HC Deb 09 November 2001 vol 374 cc440-1W
Mr. Edwards

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance is given to education authorities on the rights(a) parents and (b) step-parents have to send their children to the same school as older siblings. [13653]

Mr. Timms

None. Local education authorities are responsible for setting and publishing the admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled schools, following local consultation each year. These arrangements must include the criteria for allocating places if a school is oversubscribed. There is no requirement for local authorities to use sibling links as an admission criterion, although many choose to do so, deciding their own definition of 'sibling'.