PRESS RELEASE

17 March 2003

OTTAWAY PRESSES MINISTER TO LOOK AGAIN AT CROYDON SCHOOL BUDGET

Richard Ottaway, Conservative MP for Croydon South, has pressed the Minister for Education over the Croydon education budget and funding for schools (see House of Commons Hansard extract).

Richard Ottaway says:-

"I found the Minister's reply extremely complacent. Having backed down once on Croydon's education budget a firm hand is needed. To simply say it is a matter for Croydon Council and that the management of their affairs is excellent is complacent in the extreme and a view which will be met with astonishment in Croydon"

ENDS

For further information, please call 020 7219 6392.