§ 63. Mr. Cockeramasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, when a local education authority proposes to close a school, it is the practice of the Secretary of State to obtain an up-to-date report on the school from Her Majesty's Inspectorate.
§ Mr. DunnWhere proposals made by local education authorities under section 12 of the Education Act 1980 to close schools fall to my right hon. Friend to decide, one of the factors he has to consider in reaching his decision is where the balance of educational advantage lies for the pupils involved. In order to make this judgement, he takes account of all the available information, including that which can be supplied readily by members of Her Majesty's inspectorate in the area. In view of the volume of proposals to close schools, the lead times involved, and the other demands on the time of Her Majesty's inspectors, it would not be practicable for my right hon. Friend to ask for formal inspections, leading to published reports, on all schools which LEAs were proposing to close.