School Capital Funding
12th July 2010
David Burrowes calls on the Secretary of State for Education to ensure that future capital funding focuses on increasing capacity - especially in areas such as Enfield where there is acute pressure on primary and secondary school places - and less on increased bureaucracy.
Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con): Further to my right hon. Friend's answer to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Philip Davies), is he aware of the situation in Enfield, where increasing housing, migration and birth rates are putting acute pressure on primary and secondary school places? Will he ensure that future capital funding focuses more on increasing capacity and less on increasing bureaucracy, as happened under the previous Government?
Michael Gove: My hon. Friend makes a very good point. One of the demographic changes to which the previous Government did not pay sufficient heed was the increase in the number of pupils arriving at primary schools, particularly in London and the south-east. That growth in basic need is our first priority.
