§ Mr. Andrew MacKayasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what change he expects m real terms in expenditure on education and science between 1984–85 and 1985–86; how this compares with changes in 383W the school population; and how both real terms expenditure and pupil numbers have moved between 1979–80 and 1984–85.
§ Sir Keith JosephTable 1.7 of the public expenditure White Paper, Cmnd. 9428, published today, shows in real terms as measured by the GDP deflator, a reduction in expenditure on education and science of around 5 per cent, between 1984–85 and 1985–86. This reduction makes no allowance for the abolition of the NI surcharge for local authorities from April 1985, and the transfer of some funds to the MSC in 1985–86. In addition, the figure for 1985–86 includes no part of the £595 million for local authority current expenditure not allocated to programmes, some of which, as in 1984–85, will no doubt be spent on education. When allowance is made for these factors, it is likely that the reduction will be below 4.5 per cent. The school population is projected to fall by nearly 2 per cent, between this year and next. Between 1979–80 and 1984–85, expenditure on education and science increased by about 1 per cent, in real terms, compared with a fall of over 12 per cent, in the school population.