§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education how many complaints have been made under section 23 of the Education Reform Act 1988 concerning the specific actions of local education authorities in relation to the curriculum or religious worship; and what were the figures for each local education area in each year since 1989.
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe table shows the number of complaints received by local education authorities in academic years 1990–91 and 1991–92—the only years for which information is available. The figures include complaints received via the governing body of a school as well as those made direct to the local education authority. Only those authorities that have notified the Department of one or more complaints are included.
1990–91 1991–92 Avon 3 — Bedfordshire — 1 Bradford 1 — Bury — 1 Coventry — 1 Cumbria — 1 Derbyshire — 1 Ealing 1 — East Sussex — 2 Greenwich 1 — Harrow 1 — Hillingdon 1 1 Islington — 3 Kensington 1 — Kent 1 — Lancashire — 1 Leeds — 1 Manchester 1 — Northamptonshire — 1 Oxfordshire — 1 Richmond — 1 Rochdale 1 — Sheffield — 4 Southwark — 5 Suffolk 1 1 Tameside 1 — Trafford — 1 Total 14 27
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education how many complaints have been received from children or young people aged 18 years or under in relation to section 23 of the Education Reform Act 1988 according to each local education authority area for each year since 1989.
775W
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe returns which local education authorities make to the Department for Education do not specify the age of the complainant.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education how many complaints have been received by his Department in relation to section 219 of the Education Reform Act 1988 in each year since 1989; and how many complaints related to(a) the conduct of local education authorities, (b) the conduct of governing bodies of maintained schools, (c) grant-maintained schools, (d) higher education corporations and (e) institutions of further and higher education maintained or assisted by local education authorities.
§ Mr. Robin SquireThis information will take some time to collate. I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will make it his policy to amend circular 1/89 on local arrangements for the consideration of complaints to include references to complaints from pupils.
§ Mr. Robin SquireNo. Circular 1/89 already states that complaints may be made by "parents and others" and section 23 of the Education Reform Act places no restrictions on who may make a formal complaint about the curriculum or collective worship.