Speeches by Dixon.

“I am certainly happy to commend the leader of my hon. Friend’s local IOT. I recognise the contribution that IOTs make to training the next generation in all sorts of careers; they prepare them for the demands of some highly skilled roles in defence. FE colleges are not just about supporting our young people; they also …”

“I entirely agree that the FE college apprenticeships—these other routes—are important for disadvantaged children. I will expand on that in a moment. I am delighted that this Labour Government are committed to equipping the workforce with the skills they need to rebuild Britain, including through the establishment of Sk…”

“I agree that we must open up access to education for all, including carers. Further education colleges require significant investment to upgrade and maintain their buildings and ensure that they can provide a modern learning environment and access to up-to-date technology. However, staff tell me that their ambitions fo…”

“I beg to move, That this House has considered Government support for further education institutions. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Christopher. Up and down the country, further education institutions are educating and training 1.6 million people, providing them with the skills they need. These col…”

“The hon. Gentleman makes an excellent point—I was about to come on to the pay gap between teachers in schools and those in further education colleges. Teachers in further education colleges earn an average of £8,000 a year less than schoolteachers. I was not aware of the gap with higher education, but it is clearly imp…”

“I will take the intervention from my hon. Friend the Member for Mid Sussex (Alison Bennett) first.”

“I thank the hon. Lady for making that point. It is important that the general funding available in education for those taking on disadvantaged students is reflected in things such as the pupil premium. FE certainly plays a huge role in widening participation of learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, such as by offeri…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for her excellent intervention, pointing out some of the cuts that her constituents are experiencing at the hands of the SNP Government in Scotland. It is incumbent on them to ensure that all children and adults have the opportunities to learn and continue to update their skills. In conclusion, I…”

“My hon. Friend is setting out, in a very eloquent way, the amazing work of the Labour Government. I am proud—I hope he agrees—of the previous Labour Government’s achievements in setting up and rolling out Sure Start. Independent research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies showed what amazing outcomes children had late…”

“Absolutely; it is vital that we get more capital as well as more revenue funding into FE.”

“I will give way first to the hon. Member for West Dorset (Edward Morello).”

“Does my hon. Friend agree that disabled people have been written off by the Conservatives for too long? They have not been given opportunities to access work and good jobs, and they have been blamed by the Conservatives, for the sake of cheap headlines. Does he also agree that the Labour Government’s proposed transform…”

“I think that is a common theme from a number of the projects that this Committee has looked into, such as HS2 and Sellafield, but we did have the benefit of going to Buckingham Palace and seeing its restoration and renewal project, which we were impressed with. Obviously, with heritage properties such as the one you de…”

“On mainstreaming women and girls, which has been a policy moving away from dedicated programmes, all the evidence is that it offers huge value for money to invest in development support specifically targeted at women and girls, and gender equality. How are you ensuring that, both now and through the cuts, you are going…”

“Older people and children are often overlooked in a lot of the development programmes.”

“I guess that is why we also need to invest in defence, to bring some security to the world—but we won’t go there. You have committed that you will publish the equality impact assessment, showing the impacts of the cuts on different protected groups. Will that include age and, in particular, children? I have received ev…”

“The basic point you started with is that the humanitarian need is overwhelming the global humanitarian response.”

“Sorry, but can you explain the acronym, for my benefit as well as the benefit of listeners?”

“I have a couple more quick questions. Humanitarian assistance is also a large proportion, and I am sure people will be highly supportive of that, given the many instances of humanitarian disasters around the world at the moment as a result of conflict, climate change and other impacts. How will you ensure that enough f…”

“I know that the Government and the Home Office are very focused on getting those costs down. What you are saying is that by changing the rules about the spender and saver of last resort, whatever the fluctuations over in the next few years in the Home Office costs, they are not going to impact the allocation. Presumabl…”