§ Lord Howell asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ On what date the case of Great Barr School, Birmingham, was referred to the National Assets Board and on what date did the board refer the matter to the Secretary of State in order to determine the ownership of facilities specifically povided for community use as well as school use; why no decision has yet been reached in this matter; and whether they will give an assurance that all such facilities will continue to remain in the control of the local authorities which provided them.
Viscount St. DavidsMy Lords, the Education Assets Board first became involved in this matter when the school became grant maintained in April 1991. The board was unable to reach agreement with Birmingham LEA over the ownership of these facilities used jointly by the school and community and referred the matter to the Department for Education in August 1992 for determination. Since then the department has been seeking to put my right honourable friend the Secretary of State into a position to resolve this complex case. Whatever the outcome, continued use of the facilities by the school and community will be protected, as it has been throughout.
§ Lord HowellMy Lords, I thank the noble Viscount for that reply. First of all, does he agree with me that it is totally unacceptable to this House, or indeed to those in the field of education, that a matter requiring resolve and which has been referred to the appropriate body has still not been resolved three years later? This is bureaucracy gone mad. Secondly, I acknowledge that progress has been made on the general front by the issuing by the Government of Circular 15/93 which I and most local authorities appreciate, but we are still left with the fact that a local authority has spent £1 million on providing sports facilities for the use both of the community and the school and the school is trying to take the ownership of those facilities. That is unacceptable. Will the noble Viscount kindly represent to his noble friend, when she decides this matter, that the recommendation of the assets board about security for the school in maintaining the national curriculum in PE is not a valid argument as the school has four other gymnasiums which it can use and most other schools which have the same obligation to provide PE have no sports halls at all? Therefore the logic of that recommendation seems to me totally uncertain.
Viscount St. DavidsMy Lords, my noble friend Lady Blatch is also concerned at the length of time these 920 matters have remained unresolved. My noble friend will use her best endeavours to bring them to a conclusion. As regards the second part of the question of the noble Lord, Lord Howell, the points that he raised on financial implications will of course be taken into account by my right honourable friend when he produces his conclusion.
§ Lord JuddMy Lords, will the Minister assure the House that the Government, in general policy, see the value of school facilities being at the disposal of the community as a whole; that this is a good use of facilities and public money; and that it is also a good way of enabling youngsters in their formative years to relate to the community of which they are a part?