HC Deb 01 May 1962 vol 658 cc808-9
18. Mr. Swingler

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state, for each of the last five years, the ratio of educational expenditure in general, and expenditure on educational building in particular, to gross national product

The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Anthony Barber)

I will, with permission, circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures of public educational expenditure on capital and current account and the proportion which the total bears to gross national product for the five years to 1960–61.

Mr. Swingler

Have we not plenty of time to hear these figures? Will the Economic Secretary at any rate say what increased investment in education, out of the total national wealth, these figures show over the five-year period? Is the Treasury aware that education authorities, including university authorities, are now extremely fed-up, to say the least, with the famine of capital which, according to the Minister of Housing, the Government have created?

Mr. Barber

I must ask the hon. Member to examine the figures which will appear in the OFFICIAL REPORT. I can tell him that in absolute terms public expenditure on education has risen by over 40 per cent. during the five years in question, and the proportion of the gross national product devoted to education has risen by about 17 per cent.

Following is the information: The following table shows total capital expenditure by public authorities on all education (including building land, professional fees, and equipment) and current educational expenditure by public authorities and the proportion the total bears to G.N.P. for the five years to 1959–60. The figures exclude expenditure on school milk and school meals, public libraries and museums, and educational expenditure by the Service Departments.
PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION IN GREAT BRITAIN
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
Financial Year Capital Expenditure Current Expenditure Total Percentage of Column (4) to Gross National Product
£m. £m. £m.
1956–57 … 117 546 663 3.6
1957–58 … 133 613 746 3.8
1958–59 … 134 670 804 4.0
1959–60 … 137 742 879 4.1
1960–61 … 133 812 945 4.2