HC Deb 14 October 1975 vol 897 cc1124-5
17. Mr. Cryer

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make special provision for areas with pre-1900 school buildings which are overcrowded.

Miss Joan Lestor

The allocation of capital resources to local education authorities for additional places to meet basic needs for roofs over heads takes account, among other things, of overcrowding in existing schools whether they are old or new. In present economic circumstances the scope for financing projects to improve or replace old and unsatisfactory buildings is limited, although I am glad to say my right hon. Friend was able to include £20 million for the purpose in the 1976–77 allocations announced in August.

Mr. Cryer

Will the Minister accept that in areas such as West Yorkshire the problem is so great that special facilities and help are required to give decent educational facilities to children and young persons? Although the sum of £20 million is welcome in meeting this task, will she give an assurance that she and her departmental colleagues will approach the Secretary of State for Defence to discuss defence expenditure, so that money spent on death-dealing weapons purchases from abroad can be better spent on our children and on educational facilities in this country? Is not that the sort of priority which a Labour Government should be putting into practice in Socialist programmes?

Miss Lestor

I know that in my hon. Friend's constituency there is a real problem. I believe that three-fifths of the schools in his area are pre-1900, which means that his area has a very special need for resources to meet the replacement of some of those schools. I have every sympathy with his point about cutting defence expenditure and will see that his remarks are noted in the right quarter.

Mr. Mayhew

If the Secretary of State's only priority is that of children, why will he not help today's deprived children by replacing overcrowded primary schools built in Victorian times before proceeding with compulsory universal comprehensive reorganisation?

Miss Lestor

Of course we are concerned with all children. We are at the moment concentrating on a large number of secondary school children to give them equal opportunities with others against whom they have been segregated for so long.