Adjournment debate on Tuesday, 6 June 2006, in the House of Commons, led by Douglas Carswell. The answering member was Lord Knight of Weymouth.

State Schools (Independence)

Westminster hall adjournment debate on increased independence for state schools.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 447 c26-50WH
Session: 2005-06
Department: Department for Education and Skills
Chamber / Committee: Westminster Hall
Proceeding contributions: Lord Knight of Weymouth | 447 c47-50WH (Link to this contribution) I thank the hon. Member for Harwich (Mr. Carswell) for securing the debate and congratulate him on d...; Nick Gibb | 447 c45-7WH (Link to this contribution) It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Leeds, North-West (Greg Mulholland), and I agree that...; Douglas Carswell | 447 c26WH (Link to this contribution) I am grateful for the opportunity to initiate a debate on setting our schools free, and I hope that ...; Philip Hollobone | 447 c27WH (Link to this contribution) I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this important debate; I know how passionately he feels ab...; Douglas Carswell | 447 c26-7WH (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for pointing that out; it is indeed the case. I hope that the Mi...; David Leslie Taylor | 447 c26WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman did not vote with me. The only other person on the Government Benches who voted w...; Jeremy Browne | 447 c28WH (Link to this contribution) I am a governor of a secondary school in Taunton. We recently had to appoint a new head teacher, and...; Douglas Carswell | 447 c28WH (Link to this contribution) I believe that if we gave schools the ability to manage their own admissions, in a few instances saf...; David Leslie Taylor | 447 c28WH (Link to this contribution) A moment ago, the hon. Gentleman suggested that a characteristic of an ideal system would be parents...; Douglas Carswell | 447 c27-8WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I and many other Members have been approached an extraordinary n...; Edward Leigh | 447 c34WH (Link to this contribution) I do not think that that would happen. If the model that my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich discu...; Nick Gibb | 447 c34WH (Link to this contribution) In response to the intervention from the hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Browne), my comments related t...; David Leslie Taylor | 447 c30WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman has a well deserved reputation for being refreshingly open and frank. Will he com...; Douglas Carswell | 447 c30WH (Link to this contribution) The pupil’s passport is quite a centralising, complicated, formulaic measure. I must be frank: I nev...; Edward Leigh | 447 c31-2WH (Link to this contribution) I am delighted to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Harwich (Mr. Carswell), who has made an excel...; Douglas Carswell | 447 c30-1WH (Link to this contribution) I began this debate by saying that I would try to bring a thoughtful spirit of inquiry to the Chambe...; Edward Leigh | 447 c33WH (Link to this contribution) I do indeed agree with my hon. Friend. Funnily enough, yesterday I spoke at length to Chris Woodhead...; David Leslie Taylor | 447 c32-3WH (Link to this contribution) Does the hon. Gentleman agree with the hon. Member for Harwich that the national curriculum, whose g...; Edward Leigh | 447 c33WH (Link to this contribution) I am pleased that my hon. Friend made that intervention. As part of this think-piece debate, it is i...; Nick Gibb | 447 c33WH (Link to this contribution) Does my hon. Friend accept that it would be perfectly possible for Ministers of an incoming Conserva...; Jeremy Browne | 447 c34WH (Link to this contribution) I hope that the hon. Gentleman can clarify something because I, too, am confused by the position adv...; Jeremy Browne | 447 c38WH (Link to this contribution) Your grandchildren might.; Edward Leigh | 447 c39WH (Link to this contribution) Yes, our grandchildren might; why not? There is in effect no dead-weight cost because the scheme app...; Edward Leigh | 447 c38WH (Link to this contribution) I am delighted to answer that question, because I have thought about the issue a lot. I have been ar...; Kerry McCarthy | 447 c36WH (Link to this contribution) Is the hon. Gentleman really saying that if there was a free-for-all on admissions, some schools wou...; Edward Leigh | 447 c35-6WH (Link to this contribution) I agree completely. Great—let us try that, but we have to be realistic about our abilities, especial...; Nick Gibb | 447 c35WH (Link to this contribution) I am sorry to intervene again, for the final time, but the point is that a lot of these documents ar...; Edward Leigh | 447 c34WH (Link to this contribution) I wish my hon. Friend well. He is right: Ministers can take charge and issue whichever documents the...; Lord Knight of Weymouth | 447 c38WH (Link to this contribution) As ever, I listen carefully to the hon. Gentleman’s fascinating ideas. I am just intrigued as to whe...; Edward Leigh | 447 c37-8WH (Link to this contribution) I am sure that the hon. Member for Bristol, East (Kerry McCarthy) accepts that a lot of disguised se...; Douglas Carswell | 447 c37WH (Link to this contribution) If we gave schools greater choice, certain schools that are currently barred from taking on children...; Edward Leigh | 447 c36-7WH (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend the Member for Harwich and I, and all others who advance the point of view that we ha...; Lord Knight of Weymouth | 447 c30WH (Link to this contribution) I am intrigued by the hon. Gentleman’s argument. Will he outline the difference between what he advo...; Douglas Carswell | 447 c28-9WH (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman—given his comments, I am tempted to call him my hon. Friend—is absolutely right. ...; Douglas Carswell | 447 c29-30WH (Link to this contribution) I cannot think of a single county in the country in which that would be the case if there were effec...; Nick Gibb | 447 c29WH (Link to this contribution) What would happen if all the schools in a certain county or area decided not to adopt the kind of cu...; Kerry McCarthy | 447 c42WH (Link to this contribution) I accept that point to a degree, but we are talking about pupils from families with little spare hou...; Greg Mulholland | 447 c42-4WH (Link to this contribution) I welcome you to the Chair, Mr. Pope. It might surprise some hon. Members to hear that I was the key...; Lord Knight of Weymouth | 447 c44WH (Link to this contribution) I will speak in time.; Kerry McCarthy | 447 c39-41WH (Link to this contribution) I congratulate the hon. Member for Harwich (Mr. Carswell) on securing the debate. I shall comment on...; Nick Gibb | 447 c41WH (Link to this contribution) I am enjoying the hon. Lady’s speech enormously. She is making a principled and honest speech about ...; Kerry McCarthy | 447 c41WH (Link to this contribution) I agree about that. I believe the qualification has been accredited with exactly the same value as a...; Jeremy Browne | 447 c42WH (Link to this contribution) I am uneasy about that concept. What makes people uncomfortable about the new variant of Labour is t...; Greg Mulholland | 447 c44-5WH (Link to this contribution) The facts speak for themselves. On a consensual note, we all agree that what drives up standards an...
Subjects: Admissions Curriculum Charitable trusts Local education authorities Public sector Schools
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk

State Schools (Independence)

Secondary information

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