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Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation

To give colleagues some time, I will be brief. Rather than dealing with the macro-economy, I will address three specific points relating to my constituency. I welcome the remarks of the hon. Member for Hornchurch (James Brokenshire)—although I did not agree with his approach, I also tend to focus on the skills gap and specific issues around education. I also want to deal with the Budget proposals on sport, about which no one has yet spoken, and which are important for my constituency. My constituency has a large skills gap at every level: at university level, in higher skills and in intermediate and basic skills. I am pleased that University College Northampton now has full university status, and I hope that that will both plug the skills gap at the higher level and serve to drive up standards across the whole school sector. I also welcome the Government’s extra funding for our schools—a total investment of £115 million in a major schools reorganisation, with the aim of improving on a history of under-achievement in schools in Northampton. In that context, I welcome the announcements about extra spending in schools, which will build on the Government’s good track record. I would, however, like more clarification. Our schools are all tied into a major private finance initiative scheme. I hope that there will be flexibility in the structuring of the extra finance so that we can improve some of the specifications of the PFI contract, or make it possible for head teachers to work collaboratively to commission some of the improved services that they want across the board. I also welcome the changes proposed for further education, especially the recognition of the important role played by the sector in driving up skills standards and dealing with some of the areas of disadvantage with which other education sectors have not been able to deal. I welcome ““train to gain””, because I think it important to ensure that when people are in work they do not simply stay at the level that they have reached. It is well recognised that the Government have an obligation to improve their skills so that they can progress in their careers, and can retrain to meet changes in their sector of employment. I welcome the tighter focus on skills, but if FE colleges are to have more targeted ends, they will need more flexible means of getting there. I fear that some of the proposals in the White Paper will increase bureaucracy. That must be trimmed. If the FE sector is to achieve its target of improving skills in this important area, it must be freed in order to do so. In particular, it must be given the support that it needs to tackle disadvantage and reach some of the marginalised groups. Northampton college has been especially successful in that regard. I particularly welcome the extra money for sport. Sport is often seen as an add-on, but, as we have seen, it is important in improving educational achievement for some of the most disadvantaged young people by giving them a different route into school, and giving them a sense of achievement and purpose. It can also be important in regenerating the economy in certain areas. We have observed the progress made by the street football schemes, and by some of the retraining schemes to help young people in the east end of London to become referees and coaches. In Northampton, in preparation for the Olympics, we set up a partnership—it is cross-party, and my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Binley) has been very supportive—between the public and private sectors. It includes the district and county councils, the chamber of commerce, the schools and the university, and it is being supported very generously by Barclaycard. Its aim is to develop sports and related services in our area to take advantage of the Olympics, while considering the potential for economic regeneration, the educational issues, the culture, the legacy, the cultural festivals and the opportunities for universities. I was encouraged to hear the Chancellor’s proposals for schools festivals and the expansion of sporting facilities. I hope that my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary will respond to those points and will listen to some of the representations from Northampton. I want to ensure that we can take some of the opportunities offered in the Budget. I want the sporting provisions to help boost our economy and give fresh chances to young people, many of whom missed out the first time, so that they can find a way back into education. I welcome this forward-looking Budget, which tackles some of the difficult areas in our economy, and I look forward to its implementation.