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Academies Bill [Lords]

I have, and the subsection goes on,"““must consult such persons as they think appropriate.””" Why does not it specify parents? It simply says, consult ““as they think appropriate.”” I have read the Bill and I can read the words ““as they think appropriate.”” Subsection (3) states:"““The consultation may take place before””—" which is fine—"““or after an Academy order””." The hon. Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Damian Collins) made a good point. If a school, particularly a special school, wants to follow the route that he proposed, one should not have a broad ““consult people where appropriate”” provision, but a list of people, including parents, who are exceptionally important, to consult. Why does subsection (3) say ““before or after””? I am not a cynic, but the vast majority of our constituents will think that, if we provide for a school to consult after an academy order is made, such consultation is just a way of smoothing the process, rather than proper, legitimate consultation about whether it is the right thing to do. The constituents of the hon. Member for North Cornwall may be different from mine, but that is what my constituents would think.