Clause 18 - Governing bodies
Education Bill
8:00 pm
Mr Ivan Lewis (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Education and Skills; Bury South, Labour)
The safeguards to which I referred should reassure the hon. Lady, but there is another safeguard that should also address her concern. The procedures of the House make it clear that if an Act further provides that an instrument is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House, any Member may move a prayer to annul the instrument, or to prevent it from coming into force, within 40 days. Hon. Members may use that opportunity if they have further concerns about the regulations.
There will always be a valid debate about the appropriate balance for prescribing detail in primary legislation, secondary legislation and guidance. We have proposed a package of safeguards and measures that will move school governance arrangements forward in as consensual a way as possible and, most importantly, provide flexibility at local level to enable schools to make governance arrangements that are appropriate to their needs.