A Dudley MP will meet Education Secretary Michael Gove for crunch talks over the borough’s stalled £300million schools’ refurbishment programme.

MP for Dudley North Ian Austin, a former Labour minister, will meet Mr Gove after quizzing him about Dudley’s situation when it comes to education spending during a debate in the House of Commons.

The future of the previous Government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme is in doubt as the new administration wields the axe.

Dudley was snubbed after bidding for millions of pounds of funding under BSF, with then education chief Ed Balls saying the council’s application was not up to scratch.

However he pledged the money would be there if Dudley improved its proposals.

That cash is now in doubt after the Tory-Lib Dem coalition ordered a review of BSF.

Mr Austin said: “Teachers in Dudley do a great job, but imagine what more they could do if we were able to attract the investment other areas have to rebuild their secondary schools.

“The last government promised me that the door was open for Dudley to bid for funds if they could produce a decent plan.

“I’ll be going to meet Mr Gove because I want to make sure that offer stands and that Dudley does not lose out on the investment our schools need as a result of the cuts the new government is making.”

Mr Gove has said: “I suggest that he comes into the department, so that we can talk about exactly how we can advance that programme.”

No date for the meeting has yet been fixed.