§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what estimate he has made of the rate of inflation in educational books and equipment compared to the general rate of inflation.
§ Dr. BoysonThere is no generally accepted price index specific to educational books and equipment. Some idea of the impact of inflation on educational books and equipment may, however, be given by the "books, newspaper and periodicals" and the "radio, tv and568W other household appliances" components of the retail prices index. In recent years the movements in these elements compare with the overall movement in the RPI as follows :
Book Equipment Overall September— 1972 100.0 100.0 100.0 1977 229.8 162.5 213.9 1978 253.7 172.1 230.6 1979 277.9 188.3 268.7 The cash limit embodied in the 1980–81 rate support grant settlement reflects an assumption about the aggregate effect on local authority expenditure both of comparability awards and of relevant new pay and price increases affecting local authorities from November 1979. The cash limit is thus an inclusive figure which cannot be directly related to the likely movement of prices in specific areas of local authority expenditure.