§ Mr. Fatchettasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether it is the Government's intention to include any new schemes in the capital allocations for buildings in the local authority sector of higher education for (a) 1987–88 and (b) 1988–89.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerIt was not possible to make any allocations for major new building work in local authority higher education in 1987–88. In making allocations for new capital projects by local education authorities I had to give priority to projects to provide new school places in areas of population growth and to work arising from statutory proposals to remove surplus school places. After taking account also of local education authorities' contractual commitments I had little remaining to allocate either for much needed improvement work in schools or for other capital expenditure in further and higher education. However, with the total spending power available to authorities from allocations and capital receipts and the freedom they enjoy to vire within their total of prescribed expenditure between and within services, some authorities may decide nevertheless to start work on major building schemes in their higher education institutions. It is too early at this stage to predict whether, and, if so, at what level, it will be possible to make allocations for major new building work in local authority higher education in 1988–89.