To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science, pursuant to his announcement of 11 February, "More Capital for Popular Schools", if he will identify (a) any additional sums of money for this purpose and (b) the rule whereby voluntary-aided schools could be allowed to expand only where there were no spare places in county schools nearby.

The decision on the additional resources to be set aside each year to enable popular schools to expand will be taken in the light of next year's public expenditure.It has hitherto been the policy of successive Governments not normally to make capital available to allow voluntary-aided schools to expand their capacity where there are spare school places in other maintained schools in the area.