SCHOOL BUILDING PROGRAMME (Hansard, 21 November 1973)

§ Mr. Cyril Smith

I beg to ask leave to move the Adjournment of the House, under Standing Order No. 9, for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration; namely, information which has been conveyed to me today that the Government are seriously attempting to delay the school building programme for a much longer period than the 10 to 12 weeks envisaged in their circular dated 12th October, sent to all local authorities. 1342 I have today met the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science, the noble Lord, Lord Sandford, about the school building programme in my constituency. I pointed out to him that many legal contracts agreed with builders should have been signed by 30th September 1973, and that unless these contracts could be quickly signed the building contractors might require them to be renegotiated on cost. I pointed out, further, that the consequence of that would be effectively to delay the programme not for 10 to 12 weeks but for six to nine months, and that what that meant was a real cut in the school building programme. To my great surprise, the Under-Secretary of State advised me that—I quote his words—"that was the object of the exercise".

I therefore submit, Mr. Speaker, that this whole question is now a matter of urgency and of specific importance. It is urgent because the building programme now in question throughout the country affects school places for September 1975, and days—let alone weeks—are now vital in planning these school programmes and places.

It is specific because local authorities throughout the country are seriously and adversely affected by this latest turn of events, and because, too, the Government should be compelled to come clean about their intention in relation to the school building programme and to state specifically by how much the programme is to be cut, whether by direct or indirect methods.