ED BALLS TURNS DOWN PLEA FOR STOCKPORT SCHOOLS FUNDING

10.22.00am GMT Tue 26th Jan 2010

A plea from local MP Andrew Stunell for more funding to help with the re-building and modernising of Stockport's Secondary schools was rejected by Schools Secretary Ed Balls in the House of Commons this afternoon.

Mr Stunell, who had met with pupils and staff from Offerton School earlier in the day as they visited Parliament, was speaking at Children, Schools and Families Question time. He asked Mr Balls if he could provide any hope that they would see the much-needed funding from the Building Schools for the Future programme provided to update and modernise local schools.

His question comes after the government recently announced that Stockport's bid for rebuilding money from the Building Schools for the Future Programme had been turned down.

Commenting, after the exchange, Andrew Stunell said:

"The Secretary of State's answer was glib, slippery party political nonsense. It leaves secondary schools across the Borough, like Offerton High, stranded.

"The staff and pupils have waited a long time for the money to rebuild and modernise their school, and are now left stranded in crumbling buildings on a split site. Rather than address their problems, the Secretary of State wants to try to score cheap political points instead.

"The pupils and staff at Offerton School deserve more than that from the Secretary of State, and I am now writing to him to ensure that they get a serious answer to their very real problem."

ENDS