Education and Opportunity

We take the work of the pay review body extremely seriously, but the previous Government did not ...

My right hon. Friend has mentioned the inequalities experienced by children with special educatio...

I recognise the concern expressed by my hon. Friend, and by Members throughout the House, about t...

The Secretary of State has talked about turning a page, and about opportunity. She will be aware ...

I can tell the hon. Gentleman that I welcomed the opportunity to meet my opposite number in Scotl...

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

2.16 pm

Madam Deputy Speaker, may I first welcome you to the big Chair on behalf of the Opposition? It is...

Does the shadow Education Secretary accept the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ recent report? It sa...

The hon. Lady, as ever, makes important points. It was the mission of Conservative Governments fr...

First, may I congratulate you on your appointment, Madam Deputy Speaker?

Further to the poi...

As ever, the hon. Gentleman makes an important point incisively and speaks up powerfully for rura...

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

At the risk of widening the debate, I will very briefly give way to the hon. Gentleman.

I hope the right hon. Gentleman will welcome the Scottish success in having more children and stu...

I admire the hon. Gentleman’s ability to turn everything into a discussion about Europe, but I ha...

Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?

If the hon. Member will forgive me, I had better press on, as I might be stretching Madam Deputy ...

Will my right hon. Friend give way?

I will, with apologies.

One thing that has not been discussed in this debate about extra taxation on private schools is t...

We must not get into a long debate on this, but my hon. Friend is absolutely right that export ea...

I thank the right hon. Member for taking my question. His figures on teacher numbers are very int...

Again, I must not get into too lengthy a debate on this—[ Interruption. ] But I can. In the last ...

May I start by congratulating you, Madam Deputy Speaker, on your election, and say what a great p...

As we have many maiden speeches to enjoy and Back-Bench contributions, may I ask those on the Fro...

May I warmly welcome you to the Chair, Madam Deputy Speaker? It is a pleasure to see you. I also ...

Will my right hon. Friend allow an intervention?

I am not right honourable just yet, but I give way to my hon. Friend.

Apologies. Given what my hon. Friend is talking about, it is important to note that applying VAT ...

Order.

I thank my hon. Friend for her important intervention. She pre-empts what I was about to say abou...

My hon. Friend is making an excellent speech. Does she agree that in many local authority areas, ...

I thank my hon. Friend for her intervention. I hear repeatedly that there are areas across the co...

We come to our first maiden speech this afternoon—I call Darren Paffey.

3.5 pm

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. May I begin by congratulating you and wishing you well as you ta...

As a former maritime Minister, I visited tropical Southampton Itchen very often. I call Sarah Dyk...

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I welcome you to the Chamber, as I do the Secretary of State and...

Today, North Yorkshire council has moved to restrict the services that it offers for home-to-scho...

My hon. Friend makes a really powerful point. Likewise, Somerset council is forecast to spend £14...

I commend the hon. Lady for what she has said. She is right to focus on SEND. In the press last w...

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that important and valid point.

I briefly shift my focus tow...

Congratulations on your election, Madam Deputy Speaker, and on taking your place. It is wonderful...

I call Aphra Brandreth to make her maiden speech.

3.33 pm

I congratulate the hon. Member for Southampton Itchen (Darren Paffey) on his maiden speech. This ...

I call Catherine Atkinson to make her maiden speech.

3.41 pm

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I congratulate you on your new position, and I congratulate the ...

I call Dr Al Pinkerton to make his maiden speech.

3.50 pm

Madam Deputy Speaker, I am grateful to you for allowing me the opportunity to intervene in this i...

Order. Before I call the next speaker, Members may have noticed that this debate is very oversubs...

It is great to see you in your place, Madam Deputy Speaker—a strong Yorkshirewoman, no less, whic...

I really appreciate the hon. Member’s remarks. Indeed, I am thinking about young children, possib...

I completely agree that we need a more holistic approach. I recently visited Whirlow Hall farm in...

I call Neil Shastri-Hurst to make his maiden speech.

4.12 pm

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. May I start by congratulating you on your election, and on takin...

I call Chris Vince to make his maiden speech.

4.20 pm

I thank the hon. Member for Solihull West and Shirley (Dr Shastri-Hurst) for his excellent and ve...

I congratulate you, Madam Deputy Speaker, on being elevated to the position of First Deputy Chair...

I call Catherine Fookes to make her maiden speech.

4.36 pm

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and llongyfarchiadau, as we say in Wales. It is wonderful to hav...

It is great to see another former Leeds city councillor in the Chair, Madam Deputy Speaker.