§ 5. Mr. Swinglerasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Education what proposals have been submitted to him for enlarging the school-building programme for the excepted district of Newcastle-under-Lyme, in the light of the increasing population and development of new housing estates.
§ Sir E. BoyleMy noble Friend has approved for starting in 1958–59 two of the eight projects for Newcastle-under-Lyme submitted to him by the Stafford-shire local education authority. The other six could not be justified as requiring to be started in that year to meet the needs to which the hon. Member refers.
§ Mr. SwinglerWill the Parliamentary Secretary kindly explain what he means by "could not be justified"? Is he aware of the tremendous expansion of housing estates in Newcastle-under-Lyme, especially at Clayton, and the very great distance that children are now travelling to schools where there is considerable overcrowding? Will he reconsider this 1313 matter? Is he aware that the need is very great in Newcastle-under-Lyme and that there is a slack in the building trade which could be taken up on this work?
§ Sir E. BoyleThe first of the six is to replace the existing school, that is, the Clayton Hall County Grammar School, and has no relation to the growth of population. As the hon. Member is well aware, we cannot replace old buildings until we have made further progress with providing places for the increasing numbers of children. A satisfactory case has not yet been made for the other five in view of the existing estimate of the future numbers of pupils, but some of them may well be approved for later years.