Mr. Jim Callaghanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what percentage of the United Kingdom's gross national product is spent on education compared with other European Economic Community countries.
§ Sir Keith JosephThe latest information available in the Department relates to 1980–81 and is as follows:
Education as percentage of GNP United Kingdom 5.5 Belgium 6.0 Denmark 6.9 France 5.1 West Germany 4.7 Greece* 2.2 Ireland 7.0 Italy* 5.0 Luxembourg 5.7 Netherlands 7.9 * Information for Greece and Italy relates to 1979
Mr. Jim Callaghanasked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what representations he has received from local authorities about the level of expenditure on education services in 1984–85.
§ Mr. DunnEach year representatives of the local authority associations hold detailed discussions with officials of the Department, within the machinery of the consultative council on local government finance, about the level of local authority expenditure on education services in the following year. In addition, the Department receives a good many letters from individual local authorities on expenditure issues in each financial year.