§ Mr. StrawTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the total cost of the launch of the parents charter, with a breakdown of these costs.
Mr. Kenneth ClarkThe total cost of the launch of the parents charter was £36,500. A total of £22,000 was paid for staging and display material, most of which will be reused for other events. The remainder was spent on the hire of the venue and fees for related services.
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§ Mr. StrawTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the estimated total gross cost of the publication of the parents charter; how many of each document has been printed; and how they are to be distributed.
Mr. Kenneth ClarkThe parents charter has so far cost £214,000 to produce; this includes £60,000 for the translation into ethnic minority languages which will be available shortly.
Three million copies of the English language version were printed initially; the number of requests for copies has meant that a reprint is now in hand. The charter will be available in libraries and post offices, and can be obtained through freephone and freepost arrangements advertised in the national press and in magazines. Copies are also available for schools to distribute to parents. Over 40 per cent. of schools have already requested copies for this purpose.