Clause 31
Education and Inspections Bill
2:45 pm
John Hayes (Shadow Minister (Vocational Education), Education; South Holland and The Deepings, Conservative)
In essence, our amendments deal with who might serve and who might be disqualified from service on a trust. The Minister presented a draft schedule listing the individuals who may not act or continue to act as a charity trustee. The amendments would specify those individuals in the Bill, making it crystal clear who should be disqualified. There are important differences between the draft schedule and the amendments. The amendments would disqualify someone liable to be detained under the Mental Health Act 1983, whereas the draft schedule would disqualify only someone who was detained under that Act. We have in mind someone who is in the process of being detained or someone who is unfit for other reasons.
We have to be very careful about who serves on the charitable trusts. That point was made by Liberal Members. I understand their concern about inappropriate people being part of that process. I am sure that hon. Members on both sides of the Committee share that concern. In this respect, we might find common cause with Liberal Members—but I imagine that I am about to be disabused of my happy thought.