Member

As I reiterated in my opening comments, collectively, this will ensure that reducing places is only ever a last resort and will be done only to deliver a choice of good local school places for communities and, in some cases, to protect good schools in the light of the demographic challenges with which we are currently grappling and which will only become more severe in the coming years. We will continue to engage with stakeholders on this, but I hope that noble Lords are reassured about our commitment to quality and parental preference and to safeguarding those things at a time of change and challenge, given the demographic position.