§ 1. Mr. Knoxasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent per pupil in primary schools in Scotland in each of the past three years, at constant prices.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Alexander Fletcher)Local authority current expenditure on primary schools at November 1979 prices, excluding items such as meals and milk, was £447 per pupil in 1977–78 and £477 in 1978–79. The provisional figure for 1979–80 is £497.
§ Mr. KnoxDoes my hon. Friend agree that, if there is a connection between standards and the amounts spent on education, there is no reason why education standards in primary schools in Scotland should have fallen during the past three years, and strong reasons why standards should have improved?
§ Mr. FletcherI agree with my hon. Friend. The provision that is made for education in Scotland is such that standards can not only be maintained but improved.
§ Mr. Home RobertsonWhat is the Government's policy on small village primary schools?
§ Mr. FletcherThe closure of schools, to which the hon. Gentleman is perhaps referring, is in the first instance a matter for the local authority. We take the view that the closure of rural schools is of particular importance in the local area, that proper consultation must take place if a closure is planned, and that the distance between a primary school and another where closure is contemplated must not be so great as to impose a strain on the children or parents.
§ Mr. John MacKayDid my hon. Friend see the cheap and sensational article in last Sunday's Sunday Standard? Will he give the House the figures for pupil expenditure in secondary schools, which I am certain do not bear out the remarks contained in that article?
§ Mr. FletcherI am at a loss to understand the arguments in that article. I am happy to tell the House that current expenditure on secondary schools, at November 1979 prices, and excluding such items as meals and milk, was £778 per pupil in 1977–78 and £786 in 1978–79. The provisional figures for 1979–80 is £813, and the provision made in the rate support grant settlement for 1980–81 was £825 per pupil.
§ Mr. O'NeillWill the increase that the Minister mentioned be sufficient to match the loss through 1006 economies of scale resulting from falling school rolls? Will sufficient money be available to maintain the service for those youngsters who are at school and for whom it will become more expensive because of the fall in school rolls?
§ Mr. FletcherI do not deny the difficulties that face local authorities at a time when the size of education is contracting because of the fall in pupil numbers. Whereas the number of pupils will fall by about 14 per cent. during the next three years, expenditure will fall by about 7 per cent. We believe that that is adequate to cover the contingencies that the hon. Gentleman has in mind.