§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will name those schools to which she has made official visits in 1996, and to date in 1997, in which standards of space, heating and sanitary provisions(a) were represented to her as inadequate and (b) did not meet statutory standards; and what action she has taken or intends to take in each case. [10899]
§ Mrs. GillanMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State visits a large number of schools each year in the course of her official duties. Any matters of concern raised during such a visit, including standards of accommodation, are noted at the time and dealt with on an individual basis, usually through correspondence between officials in the Department and the school or local education authority involved.
The responsibility for ensuring that school premises comply with the standards laid down in the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1996 falls to the LEA for LEA-maintained schools, and the governing bodies of grant-maintained schools.