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 am pleased to hear that the Labour Government have secured the future of Harrogate college. I also agree that it is vital that, as the workplace changes, people keep their skills up to date with lifelong learning, so it is essential that we protect and maintain adult education funding. I would like to hear from the M…”

“My hon. Friend is a great champion for her area and for rural communities. I agree that there are particular challenges for colleges seeking to deliver such a breadth of education and many different sorts of qualifications, and I know that the Government are looking at review and reform of that. Let me turn to T-levels…”

“I want to make some progress. There have been recent innovations in further education with the introduction of T-levels. As a member of the Public Accounts Committee, I contributed to the inquiry that found that T-levels are a great option for many students, and it would be great to see them rolled out further, but tha…”

“I agree. Closing the gap in pay will be vital, particularly if we look at vocational areas where industry salaries are higher. In construction, engineering and digital, FE teachers earn around 11% less on average than their peers who work in industry. Even when colleges do manage to recruit, they are quickly enticed ba…”

“I commend my hon. Friend for being such a champion for Bolsover and wanting to secure opportunities for her constituents to get the education that they deserve. I am sure that the Minister heard her words. By improving education across the board, including further education, we can increase social mobility and address …”

“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…”

“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…”

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

“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…”

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

“So you will be monitoring specifically and evaluating whether there is a change in terms of the outcomes and impacts?”

“I am interested in a couple of your high-profile projects that have been both behind schedule and—I was also going to say—somewhat over budget. Ottawa is £10 million over its £30 million original budget—that is a pretty significant percentage, with an overrun of a third on costs—and 18 months behind. The Washington emb…”

“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…”

“Or two—sooner rather than later! I went to Zimbabwe and there are some wonderful colonial heritage properties that have obviously been in the ownership of the British state for a very long time. How are you balancing the needs and deciding, in these big projects, between selling up some of what might appear to be herit…”

“And publishing?”