§ Mr. StrawTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimates he has made of the amount of money raised by parents to fund basic school costs.
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§ Mr. MacGregorThe Government are aware that many parents are willing to contribute additional financial support to schools, and welcome that. But my Department does not collect data on the scale of such contributions, or the uses to which they are put. Her Majesty's inspectorate collects some information as part of its routine inspection of schools, but not on a systematic basis. Its most recent assessment is set out in paragraph 56 of the senior chief inspector's first annual report, "Standards in Education 1987–88". A copy is available in the Library.