Before my noble friend withdraws the amendment, given the objection to home-school contracts, or agreements, being a requisite for admission to a school, is there also an objection to their being a requirement for the continuance of an unruly child at school? I thought that was an entirely different proposition.

Before my noble friend withdraws the amendment, given the objection to home-school contracts, or agreements, being a requisite for admission to a school, is there also an objection to their being a requirement for the continuance of an unruly child at school? I thought that was an entirely different proposition.

I believe that that is precisely the case.

I believe that that is precisely the case.

That might happen through Connexions or through local authority B’s direct engagement with employers in its area, which might have nothing, as I said in response to the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, to do with the Connexions database. It could come through either route.

That might happen through Connexions or through local authority B’s direct engagement with employers in its area, which might have nothing, as I said in response to the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, to do with the Connexions database. It could come through either route.

I am grateful to the Minister for his answer. I thought that he was going to answer the noble Baroness, Lady Perry, in the next group, but he has done it in this group—that was a joke. I thank him for his answer to this group of amendments and, indeed,...

I am grateful to the Minister for his answer. I thought that he was going to answer the noble Baroness, Lady Perry, in the next group, but he has done it in this group—that was a joke. I thank him for his answer to this group of amendments and, indeed,...

I support the amendment proposed by the noble Baroness, Lady Verma. I also have an amendment on careers advice later in the Bill. What the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, has said is absolutely right; quite apart from what we are debating today, there are now so many different pathways that...

I support the amendment proposed by the noble Baroness, Lady Verma. I also have an amendment on careers advice later in the Bill. What the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, has said is absolutely right; quite apart from what we are debating today, there are now so many different pathways that...

I understand the noble Baroness's confusion. Like me, as a non-lawyer she might have thought that ““service provider”” in Clause 17(2)(b) might refer to a school. It does not. A ““service provider”” is defined in Clause 17(7), a huge subsection, which states: "““‘service provider’, in relation to a local education...

I understand the noble Baroness's confusion. Like me, as a non-lawyer she might have thought that ““service provider”” in Clause 17(2)(b) might refer to a school. It does not. A ““service provider”” is defined in Clause 17(7), a huge subsection, which states: "““‘service provider’, in relation to a local education...

I return to the point raised by the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, about the rights of employers to appeal against any enforcement action taken. That is the nub of the issue and will test whether a local authority is acting reasonably on a sound evidence base. The noble Lord, Lord...

I return to the point raised by the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, about the rights of employers to appeal against any enforcement action taken. That is the nub of the issue and will test whether a local authority is acting reasonably on a sound evidence base. The noble Lord, Lord...

I, too, am getting more and more puzzled by the minute, reading about the duty imposed in these clauses. The CBI has made it clear that its main worry is that employers will be put off by these differing arrangements, particularly those under Clauses 21 and 22. A particular concern...

I, too, am getting more and more puzzled by the minute, reading about the duty imposed in these clauses. The CBI has made it clear that its main worry is that employers will be put off by these differing arrangements, particularly those under Clauses 21 and 22. A particular concern...

I am grateful for those explanations. I shall bottle what the noble Lord said and distil it into an amendment on Report. What he said about how local authorities should behave is what I would like to see in the Bill. That would make the whole thing acceptable to me,...

I am grateful for those explanations. I shall bottle what the noble Lord said and distil it into an amendment on Report. What he said about how local authorities should behave is what I would like to see in the Bill. That would make the whole thing acceptable to me,...

Again, I seem to be holding the centre ground between two views put to me by noble Lords. The noble Baroness, Lady Morris, began by saying that we were in a potential police state, with people having powers to extract information, something which currently does not apply. I pointed out...

Again, I seem to be holding the centre ground between two views put to me by noble Lords. The noble Baroness, Lady Morris, began by saying that we were in a potential police state, with people having powers to extract information, something which currently does not apply. I pointed out...

Forgive me if I am being exceptionally thick, but how can they provide the information unless they access the database, which will include far more than they themselves know? Surely the database from which they will provide information to anybody else, as this clause requires them to do, will be...

Forgive me if I am being exceptionally thick, but how can they provide the information unless they access the database, which will include far more than they themselves know? Surely the database from which they will provide information to anybody else, as this clause requires them to do, will be...

We made this point at Second Reading and I think that it has been answered. There are people who just refuse to pay fines. If that carries on, is it still dealt with by the youth court or does there come a stage when the non-payment of fines is not...

We made this point at Second Reading and I think that it has been answered. There are people who just refuse to pay fines. If that carries on, is it still dealt with by the youth court or does there come a stage when the non-payment of fines is not...

No, these cases would always stay in the youth court and there is no question of any action leading to imprisonment. I need to make that absolutely clear. No process could be followed that could lead to a young person being imprisoned. We do not believe that Amendments Nos. 122...

No, these cases would always stay in the youth court and there is no question of any action leading to imprisonment. I need to make that absolutely clear. No process could be followed that could lead to a young person being imprisoned. We do not believe that Amendments Nos. 122...

Can the noble Lord assure us, either now or later, that convictions which are spent under the arrangements he has described are deleted from the national police database?

Can the noble Lord assure us, either now or later, that convictions which are spent under the arrangements he has described are deleted from the national police database?

I think I need to come back to the noble Lord on the precise issue. Only offences that are punishable by imprisonment or specified in regulations as recordable offences are automatically recorded on the national police computer. The offence in question under this Bill is not punishable by imprisonment and...

I think I need to come back to the noble Lord on the precise issue. Only offences that are punishable by imprisonment or specified in regulations as recordable offences are automatically recorded on the national police computer. The offence in question under this Bill is not punishable by imprisonment and...

I am a little worried by the word ““automatically””. The noble Lord has not said that it will not be included in the national database, but that it would not be automatically included. That leaves routes to include it.

I am a little worried by the word ““automatically””. The noble Lord has not said that it will not be included in the national database, but that it would not be automatically included. That leaves routes to include it.

It is precisely on that point that I will come back to the noble Lord. There are very limited circumstances in which such offences could conceivably be recorded on the police national computer. Even taking the tiny subset of cases that could end up in the youth courts with a...

It is precisely on that point that I will come back to the noble Lord. There are very limited circumstances in which such offences could conceivably be recorded on the police national computer. Even taking the tiny subset of cases that could end up in the youth courts with a...

I thank the Minister for his response, the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, for her support and my noble friends Lord Elton and Lord Lucas. I was reassured at one stage that young people could not be pursued in the adult courts and now I am not. But there we go....

I thank the Minister for his response, the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, for her support and my noble friends Lord Elton and Lord Lucas. I was reassured at one stage that young people could not be pursued in the adult courts and now I am not. But there we go....

I meant that, before resorting to exclusion, surely it would be reasonable to resort to getting the parents to agree to a contract or agreement that they will support the school’s discipline policy. That might adjust the behaviour of the child. I wanted reassurance that it is accepted, and that...

I meant that, before resorting to exclusion, surely it would be reasonable to resort to getting the parents to agree to a contract or agreement that they will support the school’s discipline policy. That might adjust the behaviour of the child. I wanted reassurance that it is accepted, and that...

moved Amendment No. 122: 122: Clause 39, page 21, line 7, leave out ““fulfil the duty imposed”” and insert ““participate in education or training as required”” The noble Baroness said: I shall speak also to the other amendments in my name in this group. Amendments Nos. 122 and 123 are...

moved Amendment No. 122: 122: Clause 39, page 21, line 7, leave out ““fulfil the duty imposed”” and insert ““participate in education or training as required”” The noble Baroness said: I shall speak also to the other amendments in my name in this group. Amendments Nos. 122 and 123 are...