§ Sir Brandon Rhys Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what up-to-date information his Department has available regarding enrolment numbers, completions and other progress within the context of the adult literacy scheme.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneNo estimate is available of the number of adults who have been helped to overcome successfully in the long term their problems in this area. Information collected from local education authorities and voluntary agencies by the adult literacy unit for 1979–80 indicates that the level of demand for tuition remains at about 70,000 adults a year.
§ Sir Brandon Rhys Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what has been the estimated total annual cost of the adult literacy scheme in each year since it was started.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneThe Department of Education and Science has made grants to successive central agencies established to promote and support work locally with adult illiterates as follows: 265W
Year £ Adult Literacy Resource Agency 1974–75 12,600 1975–76 707,200 1976–77 922,863 1977–78 1,135,000 Adult literacy unit 1978–79 265,773 1979–80 360,000 Adult literacy and basic skills unit 1980–81 *(437,000 to January 1981) * Includes grant to be paid by the Welsh Office Education Department. Information on the total expenditure by local education authorities and voluntary providers on this work in this period is not available.