HC Deb 08 November 1979 vol 973 c240W
Mr. Marlow

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the capital costs of building replacement schools if all private schools were closed; and what would be the revenue costs of running these additional schools.

Dr. Boyson

If all private primary and secondary schools in England were closed and all the pupils at present attending them were accommodated in additional local education authority maintained schools, the capital building costs, including land, fees and furniture and equipment, would, it is estimated, be about £1,000 million. The cost of running the additional schools would be of the order of £200 million per annum. Of course, capital expenditure on this scale would not, in fact, be involved because spare capacity resulting from falling rolls would allow most, if not all, of the pupils to be accommodated in local education authority maintained schools.

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