Live Education Questions House of Commons


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join me later. First it has

questions to the Education

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Secretary, Damian Hinds.

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We are committed we must tell

children in need to achieve their

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full potential. On Friday we

launched the Children in Need

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review, which will develop the

evidence we can understand what

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makes a difference to these

children's educational outcomes and

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what works to improve those outcomes

in practice.

I strongly welcomed the

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review that was. Will he commit to

using the considerable data at his

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disposal to highlight those areas

and those children who bucked the

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trend so we can learn from their

example?

My honourable friend has

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been a champion of Children in Need

and the review is intended to

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establish best practice, it builds

on work we already doing with our

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partners in practice local

authorities which I announced in the

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expansion last week.

Since 2010 the

number of children on the child

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protection register is up 83% whilst

we have seen the number of people in

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care at its highest since 1985. Does

the Minister think the cuts in

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children's services since 2010 are

the reason for this? If not to what

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does he ascribe these terrible

outcomes for the most probable

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children in our society?

Local

authorities have an increasing their

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investment in children's services, I

visited Hackney and Wigan and

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Doncaster. My impression is the real

differentiator is leadership, which

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is why we are investing £2 million

with the local government

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Association to look at leadership

and the parliament in practice

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programme.

Early intervention is

critical to preventing children

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ending up as in need so why is the

funding stop to the excellent sure

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start and home start projects?

Local

authorities do different things

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differently. I visited Stafford, and

in Stafford and in Newcastle they

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have actually improved their

outcomes for children in Need by

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reaching out to those families

rather than investing in bricks and

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mortar. There are different ways of

dealing with this, local authorities

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to this best.

Research on his own

department's figures showed children

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are ten times more likely to be on a

child protection plan if they live

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in a deprived area. Before the end

of this Parliament it is estimated

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child poverty will reach five

million and the funding gap in

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statutory services will reach £2

billion. The Minister has said that

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strong leadership rather than extra

funding is the key, so can he

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explain how strong leadership will

end this crisis?

Spending in local

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government is 200 billion on all

services including children's

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services. We do see leadership as a

driver of better outcomes for those

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children which is why we are making

that investment, including the 15

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million that we announced for 8

million more partners in practice,

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which are helping local authorities

that are struggling. For example

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Leeds is how ginkgo clears.

The new

national funding formula means

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funding will finally be distributed

based on the needs and

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characteristics of every school in

the country, supported by in

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additional £1.3 billion, meaning we

will maintain funding in real terms

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for the next two years.

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22 of the 24 maintained schools in

my constituency will be losing in

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real terms taking account of

inflation. Many of these are schools

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with high levels of deprivation, how

can the Secretary of State justify

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this?

Mr Speaker of course the

formula does quite rightly take

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account of deprivation in the way

that she mentions, and in the Bishop

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Auckland constituency if the funding

formula work implemented in full,

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based on the 2017-18 funding data,

it would increase by 1.9%.

In every

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single school I have visited across

Bradford since becoming an MP, the

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head has raised with me major

concerns about funding. Can the

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Minister confirmed despite the £1.3

billion announced by his predecessor

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last July, school funding will still

have fallen in real terms by 2020

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for the first time in a generation?

No, Mr Speaker. In the Bradford

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South constituency, on the same

basis that I just answered to the

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honourable lady from Bishop

Auckland, if formula that was

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invented in full, it would involve

an increase of 1.6% of £1.3 million,

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and across the system per-pupil real

terms funding is being maintained.

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The cost of advertising for teachers

and the cost of supply teachers

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especially to agencies is putting

strain on school funding and

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budgets. What action is the

government taking to ensure more

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money is going to the front line of

education and less on the

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bureaucracy and costs.

My right

honourable friend makes a very good

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point about one of the cost

pressures schools have been facing

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that is why we are working on seeing

what we can do to help on bringing

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down recruitment costs, specifically

on supply teachers that she

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mentioned, developing a new

framework to that act.

Schools in my

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constituency work on the principle

of the national funding formula

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which will see an increase in

funding. I wonder if my right

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honourable friend would agree to

meet with me and representatives of

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primary and secondary schools to

ensure that we get this implemented

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in the right way.

Mr Speaker, he is

correct that the Clement Ric and of

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the national funding formula is a

very important step forward and I am

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always happy to beat my noble

friend.

Taking into account the

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rising cost pressures on school

whether temporary and agency staff

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or pressures on salaries means that

every school virtually in my

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constituency is going to face real

terms cuts to their funding by 2020.

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Isn't that the truth of the

government plasma policy or does the

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Secretary of State education thinks

he knows more about school budgets

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than headteachers?

Across the system

over the next two years, the total

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core schools funding budget will be

going up from just under £41 billion

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this year to 43 and a half billion.

Of course there had been cost

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pressures on schools, I don't know

that for a moment, one of the

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reasons we are taking that step that

I outlined to help with those cost

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pressures. Across the system

per-pupil real terms funding is

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being maintained.

While we welcome

the changes to the national funding

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formula and additional money there

are still a huge gap in schools in

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West Sussex and the way they are

funded in Greater London, in

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particular special schools are not

included in the funding formula, so

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that an average 200 Playschool in

West Sussex will receive something

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like £800,000 less than a school in

Reading or 2 million less than a

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school in London. When his heat

going to address this anomaly?

It is

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not supposed to be that they have

the same amount of money following

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them, it is important the formula

recognises the difference in the

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composition of pupil make-ups, we

were talking a moment or two about

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the privation. Of course other

members of additional need that the

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two reflected.

May I first started

by congratulating the lady from

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North London who has won this year's

global teacher prize this weekend. I

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know that the whole house will agree

with her on the power of arts to

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change unpeopled's lives. Mr

Speaker, in the Chancellor's springs

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statement last week, he said that

school budgets are increasing

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per-pupil in real terms, and that

every school will receive a cash

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increase. Does the Secretary of

State agree with the Chancellor?

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First let me join with the

honourable lady in her

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congratulations to Andrea Zachariah

who for this outstanding achievement

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that she has made. It is a

particularly striking individual

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attainment but also I think it is a

reflection of the incredibly

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inspirational role that teachers

everywhere player. In terms of

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funding, we have been discussing

this at some length, the fact is

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that across the system the per-pupil

real terms funding is being

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maintained. Of course local

authorities for the next couple of

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years will play a role in allocating

that money to make sure the final

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result reflects the cost...

