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Education and Skills Bill

It has been a fascinating five months as this Bill has hurtled its way through the House. I would like to add my thanks to the Clerks and officials and to the two Chairmen who chaired our proceedings, the hon. Member for City of York (Hugh Bayley) and my hon. Friend the Member for Buckingham (John Bercow). I would particularly like to thank my hon. Friends the Members for Broxbourne (Mr. Walker) and for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald), whose dogged pursuit of literacy and numeracy as the key to raising participation rates had an important and powerful influence on the Committee. I would also like to thank the two Ministers for the courtesy that they showed throughout the Committee. Finally, I would like to thank my hon. Friend the Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr. Hayes) for sharing the burden of scrutinising the Bill and for his erudition and knowledge of William Morris during the Bill's passage through Committee.