§ Mr. Wrayasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he will be taking to ensure that the new proposals for the opting out of schools from local authority control will not discriminate against the children of hourly-paid parents in the inner cities and other areas because the parents cannot afford to take time off work to become school governors.
§ Mr. DunnAll parents at a school will have the opportunity of voting in a secret postal ballot on a proposal to apply for grant-maintained status. The proposal will have to include information about people willing to stand as governors, and any parent could register an interest. Governing bodies are free to arrange their meetings to suit the convenience of their members. Employers can also provide paid leave for such meetings, and a number already do so.