HC Deb 08 July 1974 vol 876 c342W
Mr. George Rodgers

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will give the figures for the approved education authority minor works programmes for (a) the Lancashire County Council and (b) the Hampshire County Council; and if he will publish the formula on which such approvals are based.

(2) whether, in view of the high number of schools in the Lancashire County Council's area of responsibility that were built wholly or partly before 1903, he will approve an increased allocation for minor works in the county in 1975–76;

(3) whether, in view of the number of schools within the Lancashire County that are without outside toilets, he will approve an increased allocation for minor works in the county in 1975–76;

(4) if, in view of the high number of schools in the Lancashire county that are without kitchens, he will approve an increased allocation for minor works in the county in the next financial year.

Mr. Armstrong

The 1974–75 minor works allocations for Lancashire and Hampshire are £900,000 and £1,885,000 respectively. In allocating the resources available for minor works in 1974–75 account was taken of the needs both of those authorities whose school population would still be increasing rapidly in 1975 and of those with large numbers of small, old primary schools: the effects of local government reorganisation were also taken into account. I cannot yet say what level of resources will be available for school building in 1975–76.