(This article originally appeared in the Times Red Box (paywall))

While the pressure from the international community has been intensifying on Myanmar, the border with Bangladesh remains a treacherous and congested route to safety for thousands of Rohingya fleeing for their lives.

As part of a week of social action with the Conservative Friends of Bangladesh, I have spent time with MPs and volunteers in and around the camps in Cox’s Bazar speaking to people who have been displaced from their burnt-out villages, aid workers and Bangladeshi government ministers.

One was a 60-year-old lady in Kutupalong refugee camp, holding her grandchild. Her son-in-law had been stabbed in front of them. Village children were beheaded. Other young boys had their genitals mutilated, suggesting that this was to stop the Rohingya population reproducing. In one of many health clinics at the camp, seeing an old man being treated for a deep gash, a young man was then brought in on a makeshift stretcher with blood pouring from his head. A family member told me that they were eating earlier that morning in Burma when they were attacked by men with axes and machetes. They escaped across the border and got treatment within hours at the camp.

Three days of solid rain have made the route across the border even more perilous. When we visited the Gundhum border area yesterday, 5,000 refugees were camping on a river bank in a designated “no man’s land” between Burma and Bangladesh, able to ford the river to get food. Arriving today after 24 hours of stormy weather, we saw a body being dragged out of the surging river which had risen by at least six feet.

A Bangladeshi soldier manning the border was frank, telling us how he had seen Burmese military digging there the previous week and drones being flown over the trees filming the refugees from the Burmese side. He had video of a lady who had lost her leg after stepping on a landmine four days before.

This is what the Bangladeshi authorities are having to deal with each day. Five thousand refugees are registering in Kutapalong every day. The Bangladeshi government has just allocated another 2,000 acres for the camp to expand. The area was so big, a lady with an ill four-year-old child was refusing to seek treatment because she was waiting for her husband who had gone to Cox’s Bazar to look for work. She feared that he would not be able to find them again in the sprawl.

There are 80,000 pregnant women in Cox’s Bazar and 13,000 orphans. Doctors said that they were treating mainly diarrhoea and malnutrition but saw several gunshot wounds. The authorities had taken to driving vans with loudhailers encouraging people to register so that they could get the help they needed. We saw makeshift camps that had become flooded. Even in the camps, 100 houses had been swept away in a landslide. As the forest is cut back further to provide more land for shelter, the bare earth is exposed to the heavy rain.

The authorities and NGOs are at breaking point but are working incredibly hard. They are reacting to a fast-moving situation with 420,000 refugees descending on a small, hard-pressed region. We saw the Union flag symbolising the contribution of UK Aid through the department for international development; the UN refugee agency, the International Organisation on Migrants; US Aid as well as support from Turkey and Saudi Arabia, all trying to cope with this man-made crisis exacerbated by terrible weather conditions.

Their worst-case scenario is that all 1.3 million Rohingya come over the border, the best is that the Burmese military stops its disproportionate response to attacks from the minority militant group ARSA and support those who have lived in Myanmar for generations. There may be some instances of civil uprising. If there is, no one with any value for life can think the answer is the mass eradication of a whole community through such barbaric methods.

Although the violence has escalated, this is not a new problem. Kutapalong has been a camp for displaced people for at least two decades. We did need to hear stronger words from Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma’s state counsellor, in her speech this week but she is also right that the country needs to be looked at as a whole.

Terrible crimes against humanity have occurred in nearly every state in Burma over the past seven decades and the peace process is having an effect in many parts. The country has just seen the first chink of light with a return to being part of the international community once more. Side-lining Ms Suu Kyi at this stage risks that light being extinguished and a return to full military rule with little reporting of the atrocities that will surely continue.

The commander in chief, General Min Aung Hlaing, is the man who can stop this today. I hope that Britain will take a lead on drawing international attention to him with a view to bringing this dark chapter of Burmese history to an end so that the Rohingya community can return to its safe homeland and Myanmar can continue its journey of development. Alongside this, we must remember the humanity and daily struggle of these victims on both sides of the border.

