Education and Skills Bill

I will not. The hon. Gentleman will soon have his moment. As my noble Friend Lady Morris, who speaks for the Opposition in the other place, said in Committee:"““I sound a note of caution…. It may not be the best course of action to be too prescriptive. We think that it is best left up to schools, not central government, to decide on the best way to engage their students.””—[Official Report, House of Lords, 1 July 2008; Vol. 703, c. 230.]" We fully endorse that view. It is odd, therefore, that a Liberal Democrat peer should have tabled a series of very prescriptive and centralising amendments that will, once statutory guidance is introduced, effectively dictate to schools the issues on which they will be obliged to consult pupils. I had thought that it was a Liberal Democrat mantra that such decisions should be made at the local level.