MINISTERS have ordered a review of the rules allowing parental votes on grammar schools, prompting speculation it could become easier to trigger moves to close them.

The news of a review has been welcomed by anti-grammar school campaigners in Kent but has sparked concern among supporters of the 11-plus, who fear the Government wants to exploit differences among the Conservatives on the issue.

One option that could be considered is to lower the threshold for kick-starting the petition process.

In a statement, schools minister Jim Knight said: "There is no question of the Government making any decisions centrally over the future of grammar schools.

"We are firmly committed to giving local parents the right to vote to abolish selection at existing grammar schools.

"However, it is absolutely right that we keep the parental ballot arrangements under review to ensure they work effectively and give value for money."

Anti-selection campaigners in Kent have been long-standing critics of the regulations, saying they are too complex and bureaucratic and in a critical report in 2004, a cross-party committee of MPs said they were flawed and a waste of time and money.

Since Labour introduced the law permitting votes on the future of grammars in 1998, just one vote has been held, in Ripon.

Kent campaigners were forced to abandon their only effort to call a referendum in 2000, citing the bureaucratic hurdles involved in what is a complex, three-stage process.

With 33 schools, Kent has the largest number of grammars anywhere in the country.

The Conservatives controversially abandoned their traditional support for selection earlier this year, saying the 11-plus entrenched advantage. That provoked a furious backlash among some Kent Conservative MPs and led to a partial U-turn.

David Cameron promised existing grammars were safe and new ones could be built but only where the population grew.