Sir J. D. REESasked the Secretary for Scotland whether he will give the total estimated expenditure from rates and taxes upon education in Scotland for the current financial year and explain the difference, if any, between such estimate and that portion relating to Scotland of the estimate of £103,000,000 arrived at by the Geddes Committee; and, if the latter estimate be found to be erroneous, 850W whether he will explain in respect of what items and in what behalf such errors are found, or upon what erroneous premisses or principles such estimate is based?
§ Mr. MUNROThe figure for which the hon. Member asks is £12,053,000, as against a figure of £12,910,000 arrived at by the Geddes Committee. In both cases the sum allowed for expenditure from rates is £5,000,000 an estimate which must, however, remain conjectural until the Education Authorities have framed their budgets for the financial year beginning 15th May. The difference of £857,000 between the two totals, therefore, represents a reduction in the estimated expenditure from taxes. Apart from a few miscellaneous economies, the whole of this reduction is to be explained by the consequential saving referred to in paragraph 15 of Chapter I of Part II of the Report of the Geddes Committee. I may add that more than one-third of it is contingent upon Parliamentary sanction being given to the proposal now before the House that teachers should contribute towards the cost of their own superannuation.