Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of applications her Department has received for free schools in districts experiencing a high or severe need for extra primary school places in the present academic year.

As reported in the National Audit Office review of free schools, 70% of free schools have opened in areas where there was a need for additional school places.

Based on data provided by local authorities in May 2013, nine authorities were projected to have high or severe basic need for more primary school places in the 2013/14 academic year. Between May 2010 and May 2014, the Department for Education received a total of 34 applications to open primary free schools in these areas. This represents 8% of all primary free school applications received over the same period.