Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Annette Brooke and John Hayes

Monday 18th June 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hayes]

The further education sector has been given unprecedented support by this Government. When I think of the Opposition, I am reminded of Eliot’s words:

“Shape without form, shade without colour,

Paralysed force, gesture without motion.”

[Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

What advice would the Secretary of State give to parents of summer-born four-year-olds who, for very good reasons, wish to defer their child’s entry to school to next year, but feel coerced by the local authority to let them start this September?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Annette Brooke and John Hayes

Monday 16th January 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hayes]

The hon. Lady will know, because she is a diligent student of these matters, that this Government established a council specifically to look at the creative industries. I have met that council to discuss how we can work with it to improve links between the creative industries and schools and colleges. She will also know that we have allocated in my area specific funding with that council to develop new courses, new apprenticeships and new opportunities with creative industries.

[Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

2. What his policy is on the sale of school playing fields; and if he will make a statement.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Annette Brooke and John Hayes

Thursday 17th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hayes]

On the night of the “black and white” party, I was at my desk working, actually, and then I had a half of mild at a working men’s club.

The truth is that, in a very tough spending round, we guaranteed funding for young people, boosted funding for 16 to 18-year-olds and boosted funding for adult apprenticeships, and we are seeing real growth. The right hon. Gentleman is right: people over 24 will borrow to invest in their future, but my goodness, the repayments are income-contingent, there are no up-front payments and, as he knows, it is real value for money.

[Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

2. What recent progress he has made in establishing local enterprise partnerships.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Annette Brooke and John Hayes

Thursday 18th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (LD)]

T8. One in five lip-reading classes in England and Wales are threatened with closure next year. Will the Minister reclassify lip-reading as an essential skill rather than a leisure activity, making sure that the classes are accessible to the hearing-impaired and continue to protect their ability to communicate?

[Mr Hayes]

I entirely agree with the hon. Lady, who will know that I have been a champion of the disability lobby for many years, as the chairman of the all-party group on disability. I shall certainly look into this matter. She will know that we have protected adult and community learning in the Budget. Some £210 million has been protected because we know the difference it makes in changing lives and life chances.