My Lords, independent schools add greatly to their wider communities. They take the strain from the state sector through the willingness of parents to fund their children’s education, often at great personal cost. In many cases they offer a haven for children who struggle in large classes.

However laudable the Government’s...

My Lords, independent schools add greatly to their wider communities. They take the strain from the state sector through the willingness of parents to fund their children’s education, often at great personal cost. In many cases they offer a haven for children who struggle in large classes.

However laudable the Government’s...

My Lords, I am pleased that the Minister has been able to announce this concession, notwithstanding what I said on the last group, which still stands. The issue of fines has been a sore one, and not simply because noble Lords have sought to make life difficult for the Government;...

My Lords, I am pleased that the Minister has been able to announce this concession, notwithstanding what I said on the last group, which still stands. The issue of fines has been a sore one, and not simply because noble Lords have sought to make life difficult for the Government;...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for her answer, but I am deeply disappointed by it. I did not once say that local authorities should not have within their armoury sanctions or powers to use against people who fail to undertake education or training. I just simply do not buy...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for her answer, but I am deeply disappointed by it. I did not once say that local authorities should not have within their armoury sanctions or powers to use against people who fail to undertake education or training. I just simply do not buy...

My Lords, in Committee I expressed my enormous gratitude to the noble Lord, Lord Adonis, when he indicated that the Government had reconsidered these issues, so I warmly welcome the important concessions embodied in this vast group of amendments. Many barriers have been broken down, and there is now a...

My Lords, in Committee I expressed my enormous gratitude to the noble Lord, Lord Adonis, when he indicated that the Government had reconsidered these issues, so I warmly welcome the important concessions embodied in this vast group of amendments. Many barriers have been broken down, and there is now a...

moved Amendment No. 47: 47: Clause 45, page 25, line 27, leave out first ““an”” and insert ““a civil”” The noble Baroness said: My Lords, I shall speak also to Amendments Nos. 48 and 49, and will also speak in support of the amendments in the name of my noble...

moved Amendment No. 47: 47: Clause 45, page 25, line 27, leave out first ““an”” and insert ““a civil”” The noble Baroness said: My Lords, I shall speak also to Amendments Nos. 48 and 49, and will also speak in support of the amendments in the name of my noble...

I have some concerns about the amendment. The aim of the provision is, quite simply, to improve the behaviour of disruptive and unruly children. Pupils who misbehave in class, who lack discipline and who are disrespectful to their teachers and to other pupils cause disastrous disruption to the learning of...

I have some concerns about the amendment. The aim of the provision is, quite simply, to improve the behaviour of disruptive and unruly children. Pupils who misbehave in class, who lack discipline and who are disrespectful to their teachers and to other pupils cause disastrous disruption to the learning of...

I thank the Minister for his reply. Yet again we are asked to take what is going to be in guidance on trust, although I was pleased to hear that draft guidance is now available. It would be interesting to know when the Minister thinks that they may have consulted...

I thank the Minister for his reply. Yet again we are asked to take what is going to be in guidance on trust, although I was pleased to hear that draft guidance is now available. It would be interesting to know when the Minister thinks that they may have consulted...

moved Amendment No. 190: 190: Clause 66, page 38, line 18, leave out from ““manner”” to end of line 25 The noble Baroness said: I also speak to the other amendments in my name in this group. Clause 66 amends Part 7 of the Education Act 1997, which requires state...

moved Amendment No. 190: 190: Clause 66, page 38, line 18, leave out from ““manner”” to end of line 25 The noble Baroness said: I also speak to the other amendments in my name in this group. Clause 66 amends Part 7 of the Education Act 1997, which requires state...

I am sure that we all look forward to receiving it. Like the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, I circled the word ““may”” in proposed new subsection (5). I admit to being still somewhat at a loss as to why it is a duty to assess a young person with a...

I am sure that we all look forward to receiving it. Like the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, I circled the word ““may”” in proposed new subsection (5). I admit to being still somewhat at a loss as to why it is a duty to assess a young person with a...

Or Minister.