Mr

Speaker, I am glad that he accepts

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that part because the UK Statistics

Authority last week refused to both

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of those claims and the Secretary of

State had to retract what he said at

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our last Question Time. Last week,

he said that the mere repetition of

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a full set does not turn it into the

truth. So will he now apologise for

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misleading the house, and make clear

the truth? There is no increase and

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school budgets may face cuts of up

to 1.5% per-pupil?

Order, before we

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proceed further I must say to the

Shadow Secretary of State, any

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accusation of misleading the house

must be accompanied by inadvertent.

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Inadvertently misleading the house.

Mr Speaker, it is true that cash

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funding per pupil is increasing, it

is also true that real terms funding

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is increasing, but I could and

should have been more precise. When

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you talk about real terms per-pupil

funding, that is being maintained.

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The core schools budget over the

next two years will rise to a little

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under £41 billion to 43.5.

Question

number three.

Thank you Mr Speaker,

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since 2010 there are 1.9 million,

sorry, Mr Speaker, with permission,

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I would seek to answer this question

with numbers eight and 16, my

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apologies. Since 2010 there are 1.9

million more children in good or

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outstanding schools and more

disadvantaged children are going on

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to university. Our plans to make

further progress include £72 million

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at 12 opportunity areas and £52

million for approving early language

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and literacy.

Youth and implement in

my constituency has fallen by 72%

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since 2010. If we are to build on

that progress, can my right

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honourable friend set out how we can

support schools that are

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underperforming so that young

people, wherever they live, have the

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best opportunity? And in his

constituency there have been over

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7000 apprenticeship starts since

2010. He is right that it is very

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important all schools are able to

share in the preventive education

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outcomes and very important the

support is there to do that.

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Breakfast is the most important meal

of the day and I strongly welcome

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the money to support breakfast

clubs. Wiltshire is not a deprived

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county but it does have some areas

of deprivation, how will they be

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helped?

The definition of areas of

deprivation will include the

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opportunity areas I mentioned but

also other areas according to the

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index methodology, and I can't say

the top of my head what the

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implication is for Chippenham but I

will be happy to stay in touch with

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my honourable friend.

Since 2013 the

national literacy trust has run a

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great campaign in Middlesbrough,

will my honourable friend join me in

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congratulating the efforts of this

group.

Indeed, improving literacy is

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vital to improving our social

mobility and our plans for a

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national centre of excellence will

help with this and I'm happy to pay

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tribute to the fantastic work done

by the national literacy trust in

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Middlesbrough.

Three years ago I

launched the Liverpool to Oxbridge

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collaboratively support students in

schools in my constituency, the most

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academic students, to give them the

option of applying to Oxford or

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Cambridge, can I ask the government

what they are doing to support areas

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especially those with high economic

need like Liverpool to aim high for

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all of their young people?

This goes

to the heart of the office for fair

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access and what the office for

students will do but also it is

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important universities continue to

redouble their efforts especially

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selective universities to make sure

they are reaching out and tapping

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into the range of talents on offer

throughout our country.

If the

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Secretary of State is serious about

improving access to top universities

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for students from the two

backgrounds why is he not doing more

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to act on the findings of the report

which urged the government to do

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more to provide high warranty

independent careers advice to 13 and

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14 years old? -- high quality.

She

is like to highlight high quality

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careers advice, this goes for

vocational routes and academic roots

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and that is why we are putting so

much focus on it.

The Secretary of

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State must understand if we are to

achieve social mobility our schools

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have to be well funded and Durham

county council because of funding

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cuts is closing a school, the only

school in a disadvantaged village in

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my constituency. The young people

there feel undervalued as will be

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community, so what can the Secretary

of State do to make sure the school

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stays open and those children are

given a chance in life?

I totally

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acknowledge that it can be very

unsettling and upsetting when a

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school closes like that and I will

be happy to discuss the particular

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case but it remains the case that

across the system we are holding the

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core schools budget constant in real

purpose pupil terms.

I share the

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welcome for the Magic breakfast and

school breakfast funding, and in

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addition to the money, will he

encourage partner schools to share

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best practice to tackle social

mobility challenges?

I pay tribute

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to my honourable friend and the work

he has done over an extended period

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of time in terms of breakfast

especially with his magic breakfast

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connection and I share his desire to

make sure that best practice is

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shared across borders.

Scottish

students on the most deprived

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backgrounds are supported by a

comprehensive financial package

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including free tuition and

bursaries, resulting in Scotland

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having the lowest university dropout

rate in the entire UK, would be

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Secretary of State gave

consideration to mirroring the

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support giving to Scottish students

including abolishing the

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extortionate student fees in

England?

The important thing to note

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is that with our University

financing system there are more

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young people than ever before able

to go to university and more people

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from disadvantaged backgrounds being

able to go to university and

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universities are properly funded and

there is no cap on ambition.

Social

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mobility has improved when families

have access to sure start and

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children's centres yet in a damning

report the National Audit Office and

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feel that the government has cut

spending on sure start by 50% in

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real terms since 2010 and we are

still waiting for the long overdue

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consultation into the future of

children's centres so can the

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minister tell us whether he believes

these cuts are good for social

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mobility and on what date he will

publish the consultation?

The

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honourable lady is correct in

identifying the importance of early

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years in terms of child development

and social mobility and narrowing

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the gap and that is one of the

reasons why we are putting so much

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effort and more money into early

years and childcare including for

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example the extension of eligibility

for the two-year old offer which

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last week she was voting against

bizarrely.

Question number four.

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Thank you. I will answer question

four and 11 together, with your

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permission. We are using all sorts

of adverts and social media, the

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latest phase of marketing begins at

the end of January and through this

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month, and National Apprenticeship

Week with hundreds of events

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throughout the country spreading the

message, and there is a legal duty

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for schools to allow technical

education providers which was

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introduced in January.

She knows

that Newcastle and a number of other

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good colleges which provide

excellent apprenticeships have not

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been awarded funding under the

normal levy apprenticeship scheme,

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she has worked hard to find a way to

this, can I ask for an update to

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make sure that those colleges are

able to continue to provide these

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apprenticeships in vital areas like

construction and engineering because

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otherwise there will be a desert in

those areas for apprenticeships?

