Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Angela Eagle Excerpts
Monday 14th November 2016

(7 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Robert Halfon Portrait Robert Halfon
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Either I or the Minister for School Standards would be pleased to meet my hon. Friend.

Angela Eagle Portrait Ms Angela Eagle (Wallasey) (Lab)
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Over the next four years, funding for education is due to fall by 8% per head, although I note that Ministers have been describing this as “protecting” core funding, which is a funny use of language. So low is funding for sixth forms that schools that have formed academies are increasingly getting rid of their sixth forms because they are not profitable, thereby cutting off large numbers of opportunities for people, often in poorer areas.

Robert Halfon Portrait Robert Halfon
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As I said, by 2020 we will be giving more funding to further education than at any time in our island’s history. It will have increased by 40%, which we should be proud of. Our investment is working. As I said, we have the lowest youth unemployment and the lowest number of NEETs on record. The hon. Lady should be celebrating that.[Official Report, 20 December 2016, Vol. 618, c. 12MC.]