Hodge told Parliament's education and skills select committee, a panel of MPs that examines government education policy, that the children bill would be amended to allow the commissioner to investigate issues without needing government approval. "On this one issue that has been raised quite vigorously in the Lords, we will be putting forward some concessions," said Hodge.
Labour MP Barry Sheerman, who chairs the committee, said: "We are concerned that the children's commissioner should not be seen as a pushover, so we challenged Hodge to promise that the English commissioner will be as strong as its Welsh and Scottish counterparts."
However, Hodge also told the committee it was impossible for the commissioner to be answerable to Parliament, for "constitutional reasons".
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