§ Mr Monroasked the Secretary of State for Scotland, why, in view of his constraints on local authority spending, the contribution to the Scottish Certificate of Education Examination Board by the Dumfries and Galloway Region has been increased from £33,111 to £46,956.
§ Mr. McElhoneThe expenditure of the Scottish Certificate of Education Examination Board is wholly borne by education authorities, who have through the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, a number of representatives on the Board and its finance and other committees. The Board's expenditure is divided between authorities by reference to the rate support grant distribution formula and their contributions are treated as reckonable expenditure for the purposes of calculating rate support grant.
The Board's estimates, drawn up on a calendar year basis, show that the increase in expenditure between 1975 and 1976 was largely due to the increase of 3.5 per cent. in presentations for the SCE examinations between 1975 and 1976; the move late in 1975 to new and larger offices at Dalkeith, necessitated by the substantial increase in presentations in recent years; an increase of 10 per cent. in 1976 in the fees paid to examiners, markers and invigilators; the inclusion for the full year 1976 of National Joint Council salary awards which only partly affected 1975; and the implementation at the end of 1975 of staff reorganisation following an evaluation of the Board's operations by a local government management team.
562WThe figures quoted by the hon. Member are not wholly correct: the contributions due to be paid by the Dumfries and Galoway Regional Council in the financial years 1975–76 and 1976–77 were, in fact, £33,111 and £43,735 respectively.