§ Mr. GillTo ask the Secretary of State for Education what academic studies he has consulted on the effects on children of sex education in primary schools; and if these studies showed the effects on children of this age to have been beneficial or detrimental and over what period.
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§ Mr. Robin SquireResearch findings in this area show that the majority of parents support the provision of some form of sex education in primary school, but the evidence for its effects is inconclusive. We believe that in this sensitive area the decision whether, and from what age, to offer sex education in maintained primary schools is best left to the discretion of the governing body of each school and that parents should have the right to withdraw their children from sex education if they so wish.