§ Mr. Nigel Lawsonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what action he proposes to take in the light of the report of the special inspection of Countesthorpe College, Leicestershire, ordered by his predecessor last year and carried out by Her Majesty's Inspectorate in November; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PrenticeIn accordance with normal practice the report has been supplied in confidence to the Leicestershire Local Education Authority, the governors of the college and the principal for them to consider its contents and take action as appropriate. I understand that a number of steps have already been taken, while others are in hand, to meet the recommendations in the report, about which my Department is and will remain in touch with the local education authority. When agreeing to the local education authority's request for a full inspection of the college, my predecessor made it clear that it must take place in accordance with the normal arrangements and conditions as to both the inspection itself and the distribution of the report, and I see no reason to dissent from that view.