§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she is taking to ensure(a) the provision of new school places required by rising rolls and (b) the elimination of surplus places no longer required; and if she will make a statement. [7301]
§ Mr. Robin SquireSection 14 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on each local education authority to secure sufficient school places for its area unless the Secretary of State has made an order under section 27 of that Act, in which case the responsibility for providing sufficient school places may be shared with or held solely by the Funding Agency for Schools.
We look to local education authorities to take action to remove surplus places in the first instance. My right hon. Friend has powers under the Education Act 1996 to direct an authority to bring forward rationalisation proposals where numbers of surplus places appear excessive.
Both the provision of new places in areas of population growth and the cost-effective removal of surplus places are among our priority categories for capital support.