§ Mr. Freesonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his policy regarding amending proposals put forward by local authorities to close or amalgamate secondary schools pursuant to the Education Act 1980, before those proposals are adopted by the local authority concerned.
§ Mr. DunnIt is for local education authorities, in consultation with the governors of voluntary aided and special agreement schools, to take a view on the form and pattern of secondary education best suited to local circumstances and the preferences of parents and, when necessary, to publish proposals as required by the Education Act 1980. Where such proposals fall to my right hon. Friend to decide, he may approve or reject them or may approve them with such modifications which, after consultation with the local education authority concerned, he thinks desirable. However his powers of modification are limited since he cannot so change proposals as to make it impossible to regard what is there as still being the original in modified form.
Within these limits, my right hon. Friend's policy is to exercise this power where he has certain reservations but is otherwise minded to give his approval, to bring proposals more into line with his policies, particularly those set out in circulars 2/80, 2/81 and 4/82. Once proposals have been determined by the local authority or approved by my right hon. Friend, he may also, at the request of the authority, modify any proposals which they are required to implement by virtue of the Act.