In order to keep up to date with the latest news within the Campaign, you can:
A number of peers made reference to the fact that the Bill will not reach Committee stage, ie the Government has run out of time. The opposition front bench has already made it quite clear that the home education parts of the Bill will not survive the wash-up. printer friendly version tell a friendSunday 7 MarchWhy write to Lords and MPs now and what to say We have just revised and updated our pages on writing to Members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Please check out these links:
http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/writemp.htm http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/lettermp.htm http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/writelords.htm
The Government continues in its attempts to change the law on home education via the Children Schools and Families Bill. The Bill receives its Second Reading in the House of Lords on Monday March 8th. Political commentators and parliamentarians expect it to run out of time before the General Election. At this point the Bill will go into "the wash-up" where opposition front bench MPs have made it clear that they will not let the home education clause pass. We need to keep talking to members of the House of Lords and also to our constituency MPs who can pass our concerns to the Secretary of State, Ed Balls.
Our information page about the CSF Bill is here. printer friendly version tell a friendSunday 7 MarchMon 8th March: watch 2nd reading Lords + questions to Ed BallsMonday is the day set for the second reading of the Children Schools and Families Bill in the House of Lords. A conspicuous number of peers have put their names down to speak in this debate. You can watch here on the parliament channel or recorded later here.
Meanwhile in the House of Commons at 2.30pm Secretary of State Ed Balls is taking topical questions from MPs which you can watch here or here.
Our information page about the Government's attempts to change the law on home education can be found here, including links to latest articles and more background to the parliamentary schedule, setting out the reasons why the Government's plans for home education are unlikely to become law. printer friendly version tell a friendThursday 4 MarchGovernment asks authorities about safeguarding practice in home educationC4EO has been asking local authorities to share local examples to support children's trusts work in the safeguarding and promoting welfare aspects of their home education responsibilities.
More information can be found here http://tinyurl.com/ycksup9 and here http://www.c4eo.org.uk/themes/safeguarding/files/safeguarding_home_education_call.pdf.
The address for inquiries is here C4EOTeam@NFER.ac.uk. printer friendly version tell a friendMonday 1 MarchNew Ideas on Writing to the House of Lords The first significant date for the House of Lords is Monday March 8th when the Bill receives its Second Reading, which gives peers the opportunity to begin debating the main principles and purpose of the Bill and to flag up concerns and areas where they think changes (amendments) are needed.
Members of the House of Lords can put their name down to speak at Second Reading. More information can be found here at the Whips Office.
It is imperative that the Government's proposed legislation receives scrutiny in the House of Lords since the House of Commons has been subject to a strict guillotine motion or "programme order" which greatly restricted time for debate.
Perhaps the most striking difference between the Commons and the Lords is that debate in the Lords may not be rushed "by order" in the same way as the Commons. Another difference between the Commons and the Lords is that the Committee stage in the Lords takes place on the floor of the House of Lords and is open to all members of the House.
Lord Lucas says:
"After Second Reading comes Committee, when the whole house (meaning those who take an interest) go through the Bill line by line. What we will need for this stage are suggestions for amendments... our strengths are more in grinding the government down gradually with practical arguments than cutting them down with politics. So do send in your ideas for amendments, as we can put them down straight after Second Reading."
Read more at our newly updated information page about writing to members of the House of Lords. printer friendly version tell a friendView all...
Iris Harrison'sHE Diary
Press Enquiries
