§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list in respect of (i) treaty articles, (ii) directives and (iii) regulations concerning tenders and contracts,(a) made and (b) supervised by his Department, the commercial requirements which apply in relation to (1) inspection of schools and (2) fulfilling the functions of named local education authorities and (3) assumption of management responsibilities of individual schools from local education authorities. [78806]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe Department for Education and Employment neither makes nor supervises contracts for the inspection of schools, which are the responsibility of Ofsted. The management of maintained schools is the responsibility of each school's governing body, with support as necessary from the local education authority.
The Department is making preparations to let and supervise contracts for the discharge of functions of local education authorities which are failing adequately to discharge their statutory functions. These contracts, including those for consultancy services, are subject to Council Directive 92–50, relating to the co-ordination of procedures for the award of public service contracts. The Directive is made under Articles 57(2) and 66 of the Treaty of Rome. The implementing regulations are the Public Service Contract Regulations 1993 number 3228.
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