The result  of offering too many compromises with the EU is it will  make the Deal option less attractive than the No Deal Option. Paying large sums for a Free Trade deal makes no sense, when tariffs would  be a cheaper way where we can give the tariff money back to the UK consumers who paid it. Accepting EU control of our laws, trade policy, migration policy  and other matters after March 2019 means we don’t take back control.

The PM’s speech says considerably less than the versions of commentary that have been built on the back of it. She argues that we want as short a transition as possible, and says we need to  be able to run our own affairs from the moment we leave the EU. That is not the same as spending two more years in the EU and calling it transition.  She said “I dont  believe either the EU or the British people want the UK to stay longer in the existing structure than is necessary”, so lets get on with sorting everything out now. It need not be that difficult.

On money she says they might agree to stay in certain programmes where we would agree cash for benefits. I have  no problem with that, though there are no programmes which are a must as far as I am concerned, We can replicate the worthwhile ones for ourselves. She also reaffirmed we will “honour commitments we have made during the period of our membership” which some interpret to mean making  full contributions up to the end of the present 7 year budget cycle. There is no legal requirement to do that.

It is not possible to have a meaningful conversation about Transition or Interim arrangements without having a Deal agreed, or at least knowing the outlines of what the EU will offer and accept. I wish the PM well in her effort to get meaningful talks going. I am not persuaded that we owe them any money or that we want to stay in for moment longer than our legal requirement up to March 2019.

What the civil service have to grasp is there is no cliff edge. It is quite possible for the UK to have functioning borders and trade arrangements on March 2019 even with no deal. 160 other countries trade daily with the EU and most have no special Trade Agreement. The priority must be to get everything in order for 2019 exit. That will also strengthen our bargaining position for a better deal, showing we are ready and willing to just leave. The EU’s response to the speech shows that they will just go on  pushing for more and more money to make sure it is bad deal.

Adam Afriyie, the MP for Windsor, has welcomed the Prime Minister’s latest speech in Florence regarding the UK’s exit from the European Union.

In Florence today Theresa May reiterated the UK’s shared values with the rest of the Europe and continuing commitment to security, stability and prosperity. Her speech also proposed more details on the rights of EU citizen’s rights, a 2 year transition period and an ambitious co-operative partnership in economic and security matters.

This follows the 14 details position papers that the UK government has published fleshing out the details for a future relationship between the UK and the EU.

The MP for the Windsor constituency, Adam Afriyie welcomed the figures:

“Only a real ideologue, whether Europhile or Euroceptic, could possibly object to the Prime Minister’s speech today. She has reaffirmed our shared values with European countries and our commitment to security, prosperity and freedom.

“It lays out a great a sensible proposal that should give businesses that export into the Single Market and every EU citizen who lives in the UK the reassurance that our close relationship with the EU will  continue after Brexit. It’s a juxtaposition to Labour, who can’t even say whether they want to remain in the Single Market and Customs Union.

“The ball is now firmly in Michel Barnier’s court. And I very much hope that the EU negotiating team will welcome these proposals in a constructive manner.

“Conservatives and the country can unite behind the Prime Minister’s pragmatic, comprehensive and detailed proposals.”

ENDS

Note to editors

1. Adam Afriyie is the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Ghana.
2. He has a strong background in science, technology and innovation.
3. He is currently Chairman of the Fintech APPG, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) and President of the Conservative Technology Forum (CTF).
4. He was shadow Minister for Science from 2007-2010 and has a background in the information services and technology sector.
5. The Prime Minister’s speech can be read here.

It was a privilege to be involved in this year's Young Start Up Talent. I was really impressed with all the young people that entered and particularly those that made it through to the final round. The judges found it almost impossible to choose one winner from such a talented group. However, Jeremy Mutebi impressed [...]

