Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
Debate between Sarah Smith and Nusrat Ghani(1 week, 5 days ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
Order. I remind hon. Members that interventions should be short.
Sarah Smith
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for giving way once again. In my most recent conversation with a group of my headteachers, not one of them raised concerns about this section of the Bill and the reforms. For them, the question of academisation and how the amendments have been made will not limit them in their capabilities to do the best for their children. They are concerned about issues that will come forward as a result of the Bill around SEND, which have been mentioned by hon. Members from across the House, and other things that are restricting them from making progress.
Arm’s-Length Bodies (Accountability to Parliament) Bill
Debate between Sarah Smith and Nusrat Ghani
Sarah Smith (Hyndburn) (Lab)
Before the hon. Gentleman moves on from Natural England, in my constituency we have got a huge problem with the Whinney Hill tip, which Natural England and the Environment Agency are both heavily involved in. My residents face horrendous issues with gulls, the stink and many other challenges from that tip, but we have been limited in finding an alternative because elected officials need to plan for an alternative waste station. If the Environment Agency had greater teeth, it might have been able to push the issue and find a better solution. Is it not sometimes about having the right powers in place rather than removing quangos altogether?
Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)
That intervention was slightly broad in scope, but it returned at the end.