HC Deb 04 February 1988 vol 126 cc691-2W
Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what discussions have taken place between local education authorities, voluntary bodies and business communities on the training of school governors to help them discharge their duties under the Education Reform Bill.

Mr. Dunn

My right hon. Friend is aware of a number of discussions and initiatives, which he welcomes. For its part the Department is considering with all those interested, partly through the forum of an informal working group, what steps can usefully be taken on a national basis.

Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, under the provisions of the Education Reform Bill, local education authorities will be financially responsible towards teachers who have been made redundant by the governors; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Rumbold

LEAs will be responsible for making redundancy payments to teachers who have been made redundant following the decision of the governing body of a school with financial delegation. It will be for governors to decide whether to offer compensation in excess of that provided for by statute or by contractual rights acquired on or before 20 November 1987. The LEA will bear the costs of the redundancy payments outside the school's delegated budget unless it has good reason to deduct them from that budget.

Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, under the provisions of the Education Reform Bill, governors who, acting in good faith incur debts, will be able to ask the local education authorities to relieve them of their duties; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Dunn

In preparing their schemes of financial delegation LEAs will have to establish systems for the monitoring and audit of school budgets handled by governing bodies. LEAs should therefore be aware at an early stage of any difficulties governors may be experiencing and will be able to step in to give advice, or where appropriate, to withdraw the delegation until such time as the governors could take it on again.

Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, under the provisions o the Education Reform Bill, local education authorities will be financially liable if an industrial tribunal decides that a teacher has been unfairly dismissed but that the governing body acted in good faith; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Rumbold

The LEA would be liable to pay compensation and costs awarded by the industrial tribunal. Where a school had financial delegation, the LEA would meet those costs outside the school's delegated budget unless it had good reason for deducting the costs from that budget. What would be a good reason would fall to be determined in the circumstances of the case.