:00:43. > :00:53.Stop throwing snowballs and concentrate. Next leg has lost
:00:53. > :00:55.
:00:55. > :01:00.another... Poll ratings are in single figures. A third of flight
:01:00. > :01:05.sacked Heathrow were cancelled and that was before it started snowing.
:01:05. > :01:11.Transport secretary is here. The Government that is about to
:01:11. > :01:15.consult on gay marriage, a member of their Church of England call
:01:15. > :01:24.head-to-head. Our regular panel of the best and
:01:24. > :01:30.brightest are back treating throughout the programme. In the
:01:30. > :01:40.North East, the general secretary its is told to tackle schools. Will
:01:40. > :01:40.
:01:40. > :31:00.Apology for the loss of subtitles for 1759 seconds
:31:00. > :31:05.Their education secretary warned that Cumbria of's schools are in
:31:05. > :31:15.need of investment. We meet a Maryport teacher to hear how the
:31:15. > :31:17.
:31:17. > :31:25.problem affects children. With me, is John Stephenson and Simon panic.
:31:25. > :31:33.Our young people being put off university by the cost? That may be
:31:33. > :31:39.the case. People from the North East is down by 11 %. Some
:31:39. > :31:49.universities have been affected more than others. Applications at
:31:49. > :31:59.Sunderland have fallen by 16 %. Newcastle had a less dramatic fall.
:31:59. > :32:07.
:32:07. > :32:15.Some have seen a rise. These students are at Whitby
:32:15. > :32:25.Community College and both are ambitious. I wanted something in
:32:25. > :32:26.
:32:26. > :32:34.art and design. I want to going to events management. With those
:32:34. > :32:40.ambitions, universities should beckon. The face tuition fees of up
:32:40. > :32:47.to �9,000 a year. Has that put them off? I do not have to put it up --
:32:47. > :32:54.appeared off until I am learning. I wanted the university experience as
:32:54. > :32:59.well as what comes with it. It will not put me off. A I am from a low-
:32:59. > :33:09.income family. I have no more financial support. I need to take a
:33:09. > :33:09.
:33:09. > :33:19.year out to make a dent in the fees. If a cannot get the money, I will
:33:19. > :33:24.
:33:24. > :33:31.not be going. I cannot afford to do it otherwise. This is the president
:33:31. > :33:37.of students' union at Cumbria University. What is you take? You
:33:37. > :33:47.can read admissions figures in different ways. It is worrying that
:33:47. > :33:47.
:33:47. > :33:55.they are down but this was predicted. It will be concerning
:33:55. > :34:02.two students. It will put some off. The figures do not suggest it is a
:34:02. > :34:10.huge drop. You can be accused of scaremongering. A I do not think
:34:10. > :34:16.that is the case. Students are taking a more investment decision
:34:16. > :34:25.where to go. The effects are not felt yet. They will be felt in the
:34:25. > :34:33.future. In the future, there will be students who have not always
:34:33. > :34:37.thought they would call to university. What do you think of
:34:37. > :34:47.universities having either a drop or a rise? For it is worrying that
:34:47. > :34:54.
:34:54. > :35:04.the North East has had a drop as a halt. Students... You want brainy
:35:04. > :35:09.people? Yes. If those people do not study here, they need not stay. It
:35:09. > :35:15.is worrying that students are making their way into education and
:35:15. > :35:25.may not do in the future. These figures can be interpreted in
:35:25. > :35:25.
:35:25. > :35:33.different ways. It looks like there is a call at some stage. We must be
:35:33. > :35:40.careful about the statistics. Last year, when they were a lot of
:35:40. > :35:50.applicants, if you go back to 2009, it is broadly the same. Deraa
:35:50. > :35:56.
:35:57. > :36:04.career choices here. There must be other people -- choices. Would you
:36:04. > :36:11.will come fewer people going to university? You have to get the
:36:11. > :36:17.balance right. Those who want to go all, they should off. We must make
:36:17. > :36:22.sure there are trainee courses for engineers and technicians. We are
:36:22. > :36:32.making sure we have a skilled workforce for industry so we can be
:36:32. > :36:39.successful economically. Labour where as bad for scaremongering.
:36:39. > :36:49.There has not been a big drop-off. What is worrying is the numbers
:36:49. > :36:49.
:36:49. > :36:59.applying from the North East has dropped by more than average. I
:36:59. > :37:00.
