§ Mr. Christopher Priceasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will set out in the Official Report the membership of the expenditure steering group (education) of the Local Authorities' Consultative Council, the number of times it has met in 1980 and the subjects it has discussed.
§ Mr. Mark CarlisleThe current membership of the expenditure steering group for education services (ESGE) is:
Department of Education and Science
- Mr. E. H. Simpson (Chairman)
- Mr. H. Bird
- Miss S. J. Browne
- Mr. W. O. Ulrich
- Mr. J. R. Jameson: Finance Branch
- Mr. D. G. Libby: Planning Branch
- Mr. D. M. Forrester: Finance Branch
HM Treasury
- Mr. C. H. Judd: (Observer)
Welsh Office Education Department
- Mr. D. M. Timlin: (Observer)
Department of Employment (For items in connection with tae careers service)
- Mr. G. Kahan: Finance Branch
- Mr. A. G. Johnson: Manpower General Division
- Mr. A. E. Winspur: Careers Service Branch
Association of County Councils
- Mr. P. J. Coles: Under Secretary (Education), ACC
- Mr. I. G. Cunningham: Education Officer, ACC
- Mr. J. W. England: Principal Assistant, Treasurer's Department, Lancashire
- Mr. R. P. Harding: Chief Education Officer, Buckinghamshire
- Mr. C. C. Jasper: County Treasurer, Hertfordshire
- Mr. W. O. Jolliffe: County Treasurer, Lancashire
- Mr. A. P. Peel: County Treasurer's Department, West Sussex (Observer)
- Mr. R. D. Price: County Education Officer, Dorset
- Mr. H. Radford: County Librarian, Dorset
- Mr. J. R. G. Tomlinson: Director of Education, Cheshire
Association of Metropolitan Authorities
- Mr. J. Buck: Director of Education, Dudley
- Mr. R. J. Hartles: Chief Education Officer, London Borough of Ealing.
- Mr. R. G. Morris: Under Secretary (Education), AMA
- Mr. A. G. Redmond: Deputy Director of Finance. Wigan
- Mr. B. Scholes: Chief Executive. Bolton
- Mr. T. Simpson: Director of Finance, Stockport
- Mr. J. A. Springett: Education Officer, AMA
294 - Mr. W. H. Stubbs: Director of Education (Schools), ILEA
- Mr. S. Woodman: Finance Officer, ILEA
- Mr. P. A. Wright: Financial Comptroller and Auditor, Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames
London Boroughs Association
- Mr. D. E. Ecott: Borough Treasurer, Haringey.
The expenditure steering group has met eight times in 1980: its most recent meeting was today. The steering group's general task is to consider aid advise on the implications for the education service of the Government's plans for local authority expenditure as outlined in successive White Papers. Each year it prepares a report for the consultative council on local government finance which is used to inform the Government's decisions on the forthcoming rate support grant settlement. In pursuance of this remit, in 1980 the group, advised by the expenditure sub-group, has discussed: the effects on the education service of local authority expenditure policies in 1979–80 and 1980–81; the Government's Cmnd. 7841 expenditure plans for education, 1980–84; revised expenditure forecasts taking account of the 1979–80 expenditure out-turn and new statistical information; and the implications for local authority education of the Government's revised expenditure plans for 1981–82.
The group has also discussed a number of specific issues related to reductions in expenditure, including the scope for closure of surplus school accommodation and the effects on schools of scale diseconomies. Other subjects of discussion have been the Warnock report, the report on the 1979 survey of induction and in-service training, the assessment of grant-related expenditure for education and the methodology for determining the quantum for the 1981–82 advanced further education capped pool.