§ Mr. George Rodgersasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, in view of the degree of overcrowding and the lack of adequate teaching facilities in the Mayfield special school for handicapped children at Chorley, he will take steps to include the proposal for a replacement school in an early building programme.
§ Mr. ArmstrongI am aware that the staff and children at this school are having to work under very difficult conditions. This however applies to a number of other schools for ESN (Severe) children in Lancashire and other parts of the country, and there has been no indication from the local education authority that the replacement of Mayfield is its top priority. Replacement projects have to be weighed against ones designed to provide for ESN(S) children who are without special school places.