Primary education is fundamental to ensuring every child receives the best possible start in life. The primary assessment and accountability system plays an important role in ensuring that every child, no matter what their background or where they go to school, benefits from a high-quality primary education
Nothing would please me more than for the United Kingdom and the European Union to reach a final lasting deal which is to the mutual benefit of both parties to these talks.
Diabetes is a leading cause of premature mortality. With over 22,000 additional deaths each year, it doubles an individual’s risk of cardiovascular disease and costs over £10 billion every year to manage.
I put my name to the two amendments moved by Neil Parish which would have added special and specific mandates above and beyond the already existing high standards that exist in food production and import
This is a difficult time for people across the country, and I am extremely grateful to everyone who has been following government guidance by staying alert and keeping socially distant to slow the spread of the virus and reduce pressure on the NHS frontline.
This is the biggest public health emergency in a generation. I am encouraged by the clear commitment to supporting people, with unprecedented packages of support rolled out for businesses and individuals alike. I also welcome that additional support is being provided through the welfare system, representing an injection of over £6.5 billion.
The decision to leave the European Union has created an historic opportunity to deliver a Green Brexit, where environmental standards are not only maintained but enhanced.
I regret the commercial decisions that BA have announced, not least because the airline was benefiting from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which was not designed to fund the wages of employees only for companies to put the same staff on notice of redundancy during the furlough period.
It is deeply troubling that the treatment of those accused of theft based on evidence from the Horizon IT system. I do not underestimate the stress this has caused to many affected by the long-running case, and from my time as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee I remember how easy it is for massive technical systems to go wrong.
