§ Dr. Roger Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales, in view of the fact that teachers' pay awards are already running at just over twice that for which provision was made in current estimates, what action he proposes to take to help local authorities to meet the cost of further pay awards should these be recommended by comparability studies.
§ Mr. KingI have been asked to reply.
My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his Budget Statement that the Government will take account of pay settlements in calculating the increase orders for the rate support grant in the current year. But we shall be making an across the board reduction of £300 million from the total thus calculated. The size of the reduction may have to be increased when the cost of further pay increases in known and will not be finally determined until November.