HL Deb 30 October 1986 vol 481 c796

7 After Clause 5 insert the following new clause: Connection with local business community. The instrument of government for any county, controlled or maintained special school shall provide for it to be the duty of the governors concerned, in co-opting any person to be a member of the governing body (otherwise than as a foundation governor)—

  1. (a) to have regard—
    1. (i) to the extent to which they and the other governors are members of the local business community; and
    2. (ii) to any representations made to the governing body as to the desirability of increasing the connection between the governing body and that community; and
  2. (b) where it appears to them that no governor of the school is a member of the local business community, or that it is desirable to increase the number of governors who are, to co-opt a person who appears to them to be a member of that community;".

Baroness Young

My Lords, I beg to move that this House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 7. I shall be speaking also to Amendments Nos. 15, 17, 109, 112 to 114 and 127. The new clause in Amendment No. 7 will forge vital links between school governing bodies and the business community. It will require the governors making either initial or subsequent co-options to consider first whether the existing governors are members of the local business community and to consider any representations made to them on the desirability of increasing the connection between the governing body and the local business community.

If either no existing governor is a member of the local business community or if they consider that the connection should be strengthened, the governing body will be under a duty to make an appropriate co-option. These objectives are applied also to grouped governing bodies by Amendment No. 15 to Clause 9 and to temporary governing bodies by Amendment No. 109.

Moved, That this House do agree with the Commons in the said amendment.—(Baroness Young.)

On Question, Motion agreed to.