Our reference: S314/4/05

Date: 20th June 1977

Sir,

EDUCATION ACT 1976, SECTION 2 PROPOSALS

I hereby acknowledge receipt of your letter of 17th May with which you submitted to the Secretary of State your Council's proposals for giving effect throughout the authority's area to the principle in Section 1 of the Education Act 1976 that education is to be provided only in schools where the arrangements for the admission of pupils are not based (wholly or partly) on selection by reference to ability or aptitude, as required by the Department's letter of 24th November 1976.

I am to remind the authority that under the provisions of Section 2(2) of the Education Act 1976 the authority are required, before submitting their proposals, to consult the managers or governors of every voluntary school which is in their opinion affected by the proposals and, if the managers or governors so request, to transmit to the Secretary of State with their proposals any proposals made by the managers or governors for the purpose of giving effect to the principle in Section 1 of the Act. I am to ask the authority to confirm that this has been done. Still outstanding are proposals for the two Roman Catholic Schools: I am to ask the authority to say when proposals for these schools are to be submitted.

The Secretary of State wishes to proceed with all speed to the examination of the proposals submitted with your letter. To ensure that no misunderstanding exists as to the nature and detail of the authority's proposals I am to invite the authority to send officers to attend a meeting with officers of the Department to discuss them. I shall be in contact with the authority within the next few days in order to arrange a suitable date. If any further examination of the proposals is then thought to be necessary the Secretary of State will consider whether or not to take advantage of your suggestion that a meeting with members of your authority should be arranged.

I am Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

R. W. J. Mitchell.