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Clause 109
Mr. Dafis: I beg to move amendment No. 116, in page 80, line 20, at end insert
'(2A) In Wales, the partnership shall have regard to the need for Welsh-medium nursery education to be accessible to all pupils.'.
Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Alan Haselhurst): With this, it will be convenient to discuss amendment No. 124, in clause 110, page 80, line 43, after 'and,' insert--
'(aa) a statement of proposals, which sets out the authority's proposals for providing nursery education for children who have attained the age of three years.'.
Mr. Dafis: The way in which the provisions in part V are implemented in Wales will be of momentous importance to the Welsh language and to the prospects of creating a truly effective bilingual society--an aim that has overwhelming popular support in Wales.
The growth of Welsh-medium education over the past 30 years has been built to a large extent on the foundation laid by nursery education provided substantially by the voluntary nursery schools movement, Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin. A survey by the Welsh Language Board showed that 50 per cent. of parents would send children to Welsh-medium nursery schools if such provision were available.
It is vital that the expansion now proposed in publicly funded nursery education makes it possible to build on what has been achieved. That depends on partnership between LEAs and the voluntary sector and on accessibility--not just availability--of Welsh-medium provision.
Ironically, there is a danger that accessibility will be reduced by the expansion in the state sector. That issue was raised previously with the Under-Secretary of State for Wales, the hon. Member for Neath (Mr. Hain), and I had hoped that he would be here to give me some unequivocal assurances that the right thing would be done.
Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin nursery groups are often small and are located in communities and close to homes. Welsh-medium primary schools in areas such as the valleys of the south-east are fewer in number than other schools and, therefore, further from pupils' homes. If primary schools provide nursery education directly, the danger is that existing groups will become unviable.
Parents would be understandably unhappy about sending three to four-year-olds the greater distance to Welsh-medium primary schools and would send them to English-medium schools instead, so what would seem on the surface to be an expansion of provision in Welsh-medium education in maintained schools could lead to reduced accessibility and a reduction in the number of pupils entering the Welsh-medium system.
Some LEAs might see that as an opportunity to solve what some of them would regard as the problem of meeting increasing demand for Welsh-medium education and, at the same time, to fill some of the empty places in English-medium schools. Places are scarce in the Welsh sector.
That problem can be prevented if the Secretary of State for Wales, and, from June 1999, the National Assembly for Wales, ensure that early years development plans build in the accessibility and availability of Welsh-medium provision.
Mr. Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire):
Does the hon. Gentleman agree with the Liberal Democrats that this is a vital consideration in ensuring that Welsh culture has equal status in a Wales with its own assembly?
Mr. Dafis:
The Liberal Democrats are in the forefront of thinking in these matters.
Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin must be accorded a key role in the process and be included in the partnerships established under the clause. LEAs preparing schemes under the Welsh Language Act 1993 are required to show how the language is to be treated equally with English, and I trust that the Welsh Language Board will ensure that accessibility in early years provision is a key consideration.
I am glad to know that each early years development plan is to be sent to the Welsh Language Board for comment. Its comments must carry weight with the Secretary of State, who will have ample powers under the Bill to ensure that the right policies are pursued at local level.
A few other matters arose from the guidelines on early years education issued recently by the Welsh Office. First, education and its integration with child care provision will be part of the Welsh Office's child care strategy. That will be the subject of substantial investment, so how will the Welsh language be safeguarded within that strategy? Obviously, that is of crucial significance.
Secondly, the guidelines stated that qualified early years teachers should be attached to each establishment that provides early years education. That provision is laudable, but how will it work in relation to Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin nursery groups, each of which will not have a qualified early years teacher? That must be considered, as must a strategy to provide sufficient qualified Welsh-medium nursery teachers.
Thirdly, the guidelines refer to the development of training schemes and the use of grant for education support and training money for that purpose. How do the Government propose to ensure that Welsh-medium training is central to those schemes?
We have an opportunity to achieve major progress if we get early years provision right; however, the perils are also apparent. I look forward to having the Minister's assurance--I suppose that I will receive it not tonight, but at some future time--that the perils will be avoided and the opportunity taken.
Ms Estelle Morris:
The hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mr. Dafis) has had an opportunity to talk about a subject that is vital to people in Wales. I hope to give him some reassurance on the issues which he raised. I know that he
Mr. Dafis:
I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Mr. Blunkett:
I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.
Amendment made: No. 144, in page 83, line 31, leave out from beginning to end of line 41.--[Mr. Don Foster.]
Amendment made: No. 76, in page 92, line 40, at end insert--
'(3A) For the purposes of this Act references to disposing of land include references to--
(a) granting or disposing of any interest in land;
(b) entering into a contract to dispose of land or to grant or dispose of any such interest; and
(c) granting an option to purchase any land or any such interest.'.--[Mr. Byers.]
Amendments made: No. 10, in page 94, line 37, at end insert--
'new school (in Chapter IV of Part II)
section 43(4)'.
No. 2, in page 95, line 20, at end insert--
'school opening date
section (Arrangements for government of new schools)(9)'.--[Mr. Byers.]
