To ask the Scottish Executive whether its consent is required before a local authority can sanction the closure of a state-funded denominational school. Ministerial consent for theclosure of such denominational schools is required only in certaincircumstances.Schedule 2 to the Education(Publication and Consultation Etc)(Scotland) Regulations 1981, which applies tonon-denominational and denominational schools alike, covers circumstances wherethe school concerned is more than 80% full, or where the alternative school is fiveor more miles distant in the case of a primary school and 10 or more milesdistant in the case of a secondary school from the school proposed for closure.Sections 22C and 22D of theEducation (Scotland) Act 1980 cover circumstances where pupils would no longerbe able to attend a school of the denomination concerned; or where, followingrepresentations from the church or denominational body concerned, ministers considerthat the proposal would result in a significant deterioration in the provision,distribution or availability of school education in denominational schoolscompared with other public schools.