Schools: Academies

Debate between Lord Nash and Lord Faulkner of Worcester

Tuesday 3rd March 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Nash]

I entirely agree with the right reverend Prelate and I pay tribute to his very good work in the school system in Norfolk. We should welcome such funds into the school system. We should welcome people who bring these funds and give their time freely. It is a development that we should seek to encourage.

[Lord Faulkner of Worcester (Lab)]

My Lords, given the Minister’s statement a moment ago that he does not wish to penalise successful schools, will he look again at the imposition of VAT on sixth-form colleges, which was the subject of a Question that his noble friend answered the other day, to which, frankly, we did not get a satisfactory Answer? For £31 million, which is a tiny part of the amount held in reserves by the academies, the VAT burden could be lifted altogether. Is that not the right thing to do?

[Lord Nash]

The noble Lord is right that this is a difficult issue and it is one that we have been looking at. I assure him that we will continue to look at it.