Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Walney Excerpts

Monday 11th September 2017 Commons Chamber

[Joseph Johnson]

I certainly welcome that initiative by University College, Oxford, and I am pleased to say that it is not just that disadvantaged students are accessing higher education in general; they are 53% more likely now to be going to our super-selective institutions than in 2009-10, which is an extraordinary turnaround.

[John Woodcock (Barrow and Furness) (Lab/Co-op)]

Disadvantaged children cannot get to university if they do not get the grades in the first place, so will the Minister ask the schools Minister to meet us in the Furness area who are looking at a major new initiative to get the private-sector local employees involved in closing the generations-long gap in GCSE numeracy and literacy attainment?

[The Minister for School Standards (Nick Gibb)]

indicated assent.