Single-sex Schools (Hansard, 16 July 1990)

§ Mr. Gorst
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will indicate how many local authorities provide single-sex schooling at secondary level.

§ Mr. Alan Howarth
In January 1989, of the 97 local education authorities in England, 66 had maintained, single-sex secondary schools.

§ Mr. Gorst
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has on the trend in the number of parents choosing to send their children to single-sex secondary schools in the public sector.

§ Mr. Alan Howarth
The information is not available centrally.

§ Mr. Gorst
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he has any plans to ensure that local authorities provide sufficient single-sex schooling at secondary level to meet all parental preferences.

§ Mr. Alan Howarth
There are no plans of this nature, since it is not Government practice to impose particular organisational patterns for schools upon local authorities. My right hon. Friend always takes account of parental preference when considering proposals for change.