Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she plans to take with local authorities to improve the (a) transparency and (b) accountability of multi academy trusts.

Multi-academy trusts are partners in this government’s vision to drive high standards across all parts of the education system. The government is committed to bringing forward legislation to enable the inspection of multi-academy trusts supporting this government’s ambition that every part of the education system which can drive improvement is doing so.

It is important that multi-academy trusts work effectively with local authorities in the areas where their schools are located.