(1)An education authority shall submit to the Secretary of State for his consent any proposal of theirs to which this section applies and shall not implement such a proposal without his consent.
(2)A proposal to which this section applies is one which—
(a)relates to a school transferred to an education authority under section 16(1) or provided by them under section 17(2) of this Act; and
(b)will, if implemented, have the effect that all or some of the pupils who attend the school will no longer receive school education in a school of the kind referred to in paragraph (a) above or that all or some of the children who would, but for the implementation of the proposal, have been likely to attend it will not be likely to receive such education in a school of that kind.
(3)The Secretary of State shall not grant consent under this section unless he is satisfied that adequate arrangements have been made for the religious instruction of pupils and children who would, as a result of implementation of the proposal, no longer receive or be likely to receive school education in a school of the kind referred to in paragraph (a) of subsection (2) above.
(4)In granting consent under this section the Secretary of State may impose such conditions as he thinks fit with regard to the religious instruction of the pupils and children referred to in paragraph (b) of subsection (2) above and to related matters and conditions imposed by the Secretary of State under this section may be revoked or amended by him at any time.
(5)Any question which may arise—
(a)whether a proposal is one to which this section applies;
(b)as to the implementation of a proposal to which the Secretary of State has consented under this section;
(c)as to the fulfilment or observation of any conditions upon his consent imposed under subsection (4) above
shall be determined by the Secretary of State and the education authority shall perform their duties under this Act in accordance with any such determination.
(6)In this section, the reference to section 16(1) or 17(2) of this Act shall include a reference to the corresponding provision of the Act of 1918, the Act of 1946 and the Act of 1962.