Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Stephenson Excerpts

Monday 27th October 2014 Commons Chamber

[Nicky Morgan]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I am happy to add my support to the national engineers week next week. As I said at a recent event, I understand that we need 83,000 more engineers every year for the next 10 years, and they cannot all be men.

[Andrew Stephenson (Pendle) (Con)]

8. What steps her Department is taking to improve school buildings where most needed.

[Graham Evans (Weaver Vale) (Con)]

10. What steps her Department is taking to improve school buildings where most needed.

[The Minister for Schools (Mr David Laws)]

Investment in the school estate is one of the Government’s highest priorities. This Government will invest £5.6 billion on maintenance and improving the condition of school buildings between 2011 and 2015. In addition, the £2.4 billion priority school building programme is addressing 260 schools in the worst condition.

[Andrew Stephenson]

Parents in Pendle are delighted with three brand new primary school buildings that opened in September, but many more schools in Pendle are in need of improvement. Will my right hon. Friend the Minister and our Secretary of State be willing to visit Pendle to see the progress we have made, but also some of the challenges our schools still face?

[Mr Laws]

I am delighted to hear about the new school buildings opening in my hon. Friend’s constituency. The Secretary of State notes the kind invitation she has received and will try to find time to visit my hon. Friend’s constituency in the near future.