§ 32. Mr. John Pageasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he accepts the recommendation of the first report of the Public Schools Commission that all independent boarding schools recognised as efficient should offer at least half their places to assisted pupils from maintained schools; and how he proposes to relate this to the conclusions of the second report.
§ Mr. Edward Short:I am not ready to make a statement about the reports of the Public Schools Commission.
161W
§ 33. Mr. John Pageasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the estimated cost to the taxpayer and ratepayer of providing education in maintained schools to those children at present being educated at independent schools.
§ Mr. Edward Short:Any figures are, of course, academic and I have had no occasion to make an estimate but if all existing independent schools were to close entirely and cease to be used for educational purposes and if new places had to be provided at maintained county schools for all the pupils now at independent schools, the capital cost to public funds would be of the order of £250 million and the recurrent annual costs of the order of £70 million.