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Education and Skills Bill

moved Amendment No. 167: 167: Clause 52, page 29, line 12, leave out from beginning to ““must”” in line 13 The noble Baroness said: This amendment would remove a possible conflict of interests that would be created if the local authority received the proceeds of any financial penalties rather than the Treasury receiving them directly. If a body benefits from the proceeds of its own fines and penalties, there is an inbuilt incentive and pressure to impose those penalties, which removes impartiality from the process. It opens the body up to a perception, or even accusations, that it is more interested in revenue raising. My colleague Nick Gibb in another place, when making this point, made a comparison with parking fines, which is apt. Parking fines collected by local authorities give them a strong incentive to issue fines. I think the Minister will agree that there is a considerable public perception—accurate or not—that such fines are seen by local authorities as a cash cow. Will the Minister assure the House that the same would not be true of financial penalties levied under this Bill? I beg to move.