§ Mr. Hunterasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, further to the answer dated 7 February, Official Report, c. 547, how many of the 236 proposals under section 12 of the Education Act 1980 referred to were (a) agreed to despite the objections to them, (b) modified by agreement acceptable to both the local education authority concerned and the objectors and (c) the subject of directions to the local authority concerned.
§ Mr. DunnWhere proposals made under section 12 of the Education Act 1980 fall to my right hon. Friend to decide, the Act empowers him only to approve them, reject them or, after consultation with the local education authority, to approve them with such modifications as he thinks desirable. The Act does not require him to consult objectors before making a modification, but in considering whether one is desirable he may be influenced by points made by objectors. Of the 236 proposals, 191 were approved without modification and 29 with modifications; 16 were rejected.
§ Mr. Hunterasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether there are circumstances in which he would consider representations about a declared intention of a local education authority to close a school if those representations were made to him earlier than is provided for in the provisions in the Education Act 1980 relating to objections.
§ Mr. DunnSections 12 to 16 of the Education Act 1980 provide no part for my right hon. Friend in such matters until proposals have been published and submitted to him as the Act requires. Unless the representations made were complaints under sections 68 or 99 of the Education Act 1944, therefore, it would not be appropriate for him to consider them until proposals have been published.