§ 8. Mr. H. Brookeasked the Minister of Education how much educational building work was carried out in London in 1951 and 1952, respectively.
§ Miss HorsbrughThe value of work done on major educational building projects carried out by the London County Council was about £2,402,000 in 1951 and about £2,990,000 in 1952. I regret that comparable figures are not available for minor projects.
§ Mr. BrookeIs my right hon. Friend aware that the shortage of schools in London at the end of the war was very grave indeed? Does her answer mean that faster progress was made in 1952 than in any previous year?
§ Miss HorsbrughYes, Sir.
§ Miss HorsbrughI quite agree that sanction was given to projects. That is why I have tried over and over again to look at the work done and the projects carried out. This Question and my answer refer to actual work done, which I think is the best yardstick to use to enable people to see that we are speeding up building.
§ Mr. EdeThe right hon. Lady has not answered the simple question I put to her. Who was the Minister who sanctioned the work done in 1952?
§ Miss HorsbrughI would have to have notice of that question because some of the work may have been due to the new starts which have taken place in London, but the majority of the work, will, naturally, have been begun in the year before.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonCan the Minister say how many school places were provided in 1951 and 1952, respectively, because in view of the higher cost of construction brought about by the present Government those figures are not necessarily comparable?
§ Miss HorsbrughI have not got those figures, but I would reassure the hon. and gallant Gentleman that as we are now building schools much more cheaply than before, more work is done for the same money.
§ Mr. J. JohnsonIs the Minister telling the House that we are now building schools in something under 15 or 16 months?
§ Miss HorsbrughOne school in Coventry has been built in 13 months, but if the hon. Gentleman wants to know the time taken to build any particular school he likes to name, I will try to get the information for him.