HC Deb 13 July 1972 vol 840 cc1837-8
21. Mr. Skinner

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what requests she has had from Derbyshire County Council for additional capital to remove all 40-year-old temporary wooden huts in junior and infants schools in Derbyshire.

Mr. van Straubenzee

My right hon. Friend is continually receiving requests from Derbyshire County Council to allocate larger sums for improving or replacing old schools.

Mr, Skinner

I wonder whether I can assist in the matter. Could the Minister get hold of the money derived from not providing the Derbyshire youngsters with free milk and transfer it back to get rid of the wooden huts? Is it not an important issue when many teachers in in the county teaching 5 to 7-year-olds in those wooden huts are spending a considerable amount of their time looking after children's health when they should be teaching?

Mr. van Straubenzee

I glady accept the hon. Gentleman's offer of help. I am sure he will assist me to publicise the fact that the 1972 preliminary list for expected starts in 1974–75 for the county, part of which he represents, includes 18 major projects, representing the replacement of 21 old primary schools at a cost of about £1,520,000.

Mr. Scott-Hopkins

Is it not true that under the present Government more primary schools have been replaced in Derbyshire than during the entire period of the previous Labour Government? Although increasing sums are needed for such replacement, will my hon. Friend convey to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State the thanks of the Derbyshire people?

Mr. van Straubenzee

Although none of us would wish to be complacent about some of the schools referred to in the Question, many of them are rightly affected by the programme to which I have drawn attention.