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Education and Skills Bill

My Lords, I follow my noble friend Lord Elton. We on these Benches have spoken in support of the various permutations of the amendments at different stages of the Bill. I think that, on Report, we saw the simplest version and agreed that taking into account the ascertainable views of children was a desirable goal. We have argued consistently throughout debates on the Bill and outside your Lordships' House that engaging with young people is a necessity. We have had long and thoughtful debates on the consequences that young people will suffer if they do not participate in education or training. None of us wants to see the worst-case scenario, which we have striven to avoid, in which young people will be punished if they insist in dropping away from their educational duties. It is my fervent hope that the engagement necessary to help those young people participate willingly and fully can be encouraged wherever possible. It should be quite plain that taking their views into account when decisions about their future are being taken is a good idea.