§ Mr. David Howellasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what provision he makes in the allocation of funds 73W for school buildings for schools which are the responsibility of his Department as between different areas to take account of the variations in cost per school place throughout the country.
§ Mr. CrossmanI assume the hon. Member has in mind the hospital schools and local health authority junior training centres provided for the training of those mentally handicapped children who have been ascertained under Section 57 of the Education Act 1944 as unsuitable for education at school.
The hospital schools form a very small part of the services for which capital allocations are made to the regional hospital boards and varying costs per school place are not a significant factor in determining the amount of these allocations. My Department's general aim however is to achieve a common satisfactory standard of service in all parts of the country.
Loan sanction for junior training centres is related to a national cost standard but variations in building costs between different areas could exceptionally be taken into account at tender stage.