§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what plans she has to change the current regulations on the length of the school day; [12075]
472W(2) what estimate she has made of the additional cost of increasing the length of the school day to an average of eight hours; and if she will make a statement. [12076]
§ Mr. Robin SquireIt is for governing bodies to determine the length of the school day and we have no plans to change this. The Department has carried out no studies of the cost of extending the school day, although it is known that some schools have a significantly longer compulsory day than others.