Clause 5
Education and Inspections Bill
10:30 am
Sarah Teather (Shadow Secretary of State for Education and Skills, Education & Skills; Brent East, Liberal Democrat)
In responding to the Conservative amendments, I note that the answer to the question whether all schools need a SIP depends, as we discussed during the last Committee sitting, on whether its role is to be a critical friend offering advice and support or to be the heavy hand of Whitehall—or perhaps I should say the heavy hand of the local education authority.
During the holidays, the Department issued new guidance on schools causing concern. The guidance, although relevant to amendments Nos. 46 to 60, is predicated on the discussion that we are having now. I should like to place on record my irritation that it was not sent to Committee members before or even immediately after it was issued in the press. We have come to expect things to be floated in The Times before being sent to most Members of Parliament, but we had a right to expect the guidance to be sent to the Committee during the holidays. As far as I am aware, it was not sent to any Committee members, although it was e-mailed to directors of children’s services.
I hope that that will not be a pattern for the rest of Committee consideration. The Government will inevitably issue a variety of guidance, and the Committee has a right to scrutinise and discuss it at the appropriate time. It would have been particularly helpful if we had received this before we began clause 5. It is of some concern that we did not and I should like to place that on the record. May I ask you, Mr. Chope, to request that the Government do not do this in future?