§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will set out the procedures to be followed by a local education authority in promoting the temporary closure of a maintained school. [52996]
§ Ms Estelle Morris[holding answer 28 July 1998]: Where a local education authority seeks to close a school maintained by it, it is required to published statutory proposals, having consulted those it considers to be appropriate in the light of guidance published by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Statutory proposals must also be published to establish a new school, whether or not this is in the premises of a closed school. If the school proposed to be established is a voluntary school, the proposals would need to be published by the promoters of that school. Under current legislation, proposals affecting voluntary schools fall to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for decision.