Business of the House Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Business of the House

James Morris Excerpts
Thursday 1st December 2011

(13 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Sir George Young
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I am in favour of more applications but, as I said to the hon. Member for Huddersfield, it is too soon to draw the conclusion that I think the hon. Gentleman is drawing—[Interruption.] It makes sense to wait until applications close before drawing conclusions on whether they are up or down on last year. As I said, where applications have closed the reduction is 0.9%, so I think that he is being unduly alarmist.

James Morris Portrait James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) (Con)
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May we have a debate on how the Government are working with local authorities to protect some of our most vulnerable children, especially in areas such as Sandwell, where the Labour-run council was recently judged by Ofsted to be failing in its provision to some of the most vulnerable children in the community?

Lord Young of Cookham Portrait Sir George Young
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I very much hope that the local authority will respond to the Ofsted report and seek to improve its standards. I will draw my hon. Friend’s concern to the attention of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education.