§ Mr. Goldingasked the Secretary of State for Employment what has been the rate support grant settlement in respect of the careers service in England and Wales since the implementation of the Employment and Training Act 1973, at November 1979 prices; what has been the actual amount spent on the careers service; and what number of additional posts would now be on the permanent strength of the careers service, excluding specially funded posts, if local education authorities had not underspent between 1979 and 1980.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonFor the financial years 1974–75 to 1979–80 inclusive, the forecast of expenditure on the careers service in England and Wales for rate support grant purposes, at November 1979 prices, was £184.2 million. Actual expenditure by LEAs over this period exceeded the forecast by £0.9 million. Because RSG is an unhypothecated block grant local authorities are free to determine their own priorities and to allocate the funds received under the RSG arrangements to individual services in accordance with their own policies and wishes from year to year. It is not, therefore, possible to determine the number of permanent careers service appointments which authorities might make in any particular year.