Miss Wardasked the Minister of Education if she will circulate in the OFFICIAL. REPORT details of the reduction in the number of new schools in the appropriate local education authority areas affected by the instructions issued prior to 25th October to cut their education estimates by 25 per cent.
§ Miss Horsbrugh:No instructions were issued by my Department to any local education authorities to cut their education estimates by 25 per cent. In compiling the 1952–53 building programme, which was announced about two months ago, and to which I think my hon. Friend must be referring, it was not possible to accept all the projects submitted by local education authorities. For England and Wales as a whole, however, the programme represents a total value of work rather greater than the programme for 1951–52.