HC Deb 23 October 1952 vol 505 cc1253-6
33 and 34. Mr. Swingler

asked the Minister of Education (1) where, in view of the number of houses being built and planned in the borough and rural district of Newcastle-under-Lyme through the agency of the National Coal Board to enable mineworkers and their families from other coalfields to come to North Staffordshire, and of the increase in the child population which will result, she will reconsider the school-building programme for Staffordshire to make provision for the children of these families;

(2) how many new schools it is proposed to start building in the excepted district of Newcastle-under-Lyme in the year 1953–54.

The Minister of Education (Miss Florence Horsbrugh)

The local educational authority and my Department are fully aware of the arrangements being made for the rehousing of miners in the Newcastle area of Staffordshire. This will undoubtedly cause pressure of school accommodation, but I should not on my present information feel justified in adding any major project for this area to the authority's school building programme for 1953–54. One new primary school and a secondary school are already under construction at Newcastle, and another primary school is due to begin this month.

Mr. Swingler

Is the Minister not aware that this new situation, which has arisen since she cut the Staffordshire programme by 1,000 primary places, will add several hundred children during the next few years to the normal growth of child population in this area of North Staffordshire? In view of the fact that the Newcastle Education Committee have commandeered every available bit of extra accommodation, like church halls, for classes, does not this call for some reconsideration of the programme?

Miss Horsbrugh

I understand that about half of the 600 houses to be occupied by miners are to be occupied by local miners. I remind the hon. Gentleman that we are in close touch with the Coal Board about the dates on which the houses are to be begun, that we have increased the allocation for minor capital work to £70,000 and that the authority's school building programme for the next year amounts to £900,000.

54. Mr. Mikardo

asked the Minister of Education what value of school building was authorised from 1st January, 1952, to the latest convenient date; and what was the value authorised in the same period in 1951.

Miss Horsbrugh

Between 1st January and 31st August, 1952, the value of educational building work approved in England and Wales was £27,839,000. The comparable figure for 1951 was £42,117,000.

Mr. Mikardo

As a permanent school takes up to two and a half years to build will not this sharp fall in the allocation this year result in a severe bottleneck by 1954? Is the right hon. Lady quite indifferent to that situation and, if so, does her indifference arise from the fact that she knows she will not be Minister of Education in 1954?

Miss Horsbrugh

No, because I still think that the new plan to start fewer schools and finish them more quickly gives us the schools. Yesterday I opened a secondary school which had been completed in 18 months. It is quite clear that we can get the schools built more quickly if we start fewer.

Mr. Peart

Is the Minister aware that the policy of her colleagues in the Cabinet is to restrict the supply of steel for school building? It is all very well for her to get out of it in that way, but if the Minister of Supply gave the allocation of steel guaranteed by the Labour Government the Minister would have no problem.

Miss Horsbrugh

I can assure the hon. Gentleman that I know more about my colleagues' arrangements for steel allocation than he does. I know the figures. If the hon. Gentleman will look at the number of complaints brought to the House last year of buildings that were held up because there was not sufficient steel, so that we had schools not being completed in under four years, he would soon agree that my policy was better.

Miss Bacon

Does not the right hon. Lady yet realise that one has to start building before one can finish them?

Miss Horsbrugh

I am fully in agreement with the hon. Lady on that, but I would ask her to consider whether it is of any use to the children and our educational system to have schools started but not finished?

56. Mr. Hayman

asked the Minister of Education what capital expenditure projects of the Cornwall Education Committee exceeding £2,000 were approved by her Department for 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52 and 1952–53, respectively.

Miss Horsbrugh

I am sending the hon. Member a list of these projects.

56. Mr. Hayman

asked the Minister of Education how many new school buildings have been provided by the Cornwall Education Committee since 1945; and what is the cost, accommodation and date of opening of each.

Miss Horsbrugh

Two new schools have been completed in Cornwall since the war. Falmouth Primary School was built to accommodate 240 infants, the contract value of the project was £58,000 and the school was taken into use in April, 1951. Newquay County Primary School provides 160 places for infants at a contract cost of £26,474 and was opened in January, 1952.

Mr. Hayman

Does not that reply indicate that there is ample room in Cornwall now for a number of new schools to be started, since only two have been completed in recent years? Will the right hon. Lady therefore lift the ban she has imposed on new school building?

Miss Horsbrugh

I am not responsible for the fact that since the war only two new schools were built. I am responsible for the fact that three new schools are at present under construction—Saltash, Torpoint and Newquay Secondary School.