§ Mrs. Renee Shortasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the shortfall in local authority spending on (a) polytechnics and (b) colleges of further education in 1980–81; how this compares with the figures for 1978–79 and 1979–80; and if he will break the figures down to show the shortfall for (i) teaching costs and (ii) non-teaching costs.
§ Mr. WaldegraveLocal authority net current expenditure on further education compared with that assumed in the rate support grant settlements for each of the years concerned was:
£ million November 1980 prices 1978–79 England and Wales 1979–80 England 1980–81 England Assumed expenditure 1,343 1,267 1,268 Actual expenditure 1,320 1,289 1,250 Difference between actual and assumed expenditure -23 +22 -18 The expenditure assumed in the rate support grant settlements for the years concerned has not been broken down consistently in such a way that meaningful comparisons can be made on a disaggregated basis with actual expenditure on teaching costs and non-teaching costs, or with actual expenditure in polytechnics and colleges of further education.