46.Section 13 provides that when conducting consultations in respect of a closure proposal for a rural school, the proposal paper which an authority publishes (in accordance with section 4) must additionally explain and set out how, in formulating the proposal, the authority had special regard to the three factors described in section 12.
47.After the consultation period has concluded, the authority must additionally include in the consultation report an explanation of how, in reviewing the proposal it applied the three factors described in section 12. The consultation report must also explain any change of attitude on the part of the authority regarding the application of the three factors in relation to the closure proposal.