§ 9. Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister of Education if he will publish full details of the local authority school building programmes valued at £170 million which he has received for the year 1962–63; and if he will make a statement on the methods whereby he proposes to cut these programmes to a national total of £60 million.
§ Sir D. EcclesNo, Sir, my Department has already authorised the programme for 1962–63 after considering every individual project on its merits. 2554 The local education authorities review the priorities with my department and those projects which are most urgently needed are given a place in the programme.
§ Mr. SwinglerWas it not a shameful thing for the Minister to suggest to Conservative councillors at Scarborough that they should trim their school building proposals just to suit his political convenience? Should not the people themselves be allowed to judge by the publication of the proposals of the local education authorities and publication of the system whereby the Minister disagrees with the proposals put forward by local education authorities and cuts them down?
§ Sir D. EcclesI think that local education authorities do considerable harm when they put forward proposals which they themselves know very well are far beyond what they can hope to get and what they can carry out.
§ Mr. SwinglerWhat is the evidence for that? Cannot the Minister allow the people to judge whether extravagant proposals are being put forward by local education authorities by publishing the proposals made? Cannot people judge whether they are urgent or necessary? Why not do that?