§ 17. Mrs. McCurleyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is satisfied that the provisions of the Education (Scotland) Act 1981 giving parents the right to choose which education authority school they wish their children to attend is working effectively and being used to its full advantage; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Allan StewartBetween February 1982, when the parental choice provisions came into force, and July 1983, the latest date for which information is available, some 27,500 placing requests were made. Some 27,000 were successful. I am satisfied that this demonstrates the effectiveness and success of the new provisions and that these have stimulated interest by parents in the education of their children.