Tower Hamlets: School Places (Hansard, 13 April 1989)

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, the provision of education in Tower Hamlets is at present a matter for the Inner London Education Authority, and will from April next year become the responsibility of the local borough council. The Government are closely monitoring the problem of Tower Hamlets children who are not receiving school education.

§ Baroness David
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Is it not a fact that there has been a complaint made under Section 99 of the Education Act 1944 to the Secretary of State about the failure to educate all these children in school? What will he do about it? Is it not his legal responsibility when a complaint has been made?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, the noble Baroness is quite right. The Government have received a complaint under Section 99 of the Education Act 1944 that the Inner London Education Authority is 381 failing in its statutory duty to provide sufficient schools in Tower Hamlets. Until a decision has been reached by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science it would not be proper for me to comment on that question.

§ Lord Renton
My Lords, will the Minister inform the House to what extent the existing school places are occupied by children of immigrants, and how many immigrant children are at present awaiting places in those schools?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, according to the most recent ILEA data there are currently 410 registered children of compulsory school age registered in Tower Hamlets who are not receiving education at school.
I should tell your Lordships that the problem arises from a recent large influx of immigrants of a different culture and that it is difficult for local authorities to cope with it. I know that Tower Hamlets Borough Council, which will be taking on this responsibility in April 1990, is working very hard to try to resolve this difficult situation.

§ Baroness Seear
My Lords, is the Minister aware that it is estimated that it would take £12 million to provide the schools necessary to educate these children and that so far the Government have budgeted for only £4 million?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, there is no shortage of accommodation. Three new primary schools have opened since January 1989. However, owing to staff shortages, one is operating at less than full capacity and the other two have admitted one class each rather than operating at their full capacities of 210 places each.

§ Lord Bottomley
My Lords, is the Minister aware that as a member of the Toynbee Hall Council and chairman of the Attlee Foundation, which is in Tower Hamlets, I am under constant pressure to do something about providing extra school places? I can think of nothing better than to tell them in due course that I have pressed the Government to do something about it. I hope that the Government will do so.

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, the noble Lord can say that he has pressed the Government and that the Government are trying to do something about it. It is a very serious problem. However, the primary responsibility for this matter lies with the local authority. But the Government are concerned about the difficulties. As I have said, my honourable friend the Minister of State for Education and Science is to meet the Inner London Education Authority and the borough in the very near future to discuss education provision in Tower Hamlets.

§ Lord Peston
My Lords, in his reply the noble Viscount used the expression "until a decision is reached". How long will that be? Those children who are not in school are losing the education experience at the exact time that they are not in school. 382 Nothing that one can do later can offset that. If these are the children of immigrant parents I should have thought a fortiori that this is a case where one should be acting with urgency. How rapidly will something happen?

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, I should like to welcome the noble Lord back to the Front Bench after his absence. However, I am afraid that I cannot answer him.

§ Lord Stallard
My Lords, the noble Lord referred to the shortage of teachers in Tower Hamlets. This is a problem that affects the whole of inner London. It is not a question of the local authority's responsibility. It is a question of government responsibility for wages and conditions of teachers, and housing, in order to be able to attract teachers to the inner London area.

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, Tower Hamlets already receives very substantial Section 11 support—currently the equivalent of over 275 full-time posts in education. Whether more Section 11 teachers are required is a matter for ILEA in consultation with Tower Hamlets, as the successor authority, to consider. Should the authority wish to apply to the Home Office for additional funding, any such application will be considered on its merits.

§ Lord Elwyn-Jones
My Lords, are the Government intending to take steps in the immediate situation with these hundreds of schoolchildren badly needing facilities in school? There is accommodation for them but there are not enough teachers. Do the Government intend to stand by and do nothing, apart from conferring?

§ Viscount Davidson:
My Lords, as I said, it is a matter for ILEA; but the Government are giving all the advice that they can. My honourable friend is meeting ILEA and the borough to try to resolve the problem. We are trying to get teachers from Bangladesh and from elsewhere to help resolve the problem.

§ Baroness David
My Lords, the Minister does not seem to realise the seriousness and the urgency of the problem. It is now beyond the local authorities, and they cannot cope. The situation will get worse. I understand that the rolls in Tower Hamlets are to rise by a further 5,000 in the next few years. It is a desperate problem and I hope the Minister will pass back the feeling in this House this afternoon.

§ Viscount Davidson
My Lords, I thought I had given the impression that the Government feel strongly about this matter, are worried and are trying to take all the necessary steps. I assure the noble Baroness that I shall pass on her remarks to my right honourable friend.