The post Young Start Up Talent appeared first on Royston Smith - At the heart of Southampton.

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller met up recently with local “Ambassador” for Cancer Research UK, Effie Grant, for an update on how the charity is working to help prevent cancer.

Maria said: “I am very pleased to support Cancer Research UK’s work and particularly highlight how health awareness can help to prevent cancer related deaths. I was concerned to hear that the incidence of smoking is slightly higher in Basingstoke than the national average, including among young people aged 11 to 15.”

Response to Leeds City Council’s Position Statement on the examination of the Site Allocations Plan and the initial stages of the Selective Core Strategy Review.

On 20^th July 2017 I submitted the following Written Question to the Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government:

“To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms are available to his Department to require Leeds City Council to review its Local Plan to take into account the Council’s own downward revision of its housing target before it reaches public inquiry.”

The Minister of State Alok Sharma MP replied on 13^th September 2017:

“Under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), local planning authorities should ensure that any Plan they produce is based on adequate, up-to-date and relevant evidence. This is tested by the independent Planning Inspector, during the statutory examination of a Plan.

The 2017 White Paper: Fixing our broken housing market, also set out the scope of Government powers and criteria for making decision on whether to intervene in local plan-making in exceptional circumstances.”

It is my firm belief that Leeds City Council’s Local Plan, in its current form, is reliant on inadequate, out-of-date and irrelevant evidence. As this evidence is tested in the upcoming statutory examination I believe it will be difficult for the Council to carry on arguing that the plan is sound.

What is the effect of the selective review on the soundness of the SAP?

The Council’s response to this question attempts to dismiss the relevance of the selective review as “minor and broadly contextual” (a.1). However, initial findings of the review suggest that the figure required is between 45,000 and 55,000 (a 20 to 35 per cent reduction on this initial target).

Indeed, Councillor Peter Gruen, Chair of the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) Reference Group, confirmed in the Yorkshire Evening Post said initial conclusions of the technical work, which indicates that a revised housing need for Leeds was “in the region of 55,000 homes”.

I do not consider a reduction of the housing target by 20 to 35 per cent to be “minor” or “broadly contextual”. In fact the consequence of not reducing the housing target would be devastating to the greenbelt in my constituency.

The Council also indicates that its approach to the preparations of the selective review is to “commit to a review of the Core Strategy within three years of Adoption so as to reflect up-to-date housing and population projections” (a.4). It seems to me that undertaking a review is largely irrelevant if the authority is determined to ignore the outcome of the review or merely consider the results “contextual”.

What are the implications, if any, of proceeding with the SAP examination now that a selective review of the Core Strategy is underway?

If the selective review were to conclude that the annual housing requirement is lower going forward than set out in the adopted Core Strategy, is there potential that land may be released from the green belt through the SAP to meet the requirements of the adopted Core Strategy, that may not have been necessary had the selective review concluded first?

The implications of proceeding with the SAP examination now that a selective review is underway are stark: the unnecessary release of greenbelt land in the Outer North East Housing Market Characteristic Area (HMCA).

To achieve its current target the Council is proposing to remove the Grade II listed Parlington Estate (MX2-39) from greenbelt, whilst at the same time attempting to put rural land into the greenbelt. This is deeply questionable. What is the point of having greenbelt land if the Council then decides to shift it around to suit its self-imposed housing target?

If the selective review concludes that a much lower housing target is required but the current SAP has already been adopted, then the implication is that a Grade II listed site will have been removed from the greenbelt and built on unnecessarily.

The Council has suggested that the selective review could be delayed for a “number of reasons” (b.4), but does not explain what these reasons are. It strikes me that if the Council was determined to act upon the outcome of the selective review then it would make every effort to bring forward the conclusion of the review and set a rigorous work schedule. At present the Council has a mere “ambition” for examination during winter 2018 – to date I have seen no formal work schedule.

