Schools falling apart because of red tape

Gordon Brown promised in successive budget speeches

• to rebuild or refurbish all 3,500 secondary schools before 2020
• to spend £3bn a year on rebuilding or refurbishing
• to complete 100 schools by this year and 200 the next
• to sign 100 building contracts in 2006

But according to the figures obtained by the Conservatives, the schools investment programme has become mired in red tape. Nothing really has happened since Gordon announced the plans in 2004:

• not a single project has been completed
• the Government expects to open only 14 refurbished schools this year and 56 the next
• only 5 building contracts have been signed
• this financial year it has failed to spend £700m and last year £166m promised by Mr Brown