Mr. Edward M. Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he is aware of the decision of Lanarkshire County Council to review its school-building programme in view of the Government's recent decision to increase Bank Rate to 7 per cent.; and what steps he is taking to ensure that Scottish school-building programmes are not curtailed in consequence of recent Government actions.
§ Mr. RossI am informed that the council's decision was to ask all spending committees to review as soon as possible the capital projects envisaged by them with a view to postponing projects which could not be regarded as absolutely essential. I have made a general grant increase order which will192W take account of the likely effect, during the present financial year, of higher interest rates, and I have no reason to believe that school-building programmes will be curtailed.