Ms Estelle Morris: Does the Minister share my concern about the chronic underachievement of girls in mathematics, with almost three times as many boys taking mathematics A-level? Since the report by Her Majesty's inspectorate four years ago, what action has his Department taken to overcome those problems and what new research has he commissioned?
Ms Estelle Morris: I was disappointed by the opening speech of the President of the Board of Trade and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. The right hon. Gentleman must realise that industry is now looking for a new approach and wants him to signal that he is prepared to listen and to work with it. The fact that he did not do so will be regretted by the people who are in industry trying to make it work....
Ms Estelle Morris: No, I am sorry—because of the time limit I shall not give way. The west midlands now has the third worst unemployment record in Britain. It has the largest number of long-term unemployed people. Unemployment among the under-25s has almost doubled over the past three years alone. The west midlands has seen the largest reduction in the number of people in work anywhere in the country. When...
Ms Estelle Morris: If the hon. Lady is so concerned about funding inequalities within an LEA area, will she comment on the situation in Birmingham, where four grant-maintained schools have been given half a million pounds between them, whereas the other 500 schools have been given only £6 million between them all? Does the hon. Lady consider that the Secretary of State acted equitably in the way that he...
Ms Estelle Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received concerning rates of VAT.
Ms Estelle Morris: As the Conservatives claim to be the party of low taxation, will the Minister confirm to the House that the Government have already extended the scope of VAT on 14 separate occasions? Will he also take the opportunity to tell the House that he will honour the pledge made by the Prime Minister last March that there would be no further increase in VAT and no further expansion of the scope of...
Ms Estelle Morris: rose —
Ms Estelle Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will make a statement on the funding of the West Midlands ambulance service.
Ms Estelle Morris: Is the Minister aware that emergency calls to the West Midlands ambulance service increased by an unprecedented 8 per cent. last year, that 999 calls are being answered by the St. John ambulance service and that telephone callers are frequently put on hold? Given that crisis, how can the Minister justify the fact that some ambulance stations have to close down completely during some shifts...
Ms Estelle Morris: Before I turn to the substance of the Bill, I should like to deal with what the Secretary of State said earlier, when he made yet another of his repeated attacks on Birmingham's education system. He was not sufficiently well mannered on that occasion to let me, a Birmingham Member, answer him, so I shall take this opportunity to do so. [HON. MEMBERS: "He is not listening."] That is nothing...
Ms Estelle Morris: Does the hon. Gentleman accept that a school serves more than the children who attend it at any given time? It also serves children who will be pupils there in the years to come. Does he accept that the school serves the whole community? How can he justify a system which does not give a vote to most members of the community but only to parents who have children in the school at that...
Ms Estelle Morris: rose—
Ms Estelle Morris: Will the Secretary of State give way?
Ms Estelle Morris: Will the Secretary of State give way?
Ms Estelle Morris: On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Is it in order for the Secretary of State continually to refuse to accept a comment from an hon. Member who represents a Birmingham constituency when he continues to refer to the local education authority in Birmingham so disgracefully? He has talked this afternoon about democracy and openness. What sort of openness is it when he will not give way to...
Ms Estelle Morris: rose—[Interruption.]
Ms Estelle Morris: The Secretary of State made it clear in his White Paper that he wishes all schools to seek grant-maintained status. Will he explain to the House what evidence he had about the performance of grant-maintained schools before encouraging mass opt-outs? In particular, will he tell the House how many grant-maintained schools have been subject to a full inspection by and report from Her Majesty's...
Ms Estelle Morris: Will the Minister find time next week for at least a statement on the rights of parents of children with special needs to choose the school that their child attends? Will he include in his statement a response to the representations that I have made on behalf of my constituents, Mr. and Mrs. McNerlin, about their nine-year-old autistic son Daniel, who has not been to school for 16 months as a...
Ms Estelle Morris: Is the Minister aware that my constituency of Birmingham, Yardley recently suffered the highest increase in unemployment of any of the 12 Birmingham constituencies—a most unfortunate first for my constituency, which is not a region of traditionally high unemployment? Does she agree that that statistic shows the depth of the Tory recession and the extent of the Government's attack on...
Ms Estelle Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proposals he has to introduce selection by examination for secondary school entry.
