Baroness Barran (Con)

My Lords, my Amendments 15B to 15E would allow the Secretary of State to reverse this policy in future. The Bill introduces two things with which we fundamentally disagree: a tax on education and a two-tier charity system. Both are political choices made by this Government and both are, we believe, mistakes. I cannot see why the power for the Secretary of State to reverse this decision would be rejected. It does not require the Secretary of State to do anything but offers the flexibility and ability to change, if this policy—coupled with the introduction of VAT on independent school fees and the increase in employer national insurance—has wide-reaching and damaging impacts, not just on independent schools but on their neighbouring state-funded schools. That is particularly the case in areas of tight capacity, where there are not spare places for children to go if their independent school closes as a result. The Government talk about wanting to remove barriers to opportunity. I hope that every single Government always want to remove barriers to opportunity, but there is a risk that this policy does the reverse and that there will be a lag before we see its impact, as parents strain every sinew to try to continue to send their child to the school of their choice.