Property Data Survey

Oral Answers to Questions — Education – in the House of Commons am 2:30 pm ar 2 Mawrth 2015.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Craig Whittaker Craig Whittaker Ceidwadwyr, Calder Valley 2:30, 2 Mawrth 2015

If her Department will publish a ranking of the property data survey programme of participant schools.

Photo of David Laws David Laws The Minister of State, Cabinet Office, The Minister for Schools

Through the priority school building programme 2, we have used the property data survey to allocate £2 billion to rebuild and refurbish buildings in the worst conditions at 277 schools across the country. We have no plans to publish a ranking of surveyed schools.

Photo of Craig Whittaker Craig Whittaker Ceidwadwyr, Calder Valley

The previous Secretary of State said that Calder high school was one of the worst he had seen in England. Similarly, when the Prime Minister came to Todmorden, he pledged money for the rebuilding of Todmorden high school. Despite those assurances, so far neither school has received any money. Will the Minister pledge to do as was initially intended and make transparent the priority listings of all schools surveyed under the property data survey programme so that we can see how robust they are?

Photo of David Laws David Laws The Minister of State, Cabinet Office, The Minister for Schools

I know that my hon. Friend is a champion of the schools in his constituency, including the two that he mentions. In addition to the priority school building programme phase 2 funding, we recently announced £4.2 billion of funding for the improvement and maintenance of school buildings over the next three years, and his local authority is able to draw down on those moneys allocated to its area for the schools that he mentions. On the ranking of schools, we have no plans to publish a ranking list of surveyed schools, which could be misleading without taking into account other information supplied by schools and local authorities with their PSBP 2 bids.