HC Deb 02 July 1959 vol 608 cc598-9
18. Mr. Hayman

asked the Minister of Education what answer he is giving to protests from the Cornwall Education Committee to his cuts in their proposals for new schools to be built in 1960–61 and 1961–62, respectively.

Sir E. Boyle

My right hon. Friend has received no such protest.

Mr. Hayman

Is the Minister aware that he will be receiving a protest, which will probably include the question of why the committee's request to build 12 schools in the coming two years has been cut to seven? Will he take into account the high unemployment rate in Cornwall and restore the cuts?

Sir E. Boyle

I will certainly consider very carefully any protest that I may receive and will pass it on to my right hon. Friend, but that is all that I can say at the present time.

19. Mr. Hayman

asked the Minister of Education why he cut out of the school building proposals of the Cornwall Education Committee for 1960–61 and 1961–62 a new infants' school for Falmouth and another for Camborne.

Sir E. Boyle

Because these projects were less urgently needed than the seven projects which my right hon. Friend has approved in the authority's large programmes for 1960–61 and 1961–62.

Mr. Hayman

Will the Parliamentary Secretary bear in mind that in my constituency only three new primary schools have been built in the last 45 years; that one was to replace a school burnt out in the First World War and the second to replace a school bombed out and destroyed in the Second World War? Surely he can appreciate the great need there is for these new primary schools in my constituency.

Sir E. Boyle

I can well remember an extremely happy afternoon that I spent in Cornwall, when I opened no fewer than 10 secondary schools at one single ceremony. I can tell the hon. Gentleman that, of course, we will consider any representations made, but when he looks at the size of the programme approved for Cornwall in 1961–62 I do not think that he should feel discouraged. The figure for 1960–61 is £436,000 and, for 1961–62, £376,000.