§ Mr. LawrenceTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any agreement has yet been achieved between Her Majesty's Government and the European Commission of Human Rights on the complaint lodged by the parents of 15 children caned at state schools prior to the implementation of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EggarThere were 16 applications to the European Commission of Human Rights concerning corporal punishment in state schools prior to the implementation of the 1986 Act. These were discontinued in May 1988 following the Government's offer to make ex gratia payments to the applicants. Settlements had earlier been reached in three other cases.