I am looking forward to travelling after Question Time to Birmingham, to the British science festival,

where we will reflect on the important contribution that science, research and innovation make to our long-term competitiveness and growth. The Government have ring-fenced the science and research programme at £4.6 billion a year from 2011 to 2016, and we are committed to providing £1.1 billion a year in science capital, increasing with inflation to 2021—the largest ever capital grant to UK science.

Let me begin by paying tribute to three former ministerial colleagues who have left the Department. Appropriate cross-party tributes have already been paid to the right hon. Member for Havant (Mr Willetts), but as I worked with him very closely for four and a half years, I can say that he was a superb colleague who has left a major and constructive legacy. I also pay tribute to the right hon. Member for Sevenoaks (Michael Fallon), who is now the Defence Secretary, and to my noble Friend Viscount Younger of Leckie.

I welcome a series of new colleagues. The new Minister for Universities, Science and Cities is the right hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark). The new Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy, the hon. Member for Wantage (Mr Vaizey), will be responsible for digital industries and related activities. The Under-Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the hon. Member for Mid Norfolk (George Freeman), will be responsible for life sciences, and Baroness Neville-Rolfe is the new Minister responsible for intellectual property.

My Department plays a key role in supporting the rebalancing of the economy through business to deliver growth while increasing skills and learning.

We welcome the efforts to secure a ceasefire, which remains the best means of ending the current cycle of violence. I call upon Hamas, as I have already said, and all militant factions in Gaza to cease hostilities so that the bloodshed on both sides can stop.

We want people to feel able to take action for the public good without worrying about being sued if something goes wrong. We have therefore introduced the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill to provide reassurance that if that does happen the court will take full account of the context and the fact that they were acting for the benefit of society. [Interruption.] I hear the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Mr Slaughter) saying that it is rubbish, so he is opposed to clamping down on the health and safety culture and to backing our citizens. I would rather be where I stand than where he stands.

The Department has set out how it assures itself that the money gives to local transport authorities is spent properly in its Accounting Officer System Statement. This can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/50070/dft-accountability-system-statement.pdf

Free schools are proving tremendously popular. Approximately 24,000 pupils already attend free schools and many of those schools are already oversubscribed. Free schools are also more likely to be rated “good” or “outstanding” than other schools inspected under Ofsted’s new framework.

The Crossrail project is progressing well. Over 20 miles of tunnels under London have now been completed, which is 78% of all the tunnelling. While focus is being maintained on delivering the infrastructure, work is now well underway on the operational phases, making Crossrail a fully operational railway. Crossrail is on course to be delivered by the scheduled opening date of December 2018 for the central section, with full services commencing in 2019.

The Government believes that individuals should have a strong connection to the UK in order to benefit from the civil legal aid scheme and that the residence test we propose is a fair and appropriate way to demonstrate that connection.

We recently published analysis proving that highly skilled migrants are not displacing UK workers. Indeed, in many sectors such as engineering and digital technologies, they're filling skills gaps and starting new companies.

Business groups tell me that an open labour market helps foreign investment in the UK and that migrants foster innovation and growth by bringing in new ideas, language skills and assisting trade links overseas. So overall, it's a positive picture.

The UK's bilateral programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is helping to build Palestinian institutions, promote economic growth and support the most vulnerable Palestinians. Absent meaningful action from Israel to ease movement and access restrictions, however, our progress will always be limited.

Results continue to improve more quickly in sponsored academies than in local authority maintained schools, at both primary and secondary level. Converter academies continue to outperform other schools and to achieve better inspection outcomes than maintained schools. Of the first wave of 24 free schools, three quarters have been rated outstanding or good.

In 2013, the proportion of the 18-year-old population entering higher education in England was the highest ever. The rate for young people from the most disadvantaged areas was also the highest ever. And as a consequence of our reforms more students than ever before were accepted onto their first choice course.

It is my strong belief that there is a connection between the benefit cap and getting people into work.

Poll findings show that of those notified or aware that they would be affected by the cap, three in 10 took action to find work.

To date, almost 36,000 have accepted help to move into work from Jobcentre Plus and around 19,000 potentially capped claimants have moved into work.

UCAS will publish their end of cycle report on accepted applicants in December. Data already published by UCAS show that more students than ever before are getting their first choice at university and there is a higher participation rate among 18-year-olds than ever before. The proportion of 18-year-olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds applying to university had also increased to the highest level ever recorded.

The Department has let a contract to Agility Trains to supply 369 vehicles from its Intercity Express Programme for long-distance Great Western services. These vehicles will be introduced to passenger service during 2017 and 2018. The Department is also in dialogue with First Great Western to procure electric vehicles for Thames Valley commuter services from 2016. These vehicles may be new-build or cascaded from elsewhere on the national network.

The situation in Gaza is both tragic and unsustainable. 90% of drinking water does not meet international standards and 44% of the population are vulnerable to malnutrition and hunger. Easing restrictions is not only essential for the people of Gaza, but firmly in Israel's security interests.