§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he proposes to take steps to ensure that secondary schools in Clwyd spend on their libraries the minimum necessary according to the 1985 Her Majesty's Inspectorate survey of secondary school libraries;
(2) what is his policy on the amount which a secondary school in Clwyd should spend per pupil on its library; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what percentage of school libraries in Clwyd are unsatisfactory according to Her Majesty's Inspectorate's definition contained in the 1985 survey of secondary school libraries.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsIn 1985 the Department of Education and Science published a survey by Her Majesty's Inspector (England) of secondary school libraries in six English local education authorities. The survey did not define a satisfactory standard of provision nor specify a minimum necessary level of expenditure for school libraries. My right hon. Friend's policy is that decisions on the appropriate level of spending on school libraries is a matter for local education authorities and schools to determine in the light of local needs and the resources available to them and of the importance of maintaining a satisfactory stock of books and materials.
§ Dr. Marekasked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the latest information available in the expenditure per pupil in Clwyd secondary schools on libraries.
§ Mr. Wyn RobertsInformation on expenditure on school libraries is not collected centrally.