§ Mr. Barterasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs whether he will now state what arrangements will be made for the administration of education in central London under the Government's proposal for reorganising London government.
Dr. HillIn the White Paper on London Government (Cmnd. 1562) the Government said that while over most of Greater London education should become a borough service, they wished to see a single education authority in the centre for an area much larger than could be envisaged for the individual 155W boroughs. They thought that a central area with a population of the order of 2 million might be appropriate; but they recognised that the precise definition of this central area must depend very much on the new borough pattern.
The Government have been considering how best to give effect to these principles. They have come to the conclusion that decisions about the limits of the central area, and about the arrangements to be made for borough participation in education administration in this area, should be taken over a period of time during which the new borough pattern will be finally settled and the new local government organisation will come into operation. It will then be possible both to consult the new authorities before reaching decisions; and to examine in relation to the new authorities the financial implications of the various possible forms of administration, the movement of pupils and students across new borough boundaries, and the measures which will best promote the wide freedom of choice for parents to which my right hon. Friend the Minister of Education referred in answering a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Woolwich, West (Mr. Turner) on 1st May.
The Government accordingly propose that the legislation to be introduced to give effect to their plans should include provision on the following lines. The education service of the London County Council will be taken over as it stands, with its staff, and administered by a committee of the Greater London Council. The Minister of Education will be charged with the duty of reviewing the administration of the service within a period of 5 years, in consultation with the local authorities and others concerned. The purpose of this review will be to determine to what extent, in what areas, and under what conditions the borough councils might undertake the administration, or participate in the administration, of the education service. Powers will be sought to give effect to the conclusions reached in this review.
The precise constitution of the statutory education committee of the Greater London Council will be further considered, but the intention is that the committee should comprise the members elected to the Council from the area of the present administrative County of 156W London, with appropriate co-option; and that the committee should be wholly responsible for administering the education service in the area, the cost being charged on the area.
The effect of these proposals will be that the education service within the County of London will continue undisturbed until there has been adequate opportunity to examine its working in relation to the new local government organisation. The Government believe that these practical measures for giving effect to the policy set out in the White Paper will best serve the interests of education within the County and will greatly ease the transition to the new local government organisation.