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Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill

I shall not withdraw the amendment, because I do not accept the premise on which the Minister has advanced his argument. I presume that in his definition of a school for the purposes of the provision, he relies on paragraph (9)(3)(a) of schedule 2, which states that it is either"““(i) a school maintained or assisted by a local education authority;””" or"““(ii) a school in respect of which grants are made out of moneys provided by Parliament to the person or body of persons responsible for the management of the school””—" including, therefore, all the free schools. From the way he was talking, however, it seemed he was suggesting that he had come across some new reason in his conversations with the Department for Education which proved that free schools would be included. The Minister is right that anybody can apply to provide a polling station. Indeed, some members of the public have said, ““In my street, there is no provision,”” or, ““In my little village, there is no provision, so if you would like to use my house feel free to do so.”” However, I am not aware of any public school or independent school having sought to do so. The Minister did not meet the point that for many state schools there is an inconvenience attached to providing a polling station. The law requires them to do so free of charge, but it does not require anybody else so to do. The Minister's distinction is based on whether schools are in receipt of moneys or not; my point is that if a school benefits from a favourable tax regime, namely the charitable status that attaches to large parts, although not all, of the independent sector, they should have a concomitant responsibility to provide such facilities. Many public schools are quite happy to provide on a limited basis their sporting facilities—swimming pool, gym or whatever—to the wider community, and such provision might apply to the situation before us, too. I shall therefore press the amendment to a vote. Question put, That the amendment be made. The Committee divided: Ayes 226, Noes 336.