§ 30. Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister of Education how many new primary and secondary schools, stated separately, are being built at present; and how these figures compare with those of a year and two years ago, respectively.
§ The Minister of Education (Miss Florence Horsbrugh)The numbers of new primary schools under construction in England and Wales on 1st June in 1950, 1951 and 1952 were 716, 911 and 785. Comparable figures for new secondary schools were 219, 293 and 276.
§ Mr. SwinglerWill the Minister draw the attention of the Minister of Housing and Local Government to those figures about school building, and, in particular, to the drastic cut she has made in the number of new schools started in the first six months of this year, in order to give him an opportunity to correct the false impression that he gave at Scarborough?
§ Miss HorsbrughThe number of new schools was eventually cut down in order to get more completed schools. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will be glad to know that more educational building work was done in the first half of 1952 than was done in the first half of 1951.
§ Mr. SpeakerWe really must get on for we are only at Question No. 30.
§ Mr. SwinglerIn view of the Minister's unsatisfactory and misleading statement, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment.