Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Karl McCartney and David Laws

Monday 24th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Karl MᶜCartney (Lincoln) (Con)]

6. What funding his Department is providing to local authorities to address shortfalls in primary school places.

[The Minister for Schools (Mr David Laws)]

By the end of this Parliament, we will have made well over £5 billion available to local authorities to support the provision of additional pupil places, which is more than double what was provided by the previous Government over a comparable period.

[Karl MᶜCartney]

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that answer. Does he agree with me that when we are dealing with a shortage of school places, the last thing we need is an assault on valuable teachers in the independent sector, who face being mummified with red tape to appease the vested interests of the Labour party?

[Mr Laws]

I certainly agree with my hon. Friend that the last thing we need is more bureaucracy and regulation in the school system.