Mr. J. E. B. Hillasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of the total number and value of minor improvements to school buildings costing less than£2,000 which local education authorities have carried out in each of the last three years at their own discretion; on what terms his specific approval will be required for such works in future; what is his estimate of the value and number of such works he expects to authorise in 1965–66; and how many of the staff in his Department will be engaged in examining and processing applications for his approval for these under £2,000 improvements.
§ Mr. CroslandThe total value of expenditure on minor projects under£2,000 has been£4 million in 1962–63,£5.4 million in 1963–64 and£4.5 million 139W in the first nine months of 1964–65; my Department does not obtain information about the number of projects involved. In 1965–66 local education authorities will be free to decide how many of these projects they wish to carry out within their total minor works allocations. There will be no change in the procedure under which these projects require my approval only in special cases and no addition of staff will be required to deal with them.