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Education and Skills Bill

The noble Baroness has raised an issue that I shall raise in another context—when I speak to Amendments Nos. 228C to 228E. Common to both is a background document, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was open for signature in 1989 and came into force on 2 September 1990. Article 12 has two paragraphs, which I should read into the record. The first paragraph states: "““States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child””." The second paragraph, concerning advocacy, states: "““For this purpose, the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body, in a manner consistent with the procedural rules of national law””." The question is not whether we should respond to that article in the way we draft the Bill but at what stage in the process affecting the child it should be brought into effect.