Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Sajid Javid Excerpts
Monday 21st November 2011

(12 years, 8 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman, but I should say that this matter is under consultation at the moment. I should also say that the Association of School and College Leaders, the National Association of Head Teachers and every representative of head teacher opinion says that the current funding system needs to be reformed. Once again I say to him—now that he is, sadly, no longer in the shadow Cabinet—that it is not enough for Labour Members simply to ask for more; they have to push for reform as well as demanding more cash.

Sajid Javid Portrait Sajid Javid (Bromsgrove) (Con)
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On that note, school children in my constituency of Bromsgrove will receive £1,000 less per head this year than those in neighbouring Birmingham. Does my right hon. Friend agree that that is because under the previous Government school funding was allocated on the basis of party politics and not need?

Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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As we say in Scotland, “Facts are chiels that winna ding.” The truth is that the current system of school funding is inequitable. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has made that case most powerfully recently.