Contributions
1,058 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Eleventh sitting)My hon. Friend makes a really important point. The focus here has been on where it goes wrong, but actually, in the vast majority of cases, local authorities are collaborating…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Eleventh sitting)The right hon. Gentleman is perhaps questioning the very long-standing process—it has been in existence for quite some time—for the role of the adjudicator in making these…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Eleventh sitting)Does the right hon. Gentleman mind if I just finish? It may answer his question. In the instances I just described, the powers in the clause provide a direct route for an…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Eleventh sitting)It is the local authority that has the responsibility to agree published admission numbers with the schools in its area. [ Official Report, 3 March 2025; Vol. 763, c. 4WC.]…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Eleventh sitting)I apologise, but I still do not see the relevance to how an adjudicator could open a new school. I am more than happy to write to the hon. Gentleman after I have considered the…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Eleventh sitting)I thank the right hon. Gentleman for that clarification. It is not that the adjudicator makes the decision about whether to open a new school, which is how the question was…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Eleventh sitting)I will have to take away that question, and I am happy to write to the right hon. Gentleman with a response. Obviously, the adjudicator currently has a role in certain cases—for…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Eleventh sitting)Adjudicators’ decisions are legally binding and publicly available. Ultimately, adjudicators are appointed by the Secretary of State, who is accountable for those decisions. That…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Eleventh sitting)I appreciate that the hon. Lady refers to a real potential scenario, although I would certainly put it in the hypothetical category at this stage. The Office of the Schools…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Twelfth sitting)I thank the hon. Member for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston for tabling amendment 85. When a local authority thinks that a new school is needed in its area, it will be required to…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Twelfth sitting)Clause 52 requires local authorities to publish proposals when they want to open a new maintained nursery school. It also sets out the circumstances in which local authorities or…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Twelfth sitting)Clause 56 contains a provision for the Secretary of State to make changes consequential on the provisions of the Bill to other legislation, as well as to existing primary…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Twelfth sitting)Well—yeah.06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Twelfth sitting)I will respond initially to the question raised by the hon. Member for—06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Twelfth sitting)On clause 56, it is always possible that necessary changes to legislation might be identified through a Bill’s passage. As I said, it is therefore prudent to have a failsafe…06 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Tenth sitting)Clause 42 will ensure that all mainstream and special state schools are subject to the same regulatory requirements and safeguards when directing pupils off site to improve their…04 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Tenth sitting)Let me be clear: I have not referred to any academy leaders or professionals in our education system as expressing views that are hysterical. I have referred to hon. Members, and…04 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Tenth sitting)Where to start? I guess I should start by responding to the fundamental question that I think hon. Members are asking: what problem are we trying to solve? Fundamentally,…04 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Tenth sitting)Is the hon. Gentleman aware that 48% of schools are local authority-maintained schools? He seems to be denigrating their entire modus operandi in his characterisation of the way…04 Feb 2025HANSARDChildren's Wellbeing and Schools Bill (Tenth sitting)The right hon. Gentleman asks about a very specific example. I am happy to take it away. The issue of complaints is generally important. The Department is looking at where…04 Feb 2025