Engagements — House of Commons, 2018-06-06
Topic: Education
Questions: Mr Speaker, I know you are keen to learn more about blockchain, so I have written a paper on it for the think-tank Freer, to help inform the people of Bloxwich about the possible benefits of this technology. With some countries saving up to 2% of GDP by deploying this technology, will the Prime Minister commit to harnessing it to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of it as we forge a greater, global Britain?; The second of July marks the 90th anniversary of the passing of the equal franchise Act, when women won the same right to vote as men. To celebrate that, the Government have established the first National Democracy Week, which will take place that week. Will the Prime Minister personally support National Democracy Week and encourage all Members to get involved in it?; I would like to give the Prime Minister another chance to answer the question that she keeps avoiding. The Cabinet agreed to publish a Brexit White Paper ahead of this month’s crunch EU Council meeting, to allow the Government to negotiate. The Brexit Secretary said it would be “detailed, ambitious and precise”. Will she confirm whether the Brexit White Paper will be published before the EU Council meeting, or is she unable to negotiate for the UK because she is negotiating with her own Cabinet?; In the light of the publication of the Scottish National party’s latest independence blueprint, does the Prime Minister agree with the vast majority of Scots that this is not the time to drag us back to another decisive referendum on independence?; Together with my colleagues in the Democratic Unionist party and across all parties in Northern Ireland, I very much welcome the announcement yesterday by the Transport Secretary of Government support for a third runway at Heathrow. To secure additional jobs and business growth for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and to realise tourism potential, will the Prime Minister ensure that there is no undue delay in scheduling a vote on that important matter?; As my right hon. Friend is aware, this Government are investing more in national infrastructure than any previous Government, from HS2 to the new Lower Thames crossing. However, we must never forget the personal sacrifice that people are asked to make to allow these projects to progress. Will she therefore remind the various Government agencies involved that they have a duty of care to our constituents and that they should ensure that no one is materially disadvantaged or physically harmed in the name of investment?; Grimsby hospital has been forced to spend £50,000 not on patient care, but on fees for doctors’ visas. Of those visas, 85% have been rejected because of restrictions that the Prime Minister imposed as Home Secretary, preventing my local NHS from recruiting the doctors my constituents need. It is a waste of taxpayers’ money, and it is hitting patient care. When will she exempt NHS staff from the cap?; Some people holding taxpayer-funded jobs in the UK are paid disproportionate amounts relative to their roles. Some town council clerks earn up to £90,000 a year; chief executives of councils earn up to £250,000 a year; and we still have too many managers in the NHS earning up to £200,000 a year. Does the Prime Minister agree that it is important that we always ensure taxpayers’ money is spent responsibly and that this money would be better spent on our nurses, our police officers, our firefighters and our frontline services?; Last year, a quarter of young people thought about suicide, and one in nine attempted suicide. Young people are three times more likely to be lonely than older people. Knife crime is up, and gang crime is up. There are fewer opportunities for young people than ever before—68% of our youth services have been cut since 2010—with young people having nowhere to go, nothing to do and no one to speak to. Is it now time for a statutory youth service, and will the Prime Minister support my ten-minute rule Bill after Prime Minister’s questions?; The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has announced limits to the renewable heat incentive for large projects, which places in jeopardy the delivery of landmark renewable energy projects in strategically important industrial areas such as Grangemouth in my constituency, where the limit is inconsequential relative to the amount of heat energy required. What actions will the Prime Minister therefore take to ensure the future of the Grangemouth renewable energy project?; My constituent Giorgi is 10 years old. He was tragically orphaned in February. He has lived in Glasgow since he was three years old. His only language is English and he speaks it with the same accent as mine. Yet he now faces being deported to Georgia, his late mother’s country of birth, becoming another statistic who suffers at the hands of this Prime Minister’s hostile environment policy. Will the Prime Minister promise today that Giorgi will not, under any circumstances, be torn from his school friends in Glasgow and sent to a country that is entirely foreign to him?; I am sure that the Prime Minister will join me in congratulating my hon. Friends who are this week celebrating the first anniversary of our election.In December, the four remaining members of the Social Mobility Commission resigned, with the chair citing the Government’s inability to“devote the necessary energy and focus to the social mobility agenda”.Does the fact that several key roles on the commission were left unfilled for almost two years reflect this Government’s lack of commitment to achieving not just social mobility for the few but true social justice for the many?; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a condition that affects every part of an individual’s life, from their education and employment to their relationships and social life. Through the work of the all-party group on ADHD, which I chair, we know that the current diagnosis and treatment process is not fit for purpose. Data is not collected and there is a vast postcode lottery in waiting times. Will the Prime Minister commit to collecting and monitoring the data and to creating a process that puts the needs of people with ADHD first?
Laura Pidcock (Labour, Centre-left): Wolsingham school in my constituency has been forced to suspend its sixth form as the result of years of cuts to post-16 education by this ruthless Government and a national funding formula that discriminates against smaller rural communities and their schools. The Education Secretary has washed his hands of the issue. As a result, young people in my community will face four hours or more in journey time for their education. Wolsingham is the first to face this crisis, but sixth forms across the country will collapse under the current funding situation. Will the Prime Minister intervene to help our schools, and the broader network of sixth forms and sixth-form colleges?