HC Deb 09 May 1944 vol 399 cc1854-6
Mr. Silkin

I beg to move, in page 51, line 8, to leave out "or any class of independent schools."

Clause 66 deals with independent schools, but the Minister has the power to exempt certain schools from registration, including "any class of independent schools." I cannot understand—I could not understand on the Committee stage—why any class of independent school was omitted, and although he tried to explain it, he did not do it to my satisfaction. Eventually he promised that he might be able, on mature consideration, to accept the Amendment. He has had an opportunity of mature consideration, and I now await his acceptance of the Amendment. These words are quite unnecessary and they are capable of a sinister interpretation.

Mr. Tinker

I beg to second the Amendment.

Mr. Ede

I was not quite clear what this sinister interpretation was which my hon. Friend referred to when in Committee, and I was hoping, if he renewed the attack, he would be more specific to-day. It is a great administrative advantage that impels us in this matter to have these words in the Clause. May I give my hon. Friend a class of school—the approved schools. They are schools within the definition of the Bill. They are, as my hon. Friend knows, at the moment under the Home Office. They are conducted in accordance with certain Government requirements and I cannot imagine that anyone desires that those schools should be registered. If we were to exempt them, we should have to exempt them or deal with them name by name. Now under this we are able—

Mr. Silkin

Would the hon. Gentleman call those approved schools, independent schools?

Mr. Ede

Yes, according to the definition in the Bill, they are independent schools. That is one class of school we do not desire to have to specify individually. If my hon. Friend thinks that I refer to "class" in the Sense that I sometimes hear the words "class war" used, I want to assure him that that is not the case at all. There is also the group of schools referred to earlier to-day, some 35 schools in orphanages and other places, of which we have the fullest particulars and about which we know all that we could know under the Bill. That is what we mean by a "class of school" and, rather than have long lists of individual schools, I suggest that it is better in such cases to indicate that approved schools, certified efficient schools, and so on, will not be required to register.

Mr. Silkin

I should like to continue the argument, but, in view of the time, I beg leave to withdraw the Amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.