§ Mr. Nigel SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what review has been conducted on the adequacy and operation of the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981 prior to the decision to modify the regulations; who was responsible for the review; what were their qualifications and experience; what was its cost; where and by what means its findings were publicised; and whom she consulted concerning its conclusions. [4492]
§ Mrs. GillanThe review was announced on 2 October 1990. The terms of reference were to consider the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1981 in the light of changes in educational practice over the last 10 years and to review priorities in the light of these.
The review team was led by a professional architect in my Department with 22 years' experience. The team included other experienced professional advisers and senior officials from my Department, representatives of the Welsh Office and Her Majesty's inspectorate of schools, and an observer from the Scottish Office.
No separate estimate was made of the cost of the review, as distinct from my Department's other work on school organisation matters.
As required in the terms of reference of the review, its findings were reported to the Secretary of State for Education and to the Secretary of State for Wales.
A consultation letter was sent out on 25 February 1991 to local education authorities, teachers' associations, voluntary bodies and other interested organisations. A similar letter was sent to grant-maintained school governors. The Welsh Office sent their own consultation letter to LEAs and organisations in Wales. Following the announcement of the Government's intention to bring 440W forward a revised set of Education (School Premises) Regulations, a second consultation letter was sent out on 14 July 1995 to the same range of bodies as the previous letter.