The Council makes reference to Government guidance on new methodology being a reason for delay (b.5). In the House of Commons on Thursday 14^th September the Secretary of State made the following statement introducing a third stage OAN assessment:

“That is why we have added a third stage of the assessment, which is to set a cap on the level of increase local authorities should plan for. If a local authority has an adopted plan that is less than five years old, the increase will be capped at 40% above the figure in the local plan. If the plan is not up to date then a cap above either the level in the plan or the ONS projected household growth for the area, whichever is the higher.

I believe this significantly impacts upon the Council’s housing target. Initial targets established by the Council aim to deliver circa 3,600 dwellings per year, whereas up-to-date ONS figures could suggest a revised figure circa 2,600 dwelling per year.

To quote the Minister of State: “Under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), local planning authorities should ensure that any Plan they produce is based on adequate, up-to-date and relevant evidence. I no longer believe the Council’s current housing target, on which the Site Allocations Plan is centred, is based on adequate, up-to-date and relevant evidence, and the implications for greenbelt in the Outer North EAST HMCA if not corrected will be irreversible.

The post Leeds’ Labour Council must stop the destruction of greenbelt appeared first on Alec Shelbrooke MP.

Yesterday, I joined Jo Coburn on the BBC’s Daily Politics to discuss putting optimism back into Brexit, Theresa May’s speech tomorrow and the future of the negotiations.

John Penrose takes part in the New Housing Design Debate and contributes his ideas on how the Government can fulfil its manifesto commitment to delivering high-quality, high-density living whilst preserving and even enhancing our country’s beautiful green spaces…

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed has continued to lobby Openreach regarding the delivery schedule for their commercial fibre broadband programme.

Following months of work, the MP has received assurances from the company that the provision of broadband remains their primary focus and that they are on target to roll out around Alnwick and Berwick, with 14,053 premises on target to have fibre services by the end of the year.

West Cornwall MP Derek Thomas joined dozens of local representatives from the  tourism and hospitality sector in taking up tech giant Google’s offer of free digital skills’ training earlier on Tuesday.

Google’s pop-up ‘Digital Garage’ took place at the Exchange Gallery on Tuesday, delivering workshops with a particular focus on helping tourism and hospitality businesses acquire the digital tools needed to attract even more visitors.

In partnership with Visit England, The British Hospitality Association, The National Coastal Tourism Academy and Ukinbound, Google has been touring the UK’s coastal towns to provide one-to-one free mentoring and workshops to anyone interested in learning or furthering their digital skills.

Mr Thomas said that upgrading these skills is vital if local businesses are to survive and flourish in the future.

“Recent research by the Social Market Foundation has found that in 85% of coastal areas people earned below the national average in 2016 which indicates that initiatives such as Google’s Digital Garage and the government’s Coastal Communities Fund programme are hugely important,” he said.

“The absence of good digital skills can be a real barrier to growth for some small businesses and this welcome visit from Google will help people enhance their skills and ensure that they remain competitive in a global marketplace.

“More than 50% of international visitors currently only visit London when they come to the UK and I am keen to see that West Cornwall gets a bigger share of this market.

“Travellers are becoming more and more digitally connected and so investing in digital skills will go a long way to helping us achieve this objective.”

The agency in charge of administering the public sector pensions of more than 500,000 Scots has celebrated 15 years in Tweedbank.

The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) administers the pensions of all Scottish public sector staff who work for the NHS, the police and fire service and teachers.

From their headquarters at Tweedbank, the SPPA pay out £2.5bn worth of pensions each year to around 190,000 pensioners.

The Political Studies Association’s annual post-16 Student Video Competition has returned for 2017.  Thinking about the theme, “Fake News - Is this the end of facts?”, the PSA want you to get together with your friends and classmates to shoot a four minute video addressing this contemporary media issue.  The submission deadline is 30 October 2017, with shortlisted teams presenting their video at Speaker’s House, the House of Commons.  Prizes include the opportunity to shadow the YouGov pol

Rt Hon David Evennett, MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford and Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury, paid a visit to Fantastic Lighting in Crayford yesterday afternoon (20 September).

