Education Act 1976

HC Deb 22 May 1979 vol 967 cc866-7

20. Mr. Cryer

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on the operation of the Education Act 1976.

Dr. Boyson

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the statement made by my right hon. and learned Friend in the debate on the Address on 16 May and to the contents of the Education Bill published the following day.

Mr. Cryer

Does not the attitude of the Tory Government in imposing support for independent schools, by the repeal of the 1976 Act, on the basis of providing local authorities with greater freedom point to the hypocrisy of their attitudes when they impose their doctrinaire prejudices on local authorities in terms of council house sales, regardless of whether authorities have a different view and of whether they want to take local circumstances into account?

Dr. Boyson

The Conservative Party made clear in its general election manifesto that a Conservative Government would return to local authorities the freedom to choose how to run their schools and that we would take back places in independent schools. However much the hon. Gentleman may disagree, the electorate agreed with our view.