HC Deb 21 January 1974 vol 867 cc1183-4
11. Mr. Roy Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Wales how many new school projects in Gwent will be held back as a result of the Chancellor's restrictions announced on 17th December 1973.

Mr. Peter Thomas

It is not possible to say precisely which improvement projects will be deferred until my Department has completed its consultations with local education authorities.

Mr. Hughes

Does not the Secretary of State agree that, if the maximum grant is not received, there will be a savage blow at the education service in the new county of Gwent, since a great deal more money has to be spent to maintain the existing services? Further, as his Government forced through the local government reform, since they willed the ends they should now will the means by providing the necessary resources.

Mr. Thomas

As the hon. Gentleman knows, it is the starts of major improvement programmes which will be deferred unless local education authorities can justify the inclusion of any particular project in the basic needs category ; and it is this sort of discussion which is now going on. Despite the deferment of the improvement programme for major school building projects, there will still be £15 million of projects eligible for starts by July 1975, and about £2 million of these are in Gwent.

Mr. McBride

Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman assure me that no school project envisaged or under construction in Swansea will be cancelled or scaled down? Second, will every facility be given to the construction of the Hafod school, the first major school to be built in my constituency in that part of the city since 1903?

Mr. Thomas

The question refers to school building in Gwent. If the hon. Gentleman cares to put down a Question about Swansea, I shall be happy to answer it.

Mr. Elystan Morgan

Has the Secretary of State any policy whatever with regard to the imposition of these cuts? Is it that 10 per cent. will be cut off the budget of every local authority, is it to be in the form of a lottery depending on the date on which schemes come in, or does he propose to delegate the whole matter to senior officials?

Mr. Thomas

Again, if the hon. Gentleman will put down a Question relating to the whole country I shall answer it. Improvements will be deferred unless they can be related to basic needs. This is where the cuts will be found in the education programme, apart from procurement.

Mr. Morgan

But will there be any appreciation of the differential needs of various localities, or will it be a flat-rate cut over the whole of Wales?

Mr. Thomas

The cuts will be flat-rate cuts, both on capital and procurement, throughout the whole of Wales.