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Education and Skills Bill

The clock does not permit the weight of support that these amendments deserve to be fully deployed. My noble friend’s Amendments Nos. 143 to 145 seek to remove the most objectionable aspect of the Bill—the criminalisation of young people—and Amendments Nos. 147 to 150 seek to mitigate the consequences if that attempt fails. After addressing those amendments, my noble friend raised other important considerations, particularly what happens when the age line of 18 is crossed, which is the equator on the journey from childhood into adulthood. All these are matters of great importance, on which we would do well to spend more time than we can tonight. We have to consolidate and focus the strength of our feeling into a few words. I regard these amendments as among the most important that we will consider in these four or five days.