§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his assessment of the reasons why the real cost of education has doubled over 20 years and the extent to which this is not due to increasing rolls.
§ Mr. Mark CarlisleAbout half of the extra cost can be attributed to increased pupil and student numbers. Much of the remainder reflects the policies of successive Governments over the two decades to improve pupil-teacher ratios in schools.