we know from the national audit office report just before from the national audit office reportjust beforening deficit budgets and that was just before the election. the government is taking £3 billion out of school budgets over this parliament and so we have reached the crunch point. the survey today shocked me. i know quite a lot about school funding, but i was shocked by just how about school funding, but i was shocked byjust how severe the consequences are by now. with respect to teaching unions, we have been listening to complain about the state of education from unions like the nut for years, haven't we? that is why unions exist, to highlight the problems, but why should we believe it is any worse now? you have also got the institute for fiscal studies and the national audit office, the government's own accountants, talking about the amount of money that is coming out of england's schools at the moment. as with the health service and social care and as the electorate we have to make a decision. we have. do we wa nt have to make a decision. we have. do we want to pay more taxes or cha

when you look at independent evidence from the national audit office, the national audit office saysing reduction in real terms on schools before 2020. the institute for fiscal studies produced a report last week to say six and a half percent reduction between now and the next general election. you're seeing all of those reductions in terms of hitting schools when there is no extra money coming in. cost pressures have shot up and employers contributions to pensions and national insurance have gone up. all pay rises have been underfunded, there is no money therefore general inflation. so the impact of that has been that cuts have to be made to schools, that means staff numbers are going down, schools are having to cut teachers. if you cut teachers you are cutting courses, examination courses for youngsters at 16 and 18. therefore reducing their subject options, the choices they are able to have. news coming in from the world of motorsport, john surtees the only man to win the formula 1 motorcycle grand prix title has died. he became the first british driver in 1964 to win the world ch

today, the national audit office say it's more than six in ten. believe efficiencies can be made without having to cut staff, without an impact on education. there was a time when we didn't have teaching assistants. yes, in years gone by we had one teacher to teach a class full of pupils but now we expect more from our education system and we're going to let a generation of pupils down if we don't provide this support for them. parents‘ expectations might be for more, but in terms of funding, the reality is less. head teachers will have to decide how they strike a balance. jayne mccubbin, bbc news. it's one of the most ambitious conservation projects of its kind in britain — and aims to save 20 species like these from extinction — creatures such as the black click beetle, the shrill carder bee and the chequered skipper butterfly. the back from the brink campaign is launched today — an £8 million scheme backed by the heritage lottery fund. and it's hoped thousands of people will volunteer to help. duncan kennedy reports. they're the most striking,

the claim's based on an analysis by the national audit office and conversations with seven serving ands. the armed forces are in the midst of a major upgrade. new aircraft carriers, planes and submarines on order. but all this now reportedly leaving a £10 billion hole in the defence ministry's budget. the report has come just as the defence secretary, sir michael fallon, holds talks here with his us counterpart, james mattis. the americans want all nato member states to have well funded defence budgets and therefore effective military forces. and there are now fears that the reported budget problem here could lead to cuts to the royal marines. and sir michael has not ruled this out. the royal navy is growing over all, growing by around 400, because the royal navy is getting new ships, new submarines, and then it is up to the first sea lord as to the number of sailors he has and royal marines he has. the estimated price tag for the royal navy's dreadnought submarines increased by £620 million between 2015 and 2016. the project will take several decades to complete. and the cost of the f

the prime minister is right then the parents and teachers are wrong, the iss is wrong, the national audit officeute is wrong and now the public accounts committee, which includes eight conservative members, is also wrong. so which organisation does back the prime minister's view on education spending in our schools? we said we would protect school funding and we have, real terms protection for the budget, and we have sent money to schools. she accused jeremy corbyn of demanding more spending. barely a pmqs goes by when he does not call for more public spending. when it comes to spending money they haven't got labour simply can't help themselves. same old labour, spend today and give someone else the bill tomorrow. we won't do that to the next generation. the government's been told there should be no more cuts in support for disabled people. the call came as mps held an emergency debate on changes to a disability benefit, the personal independence payment. ministers are seeking to overturn two tribunal rulings which would increase the number of people entitled to higher rates of the benefit. the

the claim's based on an analysis by the national audit office and conversations with seven serving andary says he accepts the budget is tight but no cuts have been signed off yet. richard galpin reports. the armed forces are in the midst of a major upgrade. new aircraft carriers, planes and submarines on order. but all this now reportedly leaving a £10 billion hole in a defence ministry's budget. the report has comejust defence ministry's budget. the report has come just as the defence secretary, sir michael fallon, holds talks here with his us counterpart, james matters. the americans want all nato member states to have well funded defence budgets and therefore effective military forces. and there are now fears that the reported budget problem here could lead to cuts to the royal marines. and my mac has not ruled this out. the royal navy is growing over all, growing by around 400, because the royal navy is getting new ships, new submarines, and then it is up to the first sea lord as to the number of sailors he has and royal marines he has. the estimated price tag for the royal navy's

