Member

Even without this data, we are worried about the principle of overriding the funding agreement powers, which we discussed in earlier groups, and about the potential or real conflict of interest of the local authority both running schools and having the power to place more challenging children in particular schools. My Amendment 452ZA seeks to get clarity that the legal status of the school will not have any bearing on where a child is placed. The Minister will be aware that concerns were expressed in evidence given to the Public Bill Committee in the other place around having large numbers of children who perhaps have already moved schools several times and been excluded—my noble friend Lady Spielman just gave the example of a third of children in year 7. What impact does that have on the perception of that school in the local authority? It is important that this legislation is fair and feels fair, so it is important that the Minister explains how this apparent conflict of interest with the local authority—in my words, as poacher and gamekeeper or, in the words of my noble friend Lord Agnew, as fox and chicken coop—will be resolved.