§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will set out the procedures by which education authorities obtain funds for the replacement or improvement of existing primary and secondary schools, stating to what extent such funds are raised locally or are granted by the Exchequer; and by what means she regulates the sums expended on primary and secondary schools, respectively.
§ Mrs. ThatcherMy Department invites local education authorities to submit details of primary and secondary school building projects which satisfy the criteria laid down and on which they wish to start work in a given year. I select from these proposals and authorise annual programmes of named projects accordingly. The Government control the total value of projects to be started in any one year but the authorisation of programmes to individual authorities is not a form of grant. Most capital expenditure is financed by borrowing and loan charges rank as relevant expenditure for the purpose of rate support grant. The programmes for improvements and replacements total £40 million in 1972–73 and £44 million in each of the three following years, and these are being allocated to primary schools in accordance with my declared policy.