§ 125, 126 and 127. Mr. Astorasked the Minister of Education (1) if he will ensure that grants to the Youth Services by local education authorities will not be stopped as a result of reductions in expenditure made in his Department;
(2) if he will ensure that there is no heavy reduction in money spent by local education authorities on the acquisition of playing fields as distinct from the cessation of constructional work carried out on these projects as a result of reduction in expenditure carried out by his Department;
(3) if he will review the cessation of work on village halls and community centres as part of his Department's policy to reduce expenditure, in view of the importance today of increasing the amenities of life for the agricultural community.
§ Mr. TomlinsonI am anxious that the provision and maintenance of essential facilities for the social and physical welfare of adults and young persons should not, as the result of Government economy measures, be restricted more than is absolutely necessary. For the time being the restrictions on the building of village halls and community centres 319W must remain in force on account of the limited resources available. I am prepared to consider modest proposals for provision of public playing fields submitted by local authorities and voluntary bodies under the Physical Training and Recreation Act, 1937; and I should not exclude some expenditure on preparing the ground for playing purposes as distinct from any building work, which is for the present ruled out. Local education authorities do not normally incur expenditure on the acquisition of public playing fields, though in some cases they contribute financially towards their use by persons receiving primary, secondary or further education.
As regards the Youth Service, 1 have no intention that the terms of paragraph 7 of circular 210 should be read as meaning that the existing service should be impaired. The circular invites authorities to reduce their expenditure by curtailing or cutting out the less essential or more costly facilities. I am sure the House will agree with me that at the
JANUARY, 1949 Local Education Authority Pupils aged 13 in all Maintained and Assisted Schools and Direct Grant Grammar Schools Pupils aged 13 in Maintained and Assisted Secondary Grammar Schools Pupils aged 13 in Maintained and Assisted Secondary Technical Schools Pupils aged 13 in Direct Grant Grammar Schools Total Columns (3), (4) and (5) Column (6) as percentage of Column f2) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) London … 32,465 7,585 (*) 1,565 473 9,623 29. 6 Lancashire … 22,005 4,018 516 552 5,086 231 Cheshire … 7,813 1,566 — 86 1,652 211 Kent … 16,911 2,805 1,714 265 4,784 28. 3 Derbyshire … 7,920 1,659 — — 1,659 20. 9 Surrey … 13,105 2,846ft) 159 387 3,392 25. 9 Birmingham … 13,487 1,743 556 183 2,482 18. 4 Liverpool … 12,210 1,389 646 468 2,503 20. 5 Leeds … 5,952 859 204 191 1,254 21. 1 Manchester … 9,320 1,014 114 806 1.934 20. 8 Wolverhampton 2,257 392 123 — 515 22. 8 (*) Includes 1,090 in bilateral schools. (†) Includes 130 in a multilateral school.