To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of his Department’s capital departmental expenditure limit was spent on Sure Start in each financial year since 2010-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of his Department’s capital departmental expenditure limit was spent on Sure Start in each financial year since 2010-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will increase funding for Sure Start in the next Budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will increase funding for Sure Start in the next Budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he is taking steps to increase funding for the Sure Start programme; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he is taking steps to increase funding for the Sure Start programme; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of Sure Start centres on health outcomes for young people in deprived areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of Sure Start centres on health outcomes for young people in deprived areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Institute for Fiscal Studies report entitled The health effects of Sure Start, published on 3rd June 2019; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of the Institute for Fiscal Studies report entitled The health effects of Sure Start, published on 3rd June 2019; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to ensure that children in their first 1001 days have access to Sure Start services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to ensure that children in their first 1001 days have access to Sure Start services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, under what circumstances his Department will request the return of funding allocated to local authorities that dispose of or change the use of buildings or assets funded wholly or partly through Sure Start capital grants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, under what circumstances his Department will request the return of funding allocated to local authorities that dispose of or change the use of buildings or assets funded wholly or partly through Sure Start capital grants.

I beg to move,

That this House notes the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ finding that education spending as a share of national income has fallen from 5.8 per cent to 4.3 per cent since 2010, including funding cuts of over two thirds to Sure Start, of nearly a tenth to schools,...

I beg to move,

That this House notes the Institute for Fiscal Studies’ finding that education spending as a share of national income has fallen from 5.8 per cent to 4.3 per cent since 2010, including funding cuts of over two thirds to Sure Start, of nearly a tenth to schools,...

I hope my hon. Friend will not forget the crisis we have across the country in special educational needs funding. In Staffordshire, the county council passes on the bare minimum provided by the Government, which is not enough. It has just announced a consultation that represents a real threat to...

I hope my hon. Friend will not forget the crisis we have across the country in special educational needs funding. In Staffordshire, the county council passes on the bare minimum provided by the Government, which is not enough. It has just announced a consultation that represents a real threat to...

My hon. Friend is of course absolutely right to talk about pupils with special educational needs, because the funding for them has been frozen and local authorities are facing significant funding demands. It is not fair that the children who need such support the most are being failed by this...

My hon. Friend is of course absolutely right to talk about pupils with special educational needs, because the funding for them has been frozen and local authorities are facing significant funding demands. It is not fair that the children who need such support the most are being failed by this...

Schools across the board—whether they are academies or local authority-supported schools—are asked to find the first £6,000 of special educational needs funding from their own budgets. Will the hon. Lady ask the Secretary of State where he thinks schools have this money lying around?

Schools across the board—whether they are academies or local authority-supported schools—are asked to find the first £6,000 of special educational needs funding from their own budgets. Will the hon. Lady ask the Secretary of State where he thinks schools have this money lying around?

The hon. Lady makes a crucial and important point. As I have said, I really think the Secretary of State needs to listen more to headteachers and to teachers across the board, up and down England, who are desperately trying to ensure that the funding is available to support all...

The hon. Lady makes a crucial and important point. As I have said, I really think the Secretary of State needs to listen more to headteachers and to teachers across the board, up and down England, who are desperately trying to ensure that the funding is available to support all...

My hon. Friend raises a very interesting point. The Government are not prepared to fund in full the recommended increase to teacher pay. They are leaving that to the schools to find, which is a further cut in school budgets. That means that schools cannot deal with special needs or...

My hon. Friend raises a very interesting point. The Government are not prepared to fund in full the recommended increase to teacher pay. They are leaving that to the schools to find, which is a further cut in school budgets. That means that schools cannot deal with special needs or...

I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. Of course, one of the myths that keeps being spread by the Government and Conservative Members is that record funding is going into schools, but they do not talk about the record level of costs on schools, which means that schools are...

I thank my hon. Friend for his intervention. Of course, one of the myths that keeps being spread by the Government and Conservative Members is that record funding is going into schools, but they do not talk about the record level of costs on schools, which means that schools are...

I have visited more than 30 schools in my constituency where teachers are leaving and it is very difficult for the schools to replace them. In a recent survey the National Education Union found that 81% of teachers have considered leaving the profession. Does my hon. Friend agree that it...

I have visited more than 30 schools in my constituency where teachers are leaving and it is very difficult for the schools to replace them. In a recent survey the National Education Union found that 81% of teachers have considered leaving the profession. Does my hon. Friend agree that it...

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. The Government have, of course, failed to meet their teacher recruitment targets for the past five years and teachers now face a real crisis. The Department for Education told us that the teachers pay grant would cover the cost of the pay rise,...

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. The Government have, of course, failed to meet their teacher recruitment targets for the past five years and teachers now face a real crisis. The Department for Education told us that the teachers pay grant would cover the cost of the pay rise,...

A few moments ago the hon. Lady said that record levels of funding were going into our schools. Does she accept that that is a fact?

A few moments ago the hon. Lady said that record levels of funding were going into our schools. Does she accept that that is a fact?

No. The hon. Gentleman misunderstands what has been said. What I said was that his Government have said that record funding is going into schools, but by not recognising the record costs and additional pupils in our schools they have created a deficit and schools face a real-terms cut. I...

No. The hon. Gentleman misunderstands what has been said. What I said was that his Government have said that record funding is going into schools, but by not recognising the record costs and additional pupils in our schools they have created a deficit and schools face a real-terms cut. I...

I thank my parliamentary neighbour for giving way. In Oldham, pupil numbers have increased by nearly 4,000, but there are 100 fewer teachers in those schools to teach the additional pupils.

I thank my parliamentary neighbour for giving way. In Oldham, pupil numbers have increased by nearly 4,000, but there are 100 fewer teachers in those schools to teach the additional pupils.

My hon. Friend and neighbour makes a very important and valid point. We know the impact that cuts have. Frankly, I have heard the heartbreaking stories too many times: schools begging for donations; vital support staff lost; children with special educational needs and disability suffering the most; the school week...

My hon. Friend and neighbour makes a very important and valid point. We know the impact that cuts have. Frankly, I have heard the heartbreaking stories too many times: schools begging for donations; vital support staff lost; children with special educational needs and disability suffering the most; the school week...