Education Bill [Lords] (Hansard, 22 July 1986)

HC Deb 22 July 1986 vol 102 cc211-313 211

§ As amended (in the Standing Committee), considered.

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Ernest Armstrong)
Before the House begins consideration of the Bill I should draw attention to a printer's error affecting amendments Nos. 117 and 118. These amendments are printed today in the correct order, having been transposed yesterday. However, names intended for the amendment in the name of the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Bruinvels), amendment No. 118, have been added to the amendment in the name of the hon. Member for Durham, North (Mr. Radice), amendment No. 117. This error is regretted, but Mr. Speaker was aware of it when he made the provisional selection of amendments.

§ Mr. Douglas Hogg (Grantham)
On a point of order that relates to the very heavy business for tonight, Mr. Deputy Speaker. We have all seen Mr. Speaker's provisional selection of amendments. You will appreciate, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that some of them relate to very important matters. There is a substantive debate on amendment No. 153 about corporal punishment, and there will be substantive debates on special schools, transport to schools in rural areas and the closure of schools procedure.
Many hon. Members and especially those from rural areas will wish to speak on all those matters. It is highly unsatisfactory that the debate on such important matters should be held very late tonight. I should like to raise with you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and through you with my right hon. and hon. Friends the possibility of not requiring the House to consider such matters late tonight.

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker
The hon. Gentleman has my sympathy but it is not a matter for me.

§ Mr. J. F. Pawsey (Rugby and Kenilworth)
Further to that point of order, this is a most important and complicated Bill. Could my hon. Friend the Minister give an undertaking that additional time will be found to discuss the Bill at a later date?

§ The Minister of State, Department of Education and Science (Mr. Chris Patten)
I am always anxious to be helpful on Tuesdays. We had a good and constructive Committee stage on the Bill, and in the light of that we would like to make as much progress tonight as possible. However, one has to look at these things philosophically and if we cannot complete matters tonight I hope that we shall be able to do so when the House comes back in October. We shall have plenty of time then to accomplish that. We shall make such progress as we can during the course of the evening.

§ Mr. Geoffrey Dickens (Littleborough and Saddleworth)
The Minister has clearly said that if we do not make progress tonight it would not be beyond the bounds of possibility for the House to discuss these matters after the summer recess. Since that is the case why do we have to go on so late this evening?

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker
As I have said, that is not a matter for me.

212

§ Mr. Richard Holt (Langbaurgh)
I should like to correct something in Hansard because it appears that I inadvertently misled the House by talking about the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Bagier) instead of the hon. Member for Sunderland, North (Mr. Clay). I was discussing Mr. Speaker's ruling on sartorial elegance and I should never wish to confuse those two hon. Gentlemen. May I have the record corrected and may I apologise to the hon. Member for Sunderland, South?

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker
I am sure that that will be noted.

§ Mr. Tony Marlow (Northampton, North)
Further to the point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. If we do not finish the business tonight and if after the recess the Government decide that there shall be further debate on this important Bill, will it be in order for the Government at that stage to bring forward further amendments?

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker
We shall deal with that when we come to it.

§ Mr. Clement Freud (Cambridgeshire, North-East)
On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Before the Minister speaks to new clauses 18 and 12 may I seek your advice? New clause 18 is an admirable one and gives us almost exactly half of that for which we asked. There is no way that we can vote against clause 18, but we should like to move new clause 12 separately. In a substantial number of new clauses and amendments the Government have gone some way towards meeting the Opposition, and it will be impossible to oppose those amendments. May I have your ruling on whether we might move new clause 12 separately and have a separate vote on it?

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker
We shall consider that when we reach the appropriate stage.
Ordered, That the Education Bill [Lords], as amended, be considered in the following order, namely, new Clauses Nos. 18 and 19, Amendments relating to Clauses Nos. 44 and 45, other new Clauses, Amendments and Motions relating to Clauses Nos. 1 to 43 and 46 to 61, new Schedules and Amendments to Schedules.—[Mr. Chris Patten.]