§ 51. Mr. Peelasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, what percentage cut in the requirement submitted by Leicester City Council for school buildings this year is represented by the amount allocated; how this compares with the average cut in allocations over the country as a whole; and for what reasons this cut was made.
§ Miss BaconThe Question implies a misunderstanding of the situation. The only cut in the 1968–69 school building programme is the withdrawal of the special allocation of £36 million for building for raising the school leaving age which has been partly offset by the addition of £7 million to the basic programme. The revised total (including special schools and minor works) is £129 million compared with £134 million in 1967–68. For Leicester I was able to authorise only one project costing £161,000 to start in 1968–69 because of the prior claim of projects to meet more urgent needs elsewhere. The Authority110W have currently under construction work to the value of £430,000 representing 420 school places.