Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason officials in her Department told the hon. Member for Walsall North that she would not be accompanied by a prospective parliamentary candidate on her visit to an academy in that constituency on 9 February 2015; and if she will make a statement.

Departmental officials organise official government business including visits. They would not be expected to be involved in arrangements with Prospective Parliamentary Candidates.

Rivers Primary Academy was first informed that the Secretary of State for Education was planning to visit on 5 February 2015. The arrangements were then made and confirmed on 6 February 2015, on which date the Department also alerted the hon. Member to the planned visit.