Education and Skills Bill
Nick Gibb (Shadow Minister, Children, Schools and Families; Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, Conservative)
I am delighted that there is consensus on the programme motion, because the purpose of these evidence sessions is, as the Modernisation Committee report said last year, to inform Members of an evidential basis to the Bill; and—this is a very important role of evidence sessions—to raise the reputation of Parliament amongst the public. This Select Committee-type style is part of that process. I think the Government agreeing to the list of witnesses proposed by the Opposition—the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives—is part of that process, and we are grateful that was done on this occasion.