§ Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools have notified her Department of their interest(a) in increasing their number of assisted places and (b) in using the assisted places scheme for the first time; how many extra places have been notified in the last available year; and if she will make a statement on (i) the numbers to be provided and (ii) the expected timetable of provision. [15445]
§ Mrs. GillanOver 400 schools have bid for over 7,400 new entry places from September 1996 as part of the expansion of the assisted places scheme in England, and more bids have been received for further places in 1997. Over 260 of these schools already participate in the scheme, and over 140 have applied for admission. These bids far exceed the scale of expansion necessary to meet the announced doubling of the total size of the scheme over time. My right hon. Friend hopes shortly to announce the first allocations of new places for September 1996.