Westminster and Hammersmith/Fulham Education Departments Merger

Westminster Council Leaders have backed plans to merge with the Education Department of Hammersmith and Fulham,with the expected savings of 20 per cent – £2million – for each council’s education budget over three years.

Already there is widespread anxiety about the practical implications for education, with questions raised over accountability and whether a more centralised service would dilute the quality of provision.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Improving Education meeting, Westminster's Cllr Barrow said: “On the surface this is the right thing to do, achieving a comparable level of service for markedly less money. The luxury of having our own education department is one we can no longer afford and I think to have 33 individual education authorities in London is no longer sustainable.”