HC Deb 28 June 1956 vol 555 c681
24. Miss Bacon

asked the Minister of Education what effect Circular 306 will have on overcrowding in secondary modern schools.

Sir D. Eccles

As I told the hon. Lady last week, the measures which we have taken are intended to lead to more efficient building; how successful these measures will be depends on general economic conditions which I cannot forecast.

Miss Bacon

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that local authorities evidently do not share his optimism that a slash of £34 million in the school building programme will result in more places being provided? Is he further aware that last week they passed a resolution stating that substantial numbers of children will not have the school accommodation promised by the Government? Is he aware that his optimism is not shared by those who know anything about what is happening?

Sir D. Eccles

I think that if the hon. Lady had been at the conference last week she would have found that local education authorities realised that the chances of completing schools in good time were better now than they had been before.