Lords Amendment

Part of the debate – in the House of Lords at 6:00 pm on 23 July 2002.

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Photo of Baroness Blatch Baroness Blatch Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Lords 6:00, 23 July 2002

rose to move, as an amendment to the Motion, That this House do not insist on their Amendment No. 14 and do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 14A in lieu thereof, leave out from "No. 14" to end and insert ", do disagree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 14A in lieu thereof but do propose the following amendment in lieu of the Commons amendment—

14BPage 23, line 44, at end insert the following new Clause

"Control of regulation (No. 2)

(1) In relation to the conduct of education in schools and nursery schools, the Secretary of State, the National Assembly for Wales and local authorities shall have a duty to limit new regulation and to control the amount of material they send to governing bodies and head teachers.

(2) In pursuance of the duty in subsection (1) the Secretary of State shall in respect of each academic year—

(a) prepare a report listing—

(i) documents sent by him during the year to all governing bodies of maintained schools in England or to all head teachers of such schools,

(ii) documents (not falling within sub-paragraph (i)) sent by him during the year to all governing bodies of maintained schools in England of a particular kind or to all head teachers of such schools of a particular kind, and

(b) lay a copy of the report before each House of Parliament, and include within it comparative statistics in respect of each of the two preceding academic years on documents falling within this subsection sent out by him.

(3) In pursuit of the duty in subsection (1) the National Assembly for Wales shall in respect of each academic year prepare and publish a report listing—

(a) documents sent by the Assembly during the year to all governing bodies of maintained schools in Wales or to all head teachers of such schools,

(b) documents (not falling within paragraph (a)) sent by the Assembly during the year to all governing bodies of maintained schools in Wales of a particular kind or to all head teachers of such schools of a particular kind.

(4) The documents referred to in subsections (2) and (3) do not include any document sent by the Secretary of State or the National Assembly for Wales at the request of the person to whom it is sent.

(5) Each document issued by the Secretary of State or the National Assembly for Wales shall list within it previous relevant documents issued by the Secretary of State or the National Assembly for Wales and shall state clearly those documents which are superseded by the current document.

(6) Each document issued by the Secretary of. State or the National Assembly for Wales shall state clearly the persons for whom the advice and guidance is intended.

(7) The purpose of this section is to ensure that the volume of direction and guidance given by the Secretary of State and the National Assembly for Wales shall not interfere unduly with the professional judgement of teachers, nor impose on head teachers and governing bodies unreasonable burdens of compliance, and it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to have regard to this purpose in the preparation of documents to which this section applies.

(8) In this section "academic year" means a period beginning with 1st August and ending with the next 31st July.""