§ 28 and 48. Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what plans he has to bring school buildings in Wales up to the standards obtaining in England;
§ (2) in view of the fact that only 40 per cent. of the pupils in the schools of Wales are educated in buildings built since 1945 as compared with 60 per cent. in England, what steps he now intends to take to bring the Welsh proportion up to the English level.
§ Miss BaconIt is our intention that all school premises, in Wales as in England, should be brought up to the standards laid down by the Department as quickly as the resources available for school building allow.
§ Mr. EvansIs the right hon. Lady aware that only 17 per cent. of the pupils in Welsh-medium and bilingual schools are educated in buildings built since the war, as compared with the 60 per cent. of pupils in England in new buildings? Will she end this discrimination against Wales and, as a start, stop the proposed cuts in building in Wales?
§ Miss BaconAs the hon. Gentleman probably knows, ever since the war successive Governments have had to give priority to those areas where children would have had no schools to go to, where there are new populations, rather than to replacements, so that replacements have not gone ahead as quickly as we should like. Nevertheless, the total allocations for Wales were increased from £3 million annually in 1961–62 to £7 million in 1967–68.
§ Mr. Ronald AtkinsIs my right hon. Friend aware that the figures for Wales are very similar to those for substandard schools in the older industrial areas of England?
§ Miss BaconI am well aware of that, and that is why I stressed that we should have to look at some of the schools in England and in Wales, because I know that there are substandard schools in all parts of the country.