On Estimates Day last week, Kevan drew attention to the decline in capital funding for schools in County Durham.
Kevan outlined that, since 2010, County Durham has not seen one single new capital build project that was not already agreed under the last Labour Government. This is despite a backlog of repairs and capital funding of £125 million. To add insult to injury, the council was told in 2010 that it would not be getting any funding to meet its basic capital funding needs.
Across the county, no matter how many times the Prime Minister says that austerity is finished, at the chalkface in classrooms, teachers and headteachers are struggling to manage budgets. Education is a fundamental right for individuals in this country. We all benefit from it and, if we want a strong society and a prosperous economy, we need to invest in it.