§ Mr. Lomasasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she intends to introduce legislation to seek to ensure that local authorities are given clearly set down guide lines for catchment areas within their authority as far as schools are concerned; and, if so, when such legislation will be introduced.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe responsibility for school admission arrangements rests with local education authorities or, for voluntary schools, the governors or managers in consultation with the local education authority. It is for them to determine in the light of local circumstances the area which particular schools serve. However, my right hon. Friend intends to introduce legislation as soon as the parliamentary timetable permits to ensure that arrangements for admissions to schools always give parents the opportunity to express a preference between schools, wherever local geography makes this practicable, and to require that local 787W education authorities and managers or governors as appropriate take account of these preferences so far as is compatible with the comprehensive principle and the efficiency of the education system generally, including the need to be able to plan effectively for the deployment of resources during the period of falling school rolls when there will have to be planned reductions in admissions to schools.