§ Mr. Newensasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if, when allocating funds for school building projects, he takes into account the number of school premises in each local education authority area which still stand but are no longer in use.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonMy right hon. Friend does not allocate funds as such to local education authorities for school building projects but specifies ceiling figures of capital authorisation within which projects may be started in any given year by each authority or by the managers or governors of voluntary 43W schools which it maintains. In so doing he currently takes account of information supplied by the authority which includes particulars of the extent to which accommodation in existing schools is used in the area of projects intended to meet a basic need for additional school places, and a statement of any impending closures.