§ Sir J. Langford-Holtasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science in view of the fact that the lower priority now given to the building of denominational schools and the deterioration in the facilities in these schools is now resulting in parents not sending their children to such schools, whether he will now make a statement on his future policy towards denominational schools.
§ Miss BaconMy policy continues to be to consider denominational school building proposals which form part of an authority's submission for their area equally with county school proposals. Priority in recent years has had to be given to projects which provide places for children who would otherwise have no school to go to, leaving little margin for the improvement or replacement of existing schools. I am satisfied that denominational schools have had their fair share of the resources available including more than a quarter of the special allocation of £16 million for the improvement of schools in educational priority areas.