§ Mr. Sharpasked the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the School Furniture Post War Reconstruction Committee.
§ Sir S. CrippsI am glad to say that one of the main recommendations of this interesting and useful Report, namely, better co-ordination between the school furniture industry, local education authorities and the Government has resulted in the scheme for utility school furniture designed to meet the special needs arising from the raising of the school leaving age. The successful introduction of this scheme is due in large measure to the co-operation of the Joint Industrial Council of the Educational and Allied Woodworking industries. In Circular 145 of 6th June last my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education announced his intention to ask local education authorities for forward estimates of the kind recommended in paragraphs 106 and 107 of the Report and the substantial building programme required to meet urgent needs from 1947 onwards should assist in spreading demands for furniture more evenly throughout the year than has been the practice in the past. The prevailing shortage of timber has affected the implementation of some of the other recommendations of the Report, but as my hon. Friend is aware, we are doing our utmost to secure increasing quantities of timber from all sources open to us. Meanwhile, the work of the Schools Section of the Ministry of Works Standardisation Committee is helping to ensure that the best use is made of the materials available.