Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Rob Wilson Excerpts
Monday 6th January 2014

(10 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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The Secretary of State’s authorship of the Green party manifesto is not required.

Rob Wilson Portrait Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East) (Con)
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I hope that the Secretary of State will shortly announce the approval of the Maiden Erlegh free school in my constituency, but is he as concerned as I am by Labour’s secret plan to review free school premises and buildings? Is that not simply a back-door way to destroy the free school movement? [Interruption.]

Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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I share my hon. Friend’s concerns absolutely. We all know that, despite the occasionally brave forays into no-man’s land by the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Tristram Hunt), who has tried to defend parent-led academies, the majority of Labour Members—as we can hear from their catcalls and jeers—oppose free schools and greater parental choice and support the attempt of the hon. Member for Cardiff West (Kevin Brennan) to undermine those schools. We will fight them every step of the way.