To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what information he has regarding the action taken by school governing bodies to implement the DES circular "Management of the School Day".

The circular explained how governing bodies might alter the length of the school day and how they should provide adequate teaching time within the day. Some governing bodies have begun to take action on this—others should do so.

I thank my hon. Friend for his reply. Will he encourage governors to take even more action on this matter? Does he agree that governors have a responsibility to ensure that pupils in schools have options during the school day?

Yes. My hon. Friend will be interested to know that more than a quarter of all primary schools do not yet provide the minimum teaching time. If necessary, we shall have to give statutory force to the circular published last year.

Can my hon. Friend confirm that there is no legal minimum for the length of the school week? Is not that an omission from current educational legislation? Would not it do a great deal more to ensure that poor standards in schools were tightened if he introduced legislation to deal with that?

At present primary school weeks can vary from 20 to 25 hours. Why should parents in one area get less teaching for their children than those in another? Unless schools are prepared to meet the new minimum targets we shall have to consider whether to give them statutory force.