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Column 151

Martlew, Eric

Meacher, Michael

Meale, Alan

Michie, Bill (Sheffield Heeley)

Milburn, Alan

Miller, Andrew

Moonie, Dr Lewis

Morgan, Rhodri

Morley, Elliot

Morris, Rt Hon A. (Wy'nshawe)

Morris, Estelle (B'ham Yardley)

Morris, Rt Hon J. (Aberavon)

Mowlam, Marjorie

Mudie, George

Mullin, Chris

Murphy, Paul

Oakes, Rt Hon Gordon

O'Brien, Michael (N W'kshire)

O'Brien, William (Normanton)

O'Hara, Edward

Olner, William

Orme, Rt Hon Stanley

Patchett, Terry

Pickthall, Colin

Pike, Peter L.

Pope, Greg

Powell, Ray (Ogmore)

Prentice, Ms Bridget (Lew'm E)

Prescott, John

Primarolo, Dawn

Purchase, Ken

Quin, Ms Joyce

Radice, Giles

Randall, Stuart

Raynsford, Nick

Redmond, Martin

Reid, Dr John

Rendel, David

Robertson, George (Hamilton)

Robinson, Geoffrey (Co'try NW)

Roche, Mrs. Barbara

Rogers, Allan

Rooker, Jeff

Rooney, Terry

Ross, Ernie (Dundee W)

Rowlands, Ted

Ruddock, Joan

Sedgemore, Brian

Sheerman, Barry

Sheldon, Rt Hon Robert

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Column 152

Short, Clare

Simpson, Alan

Skinner, Dennis

Smith, Andrew (Oxford E)

Smith, C. (Isl'ton S & F'sbury)

Smith, Rt Hon John (M'kl'ds E)

Smith, Llew (Blaenau Gwent)

Snape, Peter

Spearing, Nigel

Spellar, John

Steel, Rt Hon Sir David

Steinberg, Gerry

Stevenson, George

Stott, Roger

Strang, Dr. Gavin

Straw, Jack

Taylor, Mrs Ann (Dewsbury)

Tipping, Paddy

Turner, Dennis

Tyler, Paul

Vaz, Keith

Walker, Rt Hon Sir Harold

Walley, Joan

Wardell, Gareth (Gower)

Wareing, Robert N

Watson, Mike

Wicks, Malcolm

Williams, Rt Hon Alan (Sw'n W)

Williams, Alan W (Carmarthen)

Wilson, Brian

Winnick, David

Worthington, Tony

Wray, Jimmy

Wright, Dr Tony

Young, David (Bolton SE)

Tellers for the Noes :

Mr. Eric Illsley and

Mr. Jack Thompson.

Question accordingly agreed to.

Subsequent Lords amendments agreed to, some with Special Entry.

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Column 153

Lords amendment : No. 334, after clause 227, insert new clause-- Temporary procedure for making certain orders

(".--(1) Where this section applies in relation to any proposals by theSecretary of State to make an order under section 3(4) or 4(2)(a) or (b) ofthe Education Reform Act 1988 (orders relating to foundation subjects,key stages and attainment targets), or regulations under section 17 of thatAct (exceptions from National Curriculum)-- (a the Secretary of State shall make such arrangements forconsultation about the proposals as he considers appropriate,and (b sections 20 and 21 of that Act (procedure for representations inrelation to England and Wales) shall not apply. (2) Where, at any time after the commencement of this section andbefore 1st September 1996, the Secretary of State proposes to make suchan order or such regulations, this section applies in relation to theproposals unless, at any time before the commencement of this section--

(a they were referred under section 20(2) of that Act, or (b notice of them was given under section 21(2) of that Act. (3) Where the Secretary of State proposes, at any time on or after 1stSeptember 1996, to make such an order or such regulations, this sectionapplies in relation to the proposals if arrangements under this section forconsultation about the proposals were made before that date.") 11.45 pm

Mr. Win Griffiths : I beg to move amendment (a) to the Lords amendment, in line 12, leave out

after the commencement of this section and before 1st September 1996'

and insert

during the temporary procedure period'.

Mr. Deputy Speaker : With this we may also discuss amendments (a) to (d) to the Lords amendment and the consequential amendment, Lords amendment No. 335, Lords amendment No. 336 and amendment (a), Lords amendments Nos. 337 to 341, No. 384, 479 to 486, 488, 504, 528, 529, 534, 535, 549 and 580.

Mr. Griffiths : We shall obviously have to be brief to give the Government a chance to respond to the debate on the amendment. The amendment is important because in the Bill the Government propose to reduce the period of three years during which statutory consultation is required on changes in the national curriculum. They argue for that reduction on the grounds that the Dearing review, which is non-statutory consultation, will produce a consensus which will make it unnecessary to go through the two- stage process of consultation under sections 20 and 21 of the 1988 Act.

We believe that, however well Sir Ron Dearing carries out the review, there can be no guarantee that his proposals will represent a consensus of the views delivered to him, nor can we guarantee that the Government will accept all that comes out of his review. Therefore, we feel that it is not wise to allow a three-year period in which the level of consultation will be reduced. We support the Lords in their proposal that the fixed period for reduced consultation should be covered by a one-year term to August 1994. That one-year term will be renewable for two further one-year terms by affirmative order. The reduced consultation should be covered by parliamentary scrutiny.

We are also worried because sections 20 and 21 of the 1988 Act mainly cover subject orders. The Dearing review deals with not only subjects in the national curriculum but matters of assessment. Those matters are too important to be left to a reduced consultation period. We accept that

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