§ Mr. van Straubenzeeasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he intends to bring into force those sections of the Education Act 1980 which relate to school admissions and attendance orders and the assisted places scheme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Mark CarlisleIt would not be practicable to bring the school admissions provisions of the Education Act 1980 (sections 6–9 and schedule 2) into force in respect of admissions to schools in the 1981–2 school year, as many local education authorities are already committed to their admission arrangements for that year.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I therefore intend that these provisions should apply for the first time in respect of admissions to schools in the autumn of 1982; they will come into force on 1 October of this year, with appropriate transitional provisions, so that authorities and schools will have a reasonable period in which to make the new admissions and appeal arrangements which will be necessary to comply with the requirements of the Act.
370WAuthorities and schools will then apply their new arrangements during the course of the 1981–2 school year in respect of admissions to schools in the autumn term of 1982. The school attendance order provisions of the Act (section 10 so far as not already brought into force and section 11) will come into force on 1 July 1982 so that they will in practice take effect at the same time.
With the agreement of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales, I shall shortly be making a commencement order under the provisions of section 37 of the Education Act 1980 which will give effect to this decision. The same order will also bring sections 17, 18 and 34 and schedule 4 of the Act into force on 1 October 1980, with a view to the admission of the first pupils to assisted places in the autumn of 1981.