HC Deb 08 June 1967 vol 747 cc1265-8
15. Mr. Eyre

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will review his definition of basic needs for the purpose of allocating priority to school building projects; and if he will make a statement.

The Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mr. Anthony Crosland)

No, Sir. I must continue to give first priority to school building required to ensure that there are enough school places for children in areas of growing population or new housing.

Mr. Eyre

Is the Minister aware that his recent drastic cuts in the school building programme caused bitter disappointment in Birmingham, that rapid progress in housing development is bringing about a great movement of population within the city and that the new housing estates created are just as much in need of new

Sir E. Boyle

On the last and most important point, does that not show the great need for the right hon. Gentleman, where necessary, to be extremely severe with plans for secondary reorganisation which could only have the effect of diluting skilled sixth-form staff in an educationally undesirable way?

Mr. Crosland

No. That proposition cannot be maintained by anybody who read that interesting letter in The Times of today by a sixth-form teacher. It ignores completely the fact that a large number of two and three form entry grammar schools at the moment have small sixth forms and comprehensive schools often have larger sixth forms. It ignores the fact that in some parts of the country there is a trend towards sixth-form colleges. However, there is no ground for the right hon. Gentleman saying that almost necessarily as a result of reorganisation there will be this dilution, or that it is a universal danger. I take the opposite view.

Sir E. Boyle: I did not say that.

Following is the information:

schools as similar estates outside the city? Will he bear this factor in mind and bring forward the new review, which I think he has promised, as rapidly as possible?

Mr. Crosland

I am not aware of any cut in Birmingham's school building programme. What occurred, which is not unique under any Government, was a cut in what Birmingham asked for. That is a rather different matter. I am very conscious of the movement of population within Birmingham, but the real problem arising in Birmingham and almost all our large cities is that they are areas with static if not declining populations. This raises a problem in connection with school building, when the bulk of the programme must go to cope with what are called basic needs.

Mr. Leadbitter

Will the Minister bear in mind that in addition to the basic needs definition, there are problems arising out of questions of amalgamation where Boundary Commission recommendations resulted in changes? Would he also take into account the reorganisation and the question of adequately supporting school populations in areas affected by such measures?

Mr. Crosland

Yes, Sir. We certainly take these matters into account, as we take into account all the factors which create an altered distribution of the demand for school building, and in the course of this examination there are bound to be areas which are disappointed.

Sir E. Boyle

Is it not a fact that in 1964 Birmingham was allocated about £¾ million for school improvements? Is it not a rather serious matter that absolutely no money should have been allocated this time for secondary improvements, bearing in mind the rising school leaving age in the 1970s and that there is a large number of senior elementary schools, in effect, which very badly need replacement?

Mr. Crosland

The right hon. Gentleman quoted a figure of £¾ million for 1964–65. If we take the total allocation of school building resources to Birmingham this year, including the allocation for raising the school leaving age, the figure comes to just under £1 million. Therefore,

1967 EXAMINATIONS
Name of Board Entry or Registration Fee Subject Entry Fee
G.C.E. 'O' Level:
University of London School Examinations Council 20s. 0d. 15s. 0d*
Southern Universities' Joint Board 20s. 0d. 12s. 6d.
Oxford and Cambridge Schools Examination Board 10s. 0d. 10s. 0d.
Cambridge University Local Examinations Syndicate 20s. 0d. 10s. 0d.
Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations 20s. 0d. 12s. 6d.
Joint Matriculation Board 20s. 0d. 10s. 0d.
Associated Examing Board 21s. 0d. 11s. 0d.*
Welsh Joint Education Committee 20s. 0d. 12s. 6d.*
(Mathematics
15s. 0d.)
C.S.E.:
Metropolitan Regional Examinations Board Nil 27s. 6d.
Southern Regional Examinations Board Nil 30s. 0d.
Middlesex Regional Examinations Board Nil 37s. 0d.
South Western Regional Examinations Board 20s. 0d. 30s. 0d.
West Midlands Regional Examinations Board 10s. 0d. 25s. 0d.
Wales (Welsh Joint Education Committee Secondary Examinations Sub-Committee) 20s. 0d. 25s. 0d.
East Anglian Regional Examinations Board 30s. 0d. 15s. 0d.
South-East Regional Examinations Board 40s. 0d. 20s. 0d.
Yorkshire Regional Examinations Board Nil 45s. 0d.
North Regional Examinations Board Nil 45s. 0d.
North Western Secondary School Examinations Board 20s. 0d. 20s. 0d.
East Midland Regional Examinations Board 20s. 0d. 25s. 0d.
Associated Lancashire Schools Examining Board 20s. 0d. 20s. 0d.
West Yorkshire and Lindsey Regional Examining Board Nil 28s. 6d.
*These bodies charge additional fees for certain oral and practical examinations.

the comparison is by no means unfavourable.