§ Our reference: S319/4/09
§ Date: 20th June 1977
§ Sir,
§ EDUCATION ACT 1976: SECTION 2 PROPOSALS
§ I hereby acknowledge receipt of your letter of 24 May with which you submitted to the Secretary of State your Council's draft proposals, as cleared by the Education (Schools) Sub-Committee, for giving effect throughout the authority's area to the principle in Section 1 of the Education Act 1976 that education is to be provided only in schools where the admission arrangements for pupils are not based (wholly or partly) on selection by reference to ability or aptitude, as required by the Department's letter of 24 November 1976.
§ The Secretary of State is pleased to note that the authority intend to comply with the requirement in the Department's letter and to submit in July, after the draft proposals have been considered by your Council, formal proposals for ending selection in the authority's schools. She wishes to proceed with all speed with examination of the formal proposals as soon as they are received and, to that end to ensure that no misunderstanding exists as to the nature and date of implementation of the proposals, I am to invite the authority to send officials to attend a meeting at the Department with her officers within two weeks or so of the formal submission to discuss the proposals. I am to ask the authority to suggest some date and times for the meeting which would be suitable to their officers.
§ I am, Sir,
§ Your obedient Servant.
§ R. W. J. Mitchell.