§ 13. Mr. Juddasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what communications she has received from Portsmouth City Council on the need to rebuild Kingston Modern School for Boys, in particular on the need to improve the dining facilities which serve the two parts of the schools; and what reply she has sent.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeThe authority has decided to improve the dining facilities under this year's minor works programme. It has no plans to rebuild this school.
§ Mr. JuddI thank the Minister for that reply. Is he aware that the physical inadequacies of the school make proper school life almost impossible for staff and students, that one building is amongst the oldest educational buildings in the country—which is saying something—and that the other one was built as a temporary building with a 10-year life span immediately after the war, that it is a quarter of an hour's walk between the two buildings and that the only way that a proper school can be made out of the situation is to knock down the existing building and have a purpose-built school?
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeThis is one of the reasons why at least some additions to the school will be made, this forming part of the plans for the reorganisation of secondary education in Portsmouth. Meanwhile, I hope the hon. Gentleman will feel that it is a useful step forward, especially in terms of the feeding arrangements, to use the minor works programme this year.