§ Mr. TREVELYANasked the President of the. Board of Education what was in 1925–26 the average net expenditure per pupil in secondary schools maintained by authorities and in such secondary schools as were aided by authorities and riot by the Board in 1925–26, together with aid to students at secondary schools and universities; and in how many areas in 1925–26 did such net expenditure per pupil exceed £25?
§ Lord E. PERCYThe answer to the first part of the question is £26 14s., and to the second part, 50. The figure of 51W £26 14s., is not, of course, comparable with the sum of £25 mentioned in Circular 1388. That sum relates only to the additional number of pupils in secondary schools of the types in question on the 1st October, 1927, as compared with the number on the 1st October, 1925. Further, the proportion which the number of additional pupils in such schools bears to the number of additional pupils in all secondary schools is considerably greater than the proportion which the total number of pupils in such schools bore to the total number of pupils in all secondary schools in 1925–26, and this disparity obviously affects the assessment of expenditure on Aid to Students, which covers aid given to pupils in non-maintained as well as in maintained schools. In this connection I would refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer on this subject which I gave to the hon. Members for Newcastle West (Mr. John Palin) and Durham, East (Mr. Ritson) on the 24th March last, a copy of which I am sending him.