§ Mr. RookerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the extent to which governors of educational institutions may become personally liable for acts of their institutions, making any required distinctions between governors of(a) schools, (b) sixth form colleges, (c) colleges of further education institutions and (d) universities. [8217]
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe governing bodies of all these institutions are statutory corporations and there is no significant distinction between the different categories of governor. The exception to this is the small number of designated further and higher education institutions156W conducted by unincorporated governing bodies. With this exception, the liability falls on the corporate governing body rather than on the individual members of the governing body. In practice, members of governing bodies will seldom incur individual personal liability. Provided individual governors act honestly and without ulterior motive, showing reasonable care and common sense within the scope of their functions and procedures, they will in practice be protected against any risk to their own assets as a result of the governing body's decisions.