HC Deb 09 May 1944 vol 399 cc1803-4
Sir Richard Wells (Bedford)

I beg to move, in page 9, line 33, after "authority," to insert "or proprietors of any school."

This is a small point and I have used the word "proprietors" from the Interpretation Clause 105. There are obviously a b large number of schools whose governors have a good deal of independence like the local education authorities, and it is only right that the governors should be able to approach the Minister direct when they desire to do so.

Sir John Mellor

I beg to second the Amendment.

Mr. Ede

I am afraid that the effect of my hon. Friend's Amendment would be to go far beyond the argument he has used in support of it. This Sub-section compels the Minister, if he has been informed by the local education authority that they are aggrieved by his education order, to submit it to Parliament and it has to lie on the Table for 40 days. The effect of his Amendment would be to give that same power to the managers of the smallest primary school in the country if they are proprietors of that school. If he merely desires that the governors of schools should have the right of access to the Minister, I would point out that in the framing and construction of a development plan, or in the negotiations with regard to an education Order, they have ample opportunities, and it is going far beyond the necessities of the case to give proprietors of any one school the right of insisting that the full education order should be held up until the sanction of this House has been obtained after they have had ample opportunities of making their wishes known.

Amendment negatived.