Two conversations have taken place in the last couple of days and it is clear that the Government Departments need to respond much more effectively than they are currently doing.

The first took place in Parliament on Friday when a written question that Sally-Ann Hart raised about the environment within our Nation focused on education was answered by a chap called Robin Walker who is the Minister for Education and also for Scotland. The question and answer are shown below and can be obtained from here.

The second theme took place in the North West TV programme that was set out this morning. A Labour Councillor and a Conservative MP spent a great deal of time arguing which was very disappointing and indeed the Green Councillor was much more credible. However towards the end of the programme thankfully the BBC released an interview with a chap called Zack Kerr who is campaigning for Changing Places Toilets for him and many other people he campaigns for. The response following the interview from the Conservative MP was that Zack should become an MP which of course would be fantastic, but what is needed is for their Government to pay attention now and start to significantly increase the number of Changing Place Toilets. The Labour Councillor was able to speak about the number of increases that their Council have provided over time. We now need the Government to do this across the whole Country and not wait until Zack is successful at becoming a local MP.

Sally-Ann Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of OCR’s proposal for a GCSE in natural history.

Robin Walker: It is vital that children are taught about environmental and sustainability issues, which is why these are covered in the science and geography curriculums. The department is exploring proposals for a new GCSE in natural history and has engaged with the examination board, OCR, on this matter. The department is carefully considering these proposals and will provide further details in due course.