Oral Answers to Questions — Education and Employment – in the House of Commons at 1:51 pm on 26 February 1997.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many schools have so far applied for grant-maintained status in Cheshire; and if she will make a statement. [16054]
Eleven schools in Cheshire have applied for grant-maintained status. Eight of those applications have been approved and the schools concerned are operating as grant-maintained schools.
I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. The Macclesfield constituency boasts excellent primary and secondary schools, including five grant-maintained schools: Pott Shrigley Church of England school, Mottram St. Andrew junior school, Kettleshulme St. James junior school, Henbury county high school and Fallibroome county high school. In the House today I lunched with four pupils from Fallibroome county high school who have won a national competition. These are excellent schools, with super governors, wonderful staff and a history of success. Am I correct in assuming from what I hear from Opposition Members that they will abolish grant-maintained status and push the schools back under the responsibility of the county? That would be disastrous—the schools would lose their status, despite being highly popular schools with a super record of success.
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. He is well known for championing grant-maintained schools and small village schools in particular—in fact, several of the grant-maintained schools in his constituency are highly successful small village schools. I hope that he will tell the story loud and clear to the thousands of parents whose children attend those excellent schools that they are safe only under a Conservative Government and that Labour would abolish the schools' status, causing disruption, chaos and grief to governors, head teachers, teachers, parents and—most of all—pupils.
Will the Minister confirm that, of the 491 schools in Cheshire, only one has held a ballot in the past year and that parents voted no? Is that an overwhelming endorsement of going grant maintained from the people of Cheshire?
The Government's grant-maintained policy is working in Cheshire. There are a number of GM schools spread across Cheshire which give parents an added element of choice and diversity. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will make it clear to the electorate in his constituency that he will abolish grant-maintained schools in Cheshire. Parents should know, head teachers should know and governors should know. Chaos will result from the Opposition's policy.