HC Deb 20 February 1968 vol 759 cc83-4W
Mr. Maurice Macmillan

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in view of his policy to curtail the Surrey Education Authority's new school building programme, he will ensure that additional special provision is made to provide the extra primary school places that will be required as a result of the proposed building by the Aldershot Borough Council of 510 houses and five shops within the boundaries of the Farnham urban district.

Miss Bacon

This is not our policy. The housing development proposed in Farnham by the Aldershot Borough Council was taken into account in formulating the Surrey school building programme for 1969/70 announced last year. The programme includes two projects providing between them 400 primary school places in Farnham and is larger than it would have been had this housing development been planned to take place outside the county. Following the withdrawal of the allocations for the years 1968/69 and 1969/70 for raising the school leaving age, my right hon. Friend has had to ask all local authorities to review their proposals for starting projects in those years and until he has received and considered their replies, I cannot say how individual projects will be affected. It will be several months before we shall be able to reach decisions on the projects which can be started in 1969/70.

Mr. Maurice Macmillan

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, whether, in view of the Government's policy not to increase the rate support grant, he will take special steps to ensure that the provision of extra school places arising from the proposed housing development by Aldershot Borough Council within the boundaries of the Farnham urban district does not impose any extra cost on the ratepayers of Surrey.

Miss Bacon

No special steps are necessary. The total of rate support grant already fixed for 1968–69 takes account of expected increases in school population in the country as a whole, and each local authority's share of the needs element of the grant takes account of increases in its population and the number of pupils in its schools in the year in question.