Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department sought advice from Government lawyers at the time of the sale of Newton Rigg in 2011 on the efficacy of a deed of release purporting to absolve the parties pursuant to that sale from liability for negligence or fraud; and whether that deed of release was deemed by Government lawyers to be (a) ultra vires, (b) void for illegality and (c) contrary to public policy.

The government continues to follow the general practice of successive governments not to comment on legal advice that may or may not have been sought or received.