Free Schools Policy

Lord Foster of Bath Excerpts
Monday 21st June 2010

(14 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Foster of Bath Portrait Mr Don Foster (Bath) (LD)
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Given the Secretary of State’s very welcome assurance that before a free school or an academy is agreed to, the wider public interest test and the views of the local education authority will be considered, does he believe that in addition there may be a role for the schools adjudicators to evaluate areas of concern?

Michael Gove Portrait Michael Gove
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I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his point. I know that he, as someone who used to lead for the Liberal Democrats on education, is particularly concerned about the impact of changes on his area of Bath and North East Somerset. We have had fruitful conversations about the position in that local authority, and I hope that we will continue to have such constructive conversations.