Fantastic Lighting is a family-run business established in 1979, and since then they have been supplying Lighting Industry retailers across the UK. Their catalogue covers all aspects of Crystal lighting from contemporary to traditional.

West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has offered her support for a fund-raising campaign to erect a statue to commemorate the life of former Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin. read more »

Boris Johnson’s four thousand word article for the Daily Telegraph is an important statement of Government policy. Although it has caused a storm of excitement it is exactly what the approach to Brexit negotiations ought to be.

Leaving the European Union should not be viewed as a painful problem which a reluctant Government has to endure because the people demanded it. This is undoubtedly the view of some commentators, politicians and officials who strongly supported Remain. Some Government departments are institutionally cautious because of the challenges they face. The Home Office’s poor record on immigration over many years inevitably makes it worry that it will not be up to the job in March 2019. Amber Rudd, as Home Secretary, faces a real challenge of political leadership to ensure her sluggardly department is ready. Likewise the Treasury after making humiliatingly incorrect forecasts last year predicting a sharp downturn purely on the back of a vote to leave, is hoping events take a turn for the worse to burnish its tarnished reputation. Philip Hammond’s challenge is to guide his department to think of future opportunities not its past failures.

Fortunately, the opportunities are tremendous. Europe is economically the past. The growth in Emerging Markets shows where the future lies. Opening trade to the new giants will improve the standard of living of the poorest most as tariffs and protection hurt them particularly. Reforming VAT, a European tax, offers the chance to have a more logical system that could boost the economy and see rates fall in some areas. Locally the removal of some harmful agricultural regulations could both support the sector and make food cheaper. Boris outlined all these advantages and more. The Remainers were shocked that a Minister had a temerity to back Government policy and present it positively. The British people rejoiced.

I read with shock and sadness of the terror attack at Parsons Green and my heart goes out to each of the victims and their families. Whilst this attack took place in London we need to remain vigilant in all communities and so I will be speaking to Wiltshire Police to understand what plans they have in place to tackle terrorism here in the county and how they are adapting.

Michelle Donelan’s column in the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald

Last week I was honoured to be elected again by fellow MPs to the Education Select Committee. I came into politics with a passion for education and social mobility, ensuring that every child, no matter their ability, has the same opportunity to reach their potential and I am so pleased to be able to continue my work on this committee.

I have been privileged to have had the opportunity to visit every one of the schools here in the constituency in my first two years as MP and have continually been impressed with the innovative teaching, dedicated staff and constant drive for improvement I have seen.

Now in my second term representing the constituency, I am arranging to visit each school again, to hear first-hand about current projects, challenges and demands in the education sector and celebrate some of the fantastic achievements locally.

Keeping with the theme of education, this week I visited the The Safe Space in Chippenham, a fantastic facility dedicated to play therapy whose mission is to deliver ‘emotional healing through play’. A significant proportion of children who visit the centre have been referred by local schools and I heard inspirational stories of how children have increased their academic potential and attainment as a result of schools understanding the need for emotional support, alongside traditional teaching, for certain children to reach their potential.

I know a number of young adults across the constituency have just started or will be starting university, collage or an apprenticeship this month so I would like to take the chance to say good luck and I wish you all the best as you embark on the next stage of your life.

With Parliament in recess for the next few weeks I will be based in the constituency and will be out knocking on doors to hear the views and issues of as many people as possible.

I hope to see you on the doorstep, but if I do not and you would like to speak to me about anything at all then please email michelle.donelan.mp@parliament.uk or call my office on 01249 704465 and I would be happy to arrange a surgery appointment with you.

The post Safe Space is a fantastic place for children appeared first on Michelle Donelan MP.

