I rise to support all amendments in this group, many of them formally, particularly the lead amendment—amendment 11. We must acknowledge that the Government has moved on the role of the tribunal and has introduced a number of amendments at Stage 2 to try and respond to the strong evidence that we received on the need for the education tribunal to have the power to direct health bodies in relation to additional learning needs. They have moved closer to what I would want to see, and what the majority of witnesses to the committee wanted to see, but the Government is still falling short in my view.

Ministers have consistently reminded us that the narrative of this Bill and the broader package of reforms in terms of ALN is to make it easier and simpler for a child or young person and their families to actually find their way through the additional learning needs sector, that services should be child-focused, that the system works around the child, and that the child shouldn’t have to work their way through a complex and multi-faceted system.

Now, keeping two separate regimes for appeals or seeking redress undermines all of that, in my view. Extending responsibility for the education tribunal to include health bodies—only in relation to additional learning needs—would simplify things significantly, while everything relevant then would be included under a single tribunal. I would encourage Members to support amendment 11 specifically.