§ Mr. Arnold Shawasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) what is the estimated cost of introducing the voucher system if it were extended to include primary and secondary schools in both the public and private sectors;
(2) what would be the cost of the voucher system if it were extended to all primary and secondary schools in the public sector.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe feasibility study for a voucher system recently published by the Kent County Council suggested that the cost of introducing a voucher system in the Ashford division of Kent, with approximately 15,000 children, would be between £90,000 and £600,000 a year for a scheme limited to schools maintained by local education716W authorities and between £873,000 and £1,328,000 a year if extended to include independent schools. The study offers no costs for England and Wales, but applying the figures in the study to the approximately 9 million children in maintained schools in England and Wales the introduction of a voucher system would cost between £54 million and £360 million a year for a scheme limited to maintained schools and between £524 million and £797 million a year if extended to include independent schools.
§ Mr. Speedasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many copies of the Kent County Council's educational voucher feasibility study have been received by her Department; and by whom they have been examined.
§ Miss Margaret JacksonThe Department has seven copies of the feasibility study, which are available for study as necessary.