Mark Ferguson
Main Page: Mark Ferguson (Labour - Gateshead Central and Whickham)Department Debates - View all Mark Ferguson's debates with the Northern Ireland Office
(1 day, 18 hours ago)
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Bambos Charalambous (Southgate and Wood Green) (Lab)
Mark Ferguson (Gateshead Central and Whickham) (Lab)
Deirdre Costigan (Ealing Southall) (Lab)
Hilary Benn
I certainly will, and I am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising that issue. Poll after poll in Northern Ireland shows that there is strong support for integrated education from the public. From memory, about 8% of pupils study in integrated schools, and I hope we would all like that number to increase. Last week, my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Education Secretary visited an integrated school. The Education Secretary was, I think, the 15th Minister apart from myself who has visited Northern Ireland since the election.
Mark Ferguson
Does the Secretary of State agree that the recent Budget gives the Northern Ireland Executive the opportunity to really go for growth after many years of uncertainty?
Hilary Benn
I do. There is no doubt that the funding the Northern Ireland Executive received as a result of the Budget was more than they had anticipated, but all government is about making choices with the resources we have and the income we can raise, and deciding what our priorities are. The Budget provides a sound foundation for the Northern Ireland Executive to take the decisions they need to take.