HC Deb 15 July 1976 vol 915 cc888-9
10. Mr. Luce

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received regarding expenditure cuts in education.

Mr. Joel Barnett

None, Sir.

Mr. Luce

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that education is one of the areas in which the catalyst of public expenditure should be used to obtain a more imaginative balance of priorities? For example, in his discussion with the Secretary of State for Education and Science will he bear in mind that a marginal reduction of only £50 million in the total subsidy of £362 million for school meals would enable him to contain public expenditure and make it possible to employ all the jobless teachers?

Mr. Barnett

I find that question surprising. The hon. Gentleman was saying that we should cut the school meals subsidy by £50 million and spend that sum on additional expenditure in education.

I thought that the view of the Opposition was that we should cut expenditure, full stop, and that we should not increase public expenditure anywhere. I see the hon. Member for Oswestry (Mr. Biffen) nodding in agreement with that description of the Opposition's view. That tends to put the hon. Gentleman in a rather different position from that of his Front Bench.

Mr. Cryer

Will my right hon. Friend accept that the view adopted by the Tory Party, aimed at taking the food out of children's mouths, is not the best kind of policy when considering public expenditure cuts? Does he agree that Labour Members would like to see him and his Government colleagues have their head on defence matters and recoup £1,000 million in defence expenditure so that education, which has a high priority in the trade union and labour movement, especially in deprived areas such as Yorkshire and Humberside, is maintained and improved and so that we may reduce class sizes rather than increase them?

Mr. Barnett

As my hon. Friend will be aware, one or two discussions are at present taking place on priorities in our public expenditure programme. I have noted his view on the defence programme and shall bear in mind everything he has said.