§ 11. Mr. Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make available additional financial assistance to education authorities to accelerate the primary school building programme.
§ Mr. MonroMy right hon. Friend has already done so. Capital investment to the value of £9.5 million was allocated in July of last year for primary school improvements and replacements starting in the period to March, 1973; and the additional works programme includes £16.8 million for primary school building projects.
§ Mr. EwingIs the hon. Gentleman aware that recently I have been in correspondence with him about two primary school problems in my constituency—Grangemouth Primary School and Comely Park Primary School? Does not he agree that the Stirling County Education Authority is a very good one and that it wants to solve this problem? Is he aware that in talks I have had with members of the authority, their complaint is that insufficient capital resources are available? As my hon. Friend the Member for Kirkcaldy Burghs (Mr. Gourlay) has said, will the hon. Gentleman be bold and demand that more resources be allocated to this very important part of education?
§ Mr. MonroI have nothing to add to what I have written to the hon. Gentleman on this matter. I remind him and the Opposition that in the last four years of Labour Government Stirling received £510,000 for primary school building, whereas in our two years of office it has received £880,000.