§ 4. Mr. KnoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much was spent per pupil in primary schools in Wales in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what was the comparable figure for 1978–79 at constant prices.
§ The Minister of State, Welsh Office (Sir Wyn Roberts)In 1989–90 current expenditure per pupil in primary schools in Wales was £1,292. The equivalent constant price figure for 1978–79 was £974.
§ Mr. KnoxWill my right hon. Friend confirm that current and capital expenditure on education in Wales have risen in real terms since 1979?
§ Sir Wyn RobertsI have just given my hon. Friend the figures for primary schools. He will, I am sure, be interested to know the figures for secondary school pupils 6 which show an even more remarkable increase of about 46–4 per cent., from £1,346 per head in 1978–79 to £1.971 in 1989–90.
§ Mr. Ron DaviesDoes the Minister accept that it is fundamentally dishonest to represent those figures as an increase in real terms when they reflect only the fact that there has been a falling roll? Will he now turn his attention to the state of primary schools in Wales? Does not he recognise that primary schools throughout the Principality are suffering from a decaying fabric, from a lack of support from local education authorities as a result of the Government's cuts in real terms and as a result of the demoralisation of the teaching profession? Will the right hon. Gentleman recognise the crisis that is building in primary schools and, in the last couple of weeks of this Government. start to do something about that?
§ Sir Wyn RobertsThe hon. Gentleman is wrong on all counts, which is a record even for him. On overall current expenditure on education, there has been a 24 per cent. increase in a period when pupil numbers have indeed fallen, by nearly 15 per cent. On capital expenditure, during the past three years about 6 per cent. less has been spent than we allocated to local education authorities for capital spending, so the blame for crumbling schools must be placed at their door. It is they that have failed to spend the allocations that we have given to them. With regard to teachers' morale, I know that teachers are extremely pleased with the 7.8 per cent. increase which the review body awarded them with the Government's agreement.