HC Deb 16 February 1988 vol 127 cc808-9
2. Mr. Fearn

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to publish his proposed amendments to the Education Reform Bill regarding charges for school activities.

The Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. Kenneth Baker)

I shall be announcing the outcome of our consultations later this week, and would hope to table new clauses next week.

Mr. Fearn

Is the Secretary of State aware that extra charges would fall particularly heavily on one-parent families, especially charges for field courses and arts and music courses? In his reply, will he dwell on the city technology colleges, which will find it extremely difficult to give their pupils what they need?

Mr. Baker

The Government will not be imposing charges but will allow schools to charge for extras if they wish. [Interruption.] This problem was brought to our attention by the local education authorities, which asked us to find a way through and particularly to protect them in their present practices. Before Opposition Members laugh too much, I remind them that many authorities controlled by the Labour party and the alliance charge for extras at the moment.

Mr. Harry Greenway

Does my right hon. Friend agree that schools have always charged for certain activities, such as home economics, field trips and materials for woodwork and handicraft, as well as for skiing trips and so on? Is it not now necessary to make that practice legal, and is that not what Labour, Liberal and Conservative authorities want?

Mr. Baker

That is exactly the position, and I believe that my proposals, which will be published later this week—we have already discussed them with local authority associations—will be widely welcomed. I can confirm that, as my hon. Friend said, since the 1944 Act it has been the practice for authorities to charge for certain extra activities.

Mr. Fatchett

When the Minister of State said in the Standing Committee on the Education Reform Bill on 28 January that opt-out schools would be able to use parental contributions to employ additional teachers, was that a clear statement of Government policy? If so, does the Secretary of State realise that those contributions will become less and less voluntary and that opt-out schools will become fee-paying schools, which will be even more divisive than the Government's current proposals?

Mr. Baker

The hon. Gentleman is talking rubbish. We have made it clear in Committee, as the hon. Gentleman knows, that grant-maintained schools will not be allowed to charge fees. They can certainly attract voluntary contributions, as can, and do, schools in the state-maintained sector. I should emphasise that our objectives in clarifying this policy are to preserve the principle of free education, to clarify the law and to safeguard current valuable provision.

Mr. Chapman

Will my right hon. Friend confirm that the need for an early statement — which I would welcome — arose because it was hoped that the Government would make it clear that parents on income support and family credit will be exempt from such voluntary charges, particularly for field trips and so on?

Mr. Baker

My hon. Friend will see, when I announce the changes later this week, that we shall be covering that matter specifically. Should schools wish to continue to make charges for field trips, there must be remission arrangements for children whose parents are on family support.