Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Claire Coutinho

Tuesday 19th September 2023 Commons Chamber

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

16. What steps she is taking to help promote the creation of high-skilled jobs in the renewable energy sector.

[The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Claire Coutinho)]

This is a crucial area. There are already over 400,000 jobs in the renewable energy sector and that will rise steeply over time. We are investing billions in skills, including green skills and including 26,000 training opportunities in energy efficiency and low carbon heating.

[Theresa Villiers]

May I urge the Government to give real priority to the creation of apprenticeships in the renewable energy and green sector? That way, we can use net zero to create great opportunities for young people and boost social mobility.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Claire Coutinho

Monday 27th February 2023 Commons Chamber

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

15. What steps she is taking to improve access to affordable childcare.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Claire Coutinho)]

Improving parents’ access to affordable childcare is a Government priority. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs to deliver the childcare choices campaign to raise awareness among parents and providers of the Government-funded subsidies available to support families.

[Theresa Villiers]

With the Budget coming up, will the Government look at how reducing the cost of childcare could help productivity by supporting women who want to go back into the workplace and bringing back over-50s who may have retired early partly to look after grandchildren?

[Claire Coutinho]

My right hon. Friend is right that childcare is about supporting women and parents into the labour market. We want to support families and are exploring options to achieve this. The Government have delivered a huge amount on childcare, including doubling the 15-hour entitlement for working parents of three to four-year-olds to 30 hours and introducing 15 free hours for disadvantaged two-year-olds.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Claire Coutinho

Monday 16th January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) (Con)]

8. What steps she is taking to support maintained nursery schools.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Claire Coutinho)]

Maintained nursery schools make an invaluable contribution to improving the lives of disadvantaged children. We are investing an additional £10 million in their supplementary funding from 2023-24, taking the total to approximately £70 million. We are reforming the distribution of the funding to make it fairer, ensuring that all authorities with maintained nursery schools receive supplementary funding.

[Theresa Villiers]

I warmly welcome that extra funding, because it means for the first time that maintained nursery schools in Barnet will get a share of the supplementary funding. Will the Minister join me in welcoming that funding and express her strong support for the maintained nursery school sector in the future?

[Claire Coutinho]

My right hon. Friend has consistently and passionately campaigned for the maintained nursery school sector. I agree that it is doing an excellent job, not only in supporting some of the most disadvantaged children, but in sharing expertise and knowledge with other providers.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Theresa Villiers and Claire Coutinho

Thursday 6th February 2020 Commons Chamber

[Claire Coutinho (East Surrey) (Con)]

T3. I am proud to represent many farmers in East Surrey who are the guardians of our beautiful countryside. Does the Minister agree that the best way to support those farmers and protect the environment is to buy seasonal and to buy British?

[Theresa Villiers]

Yes, I do.