§ Mr. John MacKayasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what action he proposes to take with regard to charging for tuition in musical instruments in schools in Scotland, following the recent judgment in the High Court in England that Hereford and Worcester county council could not charge parents for such tuition.
§ Mr. YoungerThe judgment by Mr. Justice Forbes to which my hon. Friend refers was, of course, given in the context of the Education Act 1944, which applies in England and Wales only. Nevertheless, given that the Scottish legislation contains provisions of apparently similar effect, the same issues could arise in Scotland and I am inviting the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to discuss the question with my officials. I have no plans to amend the Education (Scotland) Bill currently before Parliament to deal with this issue.