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Education and Inspections Bill

Local authorities already have that duty. The point made earlier was that a failure to promote community cohesion should be one of the reasons for referring a trust to the schools adjudicator. The Bill contains three such reasons, and I believe that it covers the waterfront in that respect. In no way do the proposals detract from local authorities’ responsibility to promote community cohesion and social inclusion. Finally, Government amendments Nos. 70 to 75 and 84 to 86 are purely drafting changes to ensure that all references in that part of the Bill are consistent. I have tried to do justice to the scope of the amendments in this important group. The changes we are making to define a strategic role for local authorities, to bring parents to the heart of the system and to encourage innovation and new providers are, as I have explained, central to our desire to improve outcomes for children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. We believe that the process of debate in which we have been engaged since the White Paper has strengthened our proposals. Our amendments on community schools and community cohesion represent further improvements, and I urge hon. Members on both sides of the House to accept them.