Monday Volume 584 21 July 2014 No. 27 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 21 July 2014 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2014 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 1127 21 JULY 2014 1128 reports that were published last week show that schools House of Commons are beginning to use it very effectively to narrow the gap. Monday 21 July 2014 Stephen Twigg (Liverpool, West Derby) (Lab/Co-op): One of the ways in which the last Government sought The House met at half-past Two o’clock to address this issue was the London Challenge, which, as the Minister will know, had a very positive impact on the achievement gap in London. What lessons does he PRAYERS think can be drawn from it for the rest of the country? Mr Laws: There are certainly a great many lessons to [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] be learnt from the London Challenge. The hon. Gentleman will be aware of reports which have been published over the last few months and which seek to draw those BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS lessons. One lesson that I would draw is that it is important for us to provide the opportunities that the London Challenge helped to create for every part of the STANDING ORDERS (PRIVATE BUSINESS) country, and not just for areas that have been selected Ordered, by Ministers. That the Amendments to Standing Orders relating to Private Business set out in the Schedule be made.—(The Chairman of Crispin Blunt (Reigate) (Con): Even if we believe the Ways and Means.) argument that faith schools improve attainment—which I do not, given the middle classes’ propensity to discover God shortly before their children’s schooling is due to begin—is segregation by faith a price worth paying by Oral Answers to Questions our society? Mr Laws: We certainly do not want schools that seek to segregate members of the society that we have, but, EDUCATION as people in a liberal society, we also want to respect the right of many parents to have their young people educated in the way that they wish. The Secretary of State was asked— Attainment (Less Affluent Children) Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab): I welcome the new Education Secretary to her job. I also welcome back the Schools Minister, who has made the greatest 1. Sir Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove) (LD): What steps comeback since Lazarus. I am not sure why we need two she has taken to raise attainment among less affluent Schools Ministers, one in the blue corner and one in the children at school. [904948] yellow corner, but perhaps that is the reason. The Minister for Schools (Mr David Laws): We have One suggestion for the Education Secretary that I introduced the pupil premium, which supplies significant have received is that she should change the locks at additional funding to schools for each disadvantaged Sanctuary Buildings to ensure that the former Education pupil. Secretary and his adviser Dominic Cummings cannot sneak back in after dark. However, she could help less Let me take this opportunity to pay tribute to the affluent pupils immediately if she reversed her predecessor’s work of my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey political instruction to Ofqual to end the AS-level link, Heath (Michael Gove), who has been a passionate which research shows helps them to obtain good university advocate of higher standards in education for every places. Will she signal a fresh start by reversing that single child in the country. Our reforms of the curriculum, decision? of qualifications and of accountability, along with the drive to establish more good and outstanding schools, Mr Laws: There are no plans to go down the route will continue. that the hon. Gentleman has suggested. We, as a Government, believe passionately that the final years of Sir Andrew Stunell: I can report to the Minister that education for young people should be years in which schools in my constituency are delighted with the pupil they focus not just on examinations, but on learning. premium, and are particularly delighted that they have The problem during the most recent period of Labour complete flexibility in relation to how they can best use government was that, in the last four years of education, it to improve the outcomes for children. May I urge the too much time was spent taking exams rather than Minister not to be seduced or tempted by those who learning new facts. want more central prescription of how the pupil premium might be allocated in future? Special Educational Needs Mr Laws: I will not be tempted or seduced. I agree 2. Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough) (Con): What entirely with my right hon. Friend that it is vital for us steps she is taking to reform the support available to continue to give schools the flexibility that will enable for children with special educational needs in (a) them to spend the money in the best evidence-based Peterborough and (b) England; and if she will make a way. As my right hon. Friend will know, the Ofsted statement. [904949] 1129 Oral Answers21 JULY 2014 Oral Answers 1130 7. Daniel Kawczynski (Shrewsbury and Atcham) (Con): Mr Timpson: The hon. Gentleman, as the former What steps she is taking to support children with Chair of the Select Committee on Education—which I special educational needs. [904954] had the pleasure to serve on during his tenure—is acutely aware of the importance of early identification The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education in our schools for a whole host of reasons. That is why (Mr Edward Timpson): Our SEN and disability reforms the new code of practice that underpins the Children are the largest for 30 years. They place children and and Families Act 2014 makes it clear throughout that families at the heart of a single, more integrated birth-to-25 early identification must be at the centre of the work system which focuses on improving outcomes for children that schools do on behalf of their pupils. We are providing and young people. additional funding to support those endeavours—I will Last month we announced further substantial funding be happy to write to the hon. Gentleman with more for local areas to deliver the reforms from this September: details—but many of the decisions will be made at a £45.2 million, on top of the £70 million that has already local level and will be made far more transparent through been provided this year. Peterborough’s total share is the publication of a local offer in every council. more than £500,000. 18. [904965] Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con): Will my Mr Jackson: I pay tribute to John and Louise Ravenscroft hon. Friend say what more specific support his of the charity Family Voice for their wonderful work in Department is providing for parents who suspect their Peterborough. What assurance can the Minister give children may have dyslexia and be in need of such an that parent carer forums will receive core funding from assessment? the Department for 2015-16 and beyond, so that they can continue their work in facilitating parent participation? Mr Timpson: The number of children with dyslexia in Will he mandate local authorities to provide top-up this country has grown, so it is even more important funding beyond 2016? that we recognise how we can support the many excellent organisations that are out there. That is why we are funding the Dyslexia-Specific Learning Difficulty Trust Mr Timpson: We recognise the important role played to the tune of £1.5 million over two years to help by parent carer forums. We have therefore increased the provide it with a range of special services so it can funding for each forum from £10,000 to £15,000, which increase the support available to children and young amounts to a total of more than £2 million for 2014-15. people with dyslexia. We are also funding the British As my hon. Friend will appreciate, we have not yet Dyslexia Association’s primary literacy project, which made any decisions about funding beyond that time is training over 3,000 teachers who have obtained specialist frame, but, in his customary manner, he has made a dyslexia qualifications. Ultimately, however, it is the strong case for support for their continued work by changes we are introducing in our SEN reforms that citing the work of his constituents. will make a difference to families. Daniel Kawczynski: I am very pleased with the additional Steve McCabe (Birmingham, Selly Oak) (Lab): Let £10.4 million in funding the Government are providing us hope that Peterborough can become a beacon of to Shropshire schools. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend progress. the Member for Worcester (Mr Walker), who has Many families will be greatly encouraged by the store spearheaded the caucus on the funding issue. What the Minister places on the local offer as a means of further steps will the Government take to help parents driving up standards and improving services for children with children with special educational needs? I still and young people with special needs and disabilities. If receive a lot of correspondence on the issue from I were the Minister, I would organise an annual assessment constituents. I hope that, as the economy improves, of the local offer so that, across the country, we can see more attention and focus can be brought to bear on the exactly what is working and what simply is not good issue.