§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how teacher salary costs are calculated in Wales for the local management formula for primary schools in the calculation of school budgets.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsUnder local management of schools primary schools budgets will be determined by a formula based largely on age-weighted pupil numbers. At least 75 per cent. of the resources so distributed must be in proportion to age-weighted pupil numbers. In deciding how heavily to weight each age of pupils, LEAs will need to make assumptions about teaching costs for each age group. These assumptions will be based on average teacher salaries. However, Welsh Office circular 36/88 recognises that in the case of small schools there may be variations between the actual teaching costs and the LEA's average costs, due to teachers' position on the main scale and the incidence of salary safeguarding. LEAs may therefore adjust schools' budgets to reflect this factor. In general, however, the degree of protection should be tapered according to the size of school, so that budget shares of larger schools are not adjusted.