HC Deb 05 December 1994 vol 251 cc71-2W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set out his reason for calling for a second ballot on grant-maintained status at West Monmouth school, Gwent; and if he will make a statement on the result of the second ballot.

Mr. Richards

The reasons are set out in the Department's letter to the school's chairman of governors dated 26 September 1994, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. In the second ballot, a majority of parents voted against grant-maintained status for the school.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the gross amount spent by his Department in each Welsh county to advertise, promote and inform schools and parents on grant-maintained status.

Mr. Richards

Since 1990, the Welsh Office has spent around £165,000 in total ensuring that schools are provided with factual information on grant-maintained status. It is not possible to break this down on an individual county basis.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to ensure that the same standards of financial and management responsibility now applied to local education authority schools will be applied to grant-maintained schools; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Richards

Local education authorities are responsible for ensuring good standards of financial management in their schools. This can vary between authorities as revealed in the Audit Commission's 1993 report "Adding up the sums: Schools' Management of their Finances" which suggested that in some 40 per cent of schools, financial accountability was weak or non-existent.

Grant-maintained schools in Wales are subject to a range of provisions aimed at ensuring that the highest possible standards of financial and managerial control apply. Among these are: —detailed financial management procedures and audit arrangements that are set out in a financial memorandum and other guidance, including a requirement for annual external audit by approved independent bodies. —examination by the Comptroller and Auditor General who reports his findings to the House of Commons in each Session of Parliament; and —a range of orders and regulations that prescribe how GM schools must operate.