Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Damian Hinds and Eddie Hughes

Monday 24th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[Eddie Hughes (Walsall North) (Con)]

I hope the Minister will agree that Catholic education providers make a great contribution to education in this country. With that in mind will the Minister provide an update on the uptake of the voluntary-aided capital scheme?

[Damian Hinds]

My hon. Friend is entirely correct: the Catholic Education Service is a very important provider of education in our country, alongside the Church of England and other denominational groups. I am pleased to be able to confirm that we have approved in principle a new voluntary-aided school in the last couple of weeks; it is the first for some time.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Damian Hinds and Eddie Hughes

Monday 29th April 2019 Commons Chamber

[Eddie Hughes (Walsall North) (Con)]

Will the Secretary of State join me in congratulating Jenn Willmitt and her team at Willenhall E-Act Academy, which has been moved out of special measures following a recent Ofsted inspection?

[Damian Hinds]

I absolutely join my hon. Friend in congratulating Mrs Willmitt on that achievement.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Damian Hinds and Eddie Hughes

Monday 17th December 2018 Commons Chamber

[Eddie Hughes (Walsall North) (Con)]

Two grammar schools in Walsall have benefited from the selective schools expansion fund, but does the Minister endorse the work that they are doing to improve access for disadvantaged children?

[Damian Hinds]

Yes. The selective schools expansion fund was targeted precisely at ensuring that grammar schools that do not yet admit enough pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and on free schools meals are encouraged to admit such pupils. I have been very encouraged by the applications that we have seen from the 16 successful schools, and I look forward to seeing accessibility increase.

Post-18 Education

Debate between Damian Hinds and Eddie Hughes

Tuesday 20th February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Damian Hinds]

As the hon. Gentleman will know, there has been some great progress in widening access in terms of social class and, for example, in terms of people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds going on to university. The access programmes that universities run are part of the reason for that. The director of fair access enables us to strengthen that further, learn from what works best and ensure that we spread best practice.

[Eddie Hughes (Walsall North) (Con)]

We need to build 300,000 houses a year in this country. Does my right hon. Friend therefore agree that a high-quality apprenticeship in construction is an excellent alternative to incurring any debt through a university course?