Beith reminds Parliament of Northumberland's need of funds for new school buildings

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 7th Jul 2010

Sir Alan 's campaign for new school buildings in Alnwick is continuing.

Sir Alan Beith has challenged the Secretary of State for Education to ensure the Government's new system for capital expenditure on school buildings will allow urgent cases to be considered.

Speaking in Parliament on Monday, Sir Alan reminded the House of Commons that the arbitrary rules of Labour's Building Schools for the Future programme excluded schools in desperate need of replacement in counties such as Northumberland, and asked the Secretary of State for Education

"Will the mechanism that he proposes to use allow for some of those urgent cases to be considered?"

The Secretary of State replied:

"I am very conscious that Building Schools for the Future was constructed, as I have pointed out, in an absurdly bureaucratic way and often meant that schools in real need, such as The Duchess's Community High School in Alnwick, did not receive the funding that quite properly the right hon. Gentleman has argued for. It is hoped that our review will concentrate on ensuring that all schools in need receive the funding that they deserve."

Speaking after the debate, Sir Alan said:

"I am pleased that the Secretary of State is clearly aware of the problems at the Duchess's Community High School and I will continue to press for urgent reconsideration of Northumberland County Council's urgent bid for funding for new school buildings in Alnwick which was made in February."