§ Mr. Willisasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now make a statement about the future of the local authority fee-paying and selective schools in Scotland.
§ Mr. Ross:In January of this year, I informed Edinburgh and Glasgow local education authorities that with the abolition of fee-paying from 1st August, 1970, I considered that the existing special arrangements for the admission of children to their fee-paying selective schools should be discontinued. Both authorities were asked to submit revised arrangements for the admission of children to these schools. It is clear from the answers I have received that 283W the authorities intend to continue to exclude the schools concerned from their normal pattern of school provision. In particular the schools are not to be included in the schemes of secondary reorganisation on comprehensive lines which have been adopted for the rest of their areas. As I have already made clear, I see no justification for the continuation of these special arrangements. I therefore intend to introduce legislation to give me specific statutory powers to require an education authority to submit plans for the reorganisation of their schools on a non-selective basis and to require that plans submitted should include proposals for all schools— both primary and secondary— under the authority's management. The legislation will also include such additional powers as I consider necessary to meet the main purpose I have stated.