Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Steve McCabe Excerpts
Monday 27th October 2014

(10 years ago)

Commons Chamber
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John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am always disappointed when I do so. I think that the “War and Peace” version should be lodged in the Library of the House for the delectation of hon. and right hon. Members in the long winter evenings that lie ahead.

Steve McCabe Portrait Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab)
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The Minister has decided to establish a second independent trust to provide children’s services in Slough, following the experiment in Doncaster, but what evidence is there of the success of that approach? Will he place such evidence in the Library and will he, like me, call for a rigorous independent evaluation of the experiment?

Edward Timpson Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Mr Edward Timpson)
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The hon. Gentleman will know that the formation of the Doncaster trust was carried out over a long period with much reflection on what was the best solution for Doncaster, bearing in mind the specific issues it faced. Part of that has been making sure that the lessons we learn from Birmingham, and from Slough and other local authorities where there has been too much failure in children’s services over too many years, will form the picture of understanding of what works best. There is no “one size fits all” solution. The Hackney education trust was an extremely effective example of how standards can be raised over a 10-year period of stability. Our thinking reflects much of the result that came out of Hackney, but we have worked closely with the relevant local authorities and found the best solution for each individual local authority.

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Mr McCabe.

Steve McCabe Portrait Steve McCabe
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I will just come back on that—[Laughter.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I am not forcing the hon. Gentleman!

Steve McCabe Portrait Steve McCabe
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That is perfectly all right, Mr Speaker. Does the Minister want an independent evaluation of the experiment?

Edward Timpson Portrait Mr Timpson
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First, it is not an experiment; it is a carefully thought out approach to improving children’s services in Doncaster and Slough. A whole system of checks and balances is of course in place to ensure that those standards are rising—both through Ofsted and the evaluation of the close monitoring by the Department in the early stages. Evaluation is in place, but our principal aim is to ensure that we raise standards for children in those local authorities so that they get the care and protection they need.