§ Mr. Wolrige-Gordonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the percentage change in transport costs over last year borne by local authorities for the conveyance of children to primary schools.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellLocal authority returns of reckonable expenditure show that the estimate for 1972–73 exceeds the provisional outturn for 1971–72 by 10.4 per cent. for the conveyance of all pupils to school. Separate figures are not available for primary pupils.
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§ Mr. Wolrige-Gordonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many one-teacher primary schools there are in Scotland.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellAt January 1972, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 335 one-teacher primary schools and departments.
§ Mr. Wolrige-Gordonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if, in his consideration of proposals to abolish all one-and two-teacher primary schools in Scotland, he will estimate the number of headmasterships which would be lost to the teaching profession.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellNo education authority has put to me proposals for closing all the one- and two-teacher primary schools in its area.
§ Mr. Wolrige-Gordonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many visiting teachers of special subjects now work in different primary schools in Scotland; and how this figure compares with 10 years ago.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellThe figures for education authority primary schools in January of the years named are given below. Information for earlier years is not available.
§ Mr. Wolrige-Gordonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if there is a general rule following the closure of a rural school when assurances are given that transport will be free of the time scale which must elapse before a fee for school transport is levied on the parents.
§ Mr. Gordon CampbellEducation authorities have a duty to provide free transport for school pupils in order to ensure that no child under eight years of age has to walk more than two miles and no other child has to walk more than 3 miles to or from school. Although authorities may make more generous 339W transport arrangements following the closure of a rural school they are not required to do more than meet this statutory obligation.