Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent and Damian Hinds

Monday 11th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Damian Hinds]

I commend my right hon. Friend for his ongoing work with the Cobham Free School and the upcoming project at Heathside Walton-on-Thames. He has met my noble friend Lord Agnew to discuss vacant possession and, as he knows, there have been delays in trying to get it, but I would be happy to meet him to discuss the matter further.

[Ruth Smeeth (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)]

Whether free schools or not—a policy I disagree with—Stoke-on-Trent now has a huge gap in the number of places available at secondary schools to the point where 11 of my 14 secondary schools are oversubscribed, with some constituents having to get three buses to get to their allocated school in September. What is the Secretary of State planning to do about that?

[Damian Hinds]

This decade we are on course to create 1 million new places in schools across the country. It will be the largest expansion in school capacity in at least two generations, following the net loss of 100,000 places during the last six years of the Labour Government. Although there will always be individual situations that we need to address—we have a capital programme to do that, and I will be happy to meet the hon. Lady to discuss it—there are now tens of thousands fewer pupils in schools that are over capacity.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent and Damian Hinds

Monday 14th May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Ruth Smeeth (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)]

On Friday, the University of Chester Academies Trust wrote to its staff at two schools in my constituency, University Academy Kidsgrove and University Primary Academy, to announce savage cuts. Will the Minister meet me and other colleagues with UCAT schools in their constituencies immediately to talk about an urgent solution?

[Damian Hinds]

The schools Minister and I will be delighted to meet the hon. Lady.