HC Deb 18 March 1965 vol 708 cc294-5W
29. Mr. Gower

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many improvement projects were carried out in England and Wales, respectively, during the last five years through the scheme whereby local education authorities enjoyed discretion to proceed with improvements to school buildings where the cost of improvement was less than £2,000.

Mr. Prentice

The discretionary procedure for minor works under £2,000 was introduced in October, 1961. From that date to the end of March, 1963, projects to the value of almost £5 million were carried out in England and to the value of £340,000 in Wales. The corresponding figures were £5.1 million and £242,000 for the financial year 1963–64 and £4.3 million and £198,000 for the first nine months of 1964–65. My Department does not collect statistics of the number of projects involved.

30. Mr. Gower

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consideration he gave to the consequences likely to arise from his decision to terminate the scheme whereby local education authorities enjoyed discretion to proceed with improvements to school buildings costing less than £2,000; and whether he will reconsider this decision, in view of the value of this scheme in enabling local education authorities to meet local needs promptly.

Mr. Crosland

I recognise that this decision reduces the freedom of individual local education authorities to carry out as many small projects as they might wish, but I consider that this disadvantage is more than counterbalanced by the need to secure a more equitable and rational distribution of the total sum available to all authorities.

38. Mr. J. E. B. Hill

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, following his cancellation of the present limit of £2,000, what is the limit below which he will allow local education authorities to carry out minor improve-

EDUCATIONAL MINOR WORKS PROGRAMME
1963–64 1964–65 1965–66
Work started Estimate Allocations
£(m) £(m) £(m)
1. English local education authorities … … 8.80 11.02 16.00
2. English voluntary schools … … 2.60 2.90 3.35
3. Welsh local education authorities … … 0.67 0.84 1.15
4. Welsh voluntary schools … … 0.08 0.11 0.20
5. Teacher training … … 0.13 0.15 0.20
6. Special Services … … 0.05 0.08 0.10
7. Projects under £2,000 … … 5.40 6.75 —
8. Total … … 17.73 21.85 21.00
9. 1962–63 winter programme late starts … … 0.67
10. 1963–64 winter programme … … 2.70
11. Total … … 21.10