§ Lord Denningasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, following the second answer of Earl Ferrers on 19th October (H.L. Deb. col. 1129), the "arrangement" referred to in paragraph 76 of the report of the Charity Commission for 1988 was followed up to 31st July 1988 in most cases of discontinued denominational voluntary schools, and was not justified as being cases which it was right for both departments to consider.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers)I understand that before July 1988 the commissioners were prepared to exercise their powers to authorise sales of discontinued voluntary schools in cases where the Secretary of State for Education and Science had confirmed that he would make an order under Section 2 of the Education Act 1973 but where such an order was likely to be delayed and the sale was urgent. The commissioners' withdrawal from this arrangement, for the reasons set out in paragraph 77 of their report for 1988, would not prevent them from exercising their powers in relation to those schools where it was agreed with the Secretary of State that it was appropriate in the circumstances for them to do so.