§ 10. Mr. Stephen Swinglerasked the Minister of Education if she is aware of the delays that are occurring in the building of the Hempstalls Primary School, Newcastle-under-Lyme, owing to failure to deliver steel to complete the foundations; and if she will take steps to secure special priority in the supply of steel to this site so that this school may be completed as soon as possible.
§ Miss HorsbrughI am aware of the delays in the construction of this school, but I am informed that they are due by no means solely to failure to deliver steel. My Department's quota of steel for special cases is very limited, and I am afraid that I should not feel justified in giving this project preference over others where shortage of steel is causing even greater difficulty.
§ Mr. SwinglerIs the Minister aware that there has been a delay now of two months in the building of the special foundations which are required for this school because of the danger of mining subsidence in the area? Will she instruct her officers to allow priority certificates to be issued to these authorities so that some progress can be made, in view of the time that has been taken already?
§ Miss HorsbrughI am quite aware of the delay in building this school, and I have looked into the matter. I think the hon. Gentleman will agree that there were many other delays long before we got to the stage where we met the difficulty of steel.
§ Mr. SwinglerDoes that not make it even more necessary now to take some action so as to expedite the building of the school? While what the Minister says is accurate, that there have been building delays, does that fact not make it necessary to lose no time in completing the foundations?