Member

I will provide a little bit of reassurance to the noble Lord, Lord Nash. Admission authorities will remain responsible for setting their PAN. I quite understand the concern that the noble Lord expressed about a situation where an academy trust takes over another school in a local authority where there might not be a good relationship. I reassure him that it will remain the responsibility of the admissions authority—in this case, the academy trust—to determine the PAN. It would be possible for the local authority to object, but so would it be in any circumstance; this does not change that. Clause 57 provides that, where the adjudicator upholds an objection to that number, they can specify a more appropriate number to be included in the school’s admission arrangements. Alongside changes to regulations, this change will help create a clear legal framework for decisions on PAN.