Member

I am afraid that I do not agree with the noble Lord, Lord Sandhurst, that including the small element in the amendment in the Bill would strengthen the clarity, depth and range of advice that statutory guidance is able to provide for schools. The guidance is statutory; schools are required to follow it. As the noble Lord himself identified, placing something on the face of a Bill does not mean that it could not be changed in the future, notwithstanding the fact that it would be a more difficult process. This Government have taken seriously the requirement to fulfil the spirit and the letter of the case made in these amendments, and I have identified how we have done that.