Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Monday 16 June 2025 · 12 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 9 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Harpreet Uppal (Huddersfield) (Lab) raised concerns about reduced funding for work experience opportunities for young people aged 16 to 19 in STEM and arts fields.
  • Laura Trott (Sevenoaks) (Con) inquired whether the Education Secretary acknowledges that primary school teachers are indeed teachers.
  • Gurinder Singh Josan (Smethwick) (Lab) noted that plans to make children in households receiving universal credit eligible for free school meals will help reduce pupil absence.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Harpreet Uppal Lab Huddersfield
Education Employment
Context

Young people from the West Yorkshire Youth Collective reported a reduction in funding for work experience opportunities, particularly in STEM and arts fields.

Question

I recently met young people from the West Yorkshire Youth Collective. They told me that funding for work experience opportunities for those aged between 16 and 19 has reduced in recent years, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the arts. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to ensure that young people, particularly those from low-income backgrounds, can access the opportunities they need to succeed?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson)

My hon. Friend is right to highlight this important area. As she will know, our manifesto committed us to expanding work experience and careers guidance so that we can support young people into fulfilling jobs, create opportunities and drive growth. Our wider skills reform will also create 120,000 training opportunities over the course of this Parliament. If my hon. Friend would like to share more details of the discussion she mentions, I would look carefully at them.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary of State referenced manifesto commitments but did not provide specific steps or funding details for work experience opportunities.

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Q2 Laura Trott Con Sevenoaks
Education
Context

The question pertains to the recognition and inclusion of primary school teachers in the Secretary of State's manifesto pledge for teacher recruitment.

Question

My question is very simple: does the Education Secretary believe that primary school teachers are indeed teachers?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson)

I join the right hon. Lady in paying tribute to her teacher who joins us today. We all know that a brilliant teacher and the contribution that they make can always stay with us. I am slightly perplexed by the right hon. Lady’s question. She is obviously right, but after 14 years of Tory failure many of our teachers are sadly having to pick up the pieces of wider societal challenges—whether that is too many families being in temporary accommodation or the growing number of children in poverty. We are determined as a Government to turn that around.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary of State confirmed primary school teachers' status but did not address their exclusion from recruitment targets directly.

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Q3 Ian Sollom Lib Dem St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire
Education
Context

The Chair of the previous review into post-18 education funding, Philip Augar, stated that a handful of universities are receiving secret bailouts.

Question

Philip Augar, the chair of the previous review into post-18 education funding, stated recently in the Financial Times that ‘a handful’ of universities are receiving ‘secret bailouts’. Will the Secretary of State confirm what emergency financial support the Government have already provided to struggling institutions and commit to informing Parliament of any future emergency financial support for individual institutions?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson)

It was this Labour Government’s priority to ensure that our world-leading universities were put on a much more sustainable footing. That is why we took the difficult but necessary decision to increase student fees, and it is why we are reforming the Office for Students to have a much sharper focus on financial regulation and sustainability. We, together with the Office for Students, continue to keep under review any institutions that may face difficulty, but the hon. Member will appreciate that these sensitive issues are best dealt with properly and seriously through the Office for Students.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Secretary of State did not confirm specific emergency financial support details or commit to informing Parliament about future support.

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Q4 Gurinder Singh Josan Lab Smethwick
Education Benefits & Welfare
Context

The MP noted that plans to make all children in households receiving universal credit eligible for free school meals will build on the Government’s efforts to tackle pupil absence. He mentioned statistics showing 140,000 fewer persistently absent children and 3 million extra days in school this academic year.

Question

Does the Minister agree that plans to make all children in households receiving universal credit eligible for free school meals will build on the Government’s brilliant work to tackle pupil absence? The incredible numbers I have heard mentioned about this academic year are 140,000 fewer children persistently absent and 3 million extra days in school.

Answer from Stephen Morgan

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. Providing over half a million children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with a free, nutritious lunch every school day will lead to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes, including on attendance, meaning that children can get the best possible education and a chance to succeed in life.

Answered
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Q5 Lee Barron Lab Corby and East Northamptonshire
Children & Families
Context

The MP set up the Corby and east Northants Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) roundtable to seek solutions to fix the broken system. One outcome was the need to improve SEND provision in mainstream schools.

Question

I set up the Corby and east Northants SEND roundtable to help seek solutions to fix the broken system. One of the outcomes of the discussions was the need to improve SEND provision in our mainstream schools. What is the Minister doing to engage with teachers to make schools more inclusive and maximise the potential of every child?

Answer from Catherine McKinnell

We are investing significantly to make mainstream schools more inclusive for SEND students. By strengthening our evidence of effective inclusive practice, we are equipping teachers with proven tools and strategies to deliver excellent inclusive education supported by expert teaching and a world-class curriculum. We will set out more details in our White Paper in the autumn.

Answered
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Q6 Peter Swallow Lab Bracknell
Children & Families
Context

The MP opened the Launch Pad at Sandhurst school, a new SEND provision that has helped students like Ben to access education.

