HC Deb 29 June 1956 vol 555 c77W
Mr. Lewis

asked the Minister of Education the total expenditure on education made by his Department in each of the years from 1951, taking the £1 as being worth 20s. in spending value in 1951 and making allowance for depreciation of its spending value for each of the years since that date.

Sir D. Eccles

Total net expenditure by the Ministry of Education to the nearest £million has been as follows:

1951–52 £197
1952–53 £214
1953–54 £227
1954–55 £249
1955–56 (provisional) £276

There is no index suitably constructed to measure changes in the prices of the goods and services used in education; I cannot therefore adjust these figures to allow for changes in their purchasing power.