To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have closed each year since 1997, broken down by local authority. (184991)

The numbers of secondary and primary school closed in each year since 1997, by local authority, are given in the table which has been placed in the Library.

Schools can be closed for a number of reasons including: to meet demographic changes (population decline); as part of an amalgamation; to allow a Fresh Start school to replace a school in special measures; to allow a school with a religious character to replace a school without a religious character; or as part of another type of local reorganisation.

The figures also show closures as part of the Local Government Reorganisation programme.

It was not mandatory to supply school closure dates prior to January 2002 and therefore the figures for the years 1997 to 2002 may not be complete.