§ Mr. Win GriffithsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the legal status of(a)grant-maintained schools and (b) universities and colleges as private sector institutions.
§ Mr. RichardsGrant-maintained schools are classified as private sector institutions by the Central Statistical Office according to its criteria for the purpose of national income accounts. Universities and colleges which receive funding from the higher and further education funding councils for Wales are independent autonomous bodies in the private sector. These are publicly funded institutions and are subject to public law—that is, their decisions are subject to review by the courts.