AT long last there is a move to spend more money on education.

Chancellor Gordon Brown hinted that he was ready to introduce "flexibility" to allow money to be switched from social security to education.

He was immediately pounced upon by Tories accusing him of a breach of a manifesto commitment to force departments to stick to the spending limits set by the previous Government. It smacks of a short term measure. But it is nevertheless welcome.

Here in East Lancashire we have many school buildings which are in disgraceful states of disrepair. They have been starved of cash for decades. Some are no longer fit to be used as schools.

The thinking is that if there were savings from social security, as a result of the Government's welfare to work measures, these could be transferred to education.

As an interim measure that is a sensible move for a country which spends more on social security than defence.

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