Academies: Sponsors

Lord Lawson of Blaby Excerpts

Thursday 21st July 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Nash]

We have a very clear protocol established with the Civil Service which means that I am not allowed to be involved in any decisions that may directly affect the Future Academies trust.

[Lord Lawson of Blaby (Con)]

My Lords, my noble friend will have shocked the House with his revelation of the massive amount of fraud in local authority maintained schools. What is being done about that?

[Lord Nash]

We constantly try to encourage local authorities to take greater financial oversight of their schools. However, when we find local authority schools failing, they are often failing both financially and educationally; as I mentioned earlier, we have turned many of these schools into sponsored academies.

Schools: Independent Schools

Lord Lawson of Blaby Excerpts

Thursday 16th January 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord Nash]

The noble Lord makes a very good point.

[Lord Lawson of Blaby (Con)]

No, it is a very bad point.

[Lord Nash]

I was a trustee of Eastside Young Leaders Academy, which focuses on improving the life chances of black boys in the East End. It has already sent 21 pupils to private schools under full bursaryships. One of our concerns was integration and we spent a lot of time working on that. I know that schools that take pupils from diverse backgrounds work very hard to make sure that the transition works.

Schools: Nutrition

Lord Lawson of Blaby Excerpts

Wednesday 13th June 2012 Lords Chamber

[Lord Ramsbotham]

My Lords—

[Lord Lawson of Blaby]

My Lords—

[The Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells]

My Lords, yesterday I visited one of our schools, which is hoping to become an academy. It has reinstated its kitchen, providing excellent food not only for the school but for those in the locality. I was also involved in a discussion yesterday about the increasing number of young people whose family food is being taken from food banks around our country today. Does the Minister agree that the priority is to ensure that all school food provides adequate nutritional standards in the light of the fact that too many of our most vulnerable people are experiencing a need to get food from food banks in the 21st century?

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Hill of Oareford]

My Lords, I am very grateful for the suggestion. Yes, of course.

[Lord Lawson of Blaby]

My Lords—

[Baroness King of Bow]

My Lords—