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Gove faces MPs' school axe anger | |
(40 minutes later) | |
By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent Michael Gove was challenged over the advice he received on the incorrect list | By Sean Coughlan BBC News education correspondent Michael Gove was challenged over the advice he received on the incorrect list |
Education Secretary Michael Gove has faced tough questions from MPs over his scrapping of school rebuilding plans in local authorities across England. | |
Shadow Education Secretary Ed Balls pressed Mr Gove on whether he had been given advice to delay publishing a list which later proved to be incorrect. | |
Mr Gove did not respond to this direct challenge - but attacked the record of the previous administration. | Mr Gove did not respond to this direct challenge - but attacked the record of the previous administration. |
A fifth version of the list of school building plans has now been published. | A fifth version of the list of school building plans has now been published. |
Mr Gove faced challenges from MPs from all parties - with questions about how Mr Gove had made his decisions over scrapping more than 700 school rebuilding projects. | |
Leaking roof | |
Conservative MP Patrick Mercer described a school where: "When it rains heavily in this school the children have to stop being taught in order to hold buckets under the leaking roof." | |
In questions in the House of Commons, Mr Balls attacked the "arbitrary and chaotic" process by which schools were told whether their rebuilding plans were going to be protected or scrapped. | In questions in the House of Commons, Mr Balls attacked the "arbitrary and chaotic" process by which schools were told whether their rebuilding plans were going to be protected or scrapped. |
Mr Gove defended his decision to stop the school rebuilding programme. | Mr Gove defended his decision to stop the school rebuilding programme. |
"Everyone involved in this process said to me: 'Make sure that you ensure that this faltering and failing project ends'," he told MPs. | "Everyone involved in this process said to me: 'Make sure that you ensure that this faltering and failing project ends'," he told MPs. |
Last week's announcement of the cancelling of the Building Schools for the Future programme was followed by the discovery that the list showing the fate of school projects contained a number of errors. | Last week's announcement of the cancelling of the Building Schools for the Future programme was followed by the discovery that the list showing the fate of school projects contained a number of errors. |
This included schools in Sandwell believing their building plans had been protected - only to be told that they had been cancelled. | This included schools in Sandwell believing their building plans had been protected - only to be told that they had been cancelled. |
Sandwell's council leader, Darren Cooper, has claimed there has been further "disappointment" - as he says Mr Gove's proposed visit to school leaders in the area will not now take place before the end of term. | Sandwell's council leader, Darren Cooper, has claimed there has been further "disappointment" - as he says Mr Gove's proposed visit to school leaders in the area will not now take place before the end of term. |
Mr Gove had to apologise to the House of Commons and to local authority leaders for the confusion his statement caused. | Mr Gove had to apologise to the House of Commons and to local authority leaders for the confusion his statement caused. |
On Monday Mr Gove faced further challenges over the handling of the axing of the building projects. | On Monday Mr Gove faced further challenges over the handling of the axing of the building projects. |
Mr Balls pushed for answers on whether Mr Gove had been told by any of his officials not to press ahead with publishing information that subsequently proved to contain inaccuracies. | Mr Balls pushed for answers on whether Mr Gove had been told by any of his officials not to press ahead with publishing information that subsequently proved to contain inaccuracies. |
"Did you at any point receive written or oral advice from departmental officials or Partnerships for Schools urging you not to publish a list of schools until after you had consulted local authorities, to make sure your criteria were sound and your facts were right?" said Mr Balls. | "Did you at any point receive written or oral advice from departmental officials or Partnerships for Schools urging you not to publish a list of schools until after you had consulted local authorities, to make sure your criteria were sound and your facts were right?" said Mr Balls. |
He also asked Mr Gove for a direct answer on whether there had been warnings over the risk of compensation claims from businesses which had won contracts to rebuild schools. | He also asked Mr Gove for a direct answer on whether there had been warnings over the risk of compensation claims from businesses which had won contracts to rebuild schools. |
Mr Gove did not address these questions, but responded by attacking the record of the previous Labour government. | Mr Gove did not address these questions, but responded by attacking the record of the previous Labour government. |
"I inherited a mess from you and we are clearing it up," said Mr Gove. | "I inherited a mess from you and we are clearing it up," said Mr Gove. |
A spokesman for Mr Gove later said that no officials had recommended a delay in publishing his list of cancelled projects: "There was no official advice against this course of action." | |
Compensation | Compensation |
Following the debate, a senior Liberal Democrat MP, Mike Hancock, remained unconvinced. | |
The Portsmouth South MP says the government should refund the costs of local authorities which have had school projects cancelled. | The Portsmouth South MP says the government should refund the costs of local authorities which have had school projects cancelled. |
"The government has ripped us off," he says. | "The government has ripped us off," he says. |
Nottingham City Council is considering taking legal action over the government's decision to cancel school building plans. | |
There have been suggestions that some construction companies might take legal action over the cancellation of projects. | There have been suggestions that some construction companies might take legal action over the cancellation of projects. |
Noble Francis, economist at the Construction Products Association, says construction companies want to end the confusion about what is going to happen to the school building programme. | Noble Francis, economist at the Construction Products Association, says construction companies want to end the confusion about what is going to happen to the school building programme. |
He said there needed to be clarification about how specific decisions were reached - with estimates that building firms had "wasted" £100m in winning bids that have now been cancelled. | He said there needed to be clarification about how specific decisions were reached - with estimates that building firms had "wasted" £100m in winning bids that have now been cancelled. |
Mr Francis says that the industry expects an overall loss of £39bn from the scrapping of the scheme. | Mr Francis says that the industry expects an overall loss of £39bn from the scrapping of the scheme. |