House of Commons Public Bill Committee Proceedings

House of Commons

Session 2008 - 09
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Other Bills before Parliament

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 26 March 2009
121

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

(e)
a member of staff of a designated person;

(f)
a person providing services to any person within paragraphs (a) to (c).

(4)
The persons within this subsection are—

(a)
a local education authority in England;

(b)
a person providing services to a local education authority in England in

its capacity as such.

(5)
In subsections (1) and (2), “relevant function” means—

(a)
any function of the Chief Executive,

(b)
any function of the Young People’s Learning Agency for England, or

(c)
any function conferred on a local education authority in England in its

capacity as such,


other than a function under this section.

(6)
In this section—

“the Chief Executive” means the Chief Executive of Skills Funding;

“designated person” means a person by whom any function of the Chief

Executive is exercisable by virtue of section 79(1);

“member of staff of a designated person” means a person—

(a)
appointed by a designated person to assist the designated person

in connection with the performance of any function exercisable

by the designated person by virtue of section 79(1), or

(b)
exercising any function of the Chief Executive by virtue of

section 79(4);

“member of the Chief Executive’s staff” means—

(c)
a member of the Chief Executive’s staff appointed by the Chief

Executive under paragraph 3 of Schedule 4, or

(d)
a member of staff provided to the Chief Executive by the

Secretary of State under arrangements under paragraph 5 of that

Schedule.

(7)
Nothing in this section—

(a)
affects any power to disclose information that exists apart from this

section, or

(b)
authorises the disclosure of any information in contravention of any

provision made by or under any Act which prevents disclosure of the

information.’.

Surrender of recognition

Jim Knight

Mr Siôn Simon

Added  NC23

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
A recognised body may give notice to Ofqual that it wishes to cease to be

recognised in respect of the award or authentication of a specified qualification or

description of qualification.

(2)
As soon as reasonably practicable after receipt of a notice under subsection (1)

Ofqual must give notice to the recognised body of the date on which the body is

to cease to be recognised in the respect in question (“the surrender date”).

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 26 March 2009
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Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

(3)
In deciding the surrender date Ofqual must have regard to the need to avoid

prejudicing persons who are seeking, or might reasonably be expected to seek, to

obtain the qualification, or a qualification of the description, specified in the

notice under subsection (1).

(4)
Ofqual may make saving or transitional provision in connection with a recognised

body ceasing to be recognised in any respect by virtue of this section.’.

Duty not to impose or maintain unnecessary burdens

Jim Knight

Mr Siôn Simon

Added  NC24

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
Ofqual must keep its regulatory functions under review.

(2)
Ofqual must secure that in performing any of its regulatory functions it does

not—

(a)
impose burdens which it considers to be unnecessary, or

(b)
maintain burdens which it considers to have become unnecessary.

(3)
Subsection (2) does not require the removal of a burden which has become

unnecessary where its removal would, having regard to all the circumstances, be

impracticable or disproportionate.

(4)
Ofqual must publish a statement setting out—

(a)
what it proposes to do pursuant to subsections (1) and (2) in the period to

which the statement relates,

(b)
(except in the case of the first statement published under this section)

what it has done pursuant to subsections (1) and (2) since the previous

statement was published under this section, and

(c)
where a burden which has become unnecessary is maintained pursuant to

subsection (3), the reasons why the removal of the burden would, having

regard to all the circumstances, be impracticable or disproportionate.

(5)
The first statement published under this section—

(a)
must be published as soon as reasonably practicable after the

commencement of section 124, and

(b)
is to be a statement for the period of 12 months beginning with the day of

its publication.

(6)
A subsequent statement published under this section—

(a)
must be published during the period to which the previous statement

related or as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of that period,

and

(b)
must be a statement for the period of 12 months beginning with the end

of the period to which the previous statement related.

(7)
Ofqual must, in performing any of its regulatory functions during a period for

which a statement is in force under this section, have regard to the statement.

(8)
In this section “regulatory function” has the same meaning as in the Legislative

and Regulatory Reform Act 2006 (c. 51) (see section 32 of that Act).’.

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 26 March 2009
123

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

Parental complaints: law of defamation

Jim Knight

Mr Siôn Simon

Added  NC25

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
For the purposes of the law of defamation the following are absolutely

privileged—

(a)
the publication of any matter in communications between a governing

body and a Local Commissioner, or any person discharging or assisting

in the discharge of a function of a Local Commissioner, for the purposes

of this Chapter;

(b)
the publication of any matter by a Local Commissioner or by any person

discharging or assisting in the discharge of a function of a Local

Commissioner, in communicating for the purposes of this Chapter with a

person mentioned in subsection (2);

(c)
the publication of any matter in preparing, making and sending a

statement in accordance with section 199;

(d)
the publication of any matter by inclusion in an adverse findings notice

published in accordance with section 200(3), (4) and (5) or (6);

(e)
the publication of any matter by inclusion in a statement or summary

published or supplied under section 201;

(f)
the publication of any matter contained in a report by a Local

Commissioner which has been made available to the public, being

publication by inclusion in a report made or published under section 204.

(2)
The persons mentioned in subsection (1)(b) are—

(a)
the governing body;

(b)
the complainant (or, if the complainant is the pupil, a parent of the

complainant);

(c)
Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and

Skills;

(d)
the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration;

(e)
a local education authority (within the meaning given by section 12 of the

Education Act 1996 (c. 56));

(f)
the Secretary of State.’.

