Clause 18 - Governing bodies
Education Bill
9:15 pm
Mr Ivan Lewis (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Education and Skills; Bury South, Labour)
The hon. Gentleman made a fair point. However, companies do not get 10 per cent. less; they get nothing without making a 10 per cent. contribution. It would seem unlikely that a private sector company, which would have to consider its profit-making responsibilities, would want to go down that road.
It was suggested that companies may dispose of land and buildings if they were part of a federated structure—for example, if they decided to close the school—but current legislation prevents their doing so. It would not allow them simply to take the land and buildings and dispose of them as the hon. Gentleman suggested.