HC Deb 11 November 1970 vol 806 cc161-2W
Mr. Gregor Mackenzie

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many additional new places will be provided for children in primary schools between 1972 and 1975 in Scotland and Lanarkshire as a result of the policy changes announced in Command Paper No. 4515.

Mr. Gordon Campbell

The additional resources will be used for the improvement and replacement of primary schools as well as the provision of additional places to enable class sizes to be reduced. Until the projects to be started have been decided, after consultation with education authorities, it will not be possible to give the number of additional places that will be provided.

Mr. Rankin

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland what number of fully qualified teachers are still required to enable all primary schools to be fully staffed on the basis of a class roll not exceeding 40.

Mr. Gordon Campbell

About 800 would be needed to implement the staffing standards proposed in my Department's circular of 29th April. These standards would give at most an average class size of 35 and would make classes of 40 unlikely.

Mr. William Hamilton

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many new primary schools were built in the five years 1964 to 1969; what was the comparable figure for the previous five years; how many are currently being built; how many are expected to be completed in 1970; and what is the estimate of completions in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974.

Mr. Gordon Campbell

Two hundred and fifty-nine schools were completed in the five years 1965 to 1969, and 168 in the previous five years; 43 were under construction at the end of June, 1970, and I estimate that completions in 1970 will total 36. Completions of primary schools cannot be estimated beyond 1970.