§ Mr. Redmondasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether, in view of the fact that less than 1 per cent. of the 28,445 maintained schools in England and Wales have been provided with swimming pools during the past 15 years, she has plans in mind for improving the situation and for arranging for the provision of school swimming pools that will be available to other sectors of the community in certain conditions.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeIt is for local education authorities to decide whether within the cost limits set for school building projects they wish to provide a swimming pool instead of other facilities for physical education. The possibility of arranging for swimming instruction in existing pools would be a factor to be taken into account. Guidance is given in Building Bulletin 26—Physical Education.
I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of Circular 2/70 in which local education authorities were encouraged to cooperate with other bodies in the provision of sports and other facilities which can be shared by the schools and the general public, and a Design Note—"The School and the Community"—which gives practical examples of developments of this kind.
§ Mr. Redmondasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will indicate the names of the 274 maintained schools which have been provided with swimming pools by local education authorities since April, 1955.
§ Mrs. ThatcherThe full information to answer this Question is not available to the Department. I am, however, writing to my hon. Friend with as much information as I have to hand.