HL Deb 24 July 1969 vol 304 cc1166-8

[Nos. 1-5]

Clause 1, page 2, line 24, after first "of" insert "school education in public schools at which fees were being charged on the 25th November 1968 and of".

Clause 27, page 35, line 14, leave out from beginning to "Part" in line 15 and insert "Paragraph 7 (2) of".

Clause 27, page 35, line 24, leave out paragraph (a).

Schedule 2, page 38, line 44, leave out from beginning to end of line 5 on page 39.

Schedule 3, page 48, column 3, leave out line 10.

The Commons disagreed to these Amendments for the following Reason:

Because it is desirable to bring to an end as soon as practicable the charging by education authorities in Scotland of fees to parents for the education of their children in the limited number of schools where this practice still obtains.

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, I beg to move that this House doth not insist on its Amendments Nos. 1 to 5, to which the Commons have disagreed. Noble Lords will recall that the general question of fee-paying in education authority schools was fully discussed in this House in Committee. The point at issue now is whether this practice should be allowed to persist in those last few schools where fees were still charged last November. The Government remain firmly of the opinion that it is now time to put an end once and for all to fee-paying in education authority schools in Scotland. This is the reason why the Commons do not agree with the Lords in these Amendments.

My Lords, I do not think I need rehearse the arguments which I put to your Lordships during the earlier stages of our proceedings. I think it is sufficient to say that I agree entirely with the Commons Reason for disagreeing to these Amendments, and I hope your Lordships will not insist on the Amendments to which the Commons have disagreed. I beg to move.

Moved, That this House doth not insist on its Amendments to which the Commons have disagreed.—(Lord Hughes.)

LORD DRUMALBYN

My Lords, I do not propose to make a speech about this matter—the noble Lord has not done so—but I do not think I can let this pass without making at least this point. We have made the views of this House in this matter abundantly clear, and we can only regret that the Commons disagree with our views, or at least the majority of them. This seems to us to represent a victory for theoretical conformity or uniformity over the express views of the elected members of the people of Edinburgh and Glasgow, the only two education authorities concerned. The noble Lord talks about putting an end to this once and for all. I can only reiterate the pledge that we have given: that when the Party to which I belong is returned to power we shall restore the position to what it is now, if it is practicable to do so and, of course, if the education authorities so desire.