§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will set out the school building and replacement programme for Leicestershire for the current year.
§ Mr. ArmstrongAs stated in Circular 8/74, resources for major school projects to meet basic needs for additional places will be allocated to local education authorities in the form of lump sum authorisations for the building year 1974–75. These allocations, which will be communicated to authorities as soon as possible, may enable some projects which contain an element of replacement as well as basic need to go forward.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he will announce school building allocations for the period July 1974 to June 1975.
§ Mr. PrenticeLetters will be sent within the next day or two to local education authorities informing them of their 1974–75 allocations for basic needs, which total £111 million. A circular will also be issued at the same time announcing that a reserve has been held back to enable a limited number of primary school improvement and replacement projects to go ahead in areas of special social need. I believe that it is right to do something to help these areas at the price of asking the areas of high basic need to accept slightly smaller allocations.