I

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know my honourable friend is a

strong supporter of colleges in his

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area but as in any procuring some

bidders were on six full but we have

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extended contracts to some providers

to give employers apprentices

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stability, and the main thing is

they can still provide

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apprenticeships to normal levy

payers.

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In 2009, there were 280,000

apprenticeships and in 2016 there

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were 495,000, so we are moving in

the right direction, what more can

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the government do to improve the

status of apprenticeships in school

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bearing in mind most children come

to -- most teachers come through a

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university route.

Yes, my honourable

friend is right, status is crucial

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to increase the value that people

place on apprenticeships so having

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imply is involved in the design of

the new standards right up to degree

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level and making sure there is the

orthodox training and they last for

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a minimum of 12 months is about

raising the status and currency of

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apprenticeship qualifications and I

make no apology for making sure that

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we actually increase the quality of

apprenticeships and not just the

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numbers, it is about the quality.

One of the key ways of promoting

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apprenticeships is to make sure that

we maintain a broad curriculum at

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our schools and this is one of the

key themes at the conference last

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week. The CBI president said

children were missing out on being

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able -- being made to memorise

facts.

We have one of the best

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curricula in the world, no doubt

about it, and what is absolutely

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crucial to the success of any

technical education programme, and

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that includes apprenticeships, is a

solid foundation in school and from

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then people can use it as a

springboard into other careers

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including their apprenticeships.

Knowledge of and access to

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apprenticeships relies on a gardens

in schools, what is the government

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doing to make sure that every young

person has an entire to want to

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high-quality advice and guidance and

it stops being a rather dubious

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offer across the patch as it is at

the moment?

My honourable friend is

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absolutely right about this, good

careers guidance and I'm sure he has

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read the Carizza strategy we

launched at the end of last year. --

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career. It has a spine running to

the whole thing. The legal duty on

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schools to enable technical

education providers to come in as

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part of that, the careers and

enterprise company are doing

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fantastic work around the country

and honourable members in this place

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have a role to play by going into

schools and pointing out the

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opportunities that exist.

Would my

honourable friend agree that

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apprenticeships are vital to

maintain and enhance our sovereign

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defence manufacturing capability and

are a key driver of social mobility

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especially in areas like mine.

I

completely agree with my honourable

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friend, they are a wonderful

opportunity and indeed an important

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part of the apprenticeships we have.

Last month the schools minister

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wrote to the chief executive of the

apprenticeships, a long list of

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requirements, to deliver degree

apprenticeships in tentacle skills,

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the chief executive said he has told

the minister they could not take on

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technical skills without adequate

additional resources being

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allocated, but given the Institute

is scheduled to take these as

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possibilities next month, what extra

funding has the skills minister

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allocated here and now to do this

question up I was with

the chief

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executive of the apprenticeship and

our ago and they are increasing

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their headcount substantially to

make sure they have the capacity to

0:23:080:23:13

deal with the new levels coming on

stream. This is a great opportunity

0:23:130:23:18

and I look forward to working with

the Institute of apprenticeships,

0:23:180:23:21

they are quite clear and they need

to tell me if they have any problems

0:23:210:23:25

with resourcing and we will try to

meet it.

Question number five.

0:23:250:23:31

Minister of State.

With your

permission I would answer this

0:23:310:23:36

question with question 14. Can I add

my congratulations to the winner of

0:23:360:23:43

the global teaching prize can I have

met Andrea, she is a passionate

0:23:430:23:48

teacher with a dedication to her

peoples and a love of teaching. We

0:23:480:23:51

published a party paper setting out

our reform to alternative provision

0:23:510:23:57

making sure the right children are

placed and they receive a higher

0:23:570:24:01

quality education with better

outcomes than is currently the case

0:24:010:24:06

for.

The minister will know that

alternative provision can provide at

0:24:060:24:13

best an opportunity for young people

to get back on track but at its

0:24:130:24:18

worst in some cases it is nothing

more than childminding, and he will

0:24:180:24:22

also know that from the perspective

of head teachers, often the cheapest

0:24:220:24:28

option because of pressure on

budgets, is the one they take, so

0:24:280:24:33

will he addressed that so there is a

incentive for schools to send young

0:24:330:24:39

people to alternative provision that

is frankly on suitable and of no

0:24:390:24:41

use?

He is absolutely right, the

GCSE outcomes for children on HP are

0:24:410:24:47

significantly lower than for

children outside. -- AEP. We have

0:24:470:24:57

also asked Ed Timpson to conduct a

review to look at which groups of

0:24:570:25:03

young people are being excluded for

schools especially those groups who

0:25:030:25:08

are disproportionately excluded from

mainstream education.

I refer

0:25:080:25:11

members to my register of interest,

56% of schools that responded to my

0:25:110:25:17

survey told me they had been forced

to cut sen de provision because of

0:25:170:25:21

the school budget cuts, does the

minister acknowledged that a bigger

0:25:210:25:24

number does not mean more money per

student and will he commit to a real

0:25:240:25:29

terms per-pupil fair funding form

that encourages the inclusion of sen

0:25:290:25:33

de pupils in our mainstream schools?

We have increased the high needs

0:25:330:25:39

funding from £5 billion in 2013 to

now £6 billion in 2018, that is over

0:25:390:25:49

£130 million compared to the

previous year, and we are spending

0:25:490:25:51

1.3 billion more on school funding

compared with the spending review in

0:25:510:25:56

2015.

Number seven, Mr speaker.

0:25:560:26:04

I commend the work for quite

consensual and the debate that she

0:26:040:26:10

secured last September. I can assure

her the department is committed to

0:26:100:26:14

making schools as safe as we

possibly can, which is why we are

0:26:140:26:17

working closely with the Home Office

to reinforce the important message

0:26:170:26:20

it is totally unacceptable to bring

knives into schools. Hiya knife

0:26:200:26:28

carrying in schools across the UK is

up 42% and yet in my constituency in

0:26:280:26:34

Croydon,

and I expect across the

country at least three quarters of

0:26:340:26:37

headteachers of had to cut staff,

special needs supervision and now

0:26:370:26:43

that this epidemic has infiltrated

our schools, will he admit that

0:26:430:26:47

school cuts are threatening our

children's safety?

