§ Mr. Whiteheadasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has 269W received about the proposed closure of Winchester school of art by Hampshire county council; whether this has been considered under his chairmanship by the board of the national advisory body on local authority further and higher education; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveUp to 17 February my right hon. Friend had received 64 letters making representations about the proposed closure of the Winchester school of art. I can inform the hon. Member that the Hampshire county council's further education sub-committee decided on 8 February to establish a working party to consider alternative options for art and design provision in the county. No final decision on the future of the school will be taken before the council's meeting on 26 May.
The matter has not been considered by the national advisory body for local authority higher education—NAB. It would not be appropriate for the NAB to do so until it has received the local education authority's proposals in response to the NAB's planning exercise for 1984–85.