Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sheryll Murray and Elizabeth Truss

Thursday 30th October 2014 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

This Government have a very good record on the environment. We have seen carbon emissions and air pollution go down and our rivers and water are cleaner. The problem with the hon. Lady’s point is that she does not seem to understand how important food and farming is to the rural economy. Under her Government, she failed to deal with animal diseases and the problems in that industry. The reality is that under this Government, we are seeing production expanding and overseas markets opening, and food and farming is now a much bigger success.

[Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

T3. Handline mackerel is a superb, sustainably caught fish, and many fishermen from my constituency have been struggling to secure a realistic price during the summer. How are the Government helping Cornish mackerel fishermen, and mackerel and herring fishermen throughout the UK, to combat the Russian trade embargo?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sheryll Murray and Elizabeth Truss

Thursday 17th July 2014 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

I will look into the hon. Gentleman’s campaign. In my previous role as an Education Minister, we introduced the subject of food into the curriculum, both where it comes from and practical cooking, as well as bringing horticulture and agriculture into the design and technology curriculum, precisely to help more children and young people understand where our food comes from and to build the skills they need to work in the food and agriculture industries.

[Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

Small-boat fishermen in South East Cornwall and throughout Cornwall are concerned that a discard ban, along with their tiny share of the UK quota from the EU total allowable catch, will affect their economic viability. Does the Minister agree that repatriation of UK waters should have preceded a discard ban? Will he take forward a request to include repatriation of UK waters in future negotiations?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sheryll Murray and Elizabeth Truss

Monday 16th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

I agree with the need for very good teachers in maths, which is why we offer the highest levels of bursaries and scholarships in the subject. We have also set up a new programme of maths and physics chairs, sponsored by organisations such as Samsung and GlaxoSmithKline. I can report that a high number of people with PhDs in maths are already applying for the programme, and they will be in our schools from September.

[Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

16. What steps he has taken to reduce absenteeism in schools.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sheryll Murray and Elizabeth Truss

Monday 24th March 2014 Commons Chamber

[Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

5. What steps he is taking to improve mathematics education.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Elizabeth Truss)]

We are raising expectations in mathematics, in line with top-performing countries. We are strengthening the primary school curriculum to focus on core arithmetic and removing calculators from primary school tests this summer. We expect secondary schools to increase teaching time, with a more challenging maths GCSE that will, for the first time, be double-weighted in the performance tables. We are also providing £11 million to build a network of maths hubs across the country.

[Sheryll Murray]

Will my hon. Friend join me in praising my constituent Mr Kevin Bennett, who is helping local schoolchildren to learn maths through real-life applications, using astronomy at his Caradon observatory in South East Cornwall?

[Elizabeth Truss]

I congratulate my hon. Friend’s constituent, Kevin Bennett. It is really important that young people understand not only how to do maths, but how it can be applied, from astronomy to business. We know that maths qualifications command the highest earnings in the workplace, and it is really important that all our young people understand how valuable they are.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sheryll Murray and Elizabeth Truss

Monday 17th January 2011 Commons Chamber

[Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

4. How many local authorities have published online details of their spending over £500 to date.

[Elizabeth Truss (South West Norfolk) (Con)]

9. How many local authorities have published online details of their spending over £500 to date.