Education and Inspections Bill

That is right. There is no doubt that those schools are still controversial within the Social Democratic party, where many people are against them but more are in favour. We asked many Social Democratic MPs whether they would oppose free schools if they had their time again, and every one of them said that they would still support them. Although the research is not conclusive and everyone is not of the same mind, the evidence indicates that those schools are doing a good job. We should all search our consciences before we vote against anything that might improve education for working-class children in this country. The middle classes always get choice—if they are not given a choice of schools, they can choose where to live, which means the same thing. We must accept that low-income people are the only group who are denied the benefits of choice and diversity, which is one of the reasons why I welcome the extension of free transport in the Bill. Many people in my constituency are trapped in a situation in which their children qualify for only low-performing schools, but that provision may enable them to spread their nets more widely. I also welcome the introduction of choice advisers, who will help people in inner cities, where it almost impossible to choose a high-performing school. I am not certain whether trust schools will improve things, but I hope that they do, and I therefore welcome their introduction, which is at least a positive attempt to improve the situation. I cannot prove whether the Bill will extend to low-income families the benefits that middle-class families already enjoy, but it is clearly an honest attempt to achieve that objective, and I am confident that it is a move in that direction.