Academies Bill [HL]

Debate between Baroness Whitaker and Lord Astor of Hever

Wednesday 7th July 2010 Lords Chamber

[Lord Astor of Hever]

I remind noble Lords that we are on Report and encourage them to keep their speeches as short as possible.

[Baroness Whitaker]

My Lords, I rise to speak briefly to Amendment 44A, which rather oddly is in this group. The arguments I made to ensure that the design of academies in new or refurbished buildings must be conducive to good education and not a waste of public money in Committee are still the same. I will not repeat them now.

I have tabled this amendment again because the answer from the noble Lord, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, although helpful, did not deal with what general minimum design standards would operate, and no letter was forthcoming from the department to amplify his, perhaps I may say rather vague, response that he had no reason to doubt that they did. I would not press for a statutory requirement if it were definite that the free schools network would include such design advice in the general advice that the Government are funding them to give to aspirant academy-makers.

The noble Lord cited the law covering access for students with disabilities, which was welcome, but I am sure that groups of parents, teachers or others need to get themselves guidance on how the broad provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act and successor obligations under the Equality Act should be translated into design.

The Government’s approach to housing, in their letter to me of 15 June, says that they will issue guidance by,

“setting out minimum environmental, architectural, design, economic and social standards”.

Are academies where children will spend a large proportion of their time at a formative period of their life really so much less important?