Mr. R. C. Mitchellasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when she plans to issue the further guidance to local education authorities on the support of education in independent schools, promised in her Department's Circular No. 12/76.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonMy right hon. Friends have today issued a joint circular setting out the circumstances in which arrangements made for the support of education in non-maintained schools are likely to receive approval in future. Local education authorities will in general be authorised to give support to pupils attending non-maintained schools only where the authority can show that there is an absolute shortage of maintained provision or a shortage of denominational provision, or where pupils are assessed on grounds unrelated to their ability or aptitude as being in need of boarding education. My right hon. Friends will shortly be writing to those authorities whose present arrangements do not appear to be compatible with the guidelines of the circular. The circular does not affect the existing arrangements for the education of handicapped pupils in non-maintained special schools and independent schools.