30last Parliament, may I ask the Secretary of State what action her
0:54:30 > 0:54:32department is taking to ensure school staff are both properly
0:54:32 > 0:54:40trained and have adequate resources? This is important. We have
0:54:40 > 0:54:43introduced the much broader education and care and health plans
0:54:43 > 0:54:48to make sure young people get a much better assessment of their overall
0:54:48 > 0:54:54needs. I'm very happy to look at the particular case she mentions though.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58Parents of children in my constituency largely have access to
0:54:58 > 0:55:01faith -based education if they desire it. Every single one of those
0:55:01 > 0:55:06schools is oversubscribed. What more can my right honourable friend do to
0:55:06 > 0:55:12ensure there is real choice for parents in faith -based education?
0:55:12 > 0:55:18We do greatly value the important role faith schools play in our
0:55:18 > 0:55:22education system. High performing, popular with parents. They make an
0:55:22 > 0:55:24excellent contribution to our education system. Through the free
0:55:24 > 0:55:31schools programme we have created 71 new state funded faith schools.What
0:55:31 > 0:55:42impact has the six and 35 million cut in sure start had on Britain for
0:55:42 > 0:55:50the poorest children? -- £659 million.Those sure start schemes
0:55:50 > 0:55:53are being delivered by local authorities. Up to them to make
0:55:53 > 0:55:58those decisions. We have already discussed the roll-out of house by
0:55:58 > 0:56:03some local authorities proving particularly effective. As I say the
0:56:03 > 0:56:09local authorities determine what is best for their children.Mr Speaker,
0:56:09 > 0:56:13figures released recently by the right honourable friend for
0:56:13 > 0:56:17Tottenham showed that the proportion of students in my constituency that
0:56:17 > 0:56:21get upgrades and go to top universities is lower than the
0:56:21 > 0:56:24south-east of the country. It can the Minister tell me what action
0:56:24 > 0:56:29this government can take to address that inequality?Data published by
0:56:29 > 0:56:40UCAS show the 18-year-old entries has increased by 54% since 2006. We
0:56:40 > 0:56:45ask with areas of the poorest progression to universally received
0:56:45 > 0:56:51particular attention.A maintained primary School in my constituency
0:56:51 > 0:56:56has received over 20 pupils in year from a local academy because a
0:56:56 > 0:57:01permanent exclusion or pushing out at risk of permanent exclusion. What
0:57:01 > 0:57:06more can be an apartment and local authorities do to dis- incentivise
0:57:06 > 0:57:09academies excluding peoples are pushing them onto local primaries?
0:57:09 > 0:57:12People's People'sthe new National Funding Formula much better help
0:57:12 > 0:57:18schools deal with this issue of students coming into school is in
0:57:18 > 0:57:20the New Year. After the race disparity ordered one of the things
0:57:20 > 0:57:23we launched was the exclusions reviewed to make sure the whole
0:57:23 > 0:57:32process around how a child is permanently is properly delivered.
0:57:32 > 0:57:36Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Minister may be aware of the Scottish
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Parliament's Education Committee voted to block plans to introduce
0:57:39 > 0:57:43the Scottish Government's named person policy. Does the Minister
0:57:43 > 0:57:48agree that this is gross invasion of privacy and totally unnecessary,
0:57:48 > 0:57:52diverse vital resources from the most vulnerable? And can the
0:57:52 > 0:57:55Minister confirm that this conservative United Kingdom
0:57:55 > 0:58:02government has no similar plans for such an unnecessary policy?I can
0:58:02 > 0:58:05reassure my honourable friend that there are currently no intentions to
0:58:05 > 0:58:13introduce a name -- named person system in this country. Our guidance
0:58:13 > 0:58:19is clear in working together to Safeguard children and services to
0:58:19 > 0:58:23families and children should be delivered in a coordinated way.The
0:58:23 > 0:58:27Prime Minister's refusal to remove foreign students from immigration
0:58:27 > 0:58:30figures is damaging our universities. What discussion has
0:58:30 > 0:58:34the Secretary of State had with the Home Secretary on the financial
0:58:34 > 0:58:41contribution of overseas students and staff and their classification
0:58:41 > 0:58:44as government immigration statistics?We have a world-class
0:58:44 > 0:58:48university system that is highly regarded by international students.
0:58:48 > 0:58:51There is no cap on the number of international students who can come
0:58:51 > 0:58:55and indeed we have seen a rise in the number of Chinese students
0:58:55 > 0:59:00coming to study in the UK.As my Right Honourable friend will be
0:59:00 > 0:59:04aware 2018 is the year of the engineer and one of its aims is to
0:59:04 > 0:59:07change the perception of engineering, particularly for young
0:59:07 > 0:59:12women. Would she meet with me in my role as the Government's envoy in
0:59:12 > 0:59:15this campaign to discuss how her department can work together with
0:59:15 > 0:59:19the Department for Transport to further these aims?I'd be delighted
0:59:19 > 0:59:22to meet my honourable friend and I would like to praise the work that
0:59:22 > 0:59:25he has done on apprenticeships. It was a delight to see him at world
0:59:25 > 0:59:30skills in Birmingham and also praise the work he's doing on the year of
0:59:30 > 0:59:37engineering next year.Sir Edward Davey.The Secretary of State may
0:59:37 > 0:59:41not be aware yet but I wrote to her on the 4th of December to ask for a
0:59:41 > 0:59:47meeting on the high needs issue in Kingston. It is due to overspend by
0:59:47 > 0:59:51£6.5 million or 35% this year, the worst in London. Will she meet me as
0:59:51 > 0:59:57soon as possible to discuss this?We are providing high needs funding of
0:59:57 > 1:00:055.84 billion rising to 5.97 billion next year to help local authority
1:00:05 > 1:00:08support children and young people with Special Educational Needs.
