§ Mr. AshdownTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many temporary classrooms there are in schools in(a) Somerset and (b) the Yeovil constituency; and if he will make a statement. [118640]
§ Jacqui SmithThe information requested is not held centrally.
While temporary classrooms perform a useful function in many schools, we are concerned about the length of time some units have been in use. That is why a substantial element of the latest round of the New Deal for Schools programme, which is being announced today, is being targeted at replacing with permanent accommodation those temporary classrooms which are in the poorest condition. Around £150 million is being allocated to support the removal of some 1,500 temporary classrooms.