53. Mr. David Adamsasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether, in view of the delays occasioned by the Board in connection with the application for permission to erect a new secondary school at Consett, seeing that authorised tenders have been before the Board for acceptance since February of this year, and that such pro vision has been pronounced urgent by all concerned, including His Majesty's in spectors for years past, he will obtain a decision of the Board thereon without delay?
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education (Mr. Kenneth Lindsay)I will certainly see that a decision is given in this matter with the least possible delay, but the facts of the case show clearly that the delay up to now in authorising the acceptance of tenders has not been due to the Board.
Mr. AdamsThe Minister will be aware that in correspondence with the council the Board used the expression "We regret the delay."
§ Mr. LindsayThere was some unavoidable delay when the Board was moving from Whitehall to Kingsway, but there was a delay of five or six months on the part of the local authority, and I cannot accept any responsibility for that.