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Lords amendment: No. 138, in page 90, line 37, leave out subsection (3) and insert—
("(3) Section 80 shall apply in relation to the code as it applies in relation to a code of practice under section 79.")
§ Mr. ByersI beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said amendment.
Members of the Standing Committee, of whom there are several present tonight, will know that one of the issues that received cross-party support was the need to establish a code of practice covering the relationship between LEAs and individual schools. We published the draft code for consultation and I am pleased that it has been widely welcomed by schools in all sectors and by local education authorities and Church education authorities. The draft code managed to strike the right balance between competing, and sometimes conflicting, aims and objectives.
However, several hon. Members expressed the view in Committee that, although the code was useful, there should be parliamentary approval for it. Attention was drawn to the admissions code, which will be subject to parliamentary approval, and hon. Members argued that it would be appropriate for the code of practice for local education authority and individual school relations to be subject to parliamentary approval as well. The Government considered that point and moved amendment No. 138 in the House of Lords, which provides that the code of practice will be subject to parliamentary approval. I hope that that arrangement will meet with the approval of the House.
§ Lords amendment agreed to.