Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Education – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 2 February 1993.
Mr Max Madden
, Bradford West
12:00,
2 February 1993
Is the Secretary of State aware that despite the political vendetta that he has waged against Bradford local education authority—[Interruption.] Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that opting out by schools in Bradford has been a complete and utter flop? Does he also accept that, however much he attempts further to rig balloting and other procedures, most sensible parents, when the full facts are placed before them, will reject the prospect of placing the fate and funding of local education authority schools in the hands of the Secretary of State or any of his successors?
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.