§ Mr. Walter Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the total cost of education during 1978: and how this compares with 1973.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsAt constant prices, expenditure on education in Great Britain was about £8.1 billion in 1973–74 and £7.95 billion in 1977–78. The estimate for 1978–79 is just under £8.1 billion. Capital expenditure this year will be nearly £700 million less than in 1973–74, mainly because of the prospective fall in the school population, but over the same five years the number of teachers in schools has risen by nearly 40,000.