:37:00. > :37:04.think it is part of a wider issue of skills in this region. If we
:37:04. > :37:14.have also seen a larger than average fall for mature students.
:37:14. > :37:22.There wasn't a big collapse. have heard and I would agree with
:37:22. > :37:28.this that it is the first set of figures that we have jumped on. It
:37:28. > :37:34.is right that we will have to see how this pans out over time.
:37:34. > :37:44.Nevertheless, it is a worry that it has affected the North East more
:37:44. > :37:46.
:37:46. > :37:50.than other regions. Cumbria got an increase but it cut its fees. Is
:37:50. > :38:00.there a danger that people will go there and end up on a course that
:38:00. > :38:03.
:38:03. > :38:12.it is not as good? That suggests there is a choice. Universities
:38:12. > :38:17.might be tempted to Lord fees to get those students. Students will
:38:17. > :38:24.tap the courses they want to go on and will make their own judgment.
:38:24. > :38:31.It is interesting that Cumbria are had high fees but got more
:38:31. > :38:37.applications. We are moving more to a market situation. People have
:38:37. > :38:42.found this change difficult and that may be why. It is difficult
:38:42. > :38:49.for universities because there is a figure at which this is economic
:38:49. > :38:55.and there is a figure below which it is not economic. It is a
:38:55. > :39:05.delicate balancing act which all institutions had to make. Time will
:39:05. > :39:11.tell. Schools in Cumbria are in dire need of investment. This is
:39:11. > :39:17.according to Jamie Reed. Those frustrations are shared by some
:39:17. > :39:25.headteachers. The EC since the Building Schools for the Future
:39:25. > :39:33.team, there has been no money to replace outdated schools. Councils
:39:33. > :39:38.may still have to take out loans to pay for it.
:39:39. > :39:43.Netherhall School in Maryport, built in the 1950s. It is still
:39:43. > :39:48.standing but the buildings need updated. It is the kind of building
:39:48. > :39:55.that needs attention as it gets older. We have replaced the heating
:39:55. > :40:01.system recently, roofs. There ongoing issues that go with a
:40:01. > :40:07.building of the siege. It missed out on funding when the collision
:40:07. > :40:14.cancelled Labour's building schools for the future. It was not just
:40:14. > :40:18.about the condition of the building. It is about suitability of the
:40:18. > :40:24.learning environment. It is important for the west coast of
:40:24. > :40:30.Cumbria. It is important our students are able to get access to
:40:30. > :40:36.cutting-edge science facilities at set-up. The situation is getting
:40:36. > :40:42.attention in Westminster. We are in desperate need for some --
:40:42. > :40:45.investments. It was tragic when that was taken away by the
:40:45. > :40:54.Government but they need for investment grows. They need is
:40:54. > :40:58.greater now you than it has ever been. This is a sort of thing Ed
:40:58. > :41:08.head teacher would love to see. The rich and draws central academy in
:41:08. > :41:16.
:41:16. > :41:22.Carlisle. It is the envy of the area. In this modern age, our young
:41:22. > :41:28.people see environments for all sorts of activities and the one
:41:28. > :41:34.school is not in the same league. They will know they are treated as
:41:34. > :41:36.second-class citizens. He the Government will announce who is
:41:36. > :41:43.benefiting from the replacement for Bill Building Schools for the
:41:43. > :41:49.Future. There is the billion pounds to spend on 300 schools in the
:41:50. > :41:59.worst condition. They will have to sign 27 here PFI contracts to get
:41:59. > :42:08.cash. You become cynical because we're talking 3 billion for this
:42:08. > :42:13.programme. It is permission to borrow 3 billion. It is not a grant.
:42:13. > :42:22.The local council says the previous scheme was not perfect but they're
:42:22. > :42:27.hoping to get money this time. Expectations were far beyond the
:42:27. > :42:32.ability to produce the benefits of schools on that list. The
:42:32. > :42:37.Government came along with some money. Hopley, more of our schools
:42:37. > :42:41.will be on that list. Government is being blamed for
:42:41. > :42:51.coming up with a replacement. The rules will be tighter and the money
:42:51. > :42:53.
:42:53. > :43:02.far less plentiful than in the past. This is said to be approaching
:43:02. > :43:11.crisis point. The Building Schools for the Future was not as good as
:43:11. > :43:16.people thought it was. There were only 42 schools finished. You must
:43:16. > :43:26.remember we had the recession and the leader party were going to cut
:43:26. > :43:28.
