Vol. 709 Monday No. 52 23 March 2009 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) HOUSE OF LORDS OFFICIAL REPORT ORDER OF BUSINESS Introduction: The Lord Bishop of Bradford Questions Schools: Performance Tables Vehicles: Tax and Duty Housing: Home Information Packs Railways: Franchises Legislative Reform (Supervision of Alcohol Sales in Church and Village Halls &c.) 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Single copies: Commons, £105; Lords, £40. Standing orders will be accepted. THE INDEX to each Bound Volume of House of Commons Debates is published separately at £9·00 and can be supplied to standing order. WEEKLY INFORMATION BULLETIN, compiled by the House of Commons, gives details of past and forthcoming business, the work of Committees and general information on legislation, etc. Single copies: £1·50. Annual subscription: £53·50. All prices are inclusive of postage. © Parliamentary Copyright House of Lords 2009, this publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Parliamentary Click-Use Licence, available online through the Office of Public Sector Information website at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/ 441 The Lord Bishop of Bradford[23 MARCH 2009] Schools: Performance Tables 442 Lord Richard: My Lords, is my noble friend aware House of Lords that, unless one is an expert in this particular field, her Answer is totally incomprehensible? She has promised Monday, 23 March 2009. us a further answer. Can we have it in English? 2.30 pm Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: My Lords, yes. I will Prayers—read by the Lord Bishop of Chester. do my very best. Introduction: The Lord Bishop of Bradford Baroness Walmsley: My Lords, notwithstanding the anomaly that the noble Lord, Lord Lucas, has highlighted, 2.36 pm are the Government still committed to value added David Charles, Lord Bishop of Bradford, was rather than bald results and league tables as a much introduced and took the oath, supported by the Bishop better way of holding schools to account? Does Ofqual of Manchester and the Bishop of Chester. intend to sort this anomaly out? Schools: Performance Tables Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: My Lords, we are Question committed to value added. In fact, I took the trouble to have a look at the technical guide to the post-16 2.40 pm contextual value added 2008 model. Asked By Lord Lucas Noble Lords: Oh! To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the practice of excluding International GCSE results from value-added calculations in the post-16 school Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: My Lords, it takes a performance tables has the effect of artificially few hours to read, but I assure that noble Baroness enhancing the results of independent schools against that it is comprehensive. those of state schools; and whether they have plans to change the practice. Baroness O’Neill of Bengarve: My Lords, is the The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Minister aware that it is often destructive to use one Department for Children, Schools and Families (Baroness and the same method for holding pupils to account by Morgan of Drefelin): My Lords, the post-16 contextual their exam marks as well as institutions; that is, schools? value-added calculations are derived from a statistical There is substantial evidence, such as in Warwick model containing a number of factors known to impact Mansell’s Education by Numbers: The Tyranny of Testing, on pupils’ post-16 outcomes. I recognise that excluding of the damage done to education by using these exam IGCSE results from the CVAcalculations could potentially results for school accountability. Can she suggest a bias the results of independent schools in either direction. better way to do it? We have commissioned an internal analysis of this issue. I will be happy to provide noble Lords with a fuller reply when that analysis is complete. Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: My Lords, the noble Baroness refers to what I am sure is some important Lord Lucas: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness research, which I will be happy to look at. The point for that Answer. Is it not the case that the Government about contextual value added is that it is not just could simply ask the exam boards for the IGCSE taking the bald, bare exam results. It is taking into results and incorporate them into the tables? There account progress that pupils make as a result of the would then be no chance whatever of bias. Is it not efforts of their particular institution. much more important that the tables provide parents with the information that they need to help them The Earl of Listowel: My Lords, will the Minister choose schools than to keep the Government’s amour look at how independent boarding schools are performing propre clean concerning a little dispute about what an compared with state day schools in terms of outcomes exam is called? for looked-after children? Her noble friend Lord Adonis initiated a programme of encouragement to allow Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: My Lords, as the appropriate young people in care to join independent noble Lord is well aware, when the most recent statistics boarding schools. How is that progressing? were prepared, only a few students were taking IGCSEs. We can reassure noble Lords that as regards the most current information, there is little likelihood of an Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: My Lords, I can impact. However, IGCSEs have not been submitted inform the House that that work is progressing. I for accreditation to Ofqual. Therefore, until such a should be very happy to write to the noble Earl with time as Ofqual has accredited those examinations and an update, but there have been placements of looked-after they are approved for use in maintained schools, we children, and, as I understand it, the programme is would not be in a position to collect those statistics. progressing reasonably well. 443 Vehicles: Tax and Duty[LORDS] Vehicles: Tax and Duty 444 Vehicles: Tax and Duty Lord Davies of Oldham: My Lords, she will recognise Question that the industry takes time to adjust to a stimulus of this kind, but the direction of travel is quite straight forward—it is low-pollutant travel. Industry will benefit, 2.45 pm as will the private car owner, from reducing the pollutants Asked By Lord James of Blackheath which their engines emit. The level of vehicle excise duty is an important stimulus towards that. To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, to stimulate the British automotive industry and to Lord Broers: My Lords, I am sure the Minister is reduce emissions, they will extend the tax and duty aware that the lowest-emitting carbon-fuel-consuming benefits available to private vehicles to all commercial cars are of course those with diesel engines. Their vehicles. emissions are even lower than those with hybrid systems. Are the government schemes for the taxation and Lord Davies of Oldham: My Lords, fuel duty and pricing of diesel fuels appropriate? vehicle excise duty apply to all vehicles, both private and commercial, while commercial vehicles already Lord Davies of Oldham: My Lords, the issues of the enjoy a range of tax and duty benefits. VED rates for differential between petrol and diesel have a substantial heavy goods vehicles have been frozen since 2000, and history, and the differential is marked. However, the heavy goods vehicles that meet European air quality noble Lord will appreciate the extent to which the standards are eligible for reduced VED rates through Government have put emphasis on low-pollutant vehicles. reduced pollution certificates. Business expenditure VED is the easiest signal to send because it is paid on vehicles may be tax deductible against companyprofits, once a year or at six-monthly intervals and is a gross subject to corporation tax rules. figure. We are signalling that we expect vehicles with low emissions to be purchased. We are also encouraging Lord James of Blackheath: My Lords, I thank the manufacturers; it is not as though manufacturers are Minister for that response. In view of the imminent not aware of worldwide pressure to investigate those European emissions regulation 6, is it not time that the technologies that produce fewer pollutants.