§ 26. Mr. Boyd-Carpenterasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science why, in view of the urgent need for the improvement, modernisation, and expansion of certain schools in the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames, he rejected eight out of nine of the projects submitted by the council of the Royal Borough, including all those submitted in respect of church schools.
§ Mr. CroslandI must give first priority to projects which provide new places for children who would otherwise be out of school. The Kingston projects not accepted, including the church schools, did not fall into this category.
§ Mr. Boyd-CarpenterSince these projects, particularly those for church schools, are very urgently required, can the right hon. Gentleman at least give me an assurance that they will not have to wait for approval until the gross national product reaches the 4 per cent. level which, for the purposes of his own education, he may care to recall was maintained consecutively for a number of years under the Conservative Government?
§ Mr. CroslandThe growth of 4 per cent. in the gross national product under the Conservative Government lasted for exactly two years and culminated in a £800 million balance of payments deficit. As far as the schools in Kingston are concerned, which appear to be the immediate subject of the Question, I am very conscious that a number of them need improvement. We certainly shall not forget them. Again, we have to weigh the need against needs in other parts of the country. There is a general feeling in the House that we are right to give priority to the Plowden educational priority areas when discussing primary school improvements.