Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Damian Hinds and Tom Pursglove

Monday 24th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[Damian Hinds]

They should say yes.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

It is very welcome that significantly more children are taught in good and outstanding schools in Northamptonshire now than in 2010. The enormous housing growth in Corby and East Northamptonshire is creating real demand for those places. Will my right hon. Friend keep banging the drum for more funding from the Treasury for school places?

[Damian Hinds]

Yes, indeed. We work with local authorities to make sure that we have up-to-date assessments and projections of the need for school places, and we fund to those projections to make sure that there is the right number of places. We are absolutely focused on making sure that we are doing that by expanding existing good and outstanding schools and putting in good new provision, which also improves diversity and choice.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Damian Hinds and Tom Pursglove

Monday 29th January 2018 Commons Chamber

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

I very much welcome the steps the Government are taking to improve the mental wellbeing of school pupils, but does the Secretary of State agree that extracurricular activities such as sport are also vital in ensuring good wellbeing and mental health and that we should promote them at every opportunity?

[Damian Hinds]

Mental health among our young people is indeed an issue of paramount importance—and something, of course, the Prime Minister has given particular attention to—and the Green Paper is an important indication of the way forward, but my hon. Friend is also right to mention that active lives and sport play a very important part.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Damian Hinds and Tom Pursglove

Monday 9th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Damian Hinds]

Universal credit is an absolutely integral part of our overall approach to employment. It not only simplifies the system but makes it easier for people to go into work, because they do not have to think about whether subsequently they might have to restart their benefit claim. Once people are in work, it means that they can make progress more easily because there are none of the cliff edges of the old system.

[Tom Pursglove (Corby) (Con)]

T2. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.