§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask Secretary of State for Scotland what was the average amount of money spent by his Department on a pupil in a public sector school at(a) primary and (b) secondary level for each academic year since 1981. [5797]
§ Mr. Raymond S. RobertsonDirect expenditure by the Scottish Office on the education of school pupils in public sector schools is limited to grants made available to Jordanhill school, a grant-aided school; and Dornoch academy and St. Mary's Episcopal primary school, which are both self-governing schools. Comprehensive information on the division of resources between the primary and secondary departments at Jordanhill school is not available. The annual recurrent grant to Dornoch 823W academy in the financial year 1994–95, following the school's incorporation as a self-governing school in April 1994, was £387,000. On the basis of the school roll at September 1994, expenditure per pupil was therefore £6,672. St. Mary's Episcopal primary school was incorporated in October 1995.
Expenditure per pupil in education authority schools is the responsibility of each education authority. Local authority expenditure is supported by central Government, for example, through the annual local government financial settlement. Such financial support is not specific to particular local authority services an it is for each authority to determine the allocation of all the resources at its disposal.