Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to improve defence procurement.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The procurement system we inherited was broken. Defence procurement was slow, expensive and not fit for a period of war fighting readiness.
Through our Procurement Segmentation and new Commercial Pathways, we are making procurement more agile, opening up opportunities for SMEs and innovators, and ensuring every pound of defence spending delivers stronger military capability and better value for the taxpayer.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what flexibility is available to maintained and church schools in West Dorset to develop alternative educational models that meet local needs while remaining financially sustainable.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government wants all schools to benefit from strong and effective partnerships, enabling them to collaborate with other schools and local partners to improve outcomes for children and young people.
Schools have a range of opportunities to work with other schools and organisations in ways that reflect circumstances and community needs. The department is supporting local authorities, dioceses and trusts through area planning to develop sustainable and geographically-coherent arrangements that reflect local circumstances.
This approach helps schools access shared expertise, leadership and support, while continuing to serve their local communities. High-quality partnerships can also help schools build capacity, improve financial resilience and respond effectively to local challenges.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what flexibility is available to maintained and church schools to develop alternative educational models that meet local needs while remaining financially sustainable.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government wants all schools to benefit from strong and effective partnerships, enabling them to collaborate with other schools and local partners to improve outcomes for children and young people.
Schools have a range of opportunities to work with other schools and organisations in ways that reflect circumstances and community needs. The department is supporting local authorities, dioceses and trusts through area planning to develop sustainable and geographically-coherent arrangements that reflect local circumstances.
This approach helps schools access shared expertise, leadership and support, while continuing to serve their local communities. High-quality partnerships can also help schools build capacity, improve financial resilience and respond effectively to local challenges.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review whether current school funding arrangements adequately recognise the strategic importance of small rural schools in West Dorset where pupil numbers are low.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises the pressures caused by demographic changes in some areas. We have allocated £155 million in Growth and Falling Rolls funding to local authorities in the 2026/27 financial year through the Dedicated Schools Grant.
Furthermore, the lagged funding system, where schools are funded on the basis of their pupil numbers in the previous October census, helps to give schools more certainty over funding levels to aid their planning. Additionally, we are working with the sector to develop a decision-making framework to support local areas to plan school places strategically through demographic change.
The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula accounts for the challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. In Dorset, 34.5% of schools attract sparsity funding, reflecting the significant number of schools serving rural communities.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review whether current school funding arrangements adequately recognise the strategic importance of small rural schools where pupil numbers are low.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises the pressures caused by demographic changes in some areas. We have allocated £155 million in Growth and Falling Rolls funding to local authorities in the 2026/27 financial year through the Dedicated Schools Grant.
Furthermore, the lagged funding system, where schools are funded on the basis of their pupil numbers in the previous October census, helps to give schools more certainty over funding levels to aid their planning. Additionally, we are working with the sector to develop a decision-making framework to support local areas to plan school places strategically through demographic change.
The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula accounts for the challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. In Dorset, 34.5% of schools attract sparsity funding, reflecting the significant number of schools serving rural communities.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made in developing a national strategy for funding schools affected by falling pupil numbers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recognises the pressures caused by demographic changes in some areas. We have allocated £155 million in Growth and Falling Rolls funding to local authorities in the 2026/27 financial year through the Dedicated Schools Grant.
Furthermore, the lagged funding system, where schools are funded on the basis of their pupil numbers in the previous October census, helps to give schools more certainty over funding levels to aid their planning. Additionally, we are working with the sector to develop a decision-making framework to support local areas to plan school places strategically through demographic change.
The government recognises the essential role that small schools play in their communities, many of which are in rural areas. The schools national funding formula accounts for the challenges faced by small schools in rural areas through the lump sum and sparsity factor. In Dorset, 34.5% of schools attract sparsity funding, reflecting the significant number of schools serving rural communities.