§ Mr. Randallasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what effect the cuts in the school building programme for Gateshead will have upon their arrangements for comprehensive education.
§ Mr. Gordon Walker:The local education authority has informed me that the withdrawal of the capital allocation for raising the school leaving age will jeopardise its plans for establishing senior high schools next September unless an allocation to meet this difficulty can be made from the special addition of£7 million to the major building programme for 1968–69.
I am considering their request along with those of other authorities and shall announce my decision as soon as possible.