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Schools (Sutton)

Like many hon. Members, I came into politics because I believe in equality of opportunity. Along with other matters with which the state should help, the provision of excellent high-quality education for all regardless of ability to pay is a core belief that should be at the very heart of education policy. Regardless of where someone lives, who their parents are, or whether they can pay, every pupil in this country should have access to world-class educational excellence. That is what the Government have been trying to do since 1997. They have achieved a lot, but much more still needs to be done. Achieving that access is, quite rightly, the aim and objective of their education policy. The local provision of school places is the duty of the local authority as the strategic commissioner of school places. It is down to the local authority to ensure that there are sufficient school places in the area, and that that provision is related to need. The Children, Schools and Families Bill, which is currently in Committee, will introduce a new duty on local authorities requiring them to run an annual survey of parents alongside the admissions round. The hon. Gentleman and his hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Burstow) will be particularly interested in that provision. The survey will seek parents' views on the range and quality of secondary school provision in their area. Where there is "material parental dissatisfaction", the local authority will have to undertake a review, and publish a response plan detailing how they will address parents' concerns. The hon. Gentleman talks about dissatisfaction with the fact that out-of-borough children are coming in and taking school places. That is an issue that must be addressed by the local authority.