Baroness Perry of Southwark: rose to call attention to the importance of teachers; and to move for Papers. My Lords, I am pleased to have the opportunity to explore the issues surrounding teachers and the teaching profession and to pay tribute to their importance to the happiness and prosperity of our country. I look forward very much to hearing the maiden speech of the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans and...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, it only remains for me to thank all noble Lords who have spoken in the debate. We have had a very high quality discussion and a most excellent maiden speech on which I congratulate the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of St Albans. There has been a remarkable unanimity of message from all speakers and I hope that the Minister has taken on board the concern that has been expressed...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Baker of Dorking for giving us the opportunity to debate higher education, as it has been one of the worst areas of government failure in the past three years. The country enjoyed seven years of unparalleled expansion of higher education during the John Major government, when the numbers of young people going forward into higher education...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the extension of compulsory powers for treatment to those suffering from personality disorder, which is proposed in the White Paper Reforming the Mental Health Act, will violate the human rights of those concerned.
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. I declare an interest as a non-executive director of Addenbrooke's NHS Trust and the chair of its mental health committee. What guidance does the Minister propose to offer to psychiatrists up and down the country, who, as I believe the Minister knows, currently are very worried, in relation to the diagnosis which they will be asked to carry out...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: asked Her Majesty's Government: What plans they have to resolve the shortage of teachers and the difficulty of recruiting suitable headteachers.
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that reply and I welcome the good news it contains. However, how do the Government intend to tackle the underlying problem of low morale among teachers? In recent years that has led to a 50 per cent increase in the numbers leaving the profession for other employment. Furthermore, two-thirds of all vacancies for headteachers in inner London alone have...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, like my noble friend Lady Blatch, I welcome many of the ideas in the Green Paper. The ideas of diversity and autonomy have long been at the heart of Conservative education policy. We must rejoice when the sinner repents, even if--as in this case--it is a rather late repentance in the life of this Parliament. Like the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, my concern relates to the 54 per cent...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the new Quality Assurance Agency rules will improve the quality of academic life in Britain's universities.
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, I thank the Minister for her reply, but is she aware of the burden which is placed upon universities, even under the new procedures, with 168 rules which they have to follow; nine codes of practice, and we are promised more to come; 22 subject bench-marks for student teaching and 20 more still to come? Those are specific burdens which universities are carrying which have little to...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, perhaps I may ask the right reverend Prelate a question for clarification about the rare cases of cathedrals which are also parish churches. I speak as a former rector's churchwarden of Southwark Cathedral. The constitution of that cathedral and of the other one, which is also a parish church, allows for two churchwardens. One can be appointed directly by the dean and the other is...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, I join with the Minister in commending Oxford on the excellent work that it has carried out in this respect. However, would the noble Baroness like also to commend Cambridge on its bursary scheme, which was actually introduced in 1988 and which will next year provide for students in hardship to receive up to £1,000 provided that they qualify for fee remission from their LEAs?...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the time is right for a review of the Church of England's exemption from the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Does she agree with her right honourable friend the Home Secretary that it is unacceptable that there should be discrimination against women in any part of British society? Is it not therefore unacceptable that women priests in the Church of England are subject to humiliating discrimination in their conditions of employment? Why is it still...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, does the Minister agree that although it is extremely welcome that the Government have conceded that their current system of student finance is simply not working, it is important that any system introduced in the future does not continue to discourage young people from poorer families, particularly those who constitute the first generation of their families to enter higher...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, I declare an interest. As had been made clear, I chaired the review of the Crown Appointments Commission. Our report was issued in May last year. I entirely support the remarks of the noble Lord, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, about the extremely odd situation in which the leaders of our Church are still chosen in great secrecy and by a programme that often seems to involve the Prime...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, it is, indeed, a pleasure to welcome the parts of the Bill on which there is obviously a great deal of consensus in the House. I know that the Government are working hard to raise standards in education and there is no question that their motives are laudable. Many aspects in the Bill command approval. I welcome the increased powers and functions of the General Teaching Council...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, does not the Minister agree that an incentive which is given permanently for the remainder of a teacher's career hardly guarantees that it will remain in 10 or 20 years' time?
Baroness Perry of Southwark: My Lords, does the Minister agree that schools have a tremendously important part to play in increasing understanding? Is he aware that many schools have initiated excellent programmes whereby children of Islamic faith are able to talk about their special festivals and tell other pupils about their faith? Does he agree that that underlines the importance of keeping our schools multi-faith and...
Baroness Perry of Southwark: I, too, have added my name to the amendments tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp of Guildford. However, I should also like to offer my strong support for the amendment moved by my noble friend Lady Blatch. I shall not repeat all the points made so strongly by both noble Baronesses, rather I wish simply to underline my particular concern that we should not create a two-tier system of...