Oral Answers to Questions

Imran Ahmad Khan Excerpts

Monday 1st March 2021 Commons Chamber

[Nick Gibb]

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has now confirmed that an age-based approach remains the most effective way of reducing death and hospitalisation from covid-19. More than 20 million vaccines have already been given—I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman did not congratulate the Government on that magnificent achievement—but modelling confirms that the speed of vaccine deployment is the most effective and important factor. The JCVI’s view is that targeting occupational groups will be more complex to deliver, and may slow down the vaccine programme. Keeping the operation simple and easy to deliver is key to the rapid deployment of the vaccine.

[Imran Ahmad Khan (Wakefield) (Con) [V]]

I was interested to read the recent report entitled “Back to School—and After” by the Institute of Economic Affairs, which outlines a number of policies that would help to resolve critical issues facing our schools. Summer holidays are a key area, and it appears that they prove counterproductive for pupils, leading to a reduction in learning. I wonder whether the Minister would kindly look at the proposal to restructure the school year to reduce the length of summer holidays—a policy that will greatly benefit pupils and parents.

[Gavin Williamson]

My hon. Friend raises an important matter. We have asked Sir Kevan Collins to look across a full and broad range of ways of giving children a boost, not just to catch up on any learning that they have lost but more fundamentally, to make major changes to how we drive educational attainment over a generation and more. All of this is something that Sir Kevan will look at.

Educational Settings: Reopening

Imran Ahmad Khan Excerpts

Tuesday 26th January 2021 Commons Chamber

[Nick Gibb]

The hon. Lady is absolutely right, and we are considering this issue the whole time. The £1 billion catch-up fund is important, as is the national tutoring programme, but of course we also have to take into account what we are going to do when children are back for the longer term to make sure that we help these young people to catch up. The older they are, the less time they have left in school before they leave. So we are giving this issue a great deal of thought as we plan further announcements in the near future.

[Imran Ahmad Khan (Wakefield) (Con) [V]]

Does my right hon. Friend agree that Scotland would be better served if the SNP bothered to care about more than its fixation on yet another independence referendum and, rather than callously exploiting the crisis, began prioritising the education of Scotland’s children? The SNP shamefully continues to let them down through years of failing education policy due to the SNP’s poverty of positive ideas and responsible leadership.

[Nick Gibb]

My hon. Friend is preaching to the choir when it comes to advocating prioritising education policy about all other policies in government—as a Schools Minister, I would say little else.

Oral Answers to Questions

Imran Ahmad Khan Excerpts

Monday 23rd November 2020 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for School Standards (Nick Gibb)]

The hon. Gentleman will know that everything we have been doing since 2010 is about closing that attainment gap, and we have closed it by 13% in primary school and by 9% in secondary school. We know that the impact of the covid pandemic has been devastating across all sections of society, but particularly for disadvantaged pupils. That is why we have implemented a £1 billion catch-up fund. We are determined that no young person will suffer in the long term as a consequence of interruption to their education caused by the pandemic.

[Imran Ahmad Khan (Wakefield) (Con)]

CAPA College specialises in creative and performing arts. It educates, nurtures and inspires the next generation of performers and creative entrepreneurs, while being the highest-performing free school in the country, with 100% A to C post-16 results—and all this from temporary accommodation. Its new permanent home is scheduled to open in September. However, the current DFE budget does not cover the specialist technology and equipment required. I have raised this with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, who has committed to look at whether funding is available from his budget. Will my right hon. Friend look into CAPA’s situation and work with me and DCMS to raise the additional £800,000 required, to ensure that my young constituents, regardless of background, find pathways to opportunity?

[Gavin Williamson]

We all recognise the important role of the creative industries in driving the economy and the importance of having the right skills and training for young people who want to go into that industry. I would be more than happy to meet my hon. Friend to discuss the challenges he faces in his constituency and how we can best assist.

Awarding of Qualifications: Role of Ministers

Imran Ahmad Khan Excerpts

Wednesday 9th September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Imran Ahmad Khan (Wakefield) (Con)]

Will the hon. Member give way?

[Navendu Mishra]

I am afraid that Madam Deputy Speaker has said she is discouraging interventions, so I will pass on that—forgive me.

I will just finish on the point that it is an incredibly worrying time for students, their families and teachers, and it is only right that they are given the assurances they deserve by ensuring schools have sufficient funds to remain open and avoid a repeat of this situation next summer.