§ Mr. Dobsonasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he is satisfied that the elements of the newly announced rate support grant for 1983–84 relating to education will permit each local education authority to discharge its statutory duties and maintain its present level of provision.
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§ Sir Keith JosephI am satisfied that the rate support grant settlement for 1983–84 should permit every local education authority to discharge its statutory duties. However, the level of service that can be provided by local education authorities in 1983–84 will depend crucially on the extent to which they are able to contain their cost increases and in particular on the level of pay settlements for local authority employees over the months ahead. For example, if pay settlements are of the order of 3½ per cent., up to 400,000 teachers could be employed which would allow some improvement in pupil-teacher ratios above the January 1982 level. Reductions in expenditure will be necessary in advanced further education where the plans reflected in the AFE quantum imply a reduction of some 2,000 full-time equivalent lecturers by next October and corresponding reductions in non-teaching costs.