Public Expenditure (Hansard, 21 December 1973)

§ Mr. Biffen
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will list the amount by which she plans to reduce expenditure for 1974–75 and in the balance of the current year as a result of the statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 17th December, indicating the main areas where such reductions will take place; and if she will make a statement.
478W

§ Mrs. Thatcher
The figures requested for 1974–75 are given in the table below. The consequential saving during the remainder of 1973–74 will depend upon the precise measures taken to effect the 1974–75 reductions. I cannot at present give a figure for the reduction in spending this year which will arise on this account.

REDUCTIONS IN SPENDING IN 1974–75

£m. 1973 Survey prices

Capital Procurement

Research Councils, etc. (GB) 2.4 2.3

Arts and National Libraries (GB) 0.7 1.3

Education (England and Wales, excluding Welsh Schools) 100.5 50.2^*

103.6 53.8

^* This includes the England component (estimated at £45.6 million) of the total reduction in procurement expenditure by local authorities in England and Wales of £48 million.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and I have issued a joint circular to local authorities advising them on the resumption of school building work in the light of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement. This indicates that school projects to meet basic needs for additional places and special school projects will be eligible for approval as from 1st January 1974, while allocations for nursery projects already announced to local education authorities will remain valid, but will run from 1st July 1974 instead of from 1st April.

§ Mr. Moyle
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list the capital projects in higher and further education postponed, abandoned or reduced in cost following the Chancellor of the Exchequer's statement of 17th December 1973.

§ Mrs. Thatcher
The following university projects in England, Scotland and Wales and polytechnic, further education and teacher training projects in England and Wales, originally planned to start in 1973–74 and costing more than £50,000, have been postponed as a result of the arrangements set out in Circular 15/73:
University Institutions
ENGLAND Birmingham Electrical Engineering, General Arts and Law, and Physical Education. Bradford Arts/Social Sciences and swimming pool. 479W Brunel Social Science, Education and playing fields. Cranfield School of Management. Durham Adaptations. East Anglia Adaptations. Essex Administrative/Arts block. Exeter Extensions. Hull Arts building. Keele Arts building. Kent Arts building. Leeds Social Science and Economics building, and sports facilities. Leicester Computer/maintenance block, and Pre-Clinical Medical School. London Charing Cross and St. George's Medical Schools adaptations at various Colleges. Manchester Library phase I and arts block. Oxford Library conversions. Reading Administration. Salford Sports facilities. Sheffield Extensions. Southampton Adaptations, and sports pavilion. Sussex Arts block. Warwick Extensions. York Language centre and computer extension.
SCOTLAND Aberdeen Adaptations and site development. Dundee Library. Edinburgh Extensions and adaptations. Strathclyde Business School and site works.
WALES Aberystwyth Site development for residence. Bangor Arts block and sports hall. Cardiff Humanities block. Polytechnics and Further Education Wallsend Technical College extensions. Sunderland Polytechnic extensions. Teesside Polytechnic extensions. Newcastle Polytechnic extensions. South Shields Marine and Technical College hostel. Durham Consett Technical College extensions. Leeds Polytechnic extensions. Thomas Danby College of FE (Leeds) Phase 1. York Central College of FE extensions. Kingston on Hull Nautical College and Colleges of Technology and Art hostel. Sheffield Polytechnic extensions and conversions. St. Helen's College of Technology extensions. Preston Tuson Branch College 2nd Phase. Bootle College of Further Education 3rd instalment. Manchester Polytechnic extensions and hostel. Chester College of FE extensions. Nottingham Basford Hall College of FE Phase 2. 480W High Peak (Burton) College of FE (Derbyshire) extensions. Heanor/Ilkeston College of FE (Derbyshire) extensions. Chesterfield College of Art phase 3. Hinckley College of FE completion. Leicester Polytechnic extension and student housing. N. Lindsey (Scunthorpe) Technical College extensions. Stamford College of FE phase 2. Warwick College of Agriculture extensions. Northern College of FE (Stoke-on-Trent) extensions. Birmingham Polytechnic extensions. Birmingham Brooklyn Technical College sports hall. Wolverhampton Polytechnic extensions. Goldsmiths' College School of Art extensions. Hammersmith College of FE and West London College of Commerce new buildings. City of London Polytechnic adaptations. Polytechnic of North London hall of residence. City Literary Institute adaptations. Middlesex Polytechnic extensions. High Wycombe College of Technology extensions. North Oxon Technical College and School of Art extensions. Oxford Polytechnic hostel. Shuttleworth Agricultural College workshops. Redbridge College of FE Phase 2. East Ham Technical College extensions. Hatfield Polytechnic extensions. King's Lynn Technical College hostel. Brighton Polytechnic extensions and hostel. Chichester College of FE extensions. South Kent College of Technology extensions. Hastings College of FE—stage 3. Kingston Polytechnic extensions and hostel. Carshalton College of FE extensions. Merrist Wood College of Agriculture extensions. West Surrey College of Art and Design hostel. Basingstoke Technical College Phase 3. Andover College of FE Phase 2. Havant Technical College Phase 2. Portsmouth Polytechnic extension. Lewes Technical College extensions. N. Gloucs. Technical College extensions. East Devon Technical College extensions. Bristol Polytehenic extensions.
481W
WALES Glamorgan Polytechnic extensions. Newtown College of Further Education extensions. Bangor Technical College extensions. Monmouthshire Crosskeys Technical College extensions. Colleges of Education Sunderland College extensions. Nevilles Cross College extensions St. Luke's College extensions. Bolton College extensions. Padgate College extensions. Bedford College extensions. Wall Hall (Watford) College extensions Froebel College extensions. Maria Grey (Twickenham) College extensions. City of Worcester College extensions. Bretton Hall (Wakefield) College extensions. Huddersfield College extensions. Thornbridge Hall (Totley) College extensions. City of Sheffield College extensions. City of Coventry College extensions.
WALES Bangor Normal College extensions. Caerleon College extensions. Barry College extensions.
The limited programme of higher and further education projects eligible for approval between 1st July 1974 and 30th June 1975 wil be announced later.

REDUCTIONS IN SPENDING IN 1974–75
	£m. 1973 Survey prices
	Capital	Procurement
Research Councils, etc. (GB)	2.4	2.3
Arts and National Libraries (GB)	0.7	1.3
Education (England and Wales, excluding Welsh Schools)	100.5	50.2^*
	103.6	53.8
^* This includes the England component (estimated at £45.6 million) of the total reduction in procurement expenditure by local authorities in England and Wales of £48 million.