HC Deb 12 March 1999 vol 327 cc435-6W
Mr. Syms

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much has been spent to date on achieving the Government's target that no Key Stage 1 pupil will be in a class of more than 30 pupils; and what is his estimate of the total expenditure that will be incurred to meet the target. [74741]

Ms Estelle Morris

We have allocated £221 million to local education authorities and schools to enable them to make a start in implementing our pledge that by September 2001 at the latest, there will be no infant classes of more than 30 pupils. We have made available a total of £620 million for the additional teachers and classrooms required to implement our pledge.

Mr. Syms

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by region the amounts spent to date on(a) employing extra teachers and (b) building new classrooms in order for schools to ensure that no five to seven-year-olds are in classes with more than 30 pupils; and what is his estimate of the total expenditure that will be incurred. [74735]

Ms Estelle Morris

We have made available a total of £620 million in order to ensure that we meet in full our pledge that, by September 2001 at latest, no infant class will contain more than 30 pupils. The following table sets out the allocations we have made for 1998–99 and 1999–2000 by region.

£000
Region 1998–99 Capital (classrooms) 1998–99 Revenue (teachers) 1999–2000 Capital (classrooms) 1999–2000 Revenue (teachers)
Eastern 3,434 951 6,860 6,282
East Midlands 4,671 3,283 8,196 7,703
London 5,598 1,970 12,403 4,646
Northern 2,335 1,520 2,801 3,752
North West 10,036 2,959 16,585 12,302
South East 5,975 1,157 11,162 9,531
South West 4,757 2,615 8,238 9,108
West Midlands 5,051 3,203 8,014 8,114
Yorks and Humberside 3,560 3,662 7,662 10,444