HC Deb 06 July 1964 vol 698 c46W
Mr. A. Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish in HANSARD a table of figures giving the real growth in expenditure on the educational services since October, 1951, on the basis of allowing for the fall in the purchasing value of the £ sterling, the rise in prices of foods and services, the rise in teachers' salaries, and the growth of the national product.

Mr. Hogg

Between 1952–53 and 1962–63, the total educational expenditure of public authorities in Great Britain, including expenditure on school meals and milk, rose from £479 million to £1,277 million or from 3.4 per cent. of the gross national product in the United Kingdom to 5.1 per cent. It is not practicable to provide exact information on the growth of educational expenditure in terms of constant prices, but the best estimate possible at present suggests a rise of about 75 per cent. over the 10-year period. Of this increase about half is attributable to an increase in the number of pupils and students, and about half to improvements in the standard of service provided.