§ Mr. Biffenasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is the current rate of expenditure by the Social Sciences Research Council; what percentage increase this represents over three years ago; how much of this is accounted for by work in departments of sociology or social studies at establishments of university and further education; and how current expenditure on the Social Sciences Research Council compares with
1964–65 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 Actual Actual Estimate Estimate Total running expenditure … … … £91.4m. £125.7m. £130.8m. £142.9m. Total income* … … … … … £37.4m. £44.0m. £56.9m. £66.9m. (percentage of expenditure in brackets) … … (40.9%) (35.0%) (43.5%) (46.8%) Subsidy … … … … … … £54.0m. £81.7m. £73.9m. £76.0m. (percentage of expenditure in brackets) … (59.1%) (65.0%) (56.5%) Actual (53.2%) Pupils takine meals as a percentage of pupils present† … … … … … … 62.2% 69.5% 70.1% 71.0% Pupils taking free meals as a percentage of pupils taking meals† … … … … … 6.9% 8.3% 16.7% 11.0% Notes: * Parental contributions form the major part of total income but are not separately recorded. † Taken from the annual local authority census returns of children present and taking school dinners on a day in the Autumn term.
§ Mr. J. E. B. Hillasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the average cost of the school dinner and of the food, labour and other costs comprised in it, in 1964–65, 1967–68, 1968–69, and as estimated for 1969–70.
§ Mr. Denis HowellThe information is as follows:
34Wexpenditure on the other science research councils.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsApproved expenditure for the financial year 1969–70 is £2.38 million as compared to the out-turn of £509,000 in 1966–67, the Council's first full year of operation. This represents an increase of 368 per cent., which relates to the period of building up the Council from its start three years ago. Allocations to specific disciplines are not predetermined, but of the provisional 1968–69 out-turn of £1,470,000 some £207,000 is attributable to support for research projects and postgraduate training in the fields mentioned. The approved estimates of the other councils are given in the Civil Estimates, Class VII, published by Her Majesty's Stationery Office.