Parental complaints: consultation with Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration

Jim Knight

Mr Siôn Simon

Added  NC26

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
Subsection (2) applies if, at any stage in the course of an investigation under this

Chapter, a Local Commissioner forms the opinion that the matters which are the

subject of the investigation include a matter which could be the subject of an

investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration in

accordance with the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 (c. 13) (“the 1967

Act”).

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 26 March 2009
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Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

(2)
The Local Commissioner—

(a)
must consult the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration about

the matter; and

(b)
where a complaint was made about the matter must, if the Local

Commissioner considers it necessary, inform the complainant of the

steps necessary to initiate a complaint under the 1967 Act.

(3)
Consultation under subsection (2)(a) in relation to a matter under investigation

under this Chapter may be about anything relating to the matter, including—

(a)
the conduct of any investigation into the matter; and

(b)
the form, content and publication of any report or statement of the result

of such an investigation.

(4)
Subsection (5) applies if, at any stage in the course of conducting an investigation

under the 1967 Act, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration forms

the opinion that the complaint relates partly to a matter which could be the subject

of an investigation under this Chapter.

(5)
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration—

(a)
must consult the appropriate Local Commissioner about the complaint;

and

(b)
where the Parliamentary Commissioner considers it necessary, must

inform the person initiating the complaint of the steps necessary to

initiate a complaint under this Chapter.

(6)
Where a Local Commissioner is consulted about a complaint under the 1967 Act

by virtue of subsection (5), subsection (3) applies (with the necessary

modifications) as it applies in relation to consultations held by virtue of

subsection (2).

(7)
Section 11(2) of the 1967 Act (secrecy) does not apply in relation to the

disclosure of information in the course of consultations held in accordance with

this section.’

Parental complaints: arrangements etc. to be made by Commission

Jim Knight

Mr Siôn Simon

Added  NC27

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
The Commission for Local Administration in England (“the Commission”)

must—

(a)
divide the matters which may be investigated under this Chapter into

such categories as it considers appropriate; and

(b)
allocate, or make arrangements for allocating, responsibility for each

category of matter to one or more of the Local Commissioners.

(2)
The Commission—

(a)
must make arrangements for Local Commissioners to deal with matters

for which they do not have responsibility pursuant to subsection (1); and

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 26 March 2009
125

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

(b)
must publish information about the procedures for making complaints

under this Chapter.’.

Recoupment

Jim Knight

Mr Siôn Simon

Not selected  NC28

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
This section applies in relation to the following cases—

(a)
the YPLA secures the provision of education under section 63 in respect

of a person who belongs to the area of a local education authority in

England or Wales (“the home authority”);

(b)
a local education authority in England or Wales (“the providing

authority”) secures the provision of education within section 63(1) or (3)

in respect of a person who belongs to the area of a local education

authority in England.

(2)
Regulations made by the appropriate national authority may make provision—

(a)
in relation to cases within subsection (1)(a), requiring or authorising the

payment of an amount by the home authority to the YPLA;

(b)
in relation to cases within subsection (1)(b), requiring or authorising the

payment of an amount by the YPLA to the providing authority.

(3)
The amounts that may be required or authorised to be paid are such sums in

respect of amounts described in the regulations as may be—

(a)
agreed between the YPLA and the local education authority in question,

or

(b)
failing agreement, determined in accordance with the regulations.

(4)
The regulations may provide for the amounts payable—

(a)
to reflect the whole or any part of the average costs incurred by local

education authorities in the provision of education (whether in England

and Wales as a whole or in any particular area or areas), and

(b)
to be based on figures for average costs determined by such body or

bodies representing local education authorities, or on such other figures

relating to costs so incurred, as the appropriate national authority thinks

appropriate.

(5)
Regulations made under this section by the Welsh Ministers may provide that, in

cases specified in or determined in accordance with the regulations, the amounts

payable are to be determined by the Welsh Ministers with the consent of the

Secretary of State.

(6)
In a case where the providing authority is a local education authority in Wales, a

dispute between the providing authority and the YPLA as to whether the

providing authority is entitled to be paid an amount by the YPLA under the

regulations is to be determined by the Welsh Ministers with the consent of the

Secretary of State.

(7)
“The appropriate national authority” means—

(a)
in relation to a case where the providing authority is a local education

authority in Wales, the Welsh Ministers;

Public Bill Committee Proceedings: 26 March 2009
126

Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, continued

(b)
in relation to any other case, the Secretary of State.’.

Free school meals

Mr David Laws

Stephen Williams

Annette Brooke

Withdrawn  NC1

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
A local education authority may provide registered students at—

(a)
a sixth form college, or

(b)
a further education college,


who are over compulsory school age, but under 19, with lunches.

(2)
Where provision is made under subsection (1) it shall be made in a case within

paragraph (a) or (b) of that subsection, either on the college premises or at any

other place where education is being provided.

(3)
A local education authority shall exercise its power under subsection (1) to

provide college lunches for any person if—

(a)
any prescribed requirements are met,

(b)
a request for the provision of college lunches has been made by or on

behalf of that person to the authority, and

(c)
either—

(i)
that person is eligible for free lunches (as defined by section

512ZB (4) of the Education Act 1996, or

(ii)
in the case of a person within subsection (1) (a), it would not be

unreasonable for the authority to provide the lunches.

(4)
Where the local education authority provides lunch in accordance with subsection

(3) to a person who is eligible for free lunches, the authority shall provide the

meal free of charge.’.

Further provision about transport policy statements

Mr David Laws

Stephen Williams

Annette Brooke

Not called  NC2

To move the following Clause:—

‘(1)
In section 509AB of the Education Act 1996 (c. 56) omit subsection (3)(d) and

insert after subsection (7)—