Before my hon. Friend goes on to deal with support staff, I wish to raise a point on head teachers. Am I right that his proposal is that the head teacher should henceforth be in a reserved position? What will happen to existing head teachers who are not of the...

Before my hon. Friend goes on to deal with support staff, I wish to raise a point on head teachers. Am I right that his proposal is that the head teacher should henceforth be in a reserved position? What will happen to existing head teachers who are not of the...

I thank the Minister for his earlier comments, but is he confident that the general consensus in the House that there should be education in both faith and non-faith is being implemented in schools across the country? I visit faith schools that often teach comparative religion brilliantly, but other schools...

I thank the Minister for his earlier comments, but is he confident that the general consensus in the House that there should be education in both faith and non-faith is being implemented in schools across the country? I visit faith schools that often teach comparative religion brilliantly, but other schools...

In a former life I used to be a union organiser, dealing with the school meals service and school cleaners. We had these debates then and, as I recall, all the education authorities with which I dealt took the view that all ancillary staff were ancillary staff and should be...

In a former life I used to be a union organiser, dealing with the school meals service and school cleaners. We had these debates then and, as I recall, all the education authorities with which I dealt took the view that all ancillary staff were ancillary staff and should be...

I am grateful to the Minister for that reply, but he leaves me slightly puzzled. The NUT is the largest teaching organisation. I am not a member of that union—I never have been and probably never will be—so I have no particular brief for it. However, not to discuss an...

I am grateful to the Minister for that reply, but he leaves me slightly puzzled. The NUT is the largest teaching organisation. I am not a member of that union—I never have been and probably never will be—so I have no particular brief for it. However, not to discuss an...

Is my hon. Friend proposing to have one-to-one discussions, so to speak, with the NUT? He has not listed that union among the bodies that have responded to the consultation, or among those that he proposes to consult.

Is my hon. Friend proposing to have one-to-one discussions, so to speak, with the NUT? He has not listed that union among the bodies that have responded to the consultation, or among those that he proposes to consult.

Will the Minister talk to the NUT?

Will the Minister talk to the NUT?

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point, but I hope that he does not want us to move towards excluding people from religious education, or from classes on comparative religion. In any sustainable, multicultural, multi-faith society, it is essential that all children are brought up with some understanding of the...

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point, but I hope that he does not want us to move towards excluding people from religious education, or from classes on comparative religion. In any sustainable, multicultural, multi-faith society, it is essential that all children are brought up with some understanding of the...

Coleridge derived his inspiration from walking around my part of north London.

Coleridge derived his inspiration from walking around my part of north London.

And some other substances as well, I understand. Surely there is a difference between a compulsorily available act of collective Christian worship every day in a school and access to a broad range of religious opinion. My constituency is totally multi-faith and multicultural in every conceivable way. In some schools...

And some other substances as well, I understand. Surely there is a difference between a compulsorily available act of collective Christian worship every day in a school and access to a broad range of religious opinion. My constituency is totally multi-faith and multicultural in every conceivable way. In some schools...

Will my hon. Friend give way?

Will my hon. Friend give way?

Does the hon. Gentleman understand that those of us who represent inner London constituencies have seen enormous improvements in the past five years in our local secondary schools? Our concern about the Bill is that it will take away the most able children, who will be able to get out...

Does the hon. Gentleman understand that those of us who represent inner London constituencies have seen enormous improvements in the past five years in our local secondary schools? Our concern about the Bill is that it will take away the most able children, who will be able to get out...

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average expenditure per capita of each London Borough on youth services was in each year since 1996-97; and if he will make a statement. - Inc table.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the average expenditure per capita of each London Borough on youth services was in each year since 1996-97; and if he will make a statement. - Inc table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what advice he gives to local education authorities on admission policies to secondary schools from out of area children; and if he will make a statement. - Includes ref to Code of Practice on School Admissions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what advice he gives to local education authorities on admission policies to secondary schools from out of area children; and if he will make a statement. - Includes ref to Code of Practice on School Admissions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, for each local education authority, how many specialist housing units for teachers have been created in the past year. - Inc figures and table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, for each local education authority, how many specialist housing units for teachers have been created in the past year. - Inc figures and table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will publish the bid documents and business plans which have been submitted by those companies invited to tender for the management of local authority education services; what meetings his Department has had with the London Borough of Islington...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will publish the bid documents and business plans which have been submitted by those companies invited to tender for the management of local authority education services; what meetings his Department has had with the London Borough of Islington...

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how much (a) revenue support and (b) capital allocation was provided to Islington Education Service for education up to the age of 16 years in each of the past five years. - Inc table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, how much (a) revenue support and (b) capital allocation was provided to Islington Education Service for education up to the age of 16 years in each of the past five years. - Inc table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what monitoring he is undertaking of the Islington Education Service; and what meetings he has held with representatives of the education service; what is the expenditure by his Department on the contracting out of part of Islington Education Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, what monitoring he is undertaking of the Islington Education Service; and what meetings he has held with representatives of the education service; what is the expenditure by his Department on the contracting out of part of Islington Education Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will comment on the methods used by local education authorities to identify children with dyslexia; and if he will publish the guidelines. - Includes ref to Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, if he will comment on the methods used by local education authorities to identify children with dyslexia; and if he will publish the guidelines. - Includes ref to Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs.