KINGS SCIENCE ACADEMY IN BRADFORD AND THE FREE SCHOOL PROGRAMME

Early day motion 640, tabled 29 October 2013 by George Galloway (Respect). Signed by 7 members.

That this House is deeply concerned that a report which catalogued a series of financial irregularities at the Kings Science Academy in Bradford appears to have been suppressed for five months by the Department for Education; notes that more than £80,000 of public money was misused with false invoices submitted to cover party expenditure, pay for first-class rail travel and buy furniture for staff; additionally notes that the building, which cost £10 million, was also paid for by the taxpayer; points out that the principal Sajid Raza appointed his brother to the board of governors and employed his sister as a senior teacher while his wife also worked at the school and his father drove the bus; demands that the Department for Education report into the fiasco is published un-redacted so that those responsible are named; further demands that a fraud inquiry is opened into these matters; believes that the Prime Minister, who visited the school, should regret his words of praise; and concludes not only that there has been a total failure of governance but that crucial oversight of free schools by the Department is demonstrably negligent.

Signatures by party: Labour 6, Respect 1.