:43:28. > :43:35.spending themselves. We have 15.8 billion set aside for expenditure.
:43:35. > :43:41.There is money available. It is tighter. It is unfair that some
:43:41. > :43:48.pupils are being taught in state- of-the-art buildings and those in
:43:48. > :43:58.Mary Park -- Maryport are not. must be careful when we talk about
:43:58. > :44:07.
:44:07. > :44:12.buildings. Education quality is more important. Is that you do?
:44:12. > :44:19.Having been around some of the new buildings in Durham, you can see
:44:19. > :44:26.the difference. It inspires young people and inspires them to raise
:44:26. > :44:31.the aspirations which is a biggish to in the North East. Some cannot
:44:31. > :44:39.afford to do that. It is unfortunate that there are schools
:44:39. > :44:49.across this region that to run a terrible condition. I would like to
:44:49. > :44:49.
:44:49. > :44:56.see schools being funded on the basis of need. I do not see that.
:44:56. > :45:06.What basis is that on? There are suspicions that funding is being
:45:06. > :45:08.
:45:08. > :45:13.top sliced away from organisations like Durham County Council.
:45:13. > :45:18.Academy's programmes started under the Labour government. We have
:45:18. > :45:27.extended it and I think that is right. I think these comments are
:45:27. > :45:37.bizarre. I am confused about the government's ideas. Isn't this
:45:37. > :45:42.
:45:42. > :45:51.borrowing money against the future? A lot depends on how the PFI is
:45:51. > :45:58.dealt with. We have learned from the last government that we must
:45:58. > :46:08.ensure we get value for money. days are gone when architects
:46:08. > :46:12.
:46:12. > :46:22.design spectacular buildings. not sure we have had fancy
:46:22. > :46:31.architect-designed buildings. Not only have we lost BSF, we have lost
:46:31. > :46:41.half of the capital for schools. In the case of some schools in poor
:46:41. > :46:41.
:46:41. > :46:51.condition, to prioritise them, we can do a bet. What can you do in 60
:46:51. > :46:56.
:46:56. > :47:04.seconds? We will offer you the whole political week.
:47:04. > :47:11.Britain's biggest rail union has protested outside stations. The
:47:11. > :47:19.applause a report which will cost their members' jobs.? Hospitals
:47:19. > :47:25.will be taken over. They will be run by another trust. Have you been
:47:25. > :47:35.stopped in the street light verse? Is it time to tighten up the rules?
:47:35. > :47:39.
:47:39. > :47:49.I found aggressive techniques. Extending the bones of the
:47:49. > :47:49.
:47:49. > :47:59.Yorkshire... And North Tyneside N P is promising to do her best in
:47:59. > :48:00.
:48:00. > :48:06.taking up her new role as the first ambassador for or Northumberland.
:48:06. > :48:14.Let us talk about a hospital. Your local hospital has been taken over
:48:14. > :48:22.by a trust. I think it is good news. Northumbria has a track record of
:48:22. > :48:32.good management. It has been a long time in coming. The Government has
:48:32. > :48:33.
:48:33. > :48:41.come up with a bail-out fund. Will that help? Undoubtedly. I am
:48:41. > :48:51.delighted. My colleagues have campaigned for it. It is welcome
:48:51. > :48:54.
:48:54. > :49:00.news. We saw Newcastle wanting to stop chuggers. Would you support a
:49:00. > :49:05.ban? The issue in Newcastle is that there are other places where those
:49:05. > :49:10.people cannot fault because they are run privately run shopping
:49:11. > :49:19.centres. They are all forced into the same place. I have sympathy for
:49:19. > :49:29.the council to try to come up with a solution which is fair not just
:49:29. > :49:29.
:49:29. > :49:37.on charities, but on the public. do support more regulation. --? In
:49:37. > :49:41.a crowded environment, how do they get money for? If the public come
:49:41. > :49:44.to the Council of to say something should be done, it is the job of
:49:45. > :49:53.elected representatives to represent the public nor one likes
:49:53. > :50:02.to have lot of new regulation, but they may be is a better way. We do
:50:02. > :50:12.not seem to have the same problem in Carlisle. Around Westminster, it
:50:12. > :50:13.
:50:13. > :50:17.is not something we see. I will gratefully accept donations. Thanks