Primary Education: Lancashire

Mr. Hoyle
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what recent representations he has received on proposed primary school closures in West Lancashire.

Mr. Coaker
None. School place planning is the statutory responsibility of individual local authorities (LAs). This includes making sure there are sufficient school places, and also removing surplus places when required. To facilitate this LAs have the power to propose the closure of maintained schools.

Where LAs propose to make any changes to local school provision, including closures, they must follow a statutory process, which is then decided under established local decision making arrangements. Ministers have no direct role in the process.