Speeches, etc.

Margaret Thatcher

Remarks on education cuts

Document type: Speeches, interviews, etc.
Venue: Unknown
Source: The Times, 28 October 1970
Journalist: Education Correspondent, The Times
Editorial comments: Time and place unknown. Similar remarks were reported in the Daily Mirror, 28 October 1970.
Importance ranking: Major
Word count: 258

Fear of hardship for low-pay families

Our Education Correspondent writes: Commenting last night on the proposals to save £21m. in the education budget Mrs. Thatcher, Secretary of State for Education and Science, said: “In the Queen's speech we said we would give priority to the primary schools where the foundations for all later education and training are laid. The White Paper shows how we are beginning to honour that pledge” .

Of the money to be made available for the replacement and improvement of schools Mrs. Thatcher said that substantial sums would be spent in deprived urban areas but that there would also be many old primary schools replaced in rural areas and in the suburbs.

Our Science Correspondent writes: The cuts in research expenditure are bound to be opposed by those who regard the country's scientific manpower as its most valuable natural asset.

The organizations involved are the Science Research Council, Medical Research Council, Agricultural Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council and the Social Science Research Council. The Science Research Council is the biggest spender with £42m. last year, agriculture had £17m. and the environmental council £11m.

The total for all five is estimated at £110m. this year at their present growth rates of 5 to 6 per cent in real terms. Even allowing for a cut in the rate of expenditure increase by £2m. in 1971–72, the total will be fractionally higher at £111m. in 1974–75 when the cut should amount to £5m. and the total spent should be over £125m.