Or Minister.

moved Amendment No. 185: 185: Clause 65, page 36, line 16, leave out from ““if”” to ““believes”” in line 19 and insert ““— (a) a young person is on the special needs register of his school, and (b) the local authority in England in which the young person lives”” The...

moved Amendment No. 185: 185: Clause 65, page 36, line 16, leave out from ““if”” to ““believes”” in line 19 and insert ““— (a) a young person is on the special needs register of his school, and (b) the local authority in England in which the young person lives”” The...

I support the noble Baroness, Lady Howe, in all aspects of her amendment. On Second Reading I mentioned research carried out by the YWCA which showed that the three lowest-paid apprenticeships were filled almost entirely by women, while 99 per cent of the highest-paid apprenticeships were—surprise, surprise—filled by men. We...

I support the noble Baroness, Lady Howe, in all aspects of her amendment. On Second Reading I mentioned research carried out by the YWCA which showed that the three lowest-paid apprenticeships were filled almost entirely by women, while 99 per cent of the highest-paid apprenticeships were—surprise, surprise—filled by men. We...

I am grateful to the Minister for his reply. This has been a short but worthwhile debate in which many of us have aired our concerns and disagreements. I am sorry that I forgot to say when I spoke initially that I agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, about...

I am grateful to the Minister for his reply. This has been a short but worthwhile debate in which many of us have aired our concerns and disagreements. I am sorry that I forgot to say when I spoke initially that I agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, about...

I welcome the aspiration behind this amendment. As the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, rightly pointed out, children from the travelling community have considerable educational needs and will often require special help from their local education authority to realise their potential. The local education authority already has, as it has with...

I welcome the aspiration behind this amendment. As the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, rightly pointed out, children from the travelling community have considerable educational needs and will often require special help from their local education authority to realise their potential. The local education authority already has, as it has with...

I have great sympathy for the arguments articulated by my noble friends Lord Lucas and Lady Perry. The functions of the QCA should ultimately be to provide as efficient and effective a system as possible. I know from the backgrounds of my noble friends that they speak on this issue...

I have great sympathy for the arguments articulated by my noble friends Lord Lucas and Lady Perry. The functions of the QCA should ultimately be to provide as efficient and effective a system as possible. I know from the backgrounds of my noble friends that they speak on this issue...

I am afraid that I cannot support the noble Baroness’s amendment. Our education system is based on the principle that parents have the responsibility to make decisions for their children until those children reach the age of 16. It is they who decide what sort of school their children go...

I am afraid that I cannot support the noble Baroness’s amendment. Our education system is based on the principle that parents have the responsibility to make decisions for their children until those children reach the age of 16. It is they who decide what sort of school their children go...

I thank the Minister. I now realise that I spoke so succinctly that I completely omitted to mention leadership and management. However, I need not have worried as he is brilliant at answering my concerns and non-questions. I am very grateful to him for recognising the standard of leadership and...

I thank the Minister. I now realise that I spoke so succinctly that I completely omitted to mention leadership and management. However, I need not have worried as he is brilliant at answering my concerns and non-questions. I am very grateful to him for recognising the standard of leadership and...

Perhaps the Minister could write to me about those issues.

Perhaps the Minister could write to me about those issues.

This group of amendments and clause stand parts looks dauntingly large, but I will keep my comments as succinct as possible. I will speak to the group as a whole, because the real issue is that Part 4 as it stands diminishes the value of the Bill. I will not...

This group of amendments and clause stand parts looks dauntingly large, but I will keep my comments as succinct as possible. I will speak to the group as a whole, because the real issue is that Part 4 as it stands diminishes the value of the Bill. I will not...

I understand the sentiment articulated by my noble friend Lord Elton, which would allow pupils to participate in the exclusion process, because exclusions should be taken very seriously, and it is therefore right that the pupil is treated fairly. Therefore, I support part of the intention behind the amendments of...

I understand the sentiment articulated by my noble friend Lord Elton, which would allow pupils to participate in the exclusion process, because exclusions should be taken very seriously, and it is therefore right that the pupil is treated fairly. Therefore, I support part of the intention behind the amendments of...