Children and Social Work Bill [HL]

Debate between Lord Bishop of Chester and Lord Nash

Report: 1st sitting: House of Lords
Tuesday 18th October 2016 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Bishop of Chester]

I thought the Minister was just making a clarification.

[Lord Nash]

I am sure that we can clarify this. I myself felt that the idea someone would have a one-off chance was not a good one. Therefore, as I said, the intention is that they will get a regular chance—at least every year—to change their mind if they have previously said no. I do not think we should allow any way for anybody to get out of that. I am happy to talk to the noble Lord, Lord Ramsbotham, outside the Chamber to clarify that. I am sure that we can resolve this.

Schools: Food Nutrition Standards

Debate between Lord Bishop of Chester and Lord Nash

Thursday 11th February 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Nash]

The noble Lord is absolutely right: academies opened between September 2010 and July 2014, of which there were 3,900, do not technically have to follow the school food standards. But those standards were introduced only a year ago. Over the last year, 1,400 of the schools have voluntarily signed up to them, and we are encouraging many more to do so. We believe that most academies follow a healthy eating strategy. Indeed, the School Food Plan authors said that some of the best food they found was in academies. We do not think it is necessary to legislate further.

[The Lord Bishop of Chester]

My Lords, if free milk is to be made available again in schools, with the Minister confirm that it would not be compulsory? For some of us it contains memories of a cruel and unusual punishment.

[Lord Nash]

I think I can agree that were it to be introduced, it would not be mandatory.

Schools: Academies

Debate between Lord Bishop of Chester and Lord Nash

Tuesday 4th March 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord Nash]

I think that I have in the past alluded to the fact—without wishing to rise to the challenge too much—that for many years many schools in this country have undoubtedly been allowed years to languish in failure. We now have many successful chains, such as ARK, Harris, Outwood Grange, REAch2, Greenwood Dale, Aldridge and Perry Beeches, which are turning round inner-city schools that were previously just written off. Some of their performance statistics are really quite miraculous.

[The Lord Bishop of Chester]

My Lords, I should like to return to the issue of inspection. In as much as the multichain bodies are involved in the governance of all the academies in their chain, and Ofsted inspects governance, why does Ofsted not also inspect the chains themselves?

[Lord Nash]

Ofsted looks at the support that chains are giving to their schools, and we have a very tight grip on the governance of all the chains. We have been in discussions with 50 chains to strengthen their governance arrangements and have a network of non-executive directors whom we have been introducing to chains to support them.