Midland Main Line Electrification

Debate between Baroness Morgan of Cotes and Paul Blomfield

Monday 7th November 2016 Commons Chamber

[Nicky Morgan]

I am very popular. I give way to the hon. Member for Sheffield Central (Paul Blomfield) first.

[Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)]

I thank the right hon. Lady for giving way to a voice from as far north as Sheffield. She makes a powerful case about the midlands economy, but does she recognise the importance of the electrification of the midland main line to the northern economy? Does she also recognise that, should there be a further delay in that investment, it will be taken as a very bad signal of the Government’s commitment to investment in northern infrastructure and to regenerating the northern economy?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness Morgan of Cotes and Paul Blomfield

Monday 7th March 2016 Commons Chamber

[Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)]

T5. This morning I spoke to the headteacher of one of Sheffield’s best-performing secondary schools, which is in my constituency. The Secretary of State talks about the need for certainty in the funding formula, but that headteacher is deeply concerned by the uncertainty created by the lack of detail in this morning’s statement. Like all good heads, he plans in advance, and he is now recruiting for 2017, but he is unsure what his funding will be in that year. When can I tell him that he will know whether he is a winner or a loser as a result of the consultation?

[Nicky Morgan]

It is important that we understand the basic principles behind why we are having a consultation on the funding formula—that the same pupils, with the same characteristics, across the country need to attract the same amounts of money. There will obviously be another consultation on the details, but it is important that we know about the weightings behind the factors and that there is certainty and transparency for all schools going forward. We have said there will be a phased transition, and that we will be very mindful of those schools where there is potential for there to be less funding, to make sure they are not destabilised. However, it is absolutely right that it is this Government who have grasped this nettle after many years of previous Governments absolutely flunking that test.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness Morgan of Cotes and Paul Blomfield

Thursday 26th November 2015 Commons Chamber

[Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)]

7. What steps she is taking to reduce gender economic inequality.

[The Minister for Women and Equalities (Nicky Morgan)]

As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said at our party conference last month, we cannot have true opportunity without real equality. I am very proud that we now have more women in work, more women on boards and the lowest pay gap on record across the UK, but we must continue to make progress. Women will be the main beneficiaries of the new national living wage and the rise in the personal allowance.

[Paul Blomfield]

I thank the Minister for that response, but as she acknowledged in response to an earlier question, the overwhelming majority of care workers are women, and they face low pay, zero-hours contracts and non-payment of travel time as a consequence of financial pressures on the sector. Professor Martin Green, the chief executive of Care England, among others, is clear that yesterday’s announcement by the Chancellor will not plug the funding gap in the care sector. What will the Minister do to secure a fair deal for care workers?

[Nicky Morgan]

One of the greatest things we can do is introduce the national living wage, which will proportionately benefit more women than men, and employers in the care sector and other employers will have to pay it.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness Morgan of Cotes and Paul Blomfield

Thursday 15th October 2015 Commons Chamber

[Nicky Morgan]

I am open to working with all organisations in order to stamp out this hate crime. I am lucky enough to hold two Government jobs and am able to bring them together on this particular issue and provide £2 million of funding to pilot projects across the country to work with schools in order to stamp out unacceptable homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying. The secret seems to be to take a whole-school approach, with everybody from the head to the teachers and pupils knowing exactly that that sort of behaviour is unacceptable.

[Paul Blomfield (Sheffield Central) (Lab)]

18. What steps she is taking to increase the number and accessibility of women’s refuges.