Topical Questions

Question

5,000 university jobs have been cut nationally, with the UCU projecting that another 10,000 will be cut by the end of this year. In Bradford alone, up to 300 further jobs are at risk and Bradford University’s nursery service faces closure. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to protect staff and students in places like Bradford given the growing crisis in higher education?

Question

Despite the Education Secretary’s best attempts to rewrite history, we Conservatives did not need a court to tell us that biological sex is real. We produced draft guidance for consultation over a year ago. Why has she not published it?

Question

Closing the attainment gap was the SNP Government’s defining mission, but the latest figures show it is widening. The latest statistics reveal 1,351 pupils are leaving Scottish schools without any qualifications at all. What steps will Labour take to address this issue?

Question

Last year, the Secretary of State said there can be no goal more important than extending opportunities for vulnerable children. Will she reverse her 40% cut to grants available through the adoption and special guardianship support fund?

Question

Young people are at the sharp end of the mental health crisis. Can the Minister update on progress made on providing specialist mental health support in schools, and address gaps in support for neurodivergent pupils highlighted in the trailblazer programme?

Question

The Secretary of State may be aware of the tragic death of Genevieve Meehan who died in a nursery in Cheadle. She was just nine months old. Despite claims that the nursery was safe, Gigi’s death was entirely preventable. Gigi’s parents, John and Katie, are now campaigning for changes in the law around nursery safety. Will the Secretary of State meet me, Gigi’s parents and the Lullaby Trust to talk through this campaign and commit to helping to ensure that this tragic story is never repeated?

Question

A number of families have contacted me to share their concerns about the impact of the delays to the adoption and special guardianship support fund and the cuts to the service. What consideration has the Department given to addressing their challenges, and what steps are being taken to ensure that adoptive families receive the timely support they so desperately need?

Question

The pay review bodies have recommended a 4% pay rise for school staff. Will the Department for Education pay 4%, and will that really be expected to come from existing school budgets?

Question

Sadly, after years of Tory Government, fewer younger people in Southampton Itchen are successfully engaged in employment, education or apprenticeships compared with the national average. What specific steps will the Secretary of State take to ensure that apprenticeship and university routes are equally valued and equally accessible to the young people in my constituency?

Question

T7. National per pupil funding criteria are a blunt instrument for fairly funding schools in rural areas like mine on the Isle of Wight, which is also separated from the UK mainland by sea. Will the Minister meet me and representatives from the Isle of Wight council to discuss how fairer funding for Isle of Wight primary schools can be provided so that no more of them close unnecessarily?

Question

This week, on a visit to a school in my constituency, I was told about a boy with SEND who has been temporarily excluded five times. He is extremely dysregulated and vulnerable and has been waiting for two years for specialist provision. The school has tried to get him to the top of the mental health list but has been told that it cannot. What should I say to his headteacher, who is at the end of her tether?

Question

Welsh universities, including Bangor University, face very real challenges as a direct result of policies introduced by the last UK Government. Will the Minister update us on conversations that her Department is having with the Welsh Government around higher education in Wales?

Question

What assurances can the Minister provide to concerned adoptive parents in my constituency who benefited from the match funding element of the adoption and special guardianship support fund, and whose funding could be cut from £10,000 to £3,000? Will she consider reintroducing this vital element of the ASGSF?

Question

This morning, I had the pleasure of visiting Milwards primary school, which is one of the many brilliant primary schools in my constituency. One of the main issues raised by primary schools is school readiness, which was hugely impacted by the closure of Sure Start. What are this Government doing to ensure that young people are ready for school and ready to learn?

Question

What steps will be taken to ensure that there are therapeutic and counselling opportunities in all primary schools across the United Kingdom to ensure the earliest of interventions for pupils who could struggle in their education?