§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will outline the criteria for the closure of rural schools.
§ Mr. ForthMy right hon. Friend would expect any closure proposal to take account of considerations such as the number of pupils on roll, the quality of alternative provision, parental choice, local geography, the distance to be travelled to alternative schools, and the age of children making those journeys. That said, very small schools are expensive to run and where alternative schools are readily accessible closures can make sense.