You have heard

0:26:470:26:53

from the Secretary of State

regarding school finance, all I

0:26:530:26:56

would say is that the department is

working with the Home Office and of

0:26:560:27:00

course other stakeholders, police,

Ofsted and Health and Safety

0:27:000:27:05

Executive on updating our school

security guidance to make clear the

0:27:050:27:07

risk of carrying knives and to

provide advice on dealing with this

0:27:070:27:11

really important issue. It is

unacceptable to actually carry a

0:27:110:27:14

knife in school.

Does my honourable

friend join me in welcoming the

0:27:140:27:20

award from the Home Office of

£765,000 from the new anti-knife

0:27:200:27:25

crime community fund, some of which

will be spent delivering sessions on

0:27:250:27:29

knife crime awareness in schools

themselves?

I do welcome the Home

0:27:290:27:34

Office commitment of this and I hope

the Mayor of London will do the same

0:27:340:27:38

with the honourable lady schools in

Croydon.

Youth violence is up,

0:27:380:27:47

mental health issues among young

people is up yet the number of

0:27:470:27:50

qualified school nurses is down. The

evidence shows this can be part of

0:27:500:27:55

addressing the root causes of youth

violence, can we have qualified

0:27:550:27:57

school nurses in every school is one

step to tackling this issue?

The

0:27:570:28:08

honourable lady knows we are making

further investment to make sure

0:28:080:28:11

every school is able to deal with

that issue in a way that is

0:28:110:28:16

appropriate.

0:28:160:28:22

Today there are over 2000 open

sponsored academies. This involves

0:28:220:28:36

brokering a relationship between a

suitable academy trust and

0:28:360:28:39

maintained schools including

addressing any land or contractual

0:28:390:28:42

issues. They school without a

confirmed response is not generally

0:28:420:28:46

due to a lack of response all it is

because of the time taken to address

0:28:460:28:52

those issues.

The Minister may know

my interest in this matter stems

0:28:520:28:55

from the number of years it took for

his department to resolve matters at

0:28:550:28:59

Sedgefield school in Lewisham where

they were not able to find a sponsor

0:28:590:29:05

and instead have agreed a three-year

school improvement partnership

0:29:050:29:09

there. If they are struggling so

much to find sponsors for academies,

0:29:090:29:15

why is it still a central plank of

his school turnaround strategy?

0:29:150:29:20

Because we are not crossed the

system as a whole struggling to find

0:29:200:29:25

new sponsors. We have 7000 academies

now, most of which are converted

0:29:250:29:30

academies, which themselves are

becoming themselves the sponsor.

0:29:300:29:36

This is a system that is working.

Secondary sponsored academies made

0:29:360:29:40

the strongest improvement in 2016

despite facing the biggest

0:29:400:29:44

challenges competitor in the 15 the

average attainment at school for

0:29:440:29:49

sponsored academies improved by

almost three attainment points

0:29:490:29:54

compare to 1.34 maintained schools.

The academies programme is working

0:29:540:29:57

and is raising standards right

across the system.

Number 12, Mr

0:29:570:30:02

Speaker.

It is the responsibility of

parents to assure themselves of the

0:30:020:30:11

responsibility of any private Chuter

by checking references and asking to

0:30:110:30:14

see a copy of any DBS certificate.

That is a serious criminal offence

0:30:140:30:19

to seek to work with children after

having been barred from doing so.

0:30:190:30:27

Currently one in four children

receive Jewish and outside the

0:30:270:30:29

school and private Chuter Ishant,

self employed duties do not have to

0:30:290:30:33

criminal record checks. Putting

these children are at serious risk.

0:30:330:30:38

Therefore what is the minister doing

about this and will he meet with me

0:30:380:30:42

to discuss a serious case in my

constituency and why the law must

0:30:420:30:45

change?

I will certainly meet with

the honourable lady to discuss the

0:30:450:30:51

case, which she has e-mailed to us

earlier today, very happy to do so.

0:30:510:31:00

Mr 15 Mr Speaker.

Schools can

currently teach about LGBT issues

0:31:000:31:05

and must comply with the equality

act. We established a £3 billion

0:31:050:31:10

programme on homophobic, by phobic

and trans phobic bullying. We also

0:31:100:31:13

engaging with stakeholders to

include relationships and sex

0:31:130:31:20

education and the response to the

call of evidence will be published

0:31:200:31:23

shortly.

Following media reports of

one school in London censoring, it

0:31:230:31:33

is clear the need to be more work in

this area. Will the Minister agree

0:31:330:31:37

to look at the recommendations for

the time for inclusive education

0:31:370:31:41

campaign in Scotland and ensure all

young people include an education

0:31:410:31:44

that is fully LGBT inclusive?

Very

happy to look at that report, we are

0:31:440:31:52

consulting the content of the RSC,

we will be publishing new content

0:31:520:31:55

and guidelines and we have also

judges to regulations to require

0:31:550:32:00

schools to teach fundamental British

values in our schools.

Number 17, Mr

0:32:000:32:05

Speaker.

Mr Speaker, our reforms

will increase the chances of course

0:32:050:32:15

completion, the introduction of a

transparency duty, access and

0:32:150:32:18

British patient plans and the income

framework will hold universities to

0:32:180:32:22

account and help students make

informed choices about where to

0:32:220:32:25

study and get the best value for

money.

The higher education

0:32:250:32:31

statistics authority audit shows

that 6.2% of first-time students in

0:32:310:32:35

Scotland dropped out before their

second year up being not only the

0:32:350:32:39

joint lowest figure on record but

also the lowest in the UK. With

0:32:390:32:44

Scotland leading the way, when will

the Minister becoming north to

0:32:440:32:47

Scotland for some inspiration to

think again on their own failings on

0:32:470:32:50

student retention?

Scotland is of

course a beautiful country, and our

0:32:500:32:56

reforms here have actually lead to

more disadvantaged people going to

0:32:560:33:00

university than ever before. I do

agree with the honourable member

0:33:000:33:03

that we want access to not just be

defined as getting into university,

0:33:030:33:07

but we want people to be successful

at University and go on to achieve

0:33:070:33:12

their aspirations. That is why as

part of our reforms we are

0:33:120:33:16

reintroducing access and the

dissipation agreements that the new

0:33:160:33:19

regulator for the office to students

would be overseeing to make sure

0:33:190:33:23

that universities are held to

account for the success of

0:33:230:33:27

disadvantaged students at

university.