. >> a national audit office report, massive government overspend on new preschool sites, the permit estimating it will spend the further 2.5 billion pounds on land for these schools, schools across my constituency are reporting chronic levels of underfunding. will the prime minister review the plans for these preschools and provide existing schools with what they need? >> i'm happy to say, in real terms. i understand she raises a concern about that but what we have seen through the program that has been continued under this government is to ensure we are creating more good school places across this country, that is what we want to do and what our policy will continue to do. >> thank you, mister speaker. i would like to join the private history and wishing way of a happy saint david's day. the state of wales has been working to send a message to the world that wales is one of the best places in the united kingdom to live, work, visit and trade with. does the prime minister agree russian interests must be at the heart of the united kingdom. in leaving the european union the future of

the claim's based on an analysis by the national audit office and conversations with seven serving and defence secretary says he accepts the budget is tight but no cuts have been finally decided. richard galpin reports. the armed forces are in the midst of a major upgrade. new aircraft carriers, planes and submarines on order. but all this now reportedly leaving a £10 billion hole in the defence ministry's budget. the report has come just as the defence secretary, sir michael fallon, holds talks here with his us counterpart, james mattis. the americans want all nato member states to have well funded defence budgets and therefore effective military forces. and there are now fears that the reported budget problem here could lead to cuts to the royal marines. and sir michael has not ruled this out. the royal navy is growing over all, growing by around 400, because the royal navy is getting new ships, new submarines, and then it is up to the first sea lord as to the number of sailors he has and royal marines he has. the estimated price tag for the royal navy's dreadnought submarines increa

announced £320 million to go to new free schools and within those new grammar schools, but the national audit officeion deficit, savings schools are going to have to make by 2020 across england. labour's point is that this looks like a nice little plump cherry on top of a cake that is ever dwindling and it simply won't do. they are against free schools and they say there are capacity problems in other schools that need hard cash and that hard cash is not forthcoming. y i think this announcement is important is not so much the size of the money offered, but theresa may is obviously sticking to their guns about more free schools and more grammar schools. for that they would have to overturn current legislation because labour introduced a law which said no new grammar schools could be created from 1997 onwards but when theresa may became prime minister she said she wanted to see more grammar schools tailored to the 21st—ce ntu ry grammar schools tailored to the 21st—century so much more emphasis on helping clever, bright children. there could be a new test which would stop middle—class families paying

seven years ago, three in ten secondary schools were in deficit in england, today, the national audit officed me they believe efficiencies can be made without having to cut staff, without an impact on education. there was a time when do we did not have teaching assistants, yes, in yea rs have teaching assistants, yes, in years gone by, one teacher to teach a class full of pupils but now we expect more from the education system, so we will let a generation of pupils there and if we do not provide the support for them. pa rents provide the support for them. parents expectations might be for more but in terms of funding, the reality is less. headteachers will have to decide how they strike a balance. ina in a moment we will have all of the business news. first, the latest headlines. the president of the european council, donald tusk, suggests a phased approach to brexit negotiations and says discussions about future trade relations can only begin after "sufficient progress" has been made on a separation deal. the chief executive of nhs england simon stevens, has warned that nhs waiting times wi

we'll start with that, a report a few weeks ago by the national audit office, the spending watchdog, head teachers have been complaining about the looming costs of running schools. they say that the amount of funding per child has been reduced. a report out a few weeks ago suggested that between now and 2020 the amount of money will be going down by 6.5% per pupil and the significance of all of this is that this is money towards buildings and school places. critics say there needs to be more money towards running costs but that money seems to not be forthcoming. for the moment, thank you. a british backpacker has been rescued by police officers in australia, after allegedly being held against her will for more than two months. she is said to have been raped and assaulted. the woman was rescued by police when they pulled over the vehicle she was driving and noticed she had serious injuries to herface. police say a man has been arrested. 0ur correspondent hywel griffith is in sydney. horrible story. what more can you tell us? yes, the police say that what this woman went through was ho

significantly increased and the government has been brought to task by its select committee and the national audit office same but the cost so far greater to employee staff and the worry about the increase in class sizes and the pressure on school leaders as people are going to start leaving the profession in greater numbers at the time when tensions on recruitment are critically important. if you get are critically important. if you get a great teacher in front of your child they will excel. we are cutting short the education of some of our pupils and short—changing them. cash flat in other words because the extra money you are getting is about keeping pace with the extra number of pupils you are taking in. to get back to the point people are interested in, talk to us about the practical impact in the schools you run. in the schools we run at the minute we have reserves that we are using at as peter was talking about earlier the reserves run out at one point so we are trying to protect as much as we possibly can but we are looking at some subjects where numbers are small and beginning to suggest that ma

