Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

My Lords, perhaps I might make a few comments on this rather mixed bag of amendments. It is a bit like a curate’s egg as far as I am concerned, as I support some and not others. On Amendment 191, I am frankly shocked and horrified that the noble Baroness thinks that academies should not have a duty to co-operate as a relevant partner on child safeguarding, which is a responsibility and duty on all of us—particularly, on every single school. However, I support Amendment 192. Although, as the noble Baroness says, it ought to be a representative of general medical practitioners, those are the sorts of people that I feel should be represented on the children’s trust board. I am afraid that we do not agree with Amendment 193. Should every single academy be represented on the children’s trust board? In some areas, that would skew the board completely, because there are several academies, so they should not have a right. However, a good CTB would certainly have at least a representative of the local academies on the board. On Amendment 194, I think that they do that anyway. I would oppose Amendment 195 as being unworkable; you would have an enormous board if you did that. I have considerable sympathies with Amendments 196 and 198, and I look forward to hearing what the Minister says about the inspection of children’s trust boards, and how that will be done. I also support Amendment 197. It is important that when we set such things up there is a proper system for monitoring the implementation of what they are doing. If the children’s trust board is not going to do it, who is? I am afraid I have a mixed response to this group of amendments.