§ Mr. Muddasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many private schools ceased operation in each of the years 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983; how many pupils were involved; and how many private schools, involving how many places, were registered in each of the same years.
§ Mr. DunnThe numbers of independent schools in England which closed in each of the years 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983 are 43, 62, 46, 50 and 39, respectively; the numbers of pupils involved are not readily available. The numbers of independent schools and numbers of full-time and part-time pupils in January of each of the years are as follows:
Number of schools Number of pupils 1979 2,222 424,066 1980 2,216 433,537 *1981 2,339 527,020 *1982 2,338 520,988 *1983 (provisional) 2,342 516,347 * In 1981 a number of direct grant schools became independent.