Public Sector Pay
Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Jack Dromey(5 years, 9 months ago)
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Elizabeth Truss
I understand from my colleagues in the Department for Education that this will also apply to Wales.
Jack Dromey (Birmingham, Erdington) (Lab)
Past announcements on school budgets have unravelled within days, so is the Chief Secretary guaranteeing that every single penny to fund the teachers’ pay increase will come out of central budgets, with not one single penny falling on school budgets? Does the Chief Secretary accept that this does not change the grim reality of 351 out of 354 Birmingham schools facing real-terms pay cuts and budget cuts over the next two years?
Elizabeth Truss
I have been very clear that the additional £500 million over two years will be coming from central DFE budgets. It will be allocated to schools. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education will be announcing exactly how that allocation will work in due course.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Jack Dromey(10 years, 5 months ago)
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Jack Dromey (Birmingham, Erdington) (Lab)
One of Labour’s greatest achievements was 3,631 Sure Start centres, such as Story Wood and Lakeside in my constituency, transforming the lives of children. At the last general election, the then Leader of the Opposition said:
“Yes, we back Sure Start. It’s a disgrace that”
Labour
“has been trying to frighten people about this.”
Since then, 566 have closed. Is not the real disgrace making a promise to our nation’s children and then breaking it?
Elizabeth Truss
Last week, we heard that a record number of parents and children—more than 1 million—were using Sure Start centres. In fact, we have increased the number of sites: there are 3,000 children’s centres and a further 2,000 linked sites. The hon. Gentleman is referring to where management efficiencies have been made, but more parents are accessing our centres than ever before, and I think he should congratulate the centres on their success.