§ Mr. Moateasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if she will provide up-to-date estimates of the expenditure by central and local government including the education and library services, on books; and what the total figure represents as a percentage of the United Kingdom turnover of British publishing houses.
§ Mr. OakesMy Department has no information about total expenditure on books by central and local government. So far as the education and libraries services are concerned, the main identifiable expenditure on books is as follows:
Financial Year 1976–77 £ million outturn prices Universities (Great Britain) 6.6 (estimated) British Library 4.0 Local authorities in England and Wales: local education authorities 53.7 Libraries 27.9 In addition, expenditure is incurred by a number of other bodies and educational establishments in receipt of public funds, including direct grant schools and colleges, the Open University, the Cran-field Institute of Science and Technology, the Royal College of Art, national museums and galleries and the research councils.