§ 89 and 90. Mr. Marloweasked the Minister of Education (1) whether he is aware that the new Hangleton Infants School, Hove, which was opened last year is already overcrowded; that the nursery class is not operating because the available space is being used for an infants' class; that the average class has 40 pupils instead of the proposed 30; and why, in the circumstances, it is proposed to use the adjoining space for building a junior school instead of extending the infants' school;
(2) whether he is aware of the anxiety among the residents in the Hangleton and Sunninghill housing estates at Hove with regard to the provision of infants and junior schools; why permission has been refused to build a new school on the available site adjoining Hangleton Park playing field; whether he is satisfied that this is a suitable site; and whether he will hold a local inquiry into this and related matters concerning the provision of school accommodation in this area.
§ Mr. HardmanI am informed that Hangleton County Infants' School is full, and that the nursery classroom must be temporarily used for the accommodation of children of compulsory school age. The pressure is due partly to the large numbers of infants now passing through50W the schools as a result of the high birthrate of recent years and partly to the shortage of junior school accommodation in the area. This shortage will be made good on the completion of two junior schools which have been included in the educational building programmes for 1950 and 1951. My right hon. Friend sees no reason to question the local education authority's decision to build the Hangleton Junior School on a site adjoining the Infants' School, or their estimates of requirements of school accommodation for this area.