1:00:08 > 1:00:11Earlier this year we gave local authorities £23 million to support
1:00:11 > 1:00:14the strategic review of their special provision and allocate 215
1:00:14 > 1:00:18million of capital funding for local authorities to create more places
1:00:18 > 1:00:22for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and I'd be
1:00:22 > 1:00:26happy to meet him to discuss this issue.Single sentence inquiry and a
1:00:26 > 1:00:31single sentence reply, conservatory? Dividing lines of opportunity are
1:00:31 > 1:00:34much more between metropolitan areas and rural areas now. Will the
1:00:34 > 1:00:40Minister assure me that the creation of apprenticeships and IoTs will
1:00:40 > 1:00:44centre on rural areas as well as towns?We want to ensure that
1:00:44 > 1:00:46institutes of technology are regionally based everywhere in our
1:00:46 > 1:00:49country and she's right to flag up that rural areas are a place where
1:00:49 > 1:00:54we want to see more opportunity.Mr Speaker, what is the Minister doing
1:00:54 > 1:00:57to help young people obtain apprenticeships who have hearing
1:00:57 > 1:01:05difficulties?There is a lot of work and a lot of money going into making
1:01:05 > 1:01:09sure that young people with learning difficulties can access
1:01:09 > 1:01:14apprenticeships. It's why we have the targets, so that by 2020, 20% of
1:01:14 > 1:01:17all apprenticeship starts will be from people with learning
1:01:17 > 1:01:23difficulties. Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is
1:01:23 > 1:01:25essential to highlight job opportunities to our young people
1:01:25 > 1:01:29and where there are needs in business and I cite the £6 billion
1:01:29 > 1:01:33landscape industry which has big gaps. With the Minister agree with
1:01:33 > 1:01:36me that there are big opportunities through our careers service to
1:01:36 > 1:01:44address this?It was a delight to launch the careers strategy last
1:01:44 > 1:01:51week, and we have running through that the spine of the careers
1:01:51 > 1:01:54strategy, the Gatsby benchmarks, absolutely critical pilot in the
1:01:54 > 1:01:57north-east demonstrating just how much progress we can make if schools
1:01:57 > 1:02:05meet all of those targets.Class sizes are above the average and is a
1:02:05 > 1:02:08former teacher I know the impact this can have, does the Secretary of
1:02:08 > 1:02:14State accept this has a detrimental impact on pupils?As we have heard
1:02:14 > 1:02:17routinely through this oral question session school standards in England
1:02:17 > 1:02:23are rising and in the end that's what parents care about, 1.9 million
1:02:23 > 1:02:29more children in better primaries and secondary schools, tremendously
1:02:29 > 1:02:32improving the outcomes on literacy, and I think for once it would be
1:02:32 > 1:02:38good if the opposition could welcome that.Mr Speaker, with the schools
1:02:38 > 1:02:42Minister join me in congratulating Swindon Academy in conjunction with
1:02:42 > 1:02:45Marlborough College for doubling their intake this year with children
1:02:45 > 1:02:49of all backgrounds now having a real chance of accessing the top
1:02:49 > 1:02:56universities?I'd be delighted to join my honourable friend in
1:02:56 > 1:02:59congratulating the Academy and I enjoyed the visit I had with him and
1:02:59 > 1:03:02meeting Brett Robinson, the exceptional principle of that school
1:03:02 > 1:03:06where they do special programmes to help the most able children fulfil
1:03:06 > 1:03:09their potential as well as providing very high standards of education
1:03:09 > 1:03:14across the board.If the Minister is serious about meeting his target for
1:03:14 > 1:03:18apprenticeships, surely the Minister would agree with me on the need to
1:03:18 > 1:03:23reclassify apprenticeships as improved education or training to
1:03:23 > 1:03:25save young hard-working apprenticeships like Chloe from Hull
1:03:25 > 1:03:30money on her transport costs and prescription costs.As the
1:03:30 > 1:03:34Honourable Lady will note transport is the responsibility of the local
1:03:34 > 1:03:38authority. We are determined to make sure there are no barriers to
1:03:38 > 1:03:43anybody taking up an apprenticeship. I go around the country. It is
1:03:43 > 1:03:47amazing to hear the stories and I'm delighted at the success that the
1:03:47 > 1:03:53programme has demonstrated so far. Always good if we can see a smiling
1:03:53 > 1:03:58Sammy Yatim of questions. Sammy Wilson.Thank you, Mr Speaker.
1:03:58 > 1:04:01T-Levels are being developed in England but it is not clear whether
1:04:01 > 1:04:07they will be available in Northern Ireland and the regulatory body will
1:04:07 > 1:04:12be based in England. This has the potential to disrupt higher
1:04:12 > 1:04:19education, employment and transfer -- transferability of skills. Will
1:04:19 > 1:04:22she worked with the Northern Ireland exam board to ensure T-Levels are
1:04:22 > 1:04:26available in Northern Ireland?Is this a version of a one sentence
1:04:26 > 1:04:32question?I'm happy to meet to discuss that, we want T-Levels to be
1:04:32 > 1:04:34transformative in improving technical education in our country
1:04:34 > 1:04:37and I have no doubt he feels the same about Northern Ireland so