Last week the Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening, confirmed that the government will be investing an additional £1.3billion in schools over the next two years, in addition to the spending commitments on education that had previously been announced. This means that there will be an increase in the funding that every pupil in every school will attract. It also means that per pupil funding for schools will maintained in real terms for the remaining two years of the government’s spending review period, as the transition is made to the new National Funding Formula for schools.

The National Funding Formula will come into effect in April next year, and is designed to make schools funding clearer and fairer, and remove the previous rules that led to schools in different parts of the country receiving different levels of funding, for no justifiable reason. The Department for Education has prepared an illustrative level of funding for schools in the Folkestone and Hythe constituency under the proposed National Funding Formula. This would see increases in funding for all local primary and secondary schools, with an average budget increase of 4.9% across schools in the constituency. I hope that these new figures will reassure schools and parents who had raised questions about the impact that the new schools funding formula would have on their children. Earlier in the year there was a considerable amount of speculation, based on made up figures, and before the consultation on the new funding formula had been completed, which suggested that there would be cuts in school’s budgets and per pupil funding. This was not what we wanted and is not what is being proposed by the Department for Education.

On Friday this week I will be meeting with the GP led South Kent Coast Clinical Commissioning Group to discuss their proposals to increase funding for practices in Folkestone, and for the arrangements they are looking to put in place to ensure that all patients have access to local GP services, following the closure of the Folkestone East Family Practice, in November. As I have stated before, and has also been made clear by the Health Secretary and the South Kent Coast CCG, proper access to local GP services has to be maintained for all residents. I will be updating my constituents on the latest situation following this meeting.

Last Sunday, I attended the annual Battle of Britain Sunday, memorial service at St Stephen’s church in Lympne. This year marks the 77^th anniversary of the battle, where in the skies above Kent, those brave few airmen fought to defend this country and protect the peace and liberty of all mankind from the tyranny of Nazism. I would like to thank the Royal Air Forces Association for organising this important and moving service. It was also excellent to see the service supported once again by the Folkestone RAF air cadets.

The post Extra Funding For Local Schools appeared first on Damian Collins.

Victoria at the drop-in event in Parliament.

Victoria Prentis MP has recognised the vital role that South East farmers are contributing to the economy, the countryside and food production as she pledged to Back British Farming at an event in Westminster this week.  

Farming in the South East contributes £880 million to the local economy and provides 47,246 jobs – this is on top of the safe, affordable food farmers produce and British countryside they maintain.

In addition to its role producing food, farming also supports the work of other industries, such as vets, solicitors, surveyors and feed merchants.

The event in Westminster was held by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) as a rallying call to MPs to support farming – during a particularly crucial period for British farming as the Brexit negotiations begin.

Victoria said: “There are so many worthy reasons to support British farmers. They are responsible for securing a British food supply, looking after our world-renowned countryside and sustaining a dynamic rural economy. That is why I am proud to wear the NFU’s Back British Farming pin badge in Parliament today.

As one of the sectors that will be most affected by Britain’s withdrawal from the EU, it is critical that we create the right regulatory environment to ensure our farmers can continue to provide the safe and affordable food that the public trust and demand.”

If you would like to find out more about how you can Back British Farming, you can join thousands of supporters of the National Farmers’ Union campaign here.

Jonathan recently joined members of the Sealed Knot Society at an event in Huntingdon town centre to mark the 375th anniversary of the start of the English Civil War.

On Friday, I met with pupils from Esher High School to discuss their campaign to lower the voting age to 16. Saher and Lauren (pictured below) gave a great presentation, powerfully and eloquently making their case.

I remain to be convinced that lowering the voting age is the right thing to do, mainly because I believe that – in general – there is a significant difference in both maturity and experience as between 16 and 18 years old. That said, Saher and Lauren gave me plenty of food for thought, and I enjoyed hearing about their campaign. It’s great to see more and more young people in Elmbridge taking an active interest in politics. We took some time to discus the role of an MP and government Ministers – and I was really impressed with their knowledge and enthusiasm.

