HC Deb 12 June 1969 vol 784 cc1661-2
35. Mr. Biggs-Davison

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will make a statement on the future of secondary education in the county of Essex.

Miss Bacon

The pattern will be in accordance with the local education authority's approved reorganisation plans but in the case of Chigwell the authority is reconsidering its original plan for the area at my request.

Mr. Biggs-Davison

Does the right hon. Lady not agree that the situation in Chigwell presents very serious difficulties in moving over to a complete system of comprehensive education? Will the Department take the special problems of this district into consideration and not be too wooden about the matter?

Miss Bacon

I agree that there are special problems here and we want to do all we can to help. My departmental officials will always be available for that. But the reason why I asked Essex to think again about Chigwell is that the plan which it put to us involved the replacement of a large amount of post-war secondary school buildings, and we wanted to see whether that could be avoided.