§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what applications he has received for assistance from his special capital allocation fund to enable West Suffolk schools to be converted to oil-fired central heating because of the shortage of coke; what additional cost to the local authority and to his 89W Department, respectively, such conversion will involve; what estimate he has made of the national total of schools likely to be converted from coke to oil for this reason, and at what approximate aggregate cost.
§ Miss Bacon:My right hon. Friend has approved an application from the West Suffolk local education authority for an increase of £25,000 in its minor works allocation for 1970–71 to enable it to convert school heating apparatus from coke to other fuel. The expenditure incurred by the authority does not qualify for any specific grant from the Government, but any related loan charges would rank as relevant expenditure for the purposes of rate support grant. I cannot estimate the number or cost of conversions to oil which authorities may wish to undertake because of prospective difficulties over coke supplies. [It is for authorities to decide what action to take and what type of alternative fuel to adopt.]