Many residents have recently rightly raised concerns about anti-social behaviour incidents and drug use in Ripley Town Centre. So, I’ve set up a public meeting for residents to attend and discuss their concerns with the relevant local agencies, including the local police, Councils, councillors, housing associations and charities.

The meeting will take place at All Saints’ Church off Church Street in Ripley on Monday 25^th September 2017 from 7pm to 8pm, and I hope as many residents as possible can come to hear what’s being done to try and solve the issues, and ask questions about what else we can do.

If you need any further details or have any questions about the event, you can ring my office on 01773 744341 or email nigel.mills.mp@parliament.uk

Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps met with organisers of Welwyn Garden City’s centenary celebrations to see how plans for a carnival were progressing.

The carnival will form one of 14 signature events as part of the 100^th anniversary of WGC in 2020, with this event expected to be the largest. A mixture of entertainment activities will be held, and there will be a procession of floats. The carnival will finish in the evening with a family concert in Stanborough Park.

Grant said: “Plans for WGC’s centenary celebrations in 2020 are well underway and it was great to get an update from organisers on how the carnival is shaping up. This will be a fantastic family event with lots of fun activities to celebrate 100 years since the founding of Welwyn Garden City.

“As well as the carnival, there will be many other events taking place around the city so I encourage everyone in WGC to join in with the celebrations!”

Madeleine Clark, Carnival Event Leader, said: “2020 is going to be a wonderful year for everyone who lives and works in Welwyn Garden City. Along with the other events planned for the year, the Carnival will bring together all the community groups from across the town, celebrating our shared history and centenary. The Carnival team are thrilled that Grant has given his support and look forward to working with him whilst we prepare Welwyn Garden City for a wonderful family day out!”

East Riding schools are set to benefit from a new National Funding Formula (NFF) in 2018 after years of campaigning by local MP, Graham Stuart. Graham founded the national Fair School Funding Campaign and organised a long series of Parliamentary events, debates, meetings and photo calls to highlight the issue and pressure the Government into action. He has worked closely with local heads and the East Riding Council to demand a fairer system. The formula, which will come into effect from 2018, will give every local school a cash boost and provide a more transparent system for educational funding.

The Department for Education have said that every school will benefit from the new formula. Had the NFF been in place for the 2017/18 academic year, schools across Beverley and Holderness would have seen a 4.9% increase in their income on average.

While the NFF will give specific assistance to schools and pupils in deprived areas, the funding is designed to help every single schoolchild. Particularly important is the introduction of a minimum spend of £4,800 per child in secondary schools in 2019-20, and £3,500 in all primary schools. This would mean more than 10% extra cash for the three most deprived primary schools in the area, for example.

Graham Stuart said: “I am delighted that all schools and every pupil in Beverley and Holderness will benefit from the new National Funding Formula – a campaign that I have worked on for many years. For too long, some areas have received an unfair share of the education budget, and it is welcome that the Government is continuing to redress the balance.

“The previous broken system meant the ten best-funded areas of England received an average of £6,300 per pupil of schools block funding, compared to just £4,200 in the ten worst-funded areas.

“Having campaigned at length for better funding in our schools, I am therefore pleased we are getting a more transparent, fairer, and more generous deal for our pupils. Coming after the Secretary of State’s promise of an extra £1.3bn being invested into schools over the next two years, this new formula promises more vital money and better resources for our teachers and pupils in the years to come.”

As former Chair of the Education Select Committee and Vice Chairman of the f40 Group for under-funded educational authorities, Graham has been an ardent champion of fair investment in schools. He founded and led the Parliamentary Fair School Funding Campaign and helped to persuade the Government in 2014 to give an additional £390 million to schools of which the East Riding received £1.8 million.

In 2015 Graham’s campaign helped persuade the Government to introduce a new national funding formula, another important milestone on the road to ensuring children in Beverley and Holderness were funded properly. Previously the East Riding has consistently featured amongst the worst-funded authorities across the country.