Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Huw Merriman Excerpts
Monday 11th March 2019

(5 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Nick Gibb Portrait Nick Gibb
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As I say, we are spending record amounts on our schools and we have special provision within the national funding formula to help rural, small schools in particular. There is an extra £25 million to ensure that those schools can support themselves and there is a fixed sum for every school of £110,000, but I will meet the hon. Lady and her headteachers to discuss her schools’ particular concerns.

Huw Merriman Portrait Huw Merriman (Bexhill and Battle) (Con)
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On Friday, I was one of 3.5 million parents who received a letter from their school concerned that costs are outstripping funding. I was threatened with detention unless I asked the Secretary of State this: when it comes to more funding—and I hope that there will be more funding—will he ensure that it goes to those areas that are currently the lowest-funded counties?

Damian Hinds Portrait Damian Hinds
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Come the spending review, we will of course be looking at funding for education alongside other Departments. Funding for education is vital for our society and the productivity in our economy, and of course, we need to continue to look at how that is distributed through the national funding formula and to consider aspects such as rurality as part of that.