Record numbers of children will be taught in class sizes of 31 or more from September, following the coalition’s decision to ditch Labour’s class size limits. The Lib Dem spokesperson for children’s services in Newcastle said in The Guardian that

“schools should be allowed to raise the number of pupils in each class as they saw fit.”

Are we going to see a return to the bad old days of overcrowded classrooms under this Tory-Lib Dem Government?

Record numbers of children will be taught in class sizes of 31 or more from September, following the coalition’s decision to ditch Labour’s class size limits. The Lib Dem spokesperson for children’s services in Newcastle said in The Guardian that

“schools should be allowed to raise the number of pupils in each class as they saw fit.”

Are we going to see a return to the bad old days of overcrowded classrooms under this Tory-Lib Dem Government?

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to his Department's press release of 26 March 2013 on the allocation of EU structural funding across the UK, how much of that funding each English region will be allocated for 2014 to 2020; and how much...

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to his Department's press release of 26 March 2013 on the allocation of EU structural funding across the UK, how much of that funding each English region will be allocated for 2014 to 2020; and how much...

Further to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (Chi Onwurah), several of my constituents with desperately ill relatives are very angry about the Government referring to NICE a decision on the use of eculizumab. The continuing delay is risking lives and also means that people have several invasive treatments that could well cost more. To save space in the Minister’s diary, may I add a request to join the meeting with my hon. Friend to talk about how this dangerous delay is causing very great distress to many constituents?

Further to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central (Chi Onwurah), several of my constituents with desperately ill relatives are very angry about the Government referring to NICE a decision on the use of eculizumab. The continuing delay is risking lives and also means that people have several invasive treatments that could well cost more. To save space in the Minister’s diary, may I add a request to join the meeting with my hon. Friend to talk about how this dangerous delay is causing very great distress to many constituents?

This decision is taking too long, and those who care about the impact of smoking on children are at a loss to understand why. Given the U-turn on minimum alcohol pricing, the delaying of the sexual health strategy and, now, the stalling on standardised packaging, I must ask whether the Government have simply given up on public health.

This decision is taking too long, and those who care about the impact of smoking on children are at a loss to understand why. Given the U-turn on minimum alcohol pricing, the delaying of the sexual health strategy and, now, the stalling on standardised packaging, I must ask whether the Government have simply given up on public health.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 13 February 2013 from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North, on reductions to local government funding and arts venues in Newcastle.

[150366]

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 13 February 2013 from the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North, on reductions to local government funding and arts venues in Newcastle.

[150366]

Does the Attorney-General share my concern about the memo leaked by the CPS that showed there was a risk of CPS prosecutors deliberately choosing cases that were likely to crack because of lack of evidence, in order to save costs?

Does the Attorney-General share my concern about the memo leaked by the CPS that showed there was a risk of CPS prosecutors deliberately choosing cases that were likely to crack because of lack of evidence, in order to save costs?

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to publish his Department's summary report of responses to its consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products; and when he intends to bring forward any policy proposals arising from this consultation.

[148567]

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to publish his Department's summary report of responses to its consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products; and when he intends to bring forward any policy proposals arising from this consultation.

[148567]

A recent report by Shelter, “The Rent Trap”, shows that rents are rising across the country by an average of £300, but that people are struggling to pay them because of stagnating wages. Does the Minister accept that the housing shortage is putting up rents?

A recent report by Shelter, “The Rent Trap”, shows that rents are rising across the country by an average of £300, but that people are struggling to pay them because of stagnating wages. Does the Minister accept that the housing shortage is putting up rents?

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what strategy her Department has for economic development; and if she will make a statement.

[147435]

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what strategy her Department has for economic development; and if she will make a statement.

[147435]

The Chancellor boasts that all is going well for British business, but terrible figures out this morning show that manufacturing is down by 3% compared with last year’s figure. Business has lost all confidence to invest, so when will he pull his head out of the sand and see that his plan is clearly failing?

The Chancellor boasts that all is going well for British business, but terrible figures out this morning show that manufacturing is down by 3% compared with last year’s figure. Business has lost all confidence to invest, so when will he pull his head out of the sand and see that his plan is clearly failing?

Some 1,700 women in Newcastle will miss out on the single-tier pension, yet men born in the same period will qualify. Claiming that those women are better off because they are allowed to retire earlier is simply not good enough. If they are retired for 20 years, they could lose up to £38,000, which is well over twice what they would receive through benefiting from retiring earlier. What message does this send out to the hard-working women of Newcastle, many of whom celebrated not only mother’s day yesterday, but international women’s day on Friday?

Some 1,700 women in Newcastle will miss out on the single-tier pension, yet men born in the same period will qualify. Claiming that those women are better off because they are allowed to retire earlier is simply not good enough. If they are retired for 20 years, they could lose up to £38,000, which is well over twice what they would receive through benefiting from retiring earlier. What message does this send out to the hard-working women of Newcastle, many of whom celebrated not only mother’s day yesterday, but international women’s day on Friday?

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps HM Revenue and Customs is taking with the financial services industry to improve the operation of the R85 procedure allowing people who do not pay income tax to pay a lower rate on their savings.

[145987]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps HM Revenue and Customs is taking with the financial services industry to improve the operation of the R85 procedure allowing people who do not pay income tax to pay a lower rate on their savings.

[145987]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were employed in each HM Revenue and Customs office in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the number of staff employed in each such office in each of the next three years.

[144985]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were employed in each HM Revenue and Customs office in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the number of staff employed in each such office in each of the next three years.

[144985]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing an advanced ruling system for tax avoidance schemes.

[144797]

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing an advanced ruling system for tax avoidance schemes.

[144797]

Q8

.

[144293]

Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North) (Lab):

A vulnerable constituent of mine is near pension age and has lived in the same house his whole life. His parents have now died and he is willing to be re-housed but cannot find an alternative. He now faces homelessness because he simply cannot afford the Government’s bedroom tax. Can the Prime Minister explain why he has prioritised a tax cut for millionaires while devastating the lives of vulnerable people?

Q8

.

[144293]

Catherine McKinnell (Newcastle upon Tyne North) (Lab):

A vulnerable constituent of mine is near pension age and has lived in the same house his whole life. His parents have now died and he is willing to be re-housed but cannot find an alternative. He now faces homelessness because he simply cannot afford the Government’s bedroom tax. Can the Prime Minister explain why he has prioritised a tax cut for millionaires while devastating the lives of vulnerable people?