Academies Bill [Lords]

Debate between Geraint Davies and Lord Coaker

Thursday 22nd July 2010 Commons Chamber

[Geraint Davies (Swansea West) (Lab/Co-op)]

rose—

[Vernon Coaker]

I shall give way first to my hon. Friend the Member for Swansea West (Geraint Davies).

--- Later in debate ---

[Vernon Coaker]

I apologise. I shall give way to my hon. Friend the Member for Swansea West.

[Geraint Davies]

Given the Government’s strategy for the use of disused sites, does my hon. Friend agree that there will now be a perverse incentive to let schools on valuable sites fail, so that they can sell off their land and use the funds to set up other schools in disused premises? Under Labour, certain schools on good sites had difficulties, but their infrastructure was supported. They might now be asset-stripped to pursue the new strategy involving free schools on disused sites.

[Vernon Coaker]

That is certainly a possibility. If we change the regulations, anything is possible. The Minister will no doubt say that that will not happen, but the thrust of our argument is our desire to place certain statutory requirements in the Bill to protect the quality of educational provision, including the provision of playing fields. Any weakening of the regulations or of the findings of the capital funding review could be very damaging.