asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education whether he will publish the terms of Circular No. 1464; and whether he is aware that, as a result of this being issued, a number of schemes for developing or extending secondary schools have been abandoned by local authorities; and what is he doing to counteract this?

Circular 1464 has been given a very wide circulation and its terms have been quoted in the educational Press and extensively noticed in the general Press. The Circular does not call for the abandonment of any secondary school proposals, and I have no evidence that it has led to this result. All that the Circular does in this respect is to require local education authorities, save in exceptional circumstances, to postpone the replacement, improvement or enlargement of existing secondary schools.

Can the hon. Member say whether the circular affects schemes which were approved in principle at the time when the Circular was issued?

Each case is dealt with on its merits.

Has the circular been published?

The circular has been widely circulated.