§ 52. Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will issue guidance on the circumstances in which a local authority can remove its politically appointed school governors from school governing bodies, before their term of office has expired, in the light of the Haberdashers' Aske's case.
§ Mrs. RumboldI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for the Isle of Wight (Mr. Field) on 9 November at column735–36.
§ Mr. FatchettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he has any plans to introduce legislation to allow school governors time off work with pay in order to perform their functions as governors; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldMy right hon. Friend has no such plans. School governors are generally entitled to reasonable time off from their employment to fulfil their duties. Many employers already acknowledge the value of the work of governors by granting paid leave. We very much welcome this and are working to encourage other employers to follow their example. But we believe that this is a matter best resolved between employer and employee, rather than by legislation.