HL Deb 30 October 1986 vol 481 cc796-7

8 Clause 6, page 7, line 36, after "shall" insert ", if the school has less than 100 registered pupils,". 9 Page 8, line 2, at end insert "; and shall if it has more than 99 registered pupils, provide for two governors to be so appointed. (3A) Where, by virtue of subsection (3) above, an instrument of government is required to provide for the appointment of two governors, it may make different provision in relation to the appointment of one governor to that made in relation to the appointment of the other.". 10 Page 8, line 9, leave out "a" and insert "any 11 Page 8, line 18, after "one" insert "or (as the case may be) two".

Baroness Young

My Lords, I beg to move that this House do agree with the Commons in their Amendments Nos. 8 to 11 en bloc. These amendments provide for two representatives of voluntary organisations on the governing bodies of all but the smallest category of maintained special schools.

Places reserved for voluntary organisation representatives are at the expense of co-options to the governing body. Increasing the number of such representatives to two on the smallest category of governing body would have left only one place to be filled by co-option, and the Government felt it would leave too little scope for flexibility in the hands of the governing body. They could of course co-opt an additional member from a relevant voluntary organisation if they felt this to have a high priority. For the larger maintained special schools, it was accepted that the balance of advantage lay in their having two representatives of the appropriate voluntary organisation or organisations on their governing body, rather than one.

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

On Question, Motion agreed to.