a recent national audit office report exposed massive overspend on new free school sites, with the departmentd? i am happy to say to the honourable lady that we have protected the core schools budget in real terms. yes, we have had free school is, i understand that she raises a concern about that. what we have seen through the programme we have had free schools and academies that has been continued under this government is to ensure that we are creating more good school places across this country. that is what we want to do and that is what our policy will continue to do. thank you mr speaker, i would like tojoin the prime minister in wishing wales a happy said david‘s day. the secretary of state for wales has been working with collea g u es wales has been working with colleagues across government, sending out the message to the world this wales is one of the best places in the united kingdom to live, to work to visit and to trade work to visit in the united kingdom to live, to work to visit and to trade with. does the prime minister agree with me, that welsh interests must remain at the hear

minister is right, then the parents are wrong, the teachers are wrong, the iff is wrong, the national audit officerime minister's view on education spending in our schools?” minister's view on education spending in our schools? i would say to the right honourable gentleman that as i havejust to the right honourable gentleman that as i have just said to to the right honourable gentleman that as i havejust said to him, we said we would protect school funding, and we have. a real terms protection for the schools budget. we said we would protect the money following children into schools, and we have, it reaches £a2 billion as pupil numbers rise in 19/ 20. but it is also about the quality of education children are receiving. 1.8 million more children in good or outstanding schools than under the labour government. but i also say this, because time and time again, the gentleman stands up in pmqs and asks questions which would lead to more spending. let's look at what he has done recently. on the 11th of january, more spending. on the 8th of february, more spending. on the 22nd of february, more spending

over the next three years, we‘re expecting and we‘ve been told by the national audit office, that thererity subject, that would go. in my school, product design is strong, but in some schools, it is weak. therefore, if you cannot have a class with at least 15 children in because, not that many children want to do it, that subject will go. neil carmichael mp, just listening to that there, in your role, what is your reaction to what you‘re hearing? classes being dropped, you know, pupil numbers having to change because of of a lack of money? well, there are three things that are happening all at once which i think helps to make this a bigger problem. 0ne helps to make this a bigger problem. one is obviously we've got more children coming into the system. we have nine million children now, but soon there will be ten million and i think that's one of the drivers behind this particular problem. the second one, of course, is we're looking at the way in which schools are funded, that's sensible because some schools haven't been funded fairly for a while, but the national formula funding propos

now the national audit office say it's more than six in ten.ystem and we're going to let a generation of pupils down if we don't provide this support for them. parents' expectations might be for more, but in terms of funding, the reality is less. head teachers will have to decide how they strike a balance. jayne mccubbin, bbc news. tricky, isn't it? we are talking about one particular thing today. kindness. why? when you leave the house today you might find people being more generous and nicer to you, it is national kindness day, people have been getting in touch with us to tell us about what they have experienced. what have you got? alex said my eight—year—old daughter one easter eggs in the school raffle, she gave one away to her classmate that didn't win anything, a lovely thing to do, we are very proud. nancy was going to ben nevis, wanting to go to the summit, parked the car, didn't have money for the parking metre, asked for some change and two or three people helped her, paid her £5 and she got to the summitfor paid her £5 and she got to

mr speaker, the national audit office tell us that a very large number of new school places are neededing millions of vanity projects of grammar schools and free schools, whilst at the same time per pupilfunding schools, whilst at the same time per pupil funding is falling schools, whilst at the same time per pupilfunding is falling in real terms. it is time that this colossal waste of money was addressed. it is doing nothing to help the vast majority of children, doing not to help with soaring class sizes. that's what this country wants, not vanity projects from her government. it is no vanity project to want every child to have a good school place. the majority of free schools — the majority of free schools that have been opened, have been opened in areas where there is a need for school places and the majority have been opened actually in areas of disadvantage, where they are helping the very children we want to see get thep opportunity to get on in life. but i have to say to the right honourable gentleman, this is about afairer honourable gentleman, this is about a fairer society a

national recognition for his accomplishments. when he was elected, the state couldn't produce an audit and created the first state accounting office to focus on the timeliness and usefulness of financial information. technology and purchasing systems at the state level were old. under sonny's leadership, those systems were updated and the state purchasing system has received many awards for its efficiency and accountability. a new state data center was established and much of the appropriate technology was outsourced in order to stay current and technologically state of the art. we all know that technology at usda today is way behind the curve, it is inefficient and not farmer friendly. this will be a challenge to sonny, but i'm confident that he will be up to that challenge. one of sonny's most significant initiatives was the customer service focus tore seek and treat citizens of our state as customers and create services that were faster, friendlier and easier. that reduced the time and proved the customary experience from everything to getting a driver's license to getting a tax refund and produced a cultural change as state em