Education and Inspections Bill

May I say—[Hon. Members: ““Hear, hear.””] I thank hon. Members very much indeed, but they are taking up my time. We certainly welcome some elements of the Bill. Clause 1 emphasises the role that local authorities should play in improving standards for all children. Quite frankly, I take that as a given—indeed, it was stated for the first time in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998—and it is good see it re-emphasised. The point made by the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Marsden) about looked-after children is absolutely right. We very much welcome the Government’s recognition that we must have a strong disciplinary framework in our schools to which people can relate and in which teachers in particular feel safer. The right hon. Member for Sheffield, Brightside (Mr. Blunkett) and the hon. Member for Knowsley South (Mr. O’Hara) both made very telling speeches in their own ways. They both emphasised that their constituencies have dynamic local authorities. Sheffield was Liberal Democrat-led and is now Labour-led, and it has taken on our great ideas. [Interruption.] I shall carry on while I am winning. Those local authorities have been doing exactly what they should be doing: providing dynamic leadership in the schools in their communities and delivering results. The schools in Sheffield, Brightside—they were mentioned by the right hon. Member for Sheffield Brightside—achieved those results and improvements despite the Bill. They did not need the threat of trust schools coming along. They did not need wealthy individuals to put in £2 million to get £25 million of Government capital to improve. They improved because the local authorities believed that such things were important. The work going on in Knowsley South is, quite frankly, inspirational.