§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science (1) if he will confirm or correct the statement made by the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Macfarlane) Official Report, 14 July, c. 961 on the frequent publication by the Government of figures of the estimated saving to the Exchequer of public schools;
(2) whether he will list in the Official Report the publications referred to by the Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Mr. Macfarlane) giving estimated savings resulting from greater numbers entering independent schools, Official Report, 14 July, c. 961.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI referred on 14 July to the publication of figures of both the estimated savings and the estimated cost to the Government of pupils entering independent education. Instances of this include answers to the hon. Member for Bedwellty (Mr. Kinnock) by my300W hon. Friends the Under-Secretary of State for Education and Science on 5 February 1980—[c. 150]—the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Under-Secretary of State for Defence on 3 July 1980—[c. 697 and 701]—and by my right hon. and learned Friend on 3 and 21 July 1980—[c. 722 and 43]. The record of the latter answer contains an error: the recurrent cost of educating children from the independent sector in maintained schools should have been quoted as £300 million per year, at 1979 survey prices.
§ Mr. Fieldasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he will provide figures for each financial year since 1979–80 giving the estimated savings to public funds of successively greater numbers entering independent schools.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneStatistics of pupils in independent schools in the academic year 1980–81 are not yet available. It is thus not possible to provide a realistic estimate of savings in financial years after 1979–80.