§ Mr. Alan Howarthasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what weight is given to parental preference in determining appeals against school closures.
§ Mr. DunnWhere my right hon. Friend decides proposals to close schools published by local education authorities under section 12 of the Education Act 1980 he has to take into account all the relevant financial, educational and other factors, including parental preference and assess where the balance lies in each individual case. The weight given to individual factors such as parental preference necessarily varies from case to case according to the individual circumstances of what is proposed, the evidence from statutory objections, and the actual level of preferences expressed by parents in the allocation procedure.