Lyn Brown MP has welcomed an extra £17.5million funding from the Government for extra primary school places for children in Newham.

 This new funding is part of a £271 million package from the Government to be shared amongst 34 local authorities, creating 15,000 new primary school places.  The rising birth rate and the increased demand for state school places due to the recession have placed massive pressure on primary schools in the borough.  Newham has the highest birth rate in the country and must provide enough school places to meet this demand.

 This £17.5million will help Newham build new classrooms and facilities to cope with the increased demand and to ensure that all children have a permanent primary school place.  Newham is expected to build the extra places by 2011.

 Lyn Brown, MP for West Ham, said:

 “I am delighted that Newham will receive an extra £17.5million from the Government.  It will help our schools cope with the unexpected pressure on primary school places caused by the recent ‘baby boom’ and the recession.

 Labour is committed to giving every child the best possible start in the life and this means ensuring that all children have a permanent school place at the start of their school career.   Today’s new funding is on top of the £1.2billion the Government have already allocated to provide extra school places for 2008-11.

 The Conservatives would cut the school building programme by £4.5billion.  How would they be able to pay for the new school places that we so desperately need? 

 Today’s announcement is yet another example of how Labour is working hard to give all our children the best possible start in life.”