12/04/2013
Labour Claim Major Cash Shortfall For School Maintenance
Labour has claimed that England’s schools are falling into disrepair because the government is not allocating enough money to maintain them.
The opposition party sent Freedom of Information requests to all local authorities in England, from which they discovered that 59% (89 of the total) suggest a repair backlog of more than £3.5bn.
Adding that the government’s capital allocation for 2013-14 will cover less than a quarter of the costs.
However, the Department for Education (DfE) called Labours claim nonsense, saying: "We are spending £16bn on improving existing schools and building new ones, more in this parliament than the previous government spent in its first two parliaments combined.
"More than £6bn of this is set aside for school maintenance."
(H/CD)
The opposition party sent Freedom of Information requests to all local authorities in England, from which they discovered that 59% (89 of the total) suggest a repair backlog of more than £3.5bn.
Adding that the government’s capital allocation for 2013-14 will cover less than a quarter of the costs.
However, the Department for Education (DfE) called Labours claim nonsense, saying: "We are spending £16bn on improving existing schools and building new ones, more in this parliament than the previous government spent in its first two parliaments combined.
"More than £6bn of this is set aside for school maintenance."
(H/CD)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:Staying cold. Any freezing fog that has formed overnight will slowly thin and disperse during the morning. Otherwise dry and bright much of the day with perhaps the odd coastal shower in the north and east. Maximum temperature 4 °C.Tonight:Dry at first with cloud thickening from the south through the evening. The odd shower, wintry over high ground, over northern counties, becoming more persistent rain over Down and Antrim. Minimum temperature 0 °C.