School Building (Hansard, 24 June 1964)

§ 3. Mr. Brewis
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated value of school building at present under construction.

§ The Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Lady Tweedsmuir)
The total value of school building work under construction at 31st May, 1964, the latest date for which information is available, was £44.illion, the highest figure so far achieved.

§ Mr. Brewis
Is not this position very satisfactory, and does it not reflect great credit on the Government, the local authorities and the building industry in Scotland?

§ Lady Tweedsmuir
Yes, Sir.

§ Mr. Ross
Over how many years is this figure spread? Does it include the two technical colleges, in Ayr and in Kilmarnock, which were first given highest priority in 1955 but which have not yet been completed?

§ Lady Tweedsmuir
The question referred to school building.

§ 29. Miss Herbison
asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has completed his consideration of the need for special financial provision for school building purposes for local authorities which have a new town within their boundaries; and if he will make a statement.

§ Lady Tweedsmuir
My right hon. Friend has accepted a recommendation of the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Working Party that the general 377 grant distribution formula which has applied since 1959 should continue unaltered until the review of local government finance which is now in progress has been completed. The Working Party rejected the suggestion that special financial provision for school building is needed by local authorities with a new town in their boundaries.

§ Miss Herbison
Does not the noble Lady realise that those authorities in Scotland which have new towns are finding it very difficult to provide the schools which the rest of the child population desperately need? Is she aware that the provision of schools in East Kilbride new town and the big development in Bishop-briggs, providing schools for pupils who previously had no connection with Lanarkshire, is starving the rest of Lanarkshire of schools? May I emphasise once again that, if I had a child allocated to one of these schools in Lanarkshire outside the two new towns, some of which are in a scandalous condition, I would go to gaol before my child would enter it?

§ Lady Tweedsmuir
In areas which have either overspill or growth areas or new towns, account is taken of the extra needs in the investment authorisation.

§ Mr. Bence
In Dunbartonshire we have the new town of Cumbernauld and Kirkintilloch has an overspill agreement with Glasgow which is working very successfully, but education in Dunbartonshire and the provision of schools is very difficult indeed. Will the noble Lady look into the matter again and see to it that in Dunbartonshire particularly some extra help is given for the county school programme?

§ Lady Tweedsmuir
As the Working Party specifically recommended against any change until after the Local Government Review, I cannot give the hon. Gentleman that assurance.

§ Mr. Ross
Surely, the noble Lady must have been convinced by what has been shown in debate after debate, that there is a great distorting factor here in the provision which must be made within a county for a new town. Will she reconsider this business? How long is the Review to take? Are we to be bound by a recommendation made by a Working Party if we ourselves have 378 no great confidence in its ability adequately to deal with this matter? Why cannot this be separated and dealt with now, since the problem is here?

§ Lady Tweedsmuir
The major local authority associations were represented on the Working Party. I said in answer to an earlier Question that the present amount of school building under construction in Scotland is a record.