Oral Answers to Questions

David T C Davies Excerpts

Monday 11th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[David T. C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con)]

Given the priority that the Government are quite rightly putting on child protection, can the Minister tell me what steps have been taken since I wrote in April to establish the name of the school attended by Adil Rashid, who defended himself against a serious sexual offence on the grounds that his school—his state-funded school—had taught him that women were worthless?

[Mr Timpson]

I have been able to identify the school and the steps being taken. I know that my hon. Friend has been in correspondence and the Secretary of State is aware of the issue. I am happy to meet my hon. Friend and to write to him with those details so that we ensure that all that can be done is being done.

Oral Answers to Questions

David T C Davies Excerpts

Thursday 9th June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Vince Cable]

I am not sure I should take lectures on manufacturing industry from a representative of the party that presided over the biggest decline in manufacturing of any major country, but none the less the hon. Gentleman is right that there are some good legacies. One of them is the Automotive Council, which works extremely well and contributes very positively to the supply chain. I welcome that.

[David T. C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con)]

2. What steps he is taking to reduce the burden of administration on employers offering to take on apprentices.

[The Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning (Mr John Hayes)]

George Sand said:

“Simplicity is the most difficult thing to secure in this world”.

Nevertheless we are working with employers and their representatives to challenge the requirements and processes imposed on employers taking on apprentices. We have identified a number of areas where we will streamline or remove unnecessary bureaucratic processes, demonstrating that the Government are absolutely committed to beating bureaucracy and to breaking down barriers wherever we find them.

[David T. C. Davies]

I thank the Minister very much for that. Does he agree that, to many people, high-quality vocational courses will offer a far better route to gainful employment than a meaningless degree somewhere?

[Mr Hayes]

For too long we have assumed that the only route to accomplishment is through academic prowess. I believe that practical, technical and vocational competence not only serves economic need, but instils the purposeful pride that enriches lives, cements communities and builds a better Britain.

Schools White Paper

David T C Davies Excerpts

Wednesday 24th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

Yes, and many schools that have applied for academy status have used the resources and the flexibility to reduce class sizes. Smaller class sizes are becoming a reality under the coalition Government.

[David T. C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con)]

We have waited 13 long years for a Minister to bring in reforms that will truly drive up standards of education and behaviour. Now, some Members are saying that we are acting too hastily. Will my right hon. Friend assure us that he will bring in these measures as quickly as possible, the better to encourage the devolved regions such as Wales and Scotland to follow?

[Michael Gove]

Yes.

Oral Answers to Questions

David T C Davies Excerpts

Monday 11th October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Tim Loughton]

My hon. Friend makes a good point. I well remember my visit to Whitehawk primary school, which has done a fantastic job in joining up support services for many of the families living in the deprived area around that part of Brighton. Independent evaluations show the considerable savings of such intervention programmes, which can cost on average from £8,000 to £20,000 per family, but which save around £50,000 per family and much more for those with particularly challenging problems.

[David T. C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con)]

16. What his latest assessment is of levels of educational under-achievement among white working-class boys.

[The Minister of State, Department for Education (Mr Nick Gibb)]

White boys in receipt of free school meals are among the lowest attaining groups of students. In 2009, just 19.4% of white boys eligible for free school meals achieved five or more good GCSEs including English and maths, compared to 50.7% of all pupils.

[David T. C. Davies]

I am grateful to the Minister, who obviously recognises the problem, which was first raised by the National Union of Teachers in a report about two years ago. Can he assure us that, unlike the previous Government, he will not, for reasons of political correctness, try to brush it under the carpet, and that he will do something about it?

[Mr Gibb]

It is a concern when any particular group is significantly underperforming compared with the national average. One big priority for the Government is to close the attainment gap between those from the wealthiest and the poorest backgrounds. We are focusing on that in a range of education policies from academies to free schools, and also in our focus on improving behaviour in schools and reviewing the curriculum.

Academies Bill [Lords]

David T C Davies Excerpts

Thursday 22nd July 2010 Commons Chamber

[The Temporary Chair]

That was very helpful, but I really would like to get on with the Academies Bill.

[David T. C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con)]

On a point of order, Mr Caton. It was impossible for myself and a number of other people to make the very important Division just now, because of the large numbers of people coming out and pushing against us as we entered from the Portcullis House end, and because of a number of Members who, unfortunately, instead of vacating quickly, decided to hang around talking, preventing people from getting in. As a result, a number of people just missed a very important vote. I would like to put on the record my concern at the eight-minute time limit and the fact that people are not getting out of the way quickly enough to allow Members from Portcullis House to vote.

[The Temporary Chair]

The hon. Gentleman has made his point very well, and I hope that hon. Members recognise that they need to show courtesy during a vote.