§ 25. Mr. Huntasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received on the subject of this year's secondary school placings in the London Borough of Bromley; and what replies he has sent.
§ Miss Joan LestorNineteen parents have complained to the Department that they are dissatisfied with the places offered to their children; the Department is still investigating 12 of the complaints but has found no grounds for intervening in the other seven cases and has replied accordingly.
§ Mr. HuntIs the Minister aware that there is widespread anger and resentment among many parents in Bromley, particularly in the Hayes and West Wickham areas, regarding this year's placings? Even if the Department cannot intervene directly with the Bromley Education Authority, where parents are given a choice of secondary education for their children should not that choice be meaningful and realistic rather than that we should be faced with a farcical situation in a substantial number of cases in Bromley this year?
§ Miss LestorAs I am still discussing some matters with the Bromley Education Authority, I do not think I should say too much about specific points. Because some complaints are still being investigated, all I can say at present is that certain schools in the borough have become more popular than others. This has resulted in disappointment on the part of some parents about the schools to which their children have been allocated, but I repeat that some of these complaints are being investigated.