Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to make a decision on the future of the 44 free school applications that have been placed on hold since 22 October 2024.

The department is reviewing 44 projects as part of the mainstream free school pipeline review, to ensure they continue to meet localised need for places, consider whether they provide a unique educational offer and are not to the detriment of the other schools locally. These projects would provide approximately 30,000 additional places at capacity.

The National Audit Office set out in 2017 that planned free schools would lead to an estimated 57,500 spare places, and that there is a cost both to the taxpayer and to other local schools via impact on pupil numbers at existing schools.

Since the review was launched, the department has paused development of the sites. Any funding has been in line with managing public money. The department will publicly communicate the outcomes of the review as soon as possible.

We have engaged with trusts, local authorities and other stakeholders in relation to individual projects in scope of the review, including reviewing the evidence they have provided.

As would be expected from a review of this scale, there have been a significant number of meetings, including meetings between ministers and MPs, where local MPs have requested them.