HC Deb 17 October 1995 vol 264 cc229-30W
19. Mr. Merchant

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many pupils are currently being educated in grant-maintained schools. [36009]

28. Mr. Hayes

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the number of pupils who attend grant-maintained schools in the United Kingdom. [36108]

Mrs. Gillan

We estimate that more than 660,000 pupils are currently being educated in grant-maintained schools in England. The figure for the United Kingdom as a whole is more than 670,000.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what advice is given to grant-maintained schools about the operation of schools' admission and exclusion procedures in relation to Sex Discrimination Acts and Race Relations legislation. [36643]

Mr. Robin Squire

Guidance is contained in circulars 6/93, "Admissions to Maintained Schools", and 10/94, "Exclusions from School". Copies of both circulars were sent to all maintained schools and have been placed in the Library.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what are the requirements on the governing bodies of grant-maintained schools in respect of the process of consultation about proposals to alter admission arrangements. [36641]

Mr. Squire

The Department's circular 6/93, "Admissions to Maintained Schools", a copy of which was placed in the Library, advises all admission authorities to take into account local views before changing their admission arrangements.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what capital funds have been provided to grant-maintained schools for emergencies outside the normal annual bidding round; to which schools; and for what purpose in each of the financial years 1990–91 to 1994–95. [35811]

Mr. Squire

These matters are now the responsibility of the Funding Agency for Schools. I have asked the chairman of the Funding Agency to write to the hon. Member with this information.

Mr. Blunkett

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many(a) primary and (b) secondary school governing bodies were under a duty to consider whether to conduct a parental ballot on grant-maintained status during the 1994–95 school year; how many ballots have been held in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools since 1 September; and, in each case, how many resulted in votes in favour of grant-maintained status and how many resulted in votes against. [35810]

Mr. Squire

We estimate that the governing bodies of about 18,200 primary schools and 3,000 secondary schools were under a duty to consider whether to conduct a parental ballot on grant-maintained status during the 1994–95 school year. The overwhelming majority determined that they would not conduct such a ballot. The number of ballots held and their outcome during the same period is as follows:

Type of school Number of ballots held Number of ballots in favour Number of ballots against
Primary 59 37 22
Secondary 26 13 13