Minister insists more students from disadvantaged backgrounds are going to university

The transport secretary has insisted that more students from disadvantaged backgrounds are going to university overall following controversy over the system for awarding A-level results this year.

Grant Shapps was asked on BBC Breakfast if he accepted that poor students had been hardest-hit by the moderation system after thousands of pupils had their teacher-assessed results downgraded.

Mr Shapps replied: “No, I think again you should go on the evidence here – that’s not been the upshot.

“I was having a look at the numbers and 18-year-olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds, on the basis of the exam results yesterday, 7.3 per cent more are going to university, have been accepted for university, than just last year.”

When asked whether he was discounting statistics indicating children from the most deprived areas were being affected the most by the results downgrade, the minister added: “I don’t [discount it], it’s just that I’m reading an actual statistic – 7.3 per cent more children from disadvantaged backgrounds, 18-year-olds, accepted to university this than last year, to which you’re coming back and saying I don’t agree with that, but you’re not providing me any numbers.”

Travel options running out for UK holidaymakers returning from France

Travel options are fast closing down and prices are going up as British tourists in France rush to return to the UK to beat the new quarantine deadline.

The UK government announced last night that a 14-day self-isolation would be mandatory for anyone arriving back from France, the Netherlands and Malta after 4am on Saturday morning.

All travellers returning to UK must complete passenger locator form, transport secretary says

The transport secretary has said it is important that all travellers returning to the UK complete a passenger locator form after France and other countries were added to the coronavirus quarantine list.

“What we have to do is provide clear guidance and, in this case, clear law in order to require people to quarantine,” Grant Shapps said.

“I just want to stress it is very important that people do quarantine.

“Everybody returning to the UK, no matter where from, doesn’t matter whether you’re in a travel corridor country or a quarantine country, must at this stage fill in a passenger locator form.”

Mr Shapps added: “That is the law and you may well find that people call up to check where you are, and you’ll be breaking the law if you were not quarantining, if that was a requirement for the country you’d come from.”

Government making ‘absolute mess’ of exams grading system, Labour’s deputy leader says

Labour’s deputy leader has criticised the government for making an “absolute mess” of school exams grading after about 40 per cent of teachers’ estimate grades were downgraded.

Angela Rayner told BBC Breakfast that the “only option” left for the government now was to U-turn, like the Scottish government, and go back to the original teacher-awarded grades.

“If you look at what’s happened over the last 24 hours, a lot of children who have worked incredibly hard have been devastated by a system that’s been completely flawed and has taken into account the school’s previous history rather than what that child’s been able to achieve this year,” Ms Rayner said.

“I think that’s devastating and there’s baked inequality in what’s happened.”

She added: “The government has to act very quickly on this. There’s a lot of young people out there that their life chances are determined by whether or not they’re able to get on and get into university or onto the course or the apprenticeship scheme that they want based on these grades.

“The government has made an absolute mess of it and they’ve known for months now that this was coming down the track.”

Fines for refusing to wear face masks to increase to £3,200 ahead of lockdown easing

Boris Johnson has announced people who repeatedly refuse to wear a face mask in mandatory settings will risk increased fines up to £3,200 ahead of a further easing of lockdown on Saturday.

Organisers of illegal raves will also face a maximum fine of £10,000 under tougher enforcement rules which are designed to slow the spread of the virus.

From 15 August, indoor theatre, music and other performing arts venues will be able to stage events with socially distanced audiences, while spectators will return to sports in selected pilot events.

UK travellers returning from France face quarantine after government places country on ‘no-go’ list

Hundreds of thousands of British tourists in France will be forced to follow strict quarantine restrictions when returning to the UK after a surge in coronavirus infections in the country.

France reported 2,669 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday – the highest figure since lockdown measures were eased – as officials warned the epidemic was “intensifying”.

Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said the Netherlands, Malta and Monaco would also be added to the quarantine list from 4am on Saturday.