§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has to call in consultants or accountants to assist in, or provide advice on, the organisation of conferences, seminars or workshops on grant-maintained status.
§ Mr. Robin SquireNone.
§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 28 October, at columns744–45, how many of the grant-maintained schools operating at the end of the last financial year showed (a) a financial surplus and (b) a financial deficit.
§ Mr. Robin SquireNone of the 336 grant-maintained schools operating as at 31 March 1993 had a cash deficit.
§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 28 October,Official Report, columns 744–45, whether he will list the firms of consultants used by his Department to provide basic support for conferences, seminars or workshops on grant-maintained status stating, in each case, the services received and the fees paid.
§ Mr. Robin SquireNo. The details of contracts between the Department and individual contractors must 283W be treated as commercial-in-confidence. Payments by the Department for the support services listed in my reply of 28 October—Official Report, columns 744–45—total approximately £180,000 to date.
§ Mrs. Ann TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to his answer of 28 October,Official Report, columns 744–45, how many of the five representations on the possibility of a role for the Audit Commission in the auditing of accounts of grant-maintained schools were supportive of such a possibility.
§ Mr. Robin SquireFour.