Education: Public Funding

Laura Smith Excerpts

Tuesday 4th July 2017 Commons Chamber

[Nick Gibb]

My hon. Friend raises a very important point. We need more house building across the country to help young people get on to the housing ladder, and we are ensuring that as funding follows the pupil, as pupil numbers rise, so the funding to those schools rises.

[Laura Smith (Crewe and Nantwich) (Lab)]

I represent Crewe and Nantwich, where Cheshire East Council is the worst-funded in Cheshire. My concern is that a primary school in Crewe is cutting six teaching assistants, including the only teaching assistant who can speak Polish. We have a new reception class starting in September with 23 EAL—English as an additional language—children who will have no support. I would like to invite you to come to Crewe and Nantwich and speak to headteachers, because they really are very, very concerned.

[Mr Speaker]

I do not think the hon. Lady wants me to visit the school, but I am sure she wants the Minister to do so, which might be more beneficial.

[Laura Smith]

You can come too.

[Mr Speaker]

Well, perhaps I can come on a subsequent occasion, if the hon. Lady is so generous as to invite me.