Member

It would achieve that goal by increasing autonomy, rather than increasing central control. Our nation and our Government face a huge challenge in improving public services, and I urge the Minister to consider this carefully. Education was the area that saw the greatest improvements under the previous Government, and where the autonomy and accountability principle was tested at scale. Not every trust has used its freedoms at all and not every trust used them well, but the most successful trusts, particularly for disadvantaged children, did not just use those freedoms well but used them brilliantly. Our accountability systems have developed to address those that did not. Why would not the Government want to see more of this? At a time when we need to see the same outburst of creativity and effective practice in relation to special educational needs and disabilities, for example, this is surely an obvious choice.