Jess Phillips – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jess Phillips on 2016-06-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many complaints her Department has received about consultations relating to new free schools.

Edward Timpson

Free schools trusts are required, under Section 10 of the Academies Act 2010, to consult those they think appropriate on whether to enter into a Funding Agreement with the Secretary of State to open the school, and to have due regard to the outcome of that consultation. The duty to consult rests solely with the trust and the Department does not direct trusts on how to execute their duty.

Complaints about a particular consultation can be made directly to the Department. However the total number of complaints received relating to free school consultations is not recorded.