School Funding Reform

Stephen Metcalfe Excerpts
Tuesday 19th July 2011

(13 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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That is a very fair point. In our consultation we are explicitly saying that there should be a fixed sum for all primary schools, to ensure that smaller primary schools remain viable.

Stephen Metcalfe Portrait Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Con)
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Woodlands school in Basildon has just received the excellent news that its much-needed rebuild is to proceed. However, may I ask my right hon. Friend to adopt a slightly more flexible approach so that if schools wish to keep some of their existing better-quality buildings they can do so, to meet local need?

Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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I absolutely support local flexibility, and I think that Essex county council has shown admirable imagination in the past in doing just that.