§ Sir Thomas ArnoldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how he defines surplus places; what is the legal authority for his definition; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. ForthI have been asked to reply.
There is no statute governing the way in which surplus school capacity should be assessed. For current purposes the Department calculates the number of surplus places at a school as the difference between the number of places available, measured using a standard formula and based on the physical capacity of the accommodation at the school, and the number of pupils on the school's roll.