Education: Return in January

Debate between Karen Buck and Gavin Williamson

Wednesday 30th December 2020 Commons Chamber

[Gavin Williamson]

I thank my right hon. Friend for highlighting something that he and I care so passionately about: ensuring that children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds are not left behind. That is why the national tutoring programme and the covid catch-up fund are so vital, not only for his constituents but for my constituents and all our constituents from those most disadvantaged communities. We recognise that this pandemic has impacted every community up and down the country. It is vital that we do everything we can to get them back on their feet, learning and closing that gap once more.

[Ms Karen Buck (Westminster North) (Lab)]

If I may continue on the theme of resources for home-based learning, we know that it is less satisfactory than children being at school but infinitely better than nothing. Unfortunately, nine months into the pandemic, only 700 laptops have been distributed in my borough, despite there being 5,000 children on free school meals. Will the Secretary of State explain why it has taken so long to make sure there is adequate access to laptops? Will he also advise everybody how many children in each constituency are deemed to be in need of capacity for home-based learning, so that we are able to assess just how effective the distribution of laptops has been?

[Gavin Williamson]

I will certainly happily provide the latest information on the distribution of laptops in the hon. Member’s constituency. The reason we announced the uplift to the distribution of 1 million laptops is that we recognise that the challenges of the pandemic require more digital provision. That is why we took the move to increase it from 500,000 to 1 million.