§ 10. Mr. Haleasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education the number of new schools approved for Government grant in the present educational programme for the current year and the number of school places involved, giving the comparative figures for each of the three preceding years.
§ Sir E. BoyleAs the Answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. HaleIs the hon. Member aware that, whatever those figures show, the situation is becoming increasingly serious? In Oldham alone, we have children walking two miles across dangerous streets, school-children being maintained in schools which are not fit for the housing of children in any circumstances whatever. Probably in no other part of Government policy has the situation become more deplorable. This is really an occasion for aggressive, determined and prompt action.
§ Sir E. BoyleI entirely agree with the hon. Member about the importance of this. On the other hand, the figures in the Answer will show that the number of schools authorised to be started in 1956–57 will be considerably larger than the number started in any of the three preceding years.
§ Mr. L. M. LeverCan the Minister say whether the child whose parents wish him to attend a voluntary school will have full facilities for doing so, not only by the propinquity of the building of these voluntary schools, but also by way of travelling expenses?
§ Sir E. BoyleI can assure the hon. Member that we have the problems of the voluntary schools very much in mind.
§ The following is the Answer:
| MAJOR PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECTS | |||
| Year | Number of schools started | Number of places in these schools | |
| 1953–54 | … | 585 | 194,000 |
| 1954–55 | … | 511 | 163,000 |
| 1955–56 | … | 639 | 194,000 |
§ The number of new schools authorised to be started between 1st April, 1956 and 31st March, 1957 is 750. They will provide 234,000 places.
§ All these totals are made up partly of projects originally put forward by local education authorities for starting in the previous year but not actually started then, and partly of projects put forward in the first instance for starting in the year in question.