Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2017 to Question 63407, on Baverstock Academy: closures, for what reason her Department does not provide financial information on the estimated cost of proposed school closures when an academy is consulting on whether to close.

The estimated costs of a closure form only one element of a decision, which will take into consideration both the risks involved and dependencies required to deliver each of the options, and the best and most sustainable strategy for delivering good or outstanding school places for every child in the local area.

Releasing details of estimated closure costs could make factors that are equally influential in the arguments for and against closure seem less significant and give a misleading picture as to how the decision was made. The primary objective of the department in making such decisions is to secure value for money for the taxpayer whilst ensuring the best possible educational outcomes for the pupils and parents.

Releasing details of estimated closure costs would not provide a complete picture of the situation. In some cases, those details may also be commercially sensitive. The primary objective of the Department in making such decisions is to ensure the best possible educational outcomes for the pupils and parents whilst also securing value for money for the taxpayer.