Academies Bill [Lords]

We have 720 schools where children from primary school were looking forward to going into brand-new schools. Their hopes have now been dashed by the Conservatives to pay for their free-market schools policy—[Hon. Members: ““Answer the question.””] Unlike the Secretary of State, I have the courage to answer the question, and the fact is that in 1997 70% of children reached the required level in English and maths at age 11, and that rose to 80% under the last Government. We improved standards because we invested in schools and teachers. It is the cuts by the Government that will set back the improvement in standards. Members opposite know that the reason the new schools have been cancelled is not to reduce the deficit. It is not because of the nonsensical claims about bureaucracy. Those claims are as flimsy as the Prime Minister's promise to protect the front line. The cuts in the school building programme are to pay for the new free schools policy. We know that because in opposition the Conservatives said that"““we propose that capital funding for new academies should come through a new fund, established by reallocating the money available within the building schools for the future programme.””" To be fair to them, they promised it in opposition and they are delivering it in government, so that 700 schools around the country are now feeling the reality of a Conservative-Liberal Administration and do not like it very much.