§
12 Clause 7, page 9, line I, leave out paragraph (b) and insert—
(4A) Any foundation governor of a voluntary school, or governor of a county, voluntary or maintained special school appointed otherwise than by being co-opted, may be removed from office by the person or persons who appointed him.
For the purposes of this subsection, a governor appointed in accordance with am provision made by virtue of section 5 of this Act shall be treated as having been co-opted.".
§ Baroness HooperMy Lords, on behalf of my noble friend I beg to move that this House do agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 12. This amendment has the effect of removing the provision allowing a co-opted governor to be removed from office by those governors responsible for co-opting him in the first place. This does not apply to co-opted foundation governors; they, and other appointed governors, may be removed from office by those who appointed them. Elected parent and teacher governors cannot be removed from office. The second part of the amendment provides that appointed parent proxies cannot be removed from office and thus puts them on the same basis as elected parent governors.
On reflection, the Government felt that co-opted governors could be put in a somewhat invidious position by being liable to be removed from office by their fellow governors and that it would be possible that they would be constrained from playing a full part in the governing body's proceedings and from maintaining an independent stance if they feared that by stepping out of line they would be likely to be removed from the office. The partners in the education service were consulted, and it was clear that no particularly strong views on this point were held either way.
Moved, That this House do agree with the Commons in the said amendment.—(Baroness Hooper.)
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.