§ Mr. WillisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will take steps to ensure that local education authorities do not promote policies of encouraging schools to form group foundation bodies. [102827]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe group foundation mechanism enables schools without existing foundations to enter the Voluntary sector. It is for governing bodies themselves to decide whether they should apply to establish or join a foundation body for their schools. If they do so, the foundation body will hold the schools' land for the purposes of the schools, appoint foundation governors for those schools and promote co-operation between member schools. Local education authorities have no major role in any decision by governing bodies considering membership of a foundation body.