School Building Programme

HC Deb 30 November 1950 vol 481 c1288

4. Commander Maitland

asked the Minister of Education whether places will be available for all the children of school age in 1953.

Mr. Tomlinson

On present plans, the school building programme will provide in total the number of places required for children of statutory school age in 1953, but I can give no guarantee that there will not be temporary local shortages.

Commander Maitland

Does not that answer conflict very considerably with the speech the Minister recently made at Bristol, where he expressed great anxiety that throughout the country this target would not be met?

Mr. Tomlinson

I do not remember making a speech recently in Bristol. I certainly have not given any figures anywhere in contradiction of this answer. What I did say somewhere, whether it was Bristol or not I do not know, was that in order that these figures should be met it was necessary that the local education authorities should get on with the programme.