Written Question
Tuesday 11th February 2020
Asked by:
Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question
to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to improve (a) access to and (b) funding for creative subjects.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department wants all pupils to have access to high-quality creative education. Music, art and design, dance and drama, and design and technology are all statutory subjects in the National Curriculum.
Between 2016-20 the Department is investing nearly £500 million of funding for a diverse portfolio of music and creative arts education programmes including Music Education Hubs, the Music and Dance Scheme and the Dance and Drama awards. In early January, we also announced funding of £85 million for music and arts in 2020-21; £80 million for music hubs coupled with further investment in film, dance, theatre and design.
The Department believes that the arts help young people to learn creative skills and widen their horizons, so our Manifesto committed to offer an ‘arts premium’, worth over £100 million, to secondary schools to fund enriching activities for all pupils.
Written Question
Thursday 24th October 2019
Asked by:
Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question
to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a requirement for school buses to have (a) seat belts and (b) sufficient seats for school children to avoid standing.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Buses and coaches used to take pupils to and from school are subject to Department for Transport legislation on vehicle safety. Guidance relating to the law on seat belts is available at the following links: www.gov.uk/government/publications/seat-belts-in-minibuses-coaches-and-other-buses/seat-belts-in-minibuses-coaches-and-other-buses and www.gov.uk/government/publications/seat-belts-on-urban-buses/seatbelts-on-urban-buses.
Public service buses designed for urban use are not required to have seat belts, including when they are used for school transport. Such buses are generally also allowed to carry standing passengers.
Local authorities may specify in their contracts with school transport providers that they will only accept vehicles fitted with seat belts.
The Department is currently consulting on revised statutory guidance on home to school transport and will consider as part of that consultation whether it should include guidance on this issue.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 09 Sep 2019
Oral Answers to Questions
"At the last Ofsted inspection, Red Hill Field Primary School was marked as good. The school is celebrating its 35-year anniversary this Friday. What message does the Minister have for that excellent school, for Mr Snelson, the headteacher, and for all the staff on their excellent work over 35 years?..."Alberto Costa - View Speech
View all Alberto Costa (Con - South Leicestershire) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Feb 2016
Enterprise Bill [Lords]
"Today the Government have brought before us an exciting and much needed Bill that, if passed, will significantly and beneficially impact on enterprise in my constituency and, indeed, throughout our United Kingdom.
I would like to focus on the particular benefits brought by part 2 regulators and the business impact …..."Alberto Costa - View Speech
View all Alberto Costa (Con - South Leicestershire) contributions to the debate on: Enterprise Bill [Lords]
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Feb 2016
Enterprise Bill [Lords]
"I welcome any measure that cuts inappropriate regulation, whatever the source of that regulation.
Considerable progress was made under the last Government through initiatives such as “one in, two out” to help businesses achieve regulatory compliance while not hindering growth. My own local enterprise partnership, covering Leicester and Leicestershire, served …..."Alberto Costa - View Speech
View all Alberto Costa (Con - South Leicestershire) contributions to the debate on: Enterprise Bill [Lords]
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Feb 2016
Enterprise Bill [Lords]
"The hon. Gentleman is more than welcome to intervene and comment on its benefits if he wishes to do so.
The Bill will extend the business impact target to include the actions of statutory regulators, and will ensure that they must carry out assessments of the economic impacts on business …..."Alberto Costa - View Speech
View all Alberto Costa (Con - South Leicestershire) contributions to the debate on: Enterprise Bill [Lords]
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Feb 2016
Enterprise Bill [Lords]
"No, I am going to wind-up. [Interruption.] I did offer many Members on the other side of the House the opportunity to intervene, but they chose not to do so.
This Enterprise Bill will help to promote a real reduction in red tape, which the Members opposite simply do not …..."Alberto Costa - View Speech
View all Alberto Costa (Con - South Leicestershire) contributions to the debate on: Enterprise Bill [Lords]
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 02 Feb 2016
Enterprise Bill [Lords]
"Will the right hon. Lady give way?..."Alberto Costa - View Speech
View all Alberto Costa (Con - South Leicestershire) contributions to the debate on: Enterprise Bill [Lords]