Clause 70
9:15 am
John Hayes (Shadow Minister, Innovation, Universities and Skills; South Holland and The Deepings, Conservative)
Once again, there are important questions to ask. The Young People’s Learning Agency will be required to prepare and consult on a policy statement which sets out the detail of its policy on its powers of intervention—the triggers for, and the nature of, such interventions. Having considered representations made during consultation, the YPLA must send a copy of the final policy statement for approval by the Secretary of State and then publish the approved statement. The YPLA must then have regard to the latest published statement when exercising its powers to intervene. Subsection (6) sets out the instances in which the YPLA has powers of intervention, which are set out in clause 64.
How long will it take for intervention to move from triggers, through consultation, to a final policy statement? If we are agreed on giving the YPLA powers of intervention, surely there is a premium on time to ensure that failing schools and educational institutions do not carry on failing their students. How in depth is the consultation likely to be? Who will be consulted and in what way? It is clear that the triggers for a failing school or institution are likely to be exceedingly complex, necessitating in-depth consultation.
What methods will the YPLA use to discern triggers? Does the Minister have specific agencies in mind? If an LEA that commissions education is failing and receives funding from the YPLA, there may be an incentive for it not to alert the YPLA to problems. After all, what authority would want to expose its own faults and weaknesses? I hope that the Minister will make clearer the purpose and practice of the clause by answering those few brief and, I hope, pertinent questions,