HC Deb 18 January 1999 vol 323 c351W
Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what criteria are used to determine how many and which schools will be involved in those consultation exercises which are conducted with a random selection of schools. [65944]

Mr. Charles Clarke

For most purposes, a sample of 500 schools is sufficient. A sample will be larger only if it is important to analyse responses from different types of school. Schools are selected using systematic sampling from a list in area and phase of school order. The system ensures that any one school will be selected infrequently, thereby minimising the burden of consultation.

Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on how many occasions over the past year his Department has given recipients 10 weeks, excluding school holidays, to respond to consultation documents. [65940]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Between January and December of 1998 this Department gave a response time of 10 weeks or more for 27 consultation documents.

Mrs. May

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what criteria are used to determine which consultation documents should be sent to a limited number of schools rather than all schools. [65943]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Only consultations on major changes affecting schools are sent to all schools. Normally, consultation papers are sent only to a small sample of about 500 schools.