Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Justin Tomlinson and Edward Timpson

Monday 14th September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Justin Tomlinson]

As a Government, we absolutely recognise the support that carers provide. We have made a number of changes during covid-19 to maintain that support, including allowing emotional support and allowing for breaks due to covid. By 2024-25, we expect to be spending £3.6 billion supporting carers, which will be more than double that spent when we first came to office.

[Edward Timpson (Eddisbury) (Con)]

Can the Minister assure me that her excellent new kickstart scheme will not sit in isolation but will instead dovetail with other Government, apprenticeship and infrastructure efforts, so that towns such as Winsford can give their young a trade, not just a job, including helping to deliver brilliant broadband across Eddisbury?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Justin Tomlinson and Edward Timpson

Monday 6th February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Justin Tomlinson (North Swindon) (Con)]

13. What steps the Government are taking to increase educational opportunity for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

[The Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families (Edward Timpson)]

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State told the House in December, increasing education opportunity for disadvantaged pupils underpins our commitment to make sure our country works for everyone. Through the pupil premium, worth £2.5 billion this year, we are narrowing the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. In 2016-17, over £8.8 million of this funding was allocated to schools in Swindon.

[Justin Tomlinson]

It was a great pleasure to welcome the School Standards Minister to Swindon Academy—a school with a predominantly deprived catchment area, a high proportion of children on free school meals, and, crucially, surplus places. Its decision to introduce a grammar scheme in conjunction with Marlborough College has given every student, regardless of background, an opportunity to opt into an academically rigorous curriculum. Will the Minister share this best practice?

[Edward Timpson]

My right hon. Friend the Minister for School Standards just reminded me of how impressed he was on that visit by the steps that that school is taking to provide its pupils with a rigorous academic curriculum. By trusting school leaders like those in Swindon, we are enabling them to use their unparalleled knowledge of their pupils to create new, tailor-made ways of ensuring that every child can academically succeed.