HC Deb 14 December 1970 vol 808 cc263-4W
Mr. Jopling

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she is aware that according to the Report by the Northern Economic Planning Council, Education Part I, a copy of which has been sent to her, 76.2 per cent. of primary schools in Westmorland in 1968 were built before 1902, and that this represents the highest figure in the local authorities in the Northern Region where the figures average 51.4 per cent.

amount of the grant to the Arts Council which was used to support the production of opera in London together with the amount spent on opera outside London in each of the last three years.

Mr. van Straubenzee

The information is as follows:

for the counties and 29.1 per cent. for the county boroughs; and what steps she intends to take to remedy this.

Mr. van Straubenzee

My right hon. Friend has seen this Report, which, by quoting figures for schools rather than pupils, may give a misleading impression. By January, 1970, the number of primary school places provided since the war in Westmorland was equivalent to 45 per cent. of the primary school roll. No primary school improvement projects in Westmorland were included in the 1971–72 school building programme, but my right hon. Friend has just approved the replacement of one primary school in the programme for the following year. It is for the local education authority to make proposals for an appropriate share of the resources available in later programmes for the improvement of old primary schools. This allocation will depend on the deficiencies in the schools to be retained and on the number of pupils in them, not simply on the number of old schools.