Viscountess ASTORasked the President of the Board of Education if he will state what is the estimated cost per place of building public elementary schools of brick, concrete, timber, and steel, respectively; and how many schools are required to be built in the next five years in order to provide the standard of accommodation in elementary and secondary schools regarded as reasonable by his expert advisers?
§ Lord E. PERCYThe first part of the question relates to a matter which is being investigated by the committee which I appointed to advise me upon the subject of school building, and I should prefer to make no statement in advance of the receipt of their Report. As regards the second part, it is not possible to form an estimate before the lists lately issued to local authorities of premises which appear to be defective have been considered in detail by the authorities and school managers in consultation with my Department.