My Lords, I am very impressed by these attempts to maintain order in the classroom, and I will try to stay under five minutes.

I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Coussins, on bringing this debate to the House, and like the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, am delighted that the Government are...

My Lords, I am very impressed by these attempts to maintain order in the classroom, and I will try to stay under five minutes.

I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Coussins, on bringing this debate to the House, and like the noble Lord, Lord Hannay, am delighted that the Government are...

Before the Secretary of State moves on from schools, may I ask her about a matter that is of great concern to many parents? What assessment has she made of the effect on schools of the strike action that is planned tomorrow? We have heard of at least one London...

Before the Secretary of State moves on from schools, may I ask her about a matter that is of great concern to many parents? What assessment has she made of the effect on schools of the strike action that is planned tomorrow? We have heard of at least one London...

Yes, I will turn to that in a moment. I shall try to go through all the different announcements that we have had from the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and clarify what each of them means. First, there is the increase in expenditure next...

Yes, I will turn to that in a moment. I shall try to go through all the different announcements that we have had from the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and clarify what each of them means. First, there is the increase in expenditure next...

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. Conservative Members trust schools—that is why we voted for trust schools, although of course it is a policy that dares not speak its name. It did not even appear in the Education and Inspections Bill, but anyway we backed it, because we believe...

I completely agree with my hon. Friend. Conservative Members trust schools—that is why we voted for trust schools, although of course it is a policy that dares not speak its name. It did not even appear in the Education and Inspections Bill, but anyway we backed it, because we believe...

I had better give way to the Chairman of the Select Committee.

I had better give way to the Chairman of the Select Committee.

As we are debating the Budget, I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Interests. I want to focus on education, and I ask the Secretary of State when the decision was taken to put it at the centre of the Budget. Of course we...

As we are debating the Budget, I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Interests. I want to focus on education, and I ask the Secretary of State when the decision was taken to put it at the centre of the Budget. Of course we...

I thought that in all parts of the House there was some support for setting as part of what is called personalisation. I am asking whether the extra money that will go to schools is supposed to be spent on personalisation, and if the Government claim that it is for...

I thought that in all parts of the House there was some support for setting as part of what is called personalisation. I am asking whether the extra money that will go to schools is supposed to be spent on personalisation, and if the Government claim that it is for...

The hon. Gentleman is a member of the Select Committee, so I will give way to him and then try to make a little progress.

The hon. Gentleman is a member of the Select Committee, so I will give way to him and then try to make a little progress.

My hon. Friend is quite right. It would be helpful to have a bit more information about how the money is to be distributed and what conditions are to be set for it. We look forward to receiving that information as a matter of urgency. I had rather hoped that...

My hon. Friend is quite right. It would be helpful to have a bit more information about how the money is to be distributed and what conditions are to be set for it. We look forward to receiving that information as a matter of urgency. I had rather hoped that...

Pay attention at the back of class! It is very simple: Conservative Members do not believe in attaching strings to the money. However, we particularly dislike fake announcements, such as when the Chancellor says, ““I’ve got £2,000 for school books,”” or ““I have £200 million for personalisation,”” and everybody is...

Pay attention at the back of class! It is very simple: Conservative Members do not believe in attaching strings to the money. However, we particularly dislike fake announcements, such as when the Chancellor says, ““I’ve got £2,000 for school books,”” or ““I have £200 million for personalisation,”” and everybody is...

Yes, but I am trying to establish what conditions, if any, will be set. Head teachers around the country, who heard this announcement last week, would like to know how much flexibility they are to have in spending the money, and on that, I am afraid, Government Members remain silent.

Yes, but I am trying to establish what conditions, if any, will be set. Head teachers around the country, who heard this announcement last week, would like to know how much flexibility they are to have in spending the money, and on that, I am afraid, Government Members remain silent.

I agree, and I hope that when the Financial Secretary to the Treasury makes his winding-up speech, we will obtain an authoritative statement about what happened to the £250 million that was announced during the election. I am afraid, however, that we must leave the judgment to John Dunford, the...

I agree, and I hope that when the Financial Secretary to the Treasury makes his winding-up speech, we will obtain an authoritative statement about what happened to the £250 million that was announced during the election. I am afraid, however, that we must leave the judgment to John Dunford, the...

I am pleased that that has happened in the hon. Gentleman’s schools, but we have still not received an authoritative answer to the question of whether we should take seriously the pledge made by the Prime Minister during the election.

I am pleased that that has happened in the hon. Gentleman’s schools, but we have still not received an authoritative answer to the question of whether we should take seriously the pledge made by the Prime Minister during the election.

My hon. Friend is right. I was hoping to ask the Secretary of State for a little more information about what she was doing to tackle that. I intended to devote a section of my speech to the 3,000 new science teachers mentioned in the Chancellor’s Budget statement, but not...

My hon. Friend is right. I was hoping to ask the Secretary of State for a little more information about what she was doing to tackle that. I intended to devote a section of my speech to the 3,000 new science teachers mentioned in the Chancellor’s Budget statement, but not...

I thought that I had made that clear in my speech, but I will try to give absolute clarity. Yes, we accept the increase in school spending and the capital spending pledge. We need more information about the time scale for the aspiration, although, of course, we support it. For...

I thought that I had made that clear in my speech, but I will try to give absolute clarity. Yes, we accept the increase in school spending and the capital spending pledge. We need more information about the time scale for the aspiration, although, of course, we support it. For...

Budget debate (third day): education and schools.

Budget debate (third day): education and schools.

Does the hon. Gentleman support specialist schools? Does he agree that they should have distinctive specialisms? Should they be able to select 10 per cent. of their pupils by aptitude in those specialisms? Can he explain to me the difference between the aptitude and the ability of pupils? That is...

Does the hon. Gentleman support specialist schools? Does he agree that they should have distinctive specialisms? Should they be able to select 10 per cent. of their pupils by aptitude in those specialisms? Can he explain to me the difference between the aptitude and the ability of pupils? That is...

Indeed. The regulations are extraordinary. As I understand it, the purpose of such an interview is for the parents to learn about the school, but the school is not supposed to learn about the parents.

Indeed. The regulations are extraordinary. As I understand it, the purpose of such an interview is for the parents to learn about the school, but the school is not supposed to learn about the parents.

I should like to make progress, as I want to consider two crucial concerns about the Bill. The first, which has been mentioned already, is what we might call the fragmentation concern—that the proposals in the Bill will lead to fragmentation and diversity, which will lead to inequity. That is...

I should like to make progress, as I want to consider two crucial concerns about the Bill. The first, which has been mentioned already, is what we might call the fragmentation concern—that the proposals in the Bill will lead to fragmentation and diversity, which will lead to inequity. That is...

Let me make progress on this very important point, because it matters enormously to us on the Conservative Benches. We do not believe that that old model is any longer a way in which people can credibly claim to deliver social justice. That is why the system needs to be...

Let me make progress on this very important point, because it matters enormously to us on the Conservative Benches. We do not believe that that old model is any longer a way in which people can credibly claim to deliver social justice. That is why the system needs to be...