§ Mr. Juddasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of students enrolled for local education authorities' discretionary further education courses in each of the past four years together with the estimate for 1969–70; and whether he will make a statement on the effects upon such courses of current Government restrictions on local government expenditure.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsLocal education authorities are under a duty to secure the provision for their areas of adequate facilities for further education, but this general duty does not extend to the provision of particular individual courses. The following are the figures of students attending grant-aided establishments:
Thousands 1964 1965 1966 2,725 2,916 3,091 1967 1968 1969 3,194 3,290* 3,446* * Estimates. In arriving at estimates of relevant expenditure for rate support grant in 1969–70 I assumed that expenditure on further education would rise in real terms broadly in line with the growth in the number of students indicated above, allowing for some reduction in teaching costs per student. This should be possible with the continued implementation of the recommendations of the Pilkington Report for the size of teaching groups.