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Education and Skills Bill

I suspect that is the case, but I will confirm the precise position in correspondence. Returning to Clause 10, following an intervention to an intervention, the noble Lord, Lord Dearing, and I discussed this issue with Peers at the open meeting on the Bill a week ago. I explained to the noble Lord, but I say again for the record, that the duties in Clause 10 range far more widely than those in respect of the funding that will be transferred from the Learning and Skills Council to local authorities, under legislation likely to come forward in the next Session. Local authorities have a wide range of other duties, including the provision of support services, targeted services for vulnerable groups, and the sort of training and education opportunities that we discussed earlier in our proceedings. These range far more widely than the direct funding of 16 to 18 education, which will be transferred to them under the legislation expected in the next Session. Clause 10 is a flexible clause, which takes account of that. It says: "““A local education authority in England must ensure that its functions are (so far as they are capable of being so exercised) exercised so as to promote the effective participation in education or training of persons belonging to its area””." That duty will also apply to functions as they are extended by future legislation. Therefore, it is absolutely appropriate that this clause should be in the Bill. Its practical impact will increase as the tools available to local authorities to promote participation increase with forthcoming legislation. We entirely agree with the intention of Amendment No. 67 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Sharp. I join her in paying tribute to TreeHouse, an organisation which I know well, which does outstanding work with autistic children. However, it is not necessary to add to Clause 12 an explicit reference to those with special educational needs. The provisions in the Bill to raise the participation age are intended to ensure that all young people have the opportunity to participate and achieve. Ensuring that the most vulnerable are not left behind is one of the key motivations of this legislation. Children with SEN are fully encompassed in Clause 12. I do not think that the noble Baroness spoke to her Amendment No. 65.