Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: My Lords, I agree with much of the core business of the Bill. However, I should add that I agree with the main range of points made in the speeches of the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mackay, the noble Lords, Lord Lester and Lord Baker, and the noble Baroness, Lady D'Souza. I begin by asking for the indulgence—and possibly the forgiveness—of the right reverend Prelates who are normally in...
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: My Lords, I wish to support the remarks that have just been made. I have had experience of the very high quality work that can be found in special schools. I stress the point made about the variety of needs. The implication is that provision will be in small pockets, whether in individual schools or across the country. Therefore, the logistics of a very sensible policy of inclusion where...
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: My Lords, I do not feel that I can support either this amendment or the suggestion at this point that the Select Committee should be involved in the appointment of the chief inspector. I can think of many good reasons for involving parliamentary committees in major public appointments but, to put it in terms, I would not start here. If this were a general provision regarding appointments, it...
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: My Lords, I do not need to repeat comments that I made in Committee, because the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp, has done that well and succinctly. I wish to add a further comment. This clause refers to the duties of the Chief Inspector. In the process of keeping the Secretary of State informed, a list is provided. A large part of that list properly concerns the outcomes of education and the kind...
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: My Lords, I simply want to reassure the Minister that he was not listening in vain and his response has not been in vain. The amendment is helpful, and we appreciate it very much.
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: My Lords, I support the three amendments, to which my name is attached, and pay tribute to the willingness of the Government and the chief inspector to be available for discussion before this debate. Things have moved on, as the character of the amendments suggests. None the less it is important that the amendments were tabled, because ultimately all three relate to the quality of inspectors....
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Whitty on 19 January (WA 116), in the event that operators of installations currently using reprocessed fuel oil switch to a non-waste alternative fuel, whether the residual used oil will be disposed of in an environmentally acceptable way.
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: asked Her Majesty's Government: How much virgin fuel oil is saved in the United Kingdom by the use of reprocessed fuel oil.
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: moved Amendment No. 147: Page 54, line 15, at end insert— "( ) The Chief Inspector shall agree with the Chief Executive of the Quality Assurance Agency the pattern and form of inspection appropriate for such courses."
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: I say at the outset that I welcome the opportunity that this part of the Bill gives schools to extend their provision towards higher and further education. However, if the provision to be made is genuinely at the higher and possibly tertiary level, the patterns of inspection should be appropriate to that. Thus, I believe that there is a need to seek an agreement between HMCI and the Quality...
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: I thank the noble Baroness for her helpful reply, although there is still a question of quite how the QAA will be involved. I would hate a situation to develop where personalities made it difficult. At the moment that would not be the case, and the advantage of having something either written down or on the record is that personalities would have to overcome any such risks. However, I shall...
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: The noble Baroness is doubly kind to the Cross-Benchers. I must support the line offered by the noble Lord, Lord Dearing, in support of the Government, by sharing my experience of having to declare the first "failing school" in England. In that school there was, effectively, a collusion of ignorance and lack of aspiration between the local authority, the school and those who were responsible...
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: I speak in support of these amendments for two reasons: first, the set of arguments already given in support of them; but, secondly—a point made earlier in debate from all sides of the Chamber—the Bill seems to be moving in the direction of downgrading the involvement of both parents and governors in how schools are run. There may well be practical problems about organising parents'...
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: asked Her Majesty's Government: How much oil is reprocessed in the United Kingdom; and for what end uses.
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: asked Her Majesty's Government: What are the consequences for the environment of the restrictions placed upon the use of reprocessed fuel oil by the European Waste Incineration Directive.
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has carried out an environmental impact assessment of the consequences of stopping the reprocessing of used oils.
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: Before the Minister sits down, I want to add that as a former chief inspector I have much sympathy with the Government's position. The reservations expressed would be more easily allayed if a strong appeals procedure were established.
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: I support the amendment. I was interested to hear the right reverend Prelate premise part of the practical proposals on an assumption that confidentiality would be kept by the diocesan board and offices. I shall go home to read more Trollope and reconsider whether I should send the right reverend Prelate a volume or two. That said, I support this amendment, particularly its ecumenical nature....
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: In speaking to Amendment No. 49 in this group, I pray in aid the support of my absent colleague, the noble Lord, Lord Dearing, who would wish to make some points that I shall try to describe. Amendment No. 49 follows others in this group in seeking a fair and clear appeals procedure and we support the thrust of them. This amendment takes on board the difficulty of encapsulating all that...
Lord Sutherland of Houndwood: I want to make three points about Amendment No. 39. First, I support the thrust and intention of the amendments grouped with mine. I spoke about that at Second Reading, so I shall not repeat my arguments about the importance of the parents' role in the process. I noticed in passing, with some wry amusement, that the noble Lord, Lord Hunt of Kings Heath, managed to identify a school that has...