Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Aldous Excerpts

Thursday 21st June 2018 Commons Chamber

[Margot James]

I very much share the right hon. Gentleman’s concerns. We must encourage girls to study science, technology, engineering and maths, not just computer science, and programmes have been designed to do just that. We have made progress by making computer science mandatory in schools, which is a good first step. I am sure we will build on that, and recover the lost students at GSCE level to which the right hon. Gentleman rightly refers.

[Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)]

9. What steps his Department is taking to support public libraries.

[The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Matt Hancock)]

Libraries support people, communities and society as a whole, by providing access to books and literature and, increasingly, to modern technology.

[Peter Aldous]

With today being Suffolk Day, it is appropriate to highlight the great work of Suffolk Libraries, which is a successful, industrial and provident society that provides a growing range of community services. Will the Secretary of State—a fellow Suffolk MP—work with it as it seeks to become more innovative, self-sufficient and resilient?

[Matt Hancock]

I commend Suffolk Libraries, which is a thriving public service mutual that, as my hon. Friend says, does a great job. Today could not be a better day to celebrate what Suffolk Libraries does, because Suffolk Day, on midsummer’s day, celebrates everything that is brilliant about the county that is beautiful and full of wonderful people and great food. It is a great place to visit, a great place to live, a great place to be, and a wonderful place to represent.