§ 33. Mrs. Mannasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if his attention has been drawn to the complaints made by parents concerning poor quality of school blazers and shrinkage of school caps provided for schools under his control; if he is aware that parents are directed to where these should be purchased; and if he will take steps to give parents freedom to choose what they consider to be the best value, commensurate with school colours, &c., from retailers who provide such.
§ Mr. Henderson StewartMy right hon. Friend is not aware that any such complaints have been made by parents in Scotland. So far as is known, the parents of pupils attending public schools are free to buy school uniforms at any shops which stock them.
§ Mrs. MannIt is really surprising to hear that reply. The British Standards Institution survey contains pages full of complaints from Scotland, and particularly from Edinburgh. It is a well-known practice of schools—[HON. MEMBERS: "Speech."]—to insist that blazers, caps, and so on, must be purchased——
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Lady has not yet asked a question. She is making a statement.
§ Mrs. MannWould the hon. Gentleman ask the Secretary of State to inform the schools that the parents are not to be obliged to buy from any firm in particular?
§ Mr. StewartThis is a matter for the schools. It has nothing to do with the Secretary of State at all. In most cases, as in the hon. Lady's county, the authorities pass on the entire responsibility to the headmasters. I do not think that this is a Government responsibility.
§ Sir A. Gomme-DuncanDoes my hon. Friend not agree that it would appear 1149 from the hon. Lady's statements on her two Questions that it is right to control tomatoes and wrong to control school caps?