Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stuart Andrew and Baroness Morgan of Cotes

Monday 25th April 2016 Commons Chamber

[Wendy Morton (Aldridge-Brownhills) (Con)]

11. What steps her Department is taking to ensure that parents have more influence in the running of their children's schools when those schools become academies.

[The Secretary of State for Education (Nicky Morgan)]

Many parents are governors and make a significant contribution to our schools, and we want this to continue, but that is not the only way we want parents to engage in schools. That is why our White Paper outlined our intention to place a duty on academies to engage meaningfully with parents, introduce parental satisfaction surveys, and set up a new parent portal to help parents to navigate the school system.

[Stuart Andrew]

I am extremely fortunate to have many parents in my constituency who are engaged in local schools. Many have approached me recently because they have been concerned by recent reports that their voice, position and influence may be diminished if all schools are turned into academies. Can my right hon. Friend assure me that that is not the case?

[Nicky Morgan]

I pay tribute to the many thousands of parents who already play a valuable role on school governing bodies. It is vital that schools and governing bodies listen to the views and the voices of parents, and we want academies to engage meaningfully with them. I know that that is happening, for example, in my hon. Friend’s constituency at Crawshaw Academy, where parents are invited to half-termly information evenings to comment on academy policies and to share their views with senior leaders. In a recent parent survey, 78% of respondents reported that they felt consulted and able to contribute to the academy’s development.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stuart Andrew and Baroness Morgan of Cotes

Tuesday 28th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Stuart Andrew (Pudsey) (Con)]

2. What assessment he has made of the effect of freezing fuel duty on the price of petrol.

[The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Nicky Morgan)]

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor confirmed in the 2013 autumn statement that fuel duty will be frozen for the remainder of this Parliament. As a result of this Government’s actions, average pump prices are now 13p per litre lower than if the Government had implemented the previous Government’s fuel duty escalator and it will be 20p per litre lower by the end of this Parliament.

[Stuart Andrew]

Does my hon. Friend agree that it is only because of the difficult decisions that the Government have taken on deficit reduction that they have been able to provide this action on fuel duty? Does she further agree that if these difficult decisions on spending had not been taken, not only would it have been impossible to help motorists, it would have put at risk the economic recovery?

[Nicky Morgan]

My hon. Friend is entirely right. We all know of many businesses across our constituencies, as well as households, who rely on their vehicles—their lorries and vans—to get about. By 2015, the average motorist will be saving £680 a year and the average small business with a van will be saving £1,300 a year in their fuel costs.