Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Free Schools: Application Decisions

Monday 20 October 2025 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Mr Jonathan Brash questioned the Minister about delays in approving St Joseph's Catholic primary school in Hartlepool.
  • Jim Shannon thanked the Minister and expressed interest in learning from the English education system for Northern Ireland.
  • Nick Timothy inquired about the prolonged indecision regarding the approval of 44 free schools paused by the Education Secretary a year ago.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Jonathan Brash Lab Hartlepool
Education
Context

Residents in Wynyard, Hartlepool constituency, have been waiting for the new primary school, St Joseph’s Catholic primary school, due to delays caused by the Conservative party's free schools programme.

Question

Residents in Wynyard, in my Hartlepool constituency, have waited for far too long, thanks primarily to the mess left by the Conservative party, for their new primary school, St Joseph’s, which has been caught up in this review. Understandably, parents are frustrated by the continued delays, so will the Minister commit to using every possible lever at his disposal to expedite the decision, so that Wynyard families can finally have access to the high-quality school provision that they have been promised for so long?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Josh MacAlister)

My hon. Friend has been a vocal champion for St Joseph’s Catholic primary school since he entered this place last year. I want every child in the country to go to school in an appropriate building. His community wants certainty, and that is what we want too. An update will be provided later this year, and I would be happy to speak to him before that time.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to using every possible lever at his disposal to expedite the decision.

How: An Update Will Be Provided Later This Year

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Q2 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Education Northern Ireland
Context

The DUP Member from Strangford is keen to learn about the education system in England and share ideas for school rebuilding programmes.

Question

I thank the Minister very much for his answers, and I thank the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr Brash) for setting the scene so very well. We in Northern Ireland are very keen to learn from the education system here. I believe that the Education Minister from the Northern Ireland Assembly—he is a colleague in my party, by the way, so I understand his interests in these matters—will be keen to listen to and hear the suggestion put forward by the Minister. Will the Minister share his ideas for Hartlepool with us in Northern Ireland to ensure that we can all benefit in this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Josh MacAlister)

In another part of my brief, I am already in touch with Ministers in devolved nations regarding children’s social care, and I would be very happy also to share wider learning from the school rebuilding programme.

Answered
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Q3 Nick Timothy Con West Suffolk
Education
Context

The Education Secretary paused plans to open 44 approved free schools, and nine months later there is still no decision made on these plans.

Question

One year ago, the Education Secretary paused plans to open 44 approved free schools. In January, she said that she was “working rapidly” to make a decision. That was nine months ago—enough time to make a baby, but not enough time for her to make up her mind. When will our Ministers tell those free school founders—among whom are some of the best education leaders in the country—if they can open great new schools?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Josh MacAlister)

There is a choice here. We are debating how the Government, within only a few months of being elected, are making big progress across the education system. That includes big decisions made at fiscal events to invest capital into programmes such as this one, which at every opportunity the Conservatives have failed to support. We are able to make these decisions to improve our school estate only because of the decisions made at fiscal events.

Not addressed: The Minister did not address when the decision would be made for free schools.

How: We Are Making Big Progress Across The Education System

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