Could the minister

0:33:270:33:32

explain to parents in my

constituency who are not married

0:33:320:33:35

under the age of 25 but cohabit why

that household is not eligible for

0:33:350:33:39

an adult dependent grant but if they

were a married couple they would

0:33:390:33:43

both Richard Mark

it sounds like the

honourable member is referring to a

0:33:430:33:50

very specific issue, I would be

happy to take it up with her

0:33:500:33:54

afterwards.

The Minister could

always put a copy of his reply in

0:33:540:34:01

the library.

Does the speaker except

that -- does the

0:34:010:34:11

they need to have confidence about

the benefits and provisions that

0:34:120:34:14

will come with that and to that end

what discussions is he having with

0:34:140:34:19

the university colleges union and

Universities UK about resolving the

0:34:190:34:22

pensions dispute?

The honourable

member will be aware there was an

0:34:220:34:28

agreement reached between the

Universities UK and universities

0:34:280:34:30

colleges union last week. It was

broken by the independent arbitrator

0:34:300:34:34

ACAS. I am disappointed that

agreement was rejected the next day,

0:34:340:34:40

and I am urging both parties to get

together to talk, because this is in

0:34:400:34:44

the interests of students,

especially at this vital time in

0:34:440:34:47

their academic studies. Also what we

are looking at is the office for

0:34:470:34:54

students, a new regulator that has

wide-ranging powers to make sure

0:34:540:34:56

that universities to work to be

clear what they are going to deliver

0:34:560:35:01

the students, and there is no

mandate for the strikes -- strikes

0:35:010:35:05

to disrupt exams.

As the honourable

gentleman is where we are

0:35:050:35:15

undertaking a post-18 funding and

education review. I am sure he

0:35:150:35:19

watched the Prime Minister announced

that up in Derby a view weeks ago.

0:35:190:35:23

Alongside this we are also looking

at the efficiency and resilience of

0:35:230:35:28

the FEA sector. Woody to make sure

existing and forecast funding and

0:35:280:35:32

regulatory structures meet the cost

of high-quality first-class

0:35:320:35:34

provision. But the front bench have

made a great play in these sessions

0:35:340:35:43

about the importance of social

mobility and there is no greater

0:35:430:35:46

engine for that in communities like

Stoke-on-Trent than properly funded

0:35:460:35:50

and well resourced further

education, Stoke-on-Trent sixth form

0:35:500:35:53

College has had a freeze on its cash

terms over the last few years but

0:35:530:35:57

with rising costs it is a real terms

cost so what is it that this front

0:35:570:36:01

bench of the government have against

the colleges in my constituency?

Mr

0:36:010:36:07

Speaker, I would point out to the

honourable gentleman that we have

0:36:070:36:11

4000 for every 16 to 19-year-old, an

additional £600 for every pupil

0:36:110:36:17

studying maths above the baseline,

£500 million into T-Levels,

0:36:170:36:25

preparation into T-Levels and the

work we have done with FEA colleges,

0:36:250:36:30

Mr Speaker, the honourable gentleman

is shaking his head, it is true,

0:36:300:36:33

actually.

I don't think the Minister

should take it personally,

0:36:330:36:41

headshaking in the House of Commons

is not a novel phenomenon, it has

0:36:410:36:45

been going on for some centuries I

believe.

Thank you Mr Speaker, I am

0:36:450:36:50

sure in her review of FC funding she

won at the investment being made in

0:36:500:36:54

South Devon College in Paignton in

driving technical education but

0:36:540:36:58

would she agree with me that a key

part of the review will be how

0:36:580:37:03

Institute of technology are taken

forward, in particular another one

0:37:030:37:06

at South Devon College?

He is right

that Institute of technology will be

0:37:060:37:11

an important part of this mix. I

know that headshaking is common in

0:37:110:37:16

this chamber, but nonetheless, it

should not detract us from the

0:37:160:37:22

facts, and we are putting in

substantial amounts of money. We are

0:37:220:37:26

doing a review of post-18 education

but F E is an important driver of

0:37:260:37:33

social mobility.

Last week, Hull

College group announced the loss of

0:37:330:37:42

231 full-time equivalent jobs. They

have told me that government changes

0:37:420:37:48

to funding for J ISC, and IT

services company that currently

0:37:480:37:53

provide free IT support for colleges

will set them back for another

0:37:530:37:58

£100,000, possibly resulting in even

more job losses. Will the Minister

0:37:580:38:05

please reverse this decision or at

least provide some transitional

0:38:050:38:08

funding so that F E colleges are not

hit so hard?

The changes she refers

0:38:080:38:15

to are important, it is about

fairness and equity. As I pointed

0:38:150:38:19

out there is a lot of money going

into F E colleges at the moment. But

0:38:190:38:24

we are looking at the efficiency and

resilience of the FEA sector is to

0:38:240:38:31

make sure that the forecast funding

instructions meet the cost of

0:38:310:38:36

high-quality first-class provision.

Question 19.

We have protected the

0:38:360:38:45

base rate of funding for 1619

-year-olds. Until 2020 and we will

0:38:450:38:51

invest £500 million extra per year

in T-Levels. I have asked my

0:38:510:38:57

officials to assess how far the

current funding system meets the

0:38:570:39:00

cost of provision in the further

education sector and will update the

0:39:000:39:06

house shortly.

Warrington and

they'll romp college last week

0:39:060:39:12

announced it intends to close the

North wish campus in my constituency

0:39:120:39:17

with 300 students displaced. It

cited severe financial pressures and

0:39:170:39:22

the government focused area -based

review. Will the Secretary of State

0:39:220:39:27

or the Minister agreed to meet with

me, the staff and some of the

0:39:270:39:30

students affected and hopefully

reverse this decision?

I am very

0:39:300:39:35

happy to meet with the honourable

gentleman, I should point out

0:39:350:39:39

because I think not everybody

understands that colleges are

0:39:390:39:42

independent bodies. I understand

Warrington and they'll recently took

0:39:420:39:49

a view that the Hertford campus was

unviable and that provisions should

0:39:490:39:52

be transferred to create a more

efficient offer from other sites

0:39:520:39:55

with lender supported travel. This

issue arises from difficulties in

0:39:550:40:01

recruiting learners, not budget

cuts.

