§ Mr. Ernie Rossasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the amount spent on nursery education per child receiving nursery education in each regional and island authority and in Scotland overall in the latest available year;
(2) what is the amount spent on nursery education per child in the age group eligible for nursery education in each regional and island authority and in Scotland overall in the latest available year.
§ Mr. Alexander Fletcher[pursuant to his reply, 28 June, c. 248]: There is no statutory definition of the age group eligible for nursery education. The following table shows expenditure from local authority 1980–81 returns divided by (a) nursery school numbers as at the September 1980 school census and (b) the Registrar General's mid-year 1980 estimates of the 3 and 4-year-old age group in each education authority area. Since local authorities vary in the method used to allocate expenditure on nursery education, the figures for different authorities are not comparable.
352W
Nursery Expenditure 1980–81 Authority (a) Per pupil £ at outturn prices (b) Per ¾ year old Borders Not available Not available Central 376 96
Authority (a) Per pupil £ at outturn prices (b) Per ¾ year old Dumfries-Galloway 380 32 Fife 104 40 Grampian 524 98 Highland 384 35 Lothian 492 200 Strathclyde 592 126 Tayside 535 121 Orkney 27 6 Shetland 455 60 Western Isles 414 76 Scotland 488 117