Education Funding

Marcus Jones Excerpts

Tuesday 13th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Damian Hinds]

I think I should make some progress. I have given way a number of times.

As I have said before, spending on education is in a different category from the spending of other Departments. It is about investment in our skills base, about bringing on the next generation, about social mobility, and about fulfilling the potential of all children. So it is right that this Government have prioritised education spending, and that our schools are receiving record investment. The total core schools and high needs budget, which was almost £41 billion last year, will reach a record £43.5 billion by 2020. That is thanks to an additional £1.3 billion put into core schools funding in July 2017 over and above the plans set out at the previous spending review.

[Mr Marcus Jones (Nuneaton) (Con)]

One of the biggest education funding challenges for areas like Warwickshire is that the last Labour Government left office with a massive gap between funding for metropolitan areas and funding for county areas. What is my right hon. Friend doing to address that, and what will that mean for areas such as Warwickshire?

[Damian Hinds]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that question, and I will come on to questions about the fairer national funding formula that we have put in place.