§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the implications of the judgment in the Court of Appeal in the Gillick case for the circumstances in which schools may provide sex education and the nature of the education which may be provided; if he has given any guidance to local education authorities on this matter; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. DunnThe Department of Health and Social Security is appealing to the House of Lords against the judgments of the Court of Appeal in this case. Pending the outcome of this appeal, it would not be appropriate for my right hon. Friend to comment on the matter: it is for local education authorities and schools, which are responsible for the provision of sex education, to assess the extent to which the Court of Appeal's judgments have implications for that provision. The Court of Appeal's decision was brought to the attention of local authorities's and others by a circular issued by the DHSS on 21 December 1984.