§ Mr. Kinnockasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has received the views of the Welsh Secondary Schools Association on the White Paper "A Framework for Expansion "; and what reply he has sent.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasThe Welsh Secondary Schools Association wrote to me on 5th July. I will arrange for the hon. Member to receive a copy of my reply.
§ Mr. Kinnockasked the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of replacing split site secondary schools with buildings and amenities on a single campus.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasNone. It would not be practicable to make a meaningful estimate.
§ Mr. Kinnockasked the Secretary of State for Wales what was the total public expenditure on secondary education in Wales in the last three years for which figures are available; and of this figure, what proportions were spent on provision of new schools and new buildings in existing schools, respectively.
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§ Mr. Peter ThomasTotal current public expenditure directly attributable to secondary education in Wales for the last three years for which information is available was:
Separate details for total public expenditure on new schools and new buildings at existing schools are not collected centrally but the capital resources approved for major school building projects for these three years were as follows:
£000s 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 26,951 30,264 35,633
£ million 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 New schools 2.99 2.75 2.87 Extensions to existing schools 2.00 4.34 6.29
§ Mr. Kinnockasked the Secretary ot State for Wales if he proposes to undertake systematic consultation with head teachers of secondary schools in Wales on the future planning of education in the Principality.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasIt is my policy to consult with the interests most closely affected on all major developments. Head teacher associations are included in the normal machinery for consultation.