Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

Perhaps if I concluded my introductory speech, it would give the Government time, if I extended it a little, to send out harbingers to the Bishops’ Bar and the Lords Tea Room. That would be the sporting thing to do. I return to my Amendment 123, in which, in Clause 47, page 30, line 13, I insert similar words to those in Amendment 102. The clause relates to people in detention. For reasons that have just been stated, we are not in a hurry to get to the end of this. On page 29, Clause 47 inserts new Section 18A into the 1996 Act. In subsection (1)(a) there is a requirement on the local education authority to secure, ""enough suitable education is provided to meet the reasonable needs of children subject to youth detention in their area"." There is no reservation about second languages there—which may be a little odd, because they are fairly well represented in prisons. For the reasons that I have just given, inability to communicate effectively in English is a great contributor to criminality in this country and to failure in education. That, in turn, is a contributor to criminality. Therefore, it is as well to emphasise to the authorities that when they are dealing with people in detention it is even more necessary than elsewhere that "reasonable needs" shall be seen to include the need to communicate effectively in English. I am not sure how this will play, but perhaps the noble Baroness or the noble Lord when he replies can tell us. Will this part of the Bill apply to Wales? If it will, has the Welsh Assembly agreed to it? Although Welsh is an official language in Wales, I think that we agreed that you cannot have an effective life in a community in Wales without also speaking fluently in English. With those observations, and wondering what will happen to attendance on the other side of the House, I beg to move.