Oral Answers to Questions

Paul Holmes Excerpts

Monday 23rd May 2022 Commons Chamber

[Julie Marson (Hertford and Stortford) (Con)]

9. What steps his Department is taking to invest in education in low-performing areas

[Paul Holmes (Eastleigh) (Con)]

13. What steps his Department is taking to invest in education in low-performing areas.

[Nick Fletcher (Don Valley) (Con)]

23. What steps his Department is taking to invest in education in low-performing areas.

--- Later in debate ---

[Nadhim Zahawi]

I have set out in the White Paper that we share the commitment to raising literacy standards, as I am sure the whole House does, and we want to ensure that all children can read fluently and with that understanding. I thank Henry Warren and Oli Barrett MBE for their commitment to improving literacy levels, and they have championed that campaign. It is a choice for parents and guardians whether their child watches television and whether they do so with the subtitles on, but it certainly makes a difference in the Zahawi household.

[Paul Holmes]

Does the Secretary of State agree that as well as funding, data and transparency matter so that we can monitor things, act quickly and see that the plans that we have announced are working to improve schools right across Eastleigh?

[Nadhim Zahawi]

I never tire of saying that data and transparency are our greatest allies in improving educational outcomes. We are absolutely focused on delivering against the ambitious targets that we have set for skills, schools and families, and on holding ourselves in the Department against them. Sharing our plans and performance data is a key lever to drive rapid improvement through the complex system that we oversee in education. I have committed to publishing a delivery plan setting out what we will achieve and a performance dashboard showing progress, and I want teachers and school leaders to do the same on behaviour, absenteeism and, of course, standards.