HL Deb 09 July 1980 vol 411 cc1174-5

2.58 p.m.

Lord UNDERHILL

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how many local education authorities are spending more on fees in respect of pupils at independent schools than on books for their own schools, and what is their attitude to such disparity of expenditure.

Lord SANDYS

My Lords, the Department of Education and Science does not prepare figures of expenditure for each local education authority. Certain analyses of LEA estimates and expenditure may be found in the education statistics published annually by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, copies of which are available on request through your Lordships' Library. However, the comparisons which have recently been drawn between expenditure on books and on places at non-maintained schools are wholly misleading because they do not compare like with like. The great majority of the places taken up by authorities are to meet needs for which local maintained schools cannot provide.

Lord UNDERHILL

My Lords, in thanking the noble Lord for that Answer, may I ask whether the noble Lord is informing the House that there is no problem? Is he aware of the survey carried out by the Sunday Times, and, if so, has he any comments about it? Is it also correct that a number of the teaching unions have expressed concern about this matter?

Lord SANDYS

My Lords, in the first place, so far as the noble Lord is suggesting that there is an air of complacency about the department, I can assure him that there is no complacency in the department over the question of the supply of books. Secondly, he referred to a survey in the Sunday Times, which I think may mystify your Lordships, because there was an article in the Sunday Times which was published on 29th June, a copy of which I hold in my hand. The noble Lord has probably read it. We believe that that article was misleading, and the noble Lord will know what exchanges took place in another place yesterday on that account.