§ 6. Mr. Swinglerasked the Minister of Education if he will state the numbers of new primary and secondary schools under construction at the latest date for which figures are available; and how these figures compare with those for twelve months, five years, and ten years ago. respectively.
§ Sir D. EcclesTaking primary and secondary schools together, the answer is: 503, 497, 852 and 930 but since these figures are of little value unless broken down as between primary and secondary schools, and compared with the number of schools completed, I will. with permission, circulate a table in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. SwinglerI thank the Minister for promising to provide us with that information, but has he noted the figures with which the Treasury provided me in an Answer last Tuesday, which show that in relation to the national resources the investment in school building has risen only fractionally in the last five to ten years? Will not he consider this question between now and the time when I intend to raise it on the Adjournment so that he will be able to give a more promising Answer?
§ Sir D. EcclesI think that the hon. Gentleman will find my table at least as interesting as the Treasury figure.
§ Following is the table:
§ war service of Mr. Heslop, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, was disallowed as service for superannuation purposes.
§ Sir D. EcclesMr. Heslop was taking a course of teacher training when his 655 war service began. Teacher training is not pensionable service, but Mr. Heslop's war service can count under the superannuation rules from the date when his course of training would normally have ended and he would have entered pensionable teaching employment.
§ Mr. ShortThe result is that Mr. Heslop has lost a great deal of his war service for superannuation purposes. Does not the right hon. Gentleman agree that that is a very ungenerous way to treat ex-soldiers from the First World War, many of whom are retiring at this moment? Will not he consider amending the 1926 rules so as to put 1914–18 ex-soldiers on the same footing as ex-soldiers of the Second World War who entered the emergency training scheme?
§ Sir D. EcclesI looked at this and thought that the principle involved was reasonable. Had there been no war, this teacher would have been in training until 1st August, 1917. He is in fact pensionable as from that date, which seems very fair.
§ Mr. ShortMy point is that soldiers from the First World War are treated very unfairly as compared with soldiers from the Second World War, whose service was recognised when they entered the emergency training scheme. Why are the two categories treated differently?
§ Sir D. EcclesSubject to inquiry, I do not think that the hon. Gentleman is correct. I think that the same conditions apply to the treatment of 1939-45 war service in respect of pensions.
§ Dr. KingIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that for nearly ten years we have been calling his attention and that of his predecessors to the fact that there is now a group of veteran teachers who, merely because they went to serve their country in the First World War instead of teaching or training to teach, are deprived of the pension that they could have had if they had not been so patriotic? Will he now seek to remedy this injustice?
§ Sir D. EcclesThat is a different point from that raised by the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Central (Mr. Short)
§ Mr. G. ThomasWill the Minister bear in mind that this question disturbs 656 the whole teaching profession? Will he undertake to give further consideration to it, since he knows that it has been a topic of considerable concern to teachers for a very long time?
§ Sir D. EcclesYes, I will, but that is a quite different point from that raised by the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Central.