§ 19. Mr. Goodhartasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether she can now give detailed figures of the number of local education authorities who spent less than £1 per head on school books for each child in primary schools during the year 1969–70, and which they were.
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeAccording to statistics compiled by the Institute of Municipal Treasurers and Accountants, and the Society of County Treasurers there were 71 such authorities: four counties and 56 county boroughs in England; two counties and three county boroughs in Wales; and six Outer London boroughs. With permission, I will circulate their names in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. GoodhartDoes my hon. Friend recognise that those education authorities which now spend less than £1 per head on school books for each child in primary schools have their educational priorities wrong? As there is a widespread disparity between areas over the provision of school books, will he consider issuing a circular to try to stimulate those authorities with the worst record?
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeIt may well be that my hon. Friend's Question and the details which will be circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT will go some way towards drawing attention to these matters. I am sure he knows that in the rate support grant settlement for 1971–72 and the following year there were improvement factors of 3½ per cent. and 3 per cent. respectively for non-teaching costs, which is a direct incentive.
§ Mr. MarksIs 3½ per cent. sufficient to cope with today's rising costs? Is the hon. Gentleman aware that some authorities include in this figure for books the hire of transport for physical education and swimming and all kinds of things? Is it not time we had the facts about expenditure on books and equipment? Is he satisfied that the rate support grant is being properly spent?
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeAll of us are concerned about the provision of books, but the hon. Gentleman has probably overlooked that what I was talking about was the improvement factor, and those figures are a real incentive.
§ Mr. FauldsDoes the right hon. Gentleman recognise the need to give a clear lead to education authorities to ensure that they adopt accounting methods which make meaningful comparisons possible?
§ Mr. van StraubenzeeIf the hon. Gentleman looks at the figures I am circulating he will find that very meaningful comparisons are possible.
§ Following is the information:
| Local Authorities who, in 1969–70, spent les than £1 per head on Text Books in Primar Schools. | |
| County Boroughs | |
| Barnsley | Leeds |
| Barrow | Leicester |
| Bath | Lincoln |
| Birkenhead | Liverpool |
| Birmingham | Manchester |
| Blackburn | Merthyr Tydfil |
| Blackpool | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Bolton | Newport |
| Bootle | Norwich |
| Bradford | Oldham |
| Brighton | Oxford |
| Bristol | Plymouth |
| Burnley | Portsmouth |
| Burton-on-Trent | Preston |
| Canterbury | Reading |
| Cardiff | St. Helens |
| Carlisle | Salford |
| Chester | Solihull |
| Coventry | Sunderland |
| Derby | Swansea |
| Dewsbury | Tynemouth |
| Eastbourne | Wakefield |
| Exeter | Wallasey |
| Great Yarmouth | Warley |
| Grimsby | Warrington |
| Halifax | West Bromwich |
| Hartlepool | Wigan |
| Hastings | Wolverhampton |
| Huddersfield | York |
| Ipswich | |
| London Boroughs | |
| Barking | Enfield |
| Bexley | Kingston |
| Bromley | Merton |
| Counties | |
| Sussex West | Lanes. |
| Warwick | Pembroke |
| Kent | Glamorgan |