Topical Questions

Question

The Secretary of State has suggested that it would be unforgiveable for teachers to go on strike. What is unforgiveable is that teachers' pay has fallen by a fifth in real terms in the past 12 years of Conservative rule. At the same time, they have been crushed under an unsustainable workload, hurting mental health and wellbeing. It is no wonder that seven in 10 have considered quitting in the past year. Will he commit to giving teachers the above-inflation pay increase they so richly deserve?

Question

The Minister will know that I have been hugely concerned about the state of special educational needs and disabilities services in Birmingham for quite some time, and the recent damning report only confirms the fears of parents whose children are on long waiting lists for education, health and care plans, and concerns about staff being told that they are too busy to respond to emails. Will the Minister assure me and parents and children back home in Birmingham that he will be doing everything possible to ensure that SEND services, which look after our most vulnerable children, are improved in Birmingham?

Question

Last week, the Secretary of State's flagship Schools Bill was left in tatters as he pulled 18 out of 69 clauses. Will he explain whether that was because he was bamboozled by his officials, he did not understand his own legislation, or he planned it all along? Or was it just the incompetence that we have all come to expect?

Question

Parents will know that the cost of care is skyrocketing, yet even the Children's Minister himself—the Under-Secretary of State for Education, the hon. Member for Colchester (Will Quince)—admitted that the changes the Government are considering are 'not going to significantly change costs'. Labour has already set out how its children's recovery plan would tackle this vital issue and provide immediate help to families now. What will it take for the Secretary of State to find some fresh ideas that actually address this growing crisis?

Question

Currently, 16 to 18-year-olds must legally continue education or training but are not entitled to transport. That penalises young folk living in rural areas such as Alston Moor, where the nearest college is 20 miles away and public transport is poor. I have started a petition calling for fair post-16 transport. Does the Minister agree with my petitioners that transport should not be a barrier to accessing education? Will the Government address the problem through legislation?

Question

The number of graduates owing more than £100,000 in student loans has gone up by more than 3,000% in a single year, with over 6,500 graduates now having six-figure balances. Next year, with inflation, things could be even worse. Will the Secretary of State detail what urgent action he is considering to tackle the huge levels of graduate debt?

Question

It is now over a decade since I worked with the new Conservative North Lincolnshire Council to introduce the Imagination Library free book gifting scheme for all under-fives. Now, with nine out of 10 local children signed up and nearly 1 million books delivered in that period, our year 1 phonics screening shows that children who receive the free books are doing better at school than their peers who do not. Will the Secretary of State, or any Minister, engage with my local council to look at the benefits of the scheme more widely?

Question

The brilliant Sale High School in my constituency is in desperate need of refurbishment. To that end, I have been working with local partners to put a deal on the table. With the help of the Minister in the other place, the deal went to the Department's playing field strategy committee in June. Will the Minister please apprise the House of the outcome?

Question

I hope my right hon. Friend will see this book I have here, “The Children's Inquiry” by Liz Cole and Molly Kingsley, about the damage to children during lockdown. The number of ghost children is still rising: it has risen by 100,000 to 1.7 million absent children. I know my right hon. Friend set up the Attendance Alliance Group, but the fact is that we need to get those children back to school, and the numbers are rising. What will he do to ensure those children get back to school in September?

Question

Many of my constituents who are in the UK legally and have lived in this country for many years are denied access to student finance because of unnecessary and unfair residency rules. Many applicants find it difficult to provide the evidence required, and Home Office delays mean that some people cannot even apply in the first place. Will the Minister please look into that issue and see whether any changes can be made that could help with student finance, particularly when it comes to eligibility rules?

Question

Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating the team at Penketh High School on its ever improving standards? Ofsted recently improved its rating of the school, there was the sports gold award last week, and year 9 student Leon Stretton has signed for Warrington Wolves—a huge success in the town. However, the school's problem is the poor state of its estate. Will my right hon. Friend look carefully at its recent application to improve the standard of the SEND building?

Question

Our further education colleges in Newham give real opportunity to children from the second poorest part of the country, but now our colleges face increasing national insurance contributions and skyrocketing utility bills. What is more, pay increases may be essential for the recruitment and retention of school staff. What are the Government doing to engage properly with the Association of Colleges to keep these engines of social mobility and growth going?

Question

Does my right hon. Friend agree that improving the quality and depth of technical qualifications is vital to our levelling-up agenda and also to helping everyone improve social mobility?

Question

I am sure that I am not alone in hearing worrying reports of faith-based bullying and sexual harassment in schools. If this week has taught us anything, it is that we need to lead by example. Will the Secretary of State tell us when the Department for Education's own bullying and harassment policies were last reviewed and updated?

Question

Do the Government share my concern at the injection of vast quantities of communist cash from countries such as China and Vietnam into our universities—Oxbridge colleges in particular? Will they set up a taskforce to examine the problem and make recommendations?

Question

The hon. Lady noted her concern about teacher pay and the negative impact on teachers' morale and recruitment. She referenced the National Education Union's findings that teacher pay has fallen by a fifth since 2010, while salaries are at their lowest in more than 40 years compared with average earnings across the economy. Despite this, teachers look set to receive a 3% rise—a real-terms pay cut. The hon. Lady asked how the Secretary of State can justify not giving teachers a proper pay rise.

Question

The hon. Member mentioned that he heard great ideas from headteachers and governors regarding the proposed parents' pledge, which outlines not only what parents can expect from teachers but also what teachers can expect from parents. He asked whether this idea could help improve teacher performance by clearly defining mutual responsibilities.

Question

The hon. Member noted that cross-party calls for extending the free school meal eligibility criteria have been ignored by the government. She referenced a total of 800,000 children in poverty who are being denied free school meals owing to restrictive eligibility criteria set by the Government. The hon. Member asked why the Government refuses to extend these benefits to all families on universal credit.

Question

With the school holidays approaching, the hon. Member asked whether helping parents with the cost of childcare is a key priority for his Department. He also inquired about the impact of paying up to 85% of the cost of childcare for those on universal credit compared to the previous 70% regime.

Question

The hon. Member noted that despite frequent ministerial reminders about claiming childcare tax breaks, the Government spent only £150,000 on advertising them last year while saving the Treasury £3 billion. She asked what additional funding has been secured for a wider campaign to advertise child tax credit spending.

Question

The hon. Member reported that at the YMCA Young Carers Festival, it was learned there is a lack of central government guidance for schools on providing support for young carers. He mentioned how attendance policies can negatively affect their education and mental health. The hon. Member asked what steps will be taken to bring central guidance to schools.

Question

The hon. Member visited Hartford Manor Primary School and observed that many schools are suffering due to escalating energy costs. He asked what immediate actions will be taken by the Minister and Department to address this urgent issue for schools across the country.