§ 45. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Prime Minister what would be the approximate cost of raising the school age to 15 years and providing each child with a maintenance grant of 5s. per week; how many children would this include; and the approximate cost for unemployment pay to a corresponding number; of persons with the average number of dependants?
§ The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER (Mr. Churchill)I have consulted my right hon. Friends, and, as the reply is lengthy and contains figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. PALINGCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Government are considering this question as one of the possible ways of reducing unemployment?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am not aware of any inquiries of that kind which are going on at the present moment.
§ Mr. MAXTONWill the Government consider this as one of the methods of dealing with unemployment?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI have also to consider the question of the expenditure of the country.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODI would like to ask the right hon. Gentleman if the Cabinet have never yet consulted him to see if he cannot devise ways and means of remedying unemployment?
§ Mr. B. SMITHThe industrial Mussolini!
§ Following is the reply:
§ If pupils were required, after completing the term in which they attain the age of 14, to stay at the public elementary school for another year, it is estimated that this would cause an addition of 450,000 to the average attendance, and that, including the pupils of that age already in school, there would be 540,000 such pupils on the registers. The number of additional pupils who could probably be accommodated in the schools as they are now, without new buildings, would not be large and could only be ascertained by special investigation; but it would not be practicable to provide the necessary number of new school places within a short time, and any attempt to do so would tend to increase the cost of school building. A hypothetical estimate based on the assumption that so large an operation could be carried out at present rates of cost would be misleading.
§ The present cost of building public elementary schools may be put at about £30 a school place, involving loan charges of about £2 per annum. The annual cost of instruction may be reckoned at the present average at about £11 per head. The cost, therefore, of providing for additional pupils between the ages of 14 and 15 would be about £13 per head. Under the present grant system the charges are divided between grants and rates, on an average for the whole country in the proportion of 56 per cent. falling on grants and 44 per cent. falling on rates. Taking the cost of an additional unit of average attendance at £13, about £7 5s. would fall on grants and £5 15s. on rates.
§ Maintenance allowances at 5s. a week for 40 weeks in the year would add £10 per annum to these figures. Under the present grant system the cost of maintenance allowances in public elementary schools falls about equally on grants and rates.
§ The amount of unemployment benefit payable to 450,000 persons with the average number of dependants would be about £350,000 a week.