§ Mr. Peter Millsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) whether she has received any proposals from the Devon Education Committee for the building of a new comprehensive school in the Tavistock area of Devon;
(2) whether she is aware of the difficulties of Devon Education Committee in the current financial year, as it has not been given sufficient funds to enable it to provide another comprehensive school in the Tavistock area; and whether she will give an undertaking that adequate funds will be provided in the next financial year;
(3) what are the future forecasts of the numbers of children that will require comprehensive education at Tavistock for the years 1978, 1979, 1980 and 1981; and whether the present Tavistock school can cope with these numbers.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonNo such proposal has been received for any building 293W programme up to 1978–79. The authority has been asked to submit its priority building lists for 1979–80, 1980–81 and 1981–82, on the basis of which the Department will determine the authority's need for new school places. An annual lump sum allocation is made within which the authority may decide its own priorities. I cannot yet say what the Devon authority's allocations will be for 1979–82.
The present Tavistock Comprehensive School had 1,780 pupils in September 1977 against nominal accommodation for 1,720. The forecast future numbers are as follows:
September 1978 1,810* Septemebr 1979 1,810* September 1980 1,820* September 1981 1,840* * New housing may slightly increase these numbers.