Amendment made: No. 87, in page 205, line 25, at end insert--
.--(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), in the Local Authorities (Goods and Services) Act 1970 (supply of goods and services by local authorities to public bodies) "public body" shall include any Education Action Forum established in an education action zone.
(2) The provision in sub-paragraph (1) shall have effect as if made by an Order under section 1(5) of that Act (power to provide that a person shall be a public body for the purposes of the Act).
(3) An order under section 1(5) may accordingly vary or revoke the provisions of sub-paragraph (1) above as they apply to an Education Action Forum specified in the order.'.--[Mr. Byers.]
Amendment made: No. 171, in page 205, line 25, at end insert--
In section 1(7) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 (saving for right of parents etc. to administer corporal punishment), for "teacher, or other person" substitute "or (subject to section 548 of the Education Act 1996) any other person,".'.--[Kali Mountford.]
Amendments made: No. 74, in page 209, line 16, at end insert--
'. In section 3 of the Charities Act 1993 (the register of charities), after subsection (5) insert--
"(5A) In subsection (5) above--
(a) paragraph (a) shall be read as referring also to any school to which section 21(8)(a) or (b) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 applies, and
(b) paragraph (b) shall be read as referring also to any foundation to which section 21(9A) of that Act applies;
but an order of the Commissioners, or regulations made by the Secretary of State, may provide that section 21(9A) of that Act shall cease to apply to any such foundation as is mentioned in that provision or to any such foundation of a description specified in the order or regulations." '.
No. 75, in page 209, line 17, leave out 'the Charities Act 1993' and insert 'that Act'.
No. 83, in page 219, line 47, leave out from 'etc.)' to end of line 49 and insert--
'(a) in paragraph (a), for "county, voluntary, grant-maintained" substitute "community, foundation, voluntary"; and
(b) omit paragraph (b).'.
No. 28, in page 219, line 49, at end insert--
' .--(1) Section 519 (allowances for governors, etc.) shall be amended as follows.
(2) In subsection (1), for the words from "travelling" to "section 115);" substitute "such allowances as may be prescribed to governors of--
(a) any community, foundation or voluntary school or community or foundation special school which does not have a delegated budget (within the meaning of Part II of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998);".
(3) In subsection (3) for "travelling and subsistence allowances" substitute "such allowances as may be prescribed".
(4) After subsection (6) add--
"(7) Regulations may impose a limit on the amount which may be paid by way of any allowance under this section." '.
No. 78, in page 222, line 40, at end insert--
'. In section 543 (relaxation of prescribed standards in special cases)--
(a) in subsection (1), for "or (4)" substitute ", (4) or (4A)"; and
(b) after subsection (4) insert--
"(4A) This subsection applies, in relation to any playing fields used by the school for the purposes of the school, if the Secretary of State is satisfied that, having regard to other facilities for physical education available to the school, it would be unreasonable to require conformity with any prescribed requirement relating to playing fields.
In this subsection "playing fields" has the same meaning as in section (Control of disposals or changing use of school playing fields) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (control of disposals or changing use of school playing fields)."--[Mr. Byers.]
Amendment made: No. 172, in page 223, leave out lines 9 to 13 and insert
'Omit sections 549 and 550 (provisions about corporal punishment).'.--[Kali Mountford.]
Amendment made: No. 84, in page 235, line 8, column 3, at end insert--
'Section 518(b).'.--[Mr. Byers.]
Amendments made: No. 173, in page 235, column 3, leave out lines 40 to 44 and insert 'Sections 549 and 550.'.
No. 174, in page 237, line 54, at end insert--
'1997 c. 59.
Education (Schools) Act 1997.
Section 6(1).
In section 7, in subsection (3)(a) "section 6(1)", and in subsection (4)(a) "(1) and".'.--[Kali Mountford.]
Amendment made: No. 112, in page 239, line 46, at end add--
'6.--(1) This paragraph applies where--
(a) at any time before the appointed day, whether before or after the date on which this Act is passed, any trustees (being entitled to do so) have given to the governing body of a former voluntary school a notice which is effective to terminate, on or after that day, the school's occupation of any land held by the trustees for the purposes of the school; and
(b) the termination of the school's occupation of that land would have the result that it was not reasonably practicable for the school to continue to be conducted at its existing site.
(2) Paragraph 7A(2) of Schedule 22 shall apply in relation to the land to which such a notice relates as it applies in relation to the land to which a notice falling within section 29(11) relates.
(3) Section 29(13) and (14) shall apply, with any necessary modifications, for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(b) as they apply for the purposes of section 29(11)(b).
(4) In this paragraph "former voluntary school" means--
(a) any voluntary school, or
(b) any grant-maintained school which was a voluntary school immediately before becoming grant-maintained or was established by promoters,
within the meaning of the Education Act 1996, which on the appointed day becomes a foundation or voluntary school within the meaning of this Act; and "the purposes of the school" has the meaning given by section 29(15).'.--[Mr. Byers.]
Order for Third Reading read.
5.59 am
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