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Written Question
Teachers: Pensions
Wednesday 6th February 2019

Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the financial effect on universities of increased contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Department is running a public consultation until 12 February 2019 to gather evidence on the impact of increased contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) for all TPS employers, including universities.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 19 Mar 2018
Oral Answers to Questions

"The Secretary of State must understand that if we are to achieve social mobility, our schools have to be adequately funded. Because of funding cuts, Durham County Council is closing a school—the only school—in a disadvantaged village in my constituency. The young people there will feel undervalued, as will the …..."
Roberta Blackman-Woods - View Speech

View all Roberta Blackman-Woods (Lab - City of Durham) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 20 Feb 2018
Post-18 Education

"The terms of reference that the Secretary of State published say that the review cannot make recommendations on tax policy and that it must make recommendations in keeping with the Government’s fiscal policies. Does that mean that there will be no new money for higher education regardless of the review’s …..."
Roberta Blackman-Woods - View Speech

View all Roberta Blackman-Woods (Lab - City of Durham) contributions to the debate on: Post-18 Education
Speech in Commons Chamber - Fri 19 Jan 2018
School Holidays (Meals and Activities) Bill

"I am grateful to the Minister for announcing at least some progress. Will the pilots involve looking into how the sugar tax could be used to help to feed children during the holidays?..."
Roberta Blackman-Woods - View Speech

View all Roberta Blackman-Woods (Lab - City of Durham) contributions to the debate on: School Holidays (Meals and Activities) Bill
Written Question
Erasmus+ Programme
Wednesday 25th October 2017

Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answers of 18 September 2017 to Questions 10212 and 10213 on Erasmus+, whether the Government will underwrite successful bids submitted for Erasmus+ for those students with a mandatory year abroad in 2019-20, including the bids that are signed after the UK leaves the EU.

Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone

The Government has stated publicly that the United Kingdom (UK) is committed to continuing full participation in the Erasmus+ Programme up until we leave the European Union. We will underwrite successful bids for Erasmus+ that are submitted while the UK is still a member state, even if they are not approved until after we leave, and/or payments continue beyond the point of exit.

Bids for higher education study periods submitted before the exit date will include mobility in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 academic years. The underwrite will cover funding for those successful bids which are submitted before exit and we are encouraging participants to continue to apply for funding until we leave.

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 14 Sep 2017
Schools: National Funding Formula

"In the Secretary of State’s original funding formula proposals, schools in Durham were projected to lose up to £1,000 per pupil. Even with the additional resources, which are welcome, many school budgets in Durham will, at best, flatline. Will the Secretary of State guarantee today that no school in Durham …..."
Roberta Blackman-Woods - View Speech

View all Roberta Blackman-Woods (Lab - City of Durham) contributions to the debate on: Schools: National Funding Formula
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 13 Sep 2017
Higher Education (England) Regulations

"Let me take the Secretary of State back to her earlier point about the sustainability of funding. As was pointed out by my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham South (Lilian Greenwood), we know that 75% of students will not pay back their loans, and that all the Government are …..."
Roberta Blackman-Woods - View Speech

View all Roberta Blackman-Woods (Lab - City of Durham) contributions to the debate on: Higher Education (England) Regulations
Written Question
Students: Loans
Monday 11th September 2017

Asked by: Roberta Blackman-Woods (Labour - City of Durham)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of student loan debt on the level of university applications and drop-out rates.

Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone

The student finance system is financially sustainable and has enabled record numbers of students from disadvantaged backgrounds to benefit from higher education.

Latest data show that 18 year olds applied at record rates in 2017, and their application rates have increased for five years in a row. This is also true for the most disadvantaged 18 year olds.

Non-continuation rates for UK students at English Higher Education Institutions are lower than in 2009/10, including for young, mature, disadvantaged and BME students.

Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 26 Apr 2017
School Funding: North-east of England

"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Betts. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Washington and Sunderland West (Mrs Hodgson) on securing this really important debate. I pay tribute to the work of my hon. Friends the Members for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland …..."
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View all Roberta Blackman-Woods (Lab - City of Durham) contributions to the debate on: School Funding: North-east of England
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 26 Apr 2017
School Funding: North-east of England

"My hon. Friend is making a powerful case. Does she agree that the most pernicious aspect of the Government’s education policies is that schools in the most disadvantaged areas face the biggest cuts, yet the Government waste money on grammar schools for the few and not the many?..."
Roberta Blackman-Woods - View Speech

View all Roberta Blackman-Woods (Lab - City of Durham) contributions to the debate on: School Funding: North-east of England