§ 5. Rev. Martin SmythTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for future relations between grammar schools and education and library boards. [29805]
§ Mr. AncramThe Government have proposed that the recurrent funding of voluntary grammar schools in Northern Ireland should in future be undertaken by the education and library boards. No change is proposed to the governance of these schools, which will remain under the sole management of their boards of governors. Representations on these proposals have been received and will now be carefully considered before any final decisions are reached.
§ Rev. Martin SmythDoes the Minister accept that some people on the governing bodies of the grammar schools are concerned that the relationship that they have had with the Department may alter, especially in the light of those grammar schools which are already controlled by the boards? When a board, in the case of, for example, Wellington college, recommends a major modernisation, the Department sets it aside and cannot even yet tell us when it will get the funding to upgrade that school's premises.
§ Mr. AncramI have had representations from a number of quarters, including representatives of the Governing Bodies Association and from far further afield. I will wish to take full account of those representations including, I should add, representations from the hon. Gentleman's party, which supported the proposals. I wish to take all those representations away and give them the fullest consideration. In the proposals, we were seeking an administrative simplification of the system, not to alter any of the relationships in terms of control. Were I, following my consideration of the representations, to think that the proposals were going further than intended, I would take it into account.