B

Baroness Laing of Elderslie (Con)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 25 November 2025

Debate

Schools: Funding

Contribution

I thank the Minister for responding to my Question, but I am not quite sure about the Answer because, sadly, the facts do not support the Government’s rather spiteful ideology in this matter. The imposition of VAT on school fees means that thousands of hard-working parents who previously invested money in their children’s education, and therefore in the education system as a whole, now cannot afford to, so thousands of children have transferred from private schools to state schools. I am baffled by the statistics that the Minister mentioned, because we know that private schools are closing and that children are moving from private schools to state schools. Is it not the case that while the Government might well be raking in more money in VAT, local education authorities have to bear the cost of educating thousands more children? In spite of what the Minister has said, is it not the case that the Government are not investing in education but taking money out of the education system?

More from Baroness Laing of Elderslie (Con)

Other recent Hansard contributions by the same speaker.

About Hansard

Hansard is the official verbatim record of proceedings in the UK Parliament. Every word spoken in the Commons and Lords is recorded and published — this page is a single contribution from that record.

Partner sites