§ 21. Mr. Thomas Coxasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when she last met the leader of the Inner London Education Authority to discuss education measures affecting the authority.
§ Mrs. ThatcherOn 27th March, 1972, Sir.
§ Mr. CoxIs the right hon. Lady fully aware, therefore, of the deep concern of the authority following the savage cuts that she has made in its minor works programme? As these cuts will total some £700,000 in the next three years, is it not time the right hon. Lady rethought her proposals in view of the serious damage the cuts will cause to junior and primary schools in the Inner London area and, above all, in the most deprived areas of London?
§ Mrs. ThatcherI cannot reconsider the decision. The total available for minor works is allocated on a well-tried formula of the number of extra children for whom the authority has to provide plus a small margin for improvements. Hitherto other areas have compared very unfavourably with the Inner London Education Authority.