§ Mr. Flanneryasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what would be the additional recurrent costs of implementing the James report's proposals on induction and in-service teacher training.
§ Dr. BoysonThe most recent comprehensive data that we have had on the cost and volume of induction and in-service training derives from the survey of local education authorities' provision conducted in 1979 and relates to the financial and academic year 1978–79. In those years local education authorities in England and Wales spent some £70 million on INIST for teachers in schools and further education, releasing the equivalent of 5,730 school teachers and 1,250 FE teachers. This was about 1.2 per cent. of the number of school teachers and 1.6 per cent. of the number of FE teachers then in regular service compared with the 3 per cent. of the teaching force implied by the James committee recommendations. On this basis, if local authorities were currently providing the same volume of in-service training as in 1978–79, the additional recurrent cost of implementing the James report's proposals might be some £125 million at current prices.