Awarding of Qualifications: Role of Ministers

Debate between Brendan Clarke-Smith and Baroness Winterton of Doncaster

Wednesday 9th September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Suzanne Webb]

There has been a lot of strong and emotive language used in this Chamber. My hon. Friend is absolutely correct that swift action was taken by this Government to deal with this perceived crisis: this “chaotic, terminal shambles”. Does he agree that education is so important that it should not be politicised?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Rosie Winterton)]

Order. The hon. Lady has had two interventions and she is not even down to speak, so that means that somebody who is down to speak will now not be able to speak. That is the reality.

[Brendan Clarke-Smith]

I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention.

Getting back on track is the No. 1 thing, but, as I said, education is controlled by different parties across the UK. The main point, though, is that this has been an incredibly difficult process for everybody and that we must make the right decision by the students, as I think that everybody in this House would want to do. So today let us concentrate on that and on the next step, not on political point-scoring.