§ Lord Cocks of Hartcliffeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, when the Secretary of State for Education and Employment made his decision to close Merrywood School, Knowle West, Bristol, he was aware that Gay Elms Primary School, Withywood Road, Withywood, and Whitehouse Primary School, Fulford Road, Hartcliffe, were to be threatened with closure. [HL45I5]
§ The Minister of State, Department for Education and Employment (Baroness Blackstone)When my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment took his decision in April of this year to approve the closure of Merrywood School it was taken for educational reasons and following a very careful consideration of the facts before him at the time: this decision subsequently being upheld in the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
The Secretary of State was aware that the closure of Whitehouse Primary was considered by the council during an area review in 1997 but that the authority had decided against bringing forward closure proposals. The Secretary of State was not aware of any proposals to close Gay Elms Primary School at the time he approved the closure of Merrywood.
§ Lord Cocks of Hartcliffeasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, when the decision was taken to close Merrywood School, Knowle West, Bristol, local authority consultation of local residents was undertaken by means of the Internet and telephone polling; and, if so, whether such consultation can take sufficient account of the views of those in deprived areas who do not necessarily have access to such forms of communication. [HL4568]
§ Baroness BlackstoneAs the noble Lord will be aware, consultation prior to the publication of statutory proposals is undertaken by the body publishing proposals, not my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment. I therefore suggest that this Question is for Bristol City Council rather than my right honourable friend or myself. In reaching his decision my right honourable friend was, however, satisfied that widespread consultation was undertaken. As an illustration of this I can confirm that the consultation process included a community inquiry, public meetings and the circulation of 4,500 consultation questionnaires.