HC Deb 24 October 1968 vol 770 cc359-60W
103. Mr. Longden

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether the three per cent. limit on the increase in local education authorities' annual expenditure allows for the increase in the cost of living caused by devaluation, higher taxation, and other effects of Government policy; and whether it is an increase in real terms.

Mr. Skeffington

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said in January that the Government expected that in 1969–70 local authorities as a whole would restrain their expenditure so that it would not in total exceed a figure in the region of 3 per cent. above the sum taken into account for Exchequer grant this year. This increase will be in real terms and will therefore allow for known increases in costs; within the total, different services may expand at different rates.