A college in Rochdale achieved

0:40:010:40:09

some remarkable results but in a

town like Rochdale, which is more

0:40:090:40:12

dependent on further education and

less dependent on the university

0:40:120:40:18

system, will the government not

recognise this differential in

0:40:180:40:22

funding between further education

holds back young people who are the

0:40:220:40:24

most deprived, and who need that

skills training more than anybody

0:40:240:40:29

else?

One of the reasons we are

undertaking a post-18 review of

0:40:290:40:36

education and funding is to make

sure that all people, doesn't matter

0:40:360:40:40

where you come from or what part of

the country you live in, you should

0:40:400:40:45

be able to have access to

high-quality education, be that in

0:40:450:40:49

FC or H E.

Question one.

Thank you

Mr Speaker.

0:40:490:41:08

Andrea won the global teacher prize,

beating many entries from other

0:41:080:41:12

countries. This government is

committed to supporting all teachers

0:41:120:41:16

to make sure children can have a

world-class education, and we are

0:41:160:41:23

focusing on a flexible working and

entry routes into teaching and

0:41:230:41:28

Friday we launched a review to look

at what makes the difference to

0:41:280:41:32

educational outcomes to make sure

more children can have a better

0:41:320:41:36

start in life and we are also

introducing an investment of £26

0:41:360:41:40

million to boost breakfast clubs in

some of the most disadvantaged

0:41:400:41:45

areas, complementing our development

of eligibility.

In light of the

0:41:450:41:54

racist racist incident in one of our

schools in Bath does the minister

0:41:540:41:57

believe the safeguarding procedures

in our schools are strong enough and

0:41:570:42:02

that the Ofsted inspection regime is

adequate around safeguarding?

I was

0:42:020:42:10

truly shocked to read of the

incident that the the honourable

0:42:100:42:13

lady refers to and this must of

course have no place in our schools

0:42:130:42:17

and in our country, schools need to

have a policy setting out measures

0:42:170:42:21

to encourage good behaviour

including the prevention of

0:42:210:42:26

bullying. An inspector must be able

to visit a school without notice

0:42:260:42:31

where there are concerns.

Shrewsbury

college has an outstanding

0:42:310:42:35

reputation for outstanding

apprenticeship programmes but it was

0:42:350:42:39

not a success in the latest student

levy process, and there are huge

0:42:390:42:48

geographical areas that this college

caters for and the ministers and

0:42:480:42:54

officials need to think again.

This

is not a situation that we wanted to

0:42:540:43:01

be in and we are obliged to do these

procurement exercises and there were

0:43:010:43:06

1046 bids and over £4 billion, 700

of those bids were successful and

0:43:060:43:13

got a total of 490, and we have put

in transitional arrangements for

0:43:130:43:18

providers that were not successful,

giving stability to implies and

0:43:180:43:24

apprenticeships, and as I pointed

out, those providers can still

0:43:240:43:28

access apprenticeship funding by

delivering training directly to levy

0:43:280:43:32

payers through subcontracting and

two employees receiving transfers

0:43:320:43:36

from April.

The pensions dispute

ground universities to a halt last

0:43:360:43:45

week and the Secretary of State will

be aware that there is a proposal on

0:43:450:43:49

the table to underwrite the

universities superannuation scheme

0:43:490:43:52

and although this matter is

reserved, the Scottish Government

0:43:520:43:58

have said they will give

consideration to the proposals. With

0:43:580:44:04

talk of further disruption, will he

commit to doing the same?

As I

0:44:040:44:11

referred to you in my previous

answer the remit that was on the

0:44:110:44:15

table was brokered by ACAS between

both parties and in terms of the

0:44:150:44:19

dispute is a dispute between the

universities which are autonomous

0:44:190:44:26

organisations and the lecturers and

the pensions scheme is a private

0:44:260:44:29

pension scheme and it is one of the

largest schemes with nearly 400,000

0:44:290:44:33

members and over 61 billion in

assets. The cost to the taxpayer of

0:44:330:44:39

underwriting such a scheme could be

significant and any further

0:44:390:44:43

involvement from the government in

supporting this would need to be

0:44:430:44:46

considered very very carefully.

I

know the minister shares my concerns

0:44:460:44:53

about the horrific sexual

exploitation of young girls in

0:44:530:44:59

Telford, is the minister aware of

any national inquiry that will

0:44:590:45:02

specifically investigate all aspects

of current and historic cases of

0:45:020:45:08

child exploitation in Telford?

I do

indeed share her concerns and this

0:45:080:45:15

has been a terrible case and not the

first of its kind, and I will be

0:45:150:45:21

writing to the chair of the new

national child safeguarding review

0:45:210:45:25

panel to look at places where these

appalling crimes have happened, like

0:45:250:45:29

Rotherham and Oxfordshire and

Telford, and a port on where lessons

0:45:290:45:34

have been learned and practices

approved across the system -- and

0:45:340:45:37

report.

Last week the Secretary of

State is centred the childcare

0:45:370:45:44

voucher scheme but as I tried last

week the Secretary of State has

0:45:440:45:50

given no clarity as to what will

happen next so will he come back to

0:45:500:45:56

the house with an all statement and

give a meaningful vote before the

0:45:560:46:02

scheme now ends?

The move to this is

a HMRC Treasury area rather than the

0:46:020:46:14

Department for Education but we did

make clear in the debate there was

0:46:140:46:17

the extra time, the six months in

order to look at transitional

0:46:170:46:21

considerations.

0:46:210:46:22

Would the minister explained the

government's approach to funding in

0:46:260:46:30

Hertfordshire and other local areas

as there is a concern in many areas

0:46:300:46:34

that funding to children with

special needs is not being

0:46:340:46:39

ring-fenced at local level?

We have

increased high needs funding this

0:46:390:46:46

year, local authorities are

responsible for their high needs

0:46:460:46:50

budget, but I have not heard

concerns about this funding not

0:46:500:46:54

being used to support special

education needs but of course happy

0:46:540:46:58

to meet with my honourable friend

and discuss this further.

The

0:46:580:47:04

honourable gentleman has just been

elevated to membership of the Privy

0:47:040:47:09

Council and he must be deeply

grateful.

I don't think the

0:47:090:47:13

minister's answer on the dispute

with universities regarding pensions

0:47:130:47:17

is good enough. He can't sit on the

sidelines and he should be doing

0:47:170:47:22

something to resolve the situation

rather than going up and down and

0:47:220:47:27

giving lectures at the African

Conservative Party.

