§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Yeovil on 19 March, Official Report, column 564, concerning statistical and financial information provided by local education authorities, if he will place copies in the Library of the standard forms used to collect this information in each recent year; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldI am arranging for copies of the forms sent to local authorities in 1984, 1985 and 1986 to be placed in the Library.
§ Mr. Ashdownasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Yeovil on 9 March, Official Report, columns 22–23, concerning inspections of secondary schools by Her Majesty's inspectors, if he will publish a table showing, for each type of routine or specific inspection (a) the number of such inspections in the last year, (b) the number of reports of such inspections in the last year for which the report has not yet been published and (c) the target or expected number of such inspections in the current year; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldIn 1986, Her Majesty's inspectors carried out 65 reporting inspections of secondary schools in England. Twelve of the reports have been published and 53 are in preparation. The Her Majesty's Inspectorate work programme for 1987 has not yet been finalised, but the number of such inspections is not expected to be significantly different. In addition to inspections leading to published reports, Her Majesty's Inspectorate carries out a large number of shorter informal visits to secondary schools, for a variety of purposes.