§ 8. Mr. John Smithasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the amounts of grants being made to grant-aided schools in Scotland.
§ Mr. MonroSubject to the condition that the total grant must not exceed the school's deficit, the basic grants set out in the Grant-Aided Secondary Schools (Scotland) Grant (Amendment) Regulations, 1971 may be increased in 1971–72 by the amounts shown in the table which, with permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I cannot yet say how much will actually be paid.
§ Mr. SmithMay I add my congratulations to the hon. Gentleman on his promotion? I do not want to land him with a skeleton which his predecessor left behind in his cupboard, but does not he recall that we debated this matter on 13th July when questions were asked by hon. Members on this side of the House about the amount to be paid to grant-aided schools in Scotland? The information was not given, but it appeared on 1562 20th July in the Press, to whom it was presumably given on 19th July. Is this not a disgraceful way of treating the House of Commons, to produce in the Press figures which have been requested but which have been withheld from the House? Will the hon. Gentleman, who I know was not responsible for this since the bird who was responsible has flown, undertake not to treat Parliament in such a disgraceful way?
§ Mr. MonroI cannot accept the accuracy of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary. The purpose of the amending Regulations which we debated that night was not to prescribe an additional amount of grant but to enable the Secretary of State to pay increased grant to take account of rises in prices and costs. The actual amounts were not determined in advance and they will not be available until the schools' final accounts have been received and examined.
§ Mr. BuchanMay I also add my congratulations to the hon. Gentleman on his promotion, although I cannot hope or expect him to be on the Government side of the House for very much longer?
Is he aware that this answer is not good enough? The subject was debated in the House, and the following week we were given the figures in the Press, but only today are we told that the information will be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT, I accept that the hon. Gentleman is not responsible, but I hope that he will stiffen up some of his colleagues in the Scottish Office and not insult Parliament, as has happened on this occasion.
§ Mr. MonroI note what the hon. Gentleman says, but I cannot accept it. The important point in the debate was that my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Edward Taylor) stated that relevant costs had increased by 20 per cent. and that the grant would take account of this.
§ Mr. MacArthurMay I also add my warm congratulations to my hon. Friend on his new cap? May I ask him to resist and reject every assault on variety and freedom of choice in education?
§ Mr. MonroI thank my hon. Friend. He can rest assured that I shall be supporting the grant-aided schools.
§ Following is the table:
| GRANT-AIDED SECONDARY SCHOOLS | |
| MAXIMUM ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS OF GRANT WHICH MAY BE PAID IN THE SCHOOLS' FINANCIAL YEAR 1971–72 | |
| Name of School | Amount £ |
| Albyn School for Girls | 9,266 |
| Robert Gordon's College | 20,974 |
| St. Margaret's School | 5,897 |
| High School of Dundee | 19,844 |
| Merchant Company Schools: | |
| Daniel Stewart's College | 75,402 |
| Mary Erskine School for Girls | |
| George Watson's College | |
| George Watson's Ladies' College | |
| George Heriot's School | 20,953 |
| John Watson's School | 6,147 |
| Melville College | 7,835 |
| St. Mary's Cathedral Choir School | 971 |
| Craigholme School for Girls | 9,459 |
| Hutchesons' Boys' Grammar School | 30,274 |
| Hutchesons' Girls' Grammar School | |
| Kelvinside Academy | 8,800 |
| Laurel Bank School | 11,333 |
| St. Aloysius' College | 13,246 |
| Westbourne School for Girls | 9,063 |
| Troon, Marr College | 16,761 |
| Dollar Academy | 17,316 |
| Maxwelltown, Benedictine Convent School | 3,194 |
| Dumfries, St. Joseph's College | 6,176 |
| Crieff, Morrison's Academy, Boys' School | 17,266 |
| Crieff, Morrison's Academy, Girls' School | |
| Girls' School Company Limited: | |
| Glasgow, The Park School | 26,226 |
| Helensburgh, St. Bride's School | |
| Kilmacolm, St. Columba's School |