The government

0:47:270:47:35

has not been sitting on the

sidelines and we have made sure that

0:47:350:47:39

we have been in touch with all the

interested parties concerned and our

0:47:390:47:43

prime concern is the students whose

education is at stake but it is up

0:47:430:47:49

to the universities as employers to

negotiate with the lecturers as the

0:47:490:47:54

employees and there is a deal on the

table that has been brokered by ACAS

0:47:540:47:58

and at the heart of the dispute is

the valuation of the pension scheme

0:47:580:48:03

and part of that deal was an

independent evaluation of the

0:48:030:48:06

pension scheme in the months ahead

which is why I'm disappointed that

0:48:060:48:10

that deal was turned down the next

day and I urge parties to get

0:48:100:48:14

together and keep negotiating to

resolve this.

May I welcome the news

0:48:140:48:20

that up to £80 million will be

invested in helping small businesses

0:48:200:48:22

recruit apprentices and ask my

honourable friend how businesses

0:48:220:48:27

will be able to apply for this

funding.

It is very good news as my

0:48:270:48:35

honourable friend will be aware, the

government will pay 90% of training

0:48:350:48:38

costs for small businesses and we

will be announcing more details on

0:48:380:48:43

how the money will be distributed in

due course.

Headteachers across

0:48:430:48:50

Stoke-on-Trent have told all three

of the MPs that they have never felt

0:48:500:48:53

quite the pinch like they do now,

and the purchasing of new equipment

0:48:530:48:59

is being put on hold, but do listen

to the Secretary of State we are led

0:48:590:49:04

to believe that money is flowing in

and schools have never had it so

0:49:040:49:07

good, but given these statements

can't be reconciled, who does he

0:49:070:49:12

believe is inadvertently misleading

members of this house?

On that point

0:49:120:49:18

there is no actual or inadvertent

misleading of the house and it is a

0:49:180:49:24

fact that across the system the core

schools funding budget goes up in a

0:49:240:49:31

couple of years' time and beyond

that there is the national funding

0:49:310:49:35

formula which seeks to correct some

of the long-standing imbalances

0:49:350:49:37

there have been in the system and I

was pleased recently to visit Stoke

0:49:370:49:42

and to meet some of the outstanding

headteachers operating in his area

0:49:420:49:46

and I know that funding has been

tight for schools and there have

0:49:460:49:50

been cost pressures in the last

couple of years and we stand behind

0:49:500:49:53

them to see what we can do to

support them.

I believe the

0:49:530:49:59

announcement from Cambridge

University that they will offer

0:49:590:50:01

apprenticeships but is a quality

stamp of approval on this route,

0:50:010:50:07

does my honourable friend agreed

that is important for all children

0:50:070:50:10

around the country that they are

encouraged to imply and do they also

0:50:100:50:15

agree that the opening doors

programme that brings children to

0:50:150:50:20

local business are key to raising

aspirations? -- to apply.

I would

0:50:200:50:27

congratulate what is going on in her

local area and of course a degree

0:50:270:50:31

apprenticeship is a wonderful way to

earn while you learn, get a degree

0:50:310:50:36

and come out at the end of it with

several years of work experience and

0:50:360:50:41

probably be way ahead of your

contemporaries who went into a

0:50:410:50:44

graduate degree.

I had the privilege

of meeting the father of the King

0:50:440:50:56

Fellowship, his father's ambition

was to get a defibrillator in every

0:50:560:51:03

school because they have done work

which would benefit many people, is

0:51:030:51:09

this something the government would

look to supporting, a defibrillator

0:51:090:51:13

in every school?

We have funded a

considerable number of these in

0:51:130:51:18

schools and we are working with the

heart foundation as well to provide

0:51:180:51:22

facilities for schools to teach

first aid and life-saving skills in

0:51:220:51:28

schools for the pay rises

but

teachers would be welcome in my area

0:51:280:51:34

but there is a concern they will

have to be met by the increase in

0:51:340:51:37

funding that was delivered to

schools, can I asked the minister if

0:51:370:51:41

there are plans to find budget

outside of the existing school

0:51:410:51:46

funding formed of those pay rises?

The teachers pay review body is

0:51:460:51:53

deliberating at the moment and we

have already given our evidence as

0:51:530:51:56

have the other console teas, but

since the spending review, an

0:51:560:52:03

additional 1.3 billion has been

found for this.

0:52:030:52:14

We aim that every child will have a

plan in time and those who weren't

0:52:200:52:26

are assured that their support will

be maintained but we are on most

0:52:260:52:34

levels on target to deliver these

plans.

Over the weekend I raised the

0:52:340:52:38

issue of the passport thing of

childcare payments by

0:52:380:52:42

Northamptonshire County Council to

local providers and I'm very pleased

0:52:420:52:46

that the solution has been found and

I'm grateful to ministers for their

0:52:460:52:50

support and their interest but will

they join me in thanking the

0:52:500:52:53

children's services staff at

Northamptonshire County Council for

0:52:530:52:57

solving this so rapidly?

I will

certainly join him and I would like

0:52:570:53:04

to meet with him to look at what

other support we can provide and to

0:53:040:53:09

commend the director of children's

services at Northampton are doing an

0:53:090:53:12

excellent job in very difficult

circumstances.

Based on government

0:53:120:53:23

statistics 63 schools in my borough

will lose funding per pupil of

0:53:230:53:34

around 300,000 pounds between 2015

and 2020, what happened to the

0:53:340:53:38

promise by the Prime Minister to

maintain pupil funding?

No school in

0:53:380:53:44

the country will lose funding under

the new formula and the minimum they

0:53:440:53:48

receive will be an extra increase,

those schools which have been

0:53:480:53:54

receiving more according to the

national funding formula, so no

0:53:540:53:58

school will lose funding, but there

have been cost pressures in recent

0:53:580:54:04

years but we are helping schools

deal with the cost pressures with

0:54:040:54:07

school efficiency advisers and

schemes which can enable schools to

0:54:070:54:12

marshal their resources as

efficiently as possible.

Recent

0:54:120:54:17

figures from Department show 4350

children were adopted in England and

0:54:170:54:21

that is a near 20% decline from the

peak in 2015, why are adoptions in

0:54:210:54:26

decline?

