Building and refurbishing schools brings obvious benefits to children, parents and teachers.

But there are also economic benefits when the Government funds or helps find funding for major infrastructure projects.

The construction industry would receive a major shot in the arm from a large school building programme, with knock-on benefits for the entire economy.

This issue is precisely why the Post is organising an infrastructure summit in the city this spring.

Ministers are right to argue that the nation’s long-term economic health depends on a strong private sector.

An economy based around Government taxation and spending cannot be successful for long. There needs to be thriving private sector otherwise those tax revenues dry up.

But it can be tempting to jump from there to a belief that Government has no role to play at all – which is equally wrong.

When making spending decisions, Ministers should consider the impact their actions will have on the wider economy. In the case of school refurbishments, this means the benefits a major construction programme will bring.

So it seems remarkable that so many colleges are still waiting for any hint as to when building work will begin, even though Michael Gove identified them as schools in urgent need of repair last May.

Mr Gove, the Education Secretary, will be well aware that the latest building is actually a replacement for a scheme he scrapped back in 2010.

The rights and wrongs of this decision have been widely debated. It is true that the original building programme, inherited from the Labour government, had its faults and even Labour MPs expressed concerns about it.

But it might seem reasonable to expect Mr Gove to attempt to put his replacement scheme into effect as quickly as possible.

While our schools wait to learn when they will be rebuilt, it emerges that existing health clinics are under threat.

A review of walk-in centres in Birmingham and Solihull is being carried out. It’s worth stressing, as the new Clinical Commissioning Group does, that no decisions have been made.

However, the review is considering whether the centres should remain – or not.

Once again, there is a danger of taking an all-or-nothing approach.

Yes, it may be possible to cut costs, but the walk-in centres pay a vital role. Make them more efficient if possible, but keep them open.