§ 20. Mr. D. Smithasked the Minister of Education if he will reconsider his decision to exclude the rebuilding of St. John's Roman Catholic Primary School, Brentford, from the 1964–65 school building programme, in view of the handicaps imposed on the teaching staff by an out-of-date building.
§ Sir E. BoyleI am meeting a deputation from the Middlesex local education authority tomorrow. I shall, of course, consider carefully any case it may make for this or any other project, but the possibility of enlarging the programme depends on the review of capital investment and of the capacity of the building industry on which the Government are engaged.
§ Mr. SmithWill my right hon. Friend agree that, while the Government school building record generally is excellent, there must be a few black spots? This is one such black spot affecting a large number of people in the Brentford area. As this school building is, perhaps, about the worst in the whole Middlesex area, will my right hon. Friend consider this project particularly sympathetically?
§ Sir E. BoyleI do not wish to prejudge the result of talks I shall have with the deputation tomorrow. I realise that the premises of this school are very poor. It is just that I do not this afternoon wish to prejudge the importance of this school as compared with the other schools which have been mentioned at Question Time today. All these projects will be reviewed if the total programme of starts can be extended.