Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts
Monday 14th November 2016

(7 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Caroline Dinenage Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women and Equalities (Caroline Dinenage)
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With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to link Question 5 with Question 15. Maintained nursery schools make a very important contribution to social mobility. We want them to be sustainable in the long term. We have already committed £55 million a year of supplementary funding for maintained nursery schools for at least the next two years, and we will shortly be consulting them on how to do this further.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Forgive me, but I think the grouping is with Question 17 rather than Question 15—not that I wish to be pedantic; I just wish to be precise. [Interruption.] I think I have the advantage of being correct in this case, incredible though the hon. Lady may judge that to be.

Andrew Stephenson Portrait Andrew Stephenson
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I met Jan Holmes, the headteacher of Walton Lane Nursery, and many other Pendle nursery headteachers recently. Further to many of the points that have already been made, will my hon. Friend commit to extending the funding for maintained nursery schools beyond the two years indicated in the consultation, as nursery schools really do make a difference to some of the poorest children in my constituency?

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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Splendidly succinct.

Martin Vickers Portrait Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)
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Ministers may have noted that earlier this month I introduced my ten-minute rule Bill highlighting the issue of school admissions for children suffering from autism. Will the Minister confirm that he will work with me to deal with the situation and improve the present lot of many families?