asked the Minister of Education whether Kenbury House School, Exeter, has been inspected under the terms of Part III of the Education Act, 1944.

This school has been visited by one of Her Majesty's inspectors and a medical officer of the Ministry a number of times in recent years. A special inspection for the purposes of Part III has just taken place.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that early in December a very disturbing report about the school appeared in the Daily Sketch, that the school is blacklisted by the Devon County Council, and that if half the allegations in the article are true the school ought to be seriously investigated?

My right hon. Friend has to see the inspector's report before deciding what action to take under Part III. He is aware that the school is run on controversial lines. It may well have serious defects, and these defects may not all be purely of an educational nature. We shall study the inspector's report very carefully.

The hon. Gentleman mentioned that the school had been visited on a number of occasions. Did it appear to have got better between one visit and the next?

These are difficult things to speak about in the House of Commons without notice. I should not like to say that. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that from what reports we have had we need to study the inspector's report very carefully before we decide what action to take under Part III. I assure him that that will be done.