Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the poll conducted by Populus showing that 67 per cent of Catholics, 71 per cent of Christians overall, and 60 per cent of the public as a whole, support keeping the 50 per cent cap on faith-based admissions to religious schools, (2) figures set out in the official 2016 schools census showing that Church of England and other Christian free schools subject to that cap take more then three times as many pupils from Asian backgrounds as Church of England and other Christian schools that select all their places on religious grounds, (3) the extent to which Catholic state schools in England select all their places on the basis of religion, and (4) whether new Catholic schools can be opened when that cap is in place; and whether they intend to review their policy of abolishing that cap.

The department will consider a range of evidence, including opinion polls and official statistics, as part of the process for deciding how to take forward the proposals contained in the ‘Schools that work for everyone’ consultation including in relation to the 50% cap on faith admissions.

The department does not collect information about the level of use of faith oversubscription criteria in any school.

The department is considering proposals on the future of the 50% cap and will respond in due course.