Debate on the Address Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Debate on the Address

Alex Chalk Excerpts
Monday 14th October 2019

(5 years, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
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May I respectfully suggest to the right hon. Gentleman that that might be a good reason—if it were true, which it is not—for his party to support a deal. I must say that I find it most peculiar that the leader of the Liberal Democrats has been off to see Mr Barnier in Brussels to beg him not to give this country a deal. That is a really quite extraordinary state of affairs. We believe in boosting the productivity of every part of this country—

Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
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Including, particularly, Cheltenham.

Alex Chalk Portrait Alex Chalk
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Schools in Cheltenham, and teachers in particular, are doing a fantastic job of driving up standards while coping with a dramatic increase in demand for special educational needs provision. Does the Prime Minister agree that this Queen’s Speech meets that demand with huge additional investment to allow schools to ensure that their pupils go as far as their talents will take them?

Boris Johnson Portrait The Prime Minister
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My hon. Friend is entirely right. That is why there is a massive increase not just in primary school funding, not just in secondary school funding, but in SEND funding across the country, giving local people the power to set up special educational needs schools where they desire. We will fund them, and we will support them.