Question

Earlier this month, I opened the Launch Pad, a new SEND provision at Sandhurst school, and I was shown around by Ben, who told me how the Launch Pad had helped him to access education. As the Government work at pace to fix the broken SEND system, what is the Minister’s message for young people like Ben?

Answer from Catherine McKinnell

We know that there are lots of great examples of mainstream schools delivering specialist provision, such as the one my hon. Friend recently opened, enabling children to achieve and thrive in mainstream school and providing excellent support to children with speech and language needs. We have allocated £740 million to support mainstream schools to increase their SEND provision, and we want to reassure his constituent that we will continue to prioritise that in our work.

Answered
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Q7 Sarah Bool Con South Northamptonshire
Education Taxation
Context

Another private school in York has announced its closure, following the closure of Carrdus school. Over 11,000 children have left the private sector this year, more than three times what was expected.

Question

Another private school, Queen Margaret’s school for girls in York, has announced its closure, months after the Carrdus school in my constituency announced its closure. Over 11,000 children have left the private sector in this first year, which is more than three times what the Government expected. Does the Minister believe that the impact assessment of the introduction of VAT on private schools is correct? Will she look again at the flawed case for it?

Answer from Stephen Morgan

Around 50 mainstream private schools close each year. The level of fees charged by private schools is not a matter for the Department; it is a contractual matter between private schools and parents.

Answered
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Q8 John Lamont Con Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
Education Scotland
Context

The MP discusses Scottish education's decline under the SNP, citing data showing that a quarter of 11-year-olds in Scotland are not achieving expected literacy levels.

Question

Scottish education was once the envy of the world, but under the SNP it is being destroyed. Data shows that a quarter of 11-year-olds in Scotland are not achieving expected literacy levels. Does the Minister agree that the SNP needs to drop its weird obsessions and get back to the basics of sorting out Scotland’s education?

Answer from Bridget Phillipson

It is only through delivering a Labour Government in Scotland next year that we will get the change that the hon. Gentleman is seeking. I agree that Scottish education used to be the envy of the world—I spent many a long day speaking to my grandfather about his experience of the Scottish system—but it is only with a Labour Government in Scotland that we will once again see the focus on standards that our disadvantaged young people badly need.

Answered
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Q9 Callum Anderson Lab Buckingham and Bletchley
Education
Context

The MP notes that only two out of five young people recall receiving financial education at school, often less than an hour per month.

Question

Just two in five young people recall receiving any financial education at school, and those who did so often received less than an hour per month. While I welcome the Government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which will require all schools to teach financial literacy, does the Minister agree that the curriculum and assessment review gives us an opportunity to go even further? Will she meet me to discuss how Government, industry and civil society can ensure that children in my constituency get this vital life skill?

Answer from Catherine McKinnell

I absolutely agree with the importance of financial education. We are looking at the curriculum and assessment system and making sure that we take the advice of the independent review on these matters. I would be more than happy, given my hon. Friend’s enthusiasm—and parents’ enthusiasm—for this subject, to discuss it further with him.

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Q10 Charlie Dewhirst Con Bridlington and The Wolds
Education
Context

The Chancellor committed £9.6 billion over the next four years to the school rebuilding programme, with Hornsea school in dire need of a full rebuild.

Question

Last week the Chancellor committed £9.6 billion over the next four years to the school rebuilding programme. Hornsea school and language college in my constituency is in dire need of a full rebuild, so can the Secretary of State commit today to including it in the next tranche of rebuilds? If she needs any persuading, I would be delighted to invite her to make a short detour on her way back to Sunderland and to come and have a look for herself.

Answer from Stephen Morgan

We have significantly increased investment to improve the condition of schools or rebuild them; ensuring that schools have the resources and buildings that they need is key to our plan for change. If the hon. Member would like to write to me about that school, I would be happy to update him on this matter.

Answered
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Q11 Jen Craft Lab Thurrock
Education Culture, Media & Sport
Context

The MP chairs the all-party parliamentary group on British Sign Language and notes that progress on introducing a new BSL GCSE has stalled.

Question

As chair of the all-party parliamentary group on British Sign Language, I know that the thousands of BSL first-language speakers in this country are very supportive of the introduction of a new BSL GCSE. However, I understand that progress on that has slightly stalled, so I would be grateful if the Minister could provide an update on the roll-out.

Answer from Catherine McKinnell

The British Sign Language GCSE is a key feature of our commitment to enhancing the status of British Sign Language, both in education and in society. Ofqual is currently running a public consultation on its proposed assessment arrangements and expects to confirm its decision on the qualification rules in autumn 2025.

Answered
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Q12 Luke Taylor Lib Dem Sutton and Cheam
Education Children & Families
Context

The MP wrote to the Minister for School Standards about the Angel Hill free school, which will provide desperately needed places for children with SEND.

Question

In April, I wrote to the Minister for School Standards about the Angel Hill free school, which will provide desperately needed places for children with SEND. Can she give an update on when construction is expected to begin?

Answer from Catherine McKinnell

As the Minister of State, Department for Education, I am not in a position to provide detailed updates on specific projects. However, we are committed to supporting schools that cater to children with special educational needs and disabilities. If you could send me an update through my team, I will ensure it is passed along to the relevant department.

Answered
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