Education and Inspections Bill

That was the hon. Gentleman’s contribution to the Select Committee report, and it was an important one. I agree that the issue has not been properly debated and that it needs to have a wider debate. It is an excellent way forward, but we are not yet at the stage where the Government will adopt the suggestion. However, these ideas must be pursued. Those who feel the need to vote against the Bill have to decide what the educational reasons for doing so are. The process that we have gone through over the past six months involved the Government publishing their White Paper, with some of its critics publishing alternative proposals. The Government listened carefully, took on board many of the proposals and made assurances and promises that other issues would be considered in Committee. Once one has made one’s contribution to the debate and the Government have listened and taken on board much of what one has said, one cannot then suddenly shift ground and say that there are other reasons for not voting for the Bill. I know that some people will say that the Bill opens the doors to a market in state education. Where have they been since the Education Act 1980? Since open enrolment was introduced—it was the first Act of the Thatcher Government—we have been steadily moving towards a more market-based system. To those who are concerned about more private sector revenue or capital coming into the state system, I say that it is very difficult for a Member of Parliament cheerfully to issue a press release welcoming the close links between the schools and local businesses in his or her constituency, welcoming the designation of specialist status for schools in their constituency with the £50,000 that comes from the private sector and welcoming the launch of an academy in the constituency with the £2 million that comes from the private sector and then suddenly say, ““No, we cannot have trust schools because that will lead to more private sector involvement.””