The government is working

with the sector through the adoption

0:54:260:54:34

leadership board to address the

issue of numbers to make sure their

0:54:340:54:38

remains are enough adopters approved

for children who are waiting.

0:54:380:54:45

Parents whose children use the

children's centre in Cambridge are

0:54:450:54:49

seeing hours at the nursery cat and

the baby room closed and parents

0:54:490:54:52

being encouraged to ask their

employers to amend their working

0:54:520:54:58

hours to cope with the reduced

hours.

The experience around the

0:54:580:55:06

country does not bear the honourable

gentleman's view, and the opposite

0:55:060:55:12

is happening where parents are

getting the places, especially on

0:55:120:55:15

the 30 hours a week for three and

four-year-olds which is almost at

0:55:150:55:20

300,000 which we announced last

week.

Last week I had the honour of

0:55:200:55:27

chairing in Westminster the second

annual schools debating competition

0:55:270:55:34

and the standard was absolutely

excellent and I want to pay tribute

0:55:340:55:38

to carry on Trowbridge and Sam

Phillips for their work organising

0:55:380:55:41

this, but what is the department

doing to encourage public speaking

0:55:410:55:46

and debate within the country?

May I

join him in commending his

0:55:460:55:52

constituents who organised this

great event and it is true that

0:55:520:55:54

public speaking and debating is an

important thing for developing the

0:55:540:55:59

rounded young person, the character

development we all want, and members

0:55:590:56:03

of Parliament can also play an

important role and many accident in

0:56:030:56:08

their own areas run their own

systems.

I am looking forward to

0:56:080:56:13

visiting the honourable gentleman in

his constituency very soon.

John

0:56:130:56:19

Cryer.

0:56:190:56:26

Did the abolition of the education

maintenance allowance hinder or

0:56:260:56:31

contribute to social mobility?

With

the alternative funding that was put

0:56:310:56:34

in place it was possible of course

for sixth form colleges to do other

0:56:340:56:38

things, to make sure that they were

attracting the full range of

0:56:380:56:41

students, and we are seeing more

disadvantaged youngsters going onto

0:56:410:56:45

university than ever before.

Mr

Speaker last week I opened the

0:56:450:56:54

extension to the children centre and

the week before I was hosted a

0:56:540:56:59

apprenticeship, both sectors are

telling me they are desperately

0:56:590:57:01

short of funding due to cuts. What

assessment is the government making

0:57:010:57:04

now of the outcome received by

children of the reduction in funding

0:57:040:57:10

currently happening?

Local

authorities are responsible for how

0:57:100:57:16

they deliver support for families

and through children centres as well

0:57:160:57:21

as other support and many of them

are focusing on getting support

0:57:210:57:24

direct to the family, rather than

investing in bricks and mortar.

0:57:240:57:31

Pupil premium is an important source

of funding to level the playing

0:57:310:57:36

field and improve social mobility. I

have asked and above questions on

0:57:360:57:39

these to make sure that all those

eligible to receive it and about

0:57:390:57:42

improving the scope of it. Does the

minister now agree with me that it

0:57:420:57:46

is time we have a review of pupil

premium?

Mr Speaker my honourable

0:57:460:57:52

friend is entirely correct that the

introduction of the pupil premium

0:57:520:57:55

was a really important structural

change in the way we do these things

0:57:550:57:58

and making sure the additional

resource in followers those pupils

0:57:580:58:02

who need it, in order to be able to

narrow the gap. I think it is also

0:58:020:58:06

right we need to keep these things

periodically under review as she

0:58:060:58:11

suggests.

The honourable lady is

belatedly bobbing but I am not

0:58:110:58:15

psychic to it helps to bobble along

as you want to be called.

Can the

0:58:150:58:21

Minister tell me what plans the

government has Tizzard for the 1.4

0:58:210:58:25

million charge and young people

affected by the decision to

0:58:250:58:28

discontinue the specialist contract

the speech, language and

0:58:280:58:31

communication needs?

We have

actually in negotiations at the

0:58:310:58:40

moment with TCT. And we are looking

at a whole workforce at training to

0:58:400:58:46

make sure we deliver better quality

outcomes for children with speech

0:58:460:58:52

and other disabilities.

I welcome

the news of the £26 million

0:58:520:59:00

investment in breakfast clubs, can

my right honourable friend confirm

0:59:000:59:03

how the most disadvantaged children

benefit of these, particularly in

0:59:030:59:09

coastal communities?

That is why we

are using the methodology we will be

0:59:090:59:13

to make sure this investment go

specifically to the most

0:59:130:59:16

disadvantaged areas where it can

make the most difference using the

0:59:160:59:20

Idoki methodology I mentioned

earlier.

Can a minister say when he

0:59:200:59:26

intends to announce the date for

issuing the criteria for the pilots

0:59:260:59:31

for the holiday hunger pilots that

were announced just a few weeks ago,

0:59:310:59:36

because Hull is chomping at the bit

to that application?

We have done

0:59:360:59:45

some excellent work on this and an

announcement is imminent.

Mr

0:59:450:59:51

Speaker, Michelle Gay Osborne had

teacher was in tears when she told

0:59:510:59:55

just how tough it is to be one of

the 361 schools in Birmingham

0:59:550:59:59

suffering real term cuts when you're

trying to give the best possible

0:59:591:00:02

start in life to kids and one of the

poorest and most deprived

1:00:021:00:06

constituencies in Britain. The

headteachers have asked to meet with

1:00:061:00:10

the Secretary of State personally so

that they can bring home to him just

1:00:101:00:13

how tough it is becoming. Will the

Secretary of State be generous and

1:00:131:00:18

agreed to meet with them?

As I said

earlier, across the system, real

1:00:181:00:26

terms per pupil funding in the core

schools budget is being maintained

1:00:261:00:30

that there are two things overlaid

on that, first is the application of

1:00:301:00:34

the National funding formula to

correct historic imbalances and of

1:00:341:00:37

course local authorities play a part

in reflecting local circumstances. I

1:00:371:00:42

acknowledge that with the cost

pressures there have been, things

1:00:421:00:46

have been tight in school budgets

and I will be happy, I will be happy

1:00:461:00:50

to meet with him and his

constituents.

Order.

1:00:501:00:55

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