§ Mr. BowisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what is his estimate of national spending on vocational adult education and the amount spent on leisure adult education in the current year.
§ Mr. EggarIn 1989–90, the latest year for which information on actual spending is available, local education authorities' returns indicate that their net recurrent expenditure on adult education centres was £137 million. This includes the cost of self-standing adult education centres and of adult education centres within further education colleges. The £137 million excludes the cost of all other education for adults which further education colleges provide, because this is not separately identified on LEAs' returns. Nor do the returns distinguish between different kinds of education for adults. The Department is currently undertaking a survey to establish the proportion of spending on further education attributable to the courses for adults, including leisure and recreational courses, which under the proposals in the Further and Higher Education Bill (HL) will remain the responsibility of LEAs.