Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nick Gibb and Douglas Carswell

Monday 20th July 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Douglas Carswell (Clacton) (UKIP)]

3. What estimate her Department has made of the number of free schools that will be in operation by 2020.

[The Minister for Schools (Mr Nick Gibb)]

Free schools are helping to raise academic standards and tackle disadvantage, ensuring social justice is at the heart of our education reform programme. Over 250 free schools have opened since 2010, and our manifesto commits us to at least 500 more during this Parliament. By 2020, free schools will have created over 400,000 new school places.

[Mr Carswell]

For every part of England to benefit from the spread of free schools, restrictions on their expansion need to be removed and capital attracted. What will the Minister do to remove those restrictions and overcome the reactionary blob in his Department?

[Mr Gibb]

The only restriction that applies to the establishment of new free schools is that there must be demand and need for those free school places. That is our policy. I would be interested to know the policy of the UK Independence party, and indeed Labour, on free schools.