To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of trends in levels of applications to secondary schools in the Milton Keynes area. (295618)

Since 2008, local authorities have been required to provide data to the Secretary of State on secondary school offers made on the day that parents are notified of their school places. This year’s data were published on 12 March 2009 and can be accessed in the SFR ‘Secondary School Applications and Offers’ at:

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/STR/d000833/index.shtml

This year, figures for Milton Keynes local authority show that, of the 2,853 applications received from parents living within the local authority area, 87.3 per cent. were offered their first choice school and 97.5 per cent. were offered a place at one of their first three choices.