§ Mr. Blenkinsopasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government (1) what has been the Rate Support Grant to South Shields for the past three years, including 1968–69; and what percentage of this is intended for primary and secondary education.
(2) what percentage of the Rate Support Grant has the South Shields Authority spent on primary and secondary education over the past three years; and what is the corresponding national average percentage.
§ Mr. SkeffingtonThe latest estimates of the rate support grants for the County Borough of South Shields for 1967–68 and 1968–69 are £3,576,032 and £3,750,906. Corresponding grants for 1966–67 amounted to £3,067,727.
The amounts spent by the county borough council on primary and secondary education were £1,772,000 for 1966–67 and £1,911,000 for 1967–68 and the amount for 1968–69 is estimated to be £2,023,000.
267WPayments of rate support grants, like the former general grant and rate-deficiency grant, are made in aid of the revenues of the local authority generally. Accordingly one cannot say that any particular proportion of the grants was either intended for or spent on primary and secondary education.