Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on increasing children's access to (a) music, (b) drama, (c) dance and (d) other arts and cultural activities out of school.
Julia Lopez: DCMS sponsored museums are already free to enter for people of any age. HM Government also operates a VAT refund scheme (known as section 33a), for other museums offering free entry across the UK, with 159 museums currently benefiting from it. Many museums, galleries and heritage sites also offer free or discounted entry to young people specifically, both through general admission or...
Fulton MacGregor: The Scottish Government has made it clear that the climate emergency is one of the most important issues that we will ever face and that a multidisciplinary approach is required to tackle it. Transforming our economy into a more circular one is a key area in which we can invest in order to respond to the crisis. I am not a member of the committee that has been looking at the bill, but it is a...
Baroness Merron: ...problematic 27% cuts to the public health grant. However, the situation gets even worse as the reductions in the public health grant tend to be largest in the more deprived areas. In Blackpool, for example, ranked as the most deprived upper-tier local authority in England, the per-person cut to the grant has been one of the largest. Perhaps the Minister could address how this disparity in...
Damian Hinds: I congratulate my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Northampton North (Sir Michael Ellis) on securing a debate on this important subject, and on what is an unusually well-attended Adjournment debate. I thank all his colleagues—all our colleagues—from Northamptonshire for being here. My right hon. and learned Friend is a former arts Minister, and I commend him on the great...
...people and driving greater polarisation within and between communities to further their own ends. In order to protect our democratic values and enhance social cohesion, it is important both to reinforce what we all have in common and to be clear and precise in identifying the dangers posed by extremism. As our new definition makes clear, extremism can lead to the radicalisation of...
Conor Murphy: I thank the Members for the debate. It was very informative, and a lot of very good points were made. I apologise that I missed the debate last week, when I was away on travels, but the nature of the debates, particularly on the economy, has been very constructive. I hope that we continue in that vein and collectively realise that, if we pull together, we can make a distinct improvement on...
Julie James: ...trying to require applicants to set out what they tend to do, and who they will engage with, as part of their pre-application consultation. However, it raises serious concerns that the easiest way for applicants to do that is to simply state they intend to undertake the statutory minimum requirements and offer nothing further. This completely defeats the purpose of the proposed amendment...
Pat Sheehan: The motion is about giving children and young people the best start in life. Approximately 100,000 children and young people in the North are entitled to free school meals. The free school meal programme is designed to support families on the lowest incomes. It takes away a significant expense for parents whilst ensuring that children get a nutritious meal. Sinn Féin has been trying to make...
Mark Isherwood: ...have delivered law-making powers, tax-raising powers and a reserved powers model, turning this place into a fully-fledged Parliament, we recognise that further devolution of powers, now or in the foreseeable future, is both unnecessary and unsafe. Whilst the evolving constitutional settlement within our UK should not be determined by the transient policies and personalities of different...
Damien Egan: ...in a maiden speech, I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor, Chris Skidmore. I learnt during the campaign that there was a reason why Chris’s votes would go up every time he stood for election. Throughout the by-election campaign, people talked very warmly about Chris; he was described as being “a good man” and someone driven by values—a double-edged sword, some might...
Lord Touhig: That is most helpful indeed; I am grateful. The Children and Families Act defines a child as having special educational needs if he or she has a “learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made”. Some 69% of teachers surveyed by the Pearson school report said that our education system is ineffective in supporting these special needs pupils. They...
Sinéad McLaughlin: T1. Ms McLaughlin asked the Minister for the Economy whether he agrees with the principle of pay parity between further education lecturers and school teaching staff, given that he will be keenly aware of the challenges facing further education lecturers and their ask for that pay parity. (AQT 121/22-27)
Conor Murphy: The cost-of-living crisis continues to have a significant impact on many sections of our society, including students at further education colleges. Student support officers based in every college help students to access further education grants, and the hardship fund, the Care to Learn scheme, childcare, the education maintenance allowance, home-to-college transport and free school meals are...
Sarah Dyke: ...to help with the services that small producers require. I will cover that in a minute, but I would like to make some progress. I want to see changes in the public procurement system that provides schools, such as King Arthur’s School in Wincanton or Ansford Academy in Castle Cary, Frome College or Huish Episcopi Academy with the flexibility to source local produce, whether that be food...
Damian Hinds: It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Mrs Cummins. I thank the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson) for securing this important debate today. I also thank everybody who has taken part: the hon. Member herself, my hon. Friend the Member for Sedgefield (Paul Howell), the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), who brought the Northern Ireland perspective, my hon. Friend the...
Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will list the free schools that have opened since 2011 by (a) type of school, (b) opening date and (c) closing date.
Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of dysregulated parents or guardians on children's regulation at school.
Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason her Department has included Russell Group progression as a measure in school performance data and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of this inclusion on (a) schools and (b) non-Russell Group universities.
Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many contracts have been awarded via the school rebuilding programme; and if she will make a comparative estimate of this figure with her Department's planned projections.