Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Robert Halfon Excerpts
Monday 11th March 2019

(5 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Damian Hinds Portrait Damian Hinds
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This decade we are on course to create 1 million new places in schools across the country. It will be the largest expansion in school capacity in at least two generations, following the net loss of 100,000 places during the last six years of the Labour Government. Although there will always be individual situations that we need to address—we have a capital programme to do that, and I will be happy to meet the hon. Lady to discuss it—there are now tens of thousands fewer pupils in schools that are over capacity.

Robert Halfon Portrait Robert Halfon (Harlow) (Con)
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In The Times on Friday, the Secretary of State said that

“an exclusion should not just be the end of something but be the start of something new and positive.”

What is he doing to address the postcode lottery of alternative provision, particularly in areas with high amounts of exclusion? Why does the latest free school wave contain just two free schools with alternative provision? What is